Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Kieran
SERIES: Baton Blue Daddy (Book 1)
AUTHOR: Avery Tu & Kota Quinn
PUBLISHER: Custom Cat Publishing
LENGTH: 281 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 4, 2022
BLURB:
As the CEO and founder of one of the world’s top makeup companies, Baton Blue Cosmetics, Kieran Kingsley has enough on his plate to worry about without having to take an arranged marriage into consideration. When he finds out his parents have plotted with another prominent family to get him hitched, he immediately seeks a way to call the whole thing off before word gets out. What he isn’t expecting is for Theodore Hudson to be so…attractive.
Theodore Hudson is a popular artist who’s spent years trying to build a life for himself separate from his family and their wealth. When his mother tells him he’s been matched with Kieran, he’s certain it’s part of a ploy to ruin his latest gallery showing and get him to return home. He has every intention of telling Kieran off when they meet, yet something about the other man makes it difficult to look away.
The two of them soon realize the best way out of this is to pretend to give their families exactly what they want, with a predetermined timeline and an end goal in sight. They can both walk away from this with everything they need.
But what happens when the thing they both start to need the most, is one another?
Kieran is the first story in the Baton Blue Daddy Series. This MM romance is an arranged marriage with enemies-to-lovers vibes. It involves light daddy kink, no age play and lots of chemistry. You can expect fun banter, fake dating and a secret employee who loves to air all the juicy gossip all over the company forum. This book can be read as a standalone and has a HEA.
REVIEW:
I am in awe of these two first-time authors and can’t wait for more from them to come!
Kieran Kingsley is a self-made man. He has risen to the top of the highly competitive cosmetics and fragrance industry all on his own. He never wanted to be part of his family’s hospitality industry. He wanted to create and run his own cosmetics line and he has been very successful. The only thing he wasn’t successful at was in romance. His ex saw to it that he could/would never go down that road and trust again. But he was happy in his life. His parent’s and him got along just fine. And he had his best friend Dorian by his side and his grandmother, the legendary Lucky Kingsley, was his biggest supporter. Life was good. He might be a bit of a workaholic but he just liked what he did and was damn proud of it! But Lucky wanted more for her only grandson that she practically raised single-handedly. She wants him to admit that his ex broke him but he was fixable and she was going to see to it it got done. When Kieran realizes that Lucky is not only meddling in his life but has brokered an arranged marriage with the equally rich Hudson family.
Theodore “Theo” Hudson is his own man. He is an extremely successful and gifted artist who’s work is in demand and with that demand comes lots of money…his own money. He doesn’t want to be part of the Hudson conglomeration and it’s vast holdings. The only company that ever peaked his interest is the one he helped his mother create to give her a new hobby that fit with her talent at event planning… Once in a Lifetime Events. Now he was being handed it on a silver platter, along with the guarantee that his parents would get off his case about joining the company and give up his art career. But an arranged marriage to Kieran Kingsley…that was taking things a bit too far…or was it? Could both men enter into a fake relationship agreement that would help them mutually, with no-strings attached, to get their families off their backs once and for all?
Wow! Just Wow! When I signed up for this book I had no idea what a gem had landed in my lap. This story gripped hold of me and wouldn’t let go. What I thought might be a fluff daddy piece by two brand new authors turned into a well constructed book full of enough angst yet not over the top with an intriguing plot that kept me riveted. And I can’t wait for more from these two truly gifted storytellers. I have had several (less than one hand) chances at the beginning of a truly successful writing career of truly talented authors to discover their brilliance. These two authors can be added to that very short list!
I loved how Kieran learned to lean on Theo and eventually, without even realizing it, learned to trust him and then fall in love. Yes he had major trust issues that were genuinely earned. His vile ex really did do a number on him. But Theo wasn’t out after what he could get from him. He was his own man and knew what it was like to be wanted just for his fame and riches. And I loved that that earned trust went forward for both men to discover a new kink in the bedroom. This wasn’t a typical daddy book. This was Kieran being able to put forth his dominance and also caring side. And it was Theo being able to let go for a bit from always having to be in control. But what I loved most was the tender moments when both men learned to trust someone in their lives without the fear of a hidden agenda. Theo was just the gem that Kieran needed and Kieran was just the man that he could finally let go and be himself with.
A true treat was the “Aquamarine” side character! Who is she? Or is she even a she? I really want to know who is behind all that juicy insider gossip. I’ve had my suspicions that first it was Kieran’s secretary but now feel that might be a tad obvious. I also questioned if it was his Grandmother Lucky or his best friend Dorian. I can’t wait to find out!
I am super excited for the next book in this series. It appears to be Dorian and Ira’s story and that might just prove to be a prize! I adored both of these best friends of Kieran and Theo. They always had their best friend’s back and looked out for them. They truly need and deserve their own book. I just hope we get more of Theo and Kieran in the future. I can’t rave enough about this first project by these two talented authors and can’t wait for more!!!
RATING:
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