Reviewed by True
TITLE: Kairo
SERIES: Van Doren
AUTHOR: Crea Reitan
PUBLISHER: Dragon Fire Fantasy
LENGTH: 214 pages
RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2026
BLURB:
Every heart hides something.
He walks into my office like he has a right to be here. Unfazed and unbothered by my sharp words and thorny exterior, Malcolm challenges everything I know. Somehow, he breaks down my walls and I’m laid bare before him.
There’s nothing more terrifying than exposing my vulnerability so when I force him out of my life to protect my heart, I realize there are some things that being a Van Doren alone can’t fix.
***
This is a LGBTQIA+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.
REVIEW:
I always love the author’s notes at the beginning of the book.
We met Malcolm Confringo in Voss where he had been through trauma, and was captured as a target by sick people who wanted to hunt. He was the one who kept Voss’ boyfriend alive.
And of course, we met Kairo Van Doren as the dickhead of the family.
Well, let me tell you Kairo is in essence not quite the dickhead that we met! While the van Dorens are known for their wealth, power, and luxury, Kairo lives in an old apartment and takes care of the people around him.
Chicago is Kairo’s town, his town is under attack by masked men, the American gestapo, to clean up the city, orders from above, from the fuckhead who’s destroying the US.
The family is aware of Kairo’s absence, in person and in mind. He became hostile and doesn’t want anyone’s help.
Jalon, the oldest brother, is concerned and asks Malcolm to visit him.
When Kairo meets Malcolm, he wants to dislike him, but the huge man is just very likeable.
Malcolm pierces right through Kairo’s armor.
Good Boy is just one of Malcolm’s endearments for Kairo. Read for yourself what Malcolm has in mind for Kairo. What followed was downright intense; Kairo didn’t stand a chance against Malcolm.
Oh boy you’ll love watching them, it’s everything. Those sky-high walls are slowly and carefully coming down. Showing his real self wasn’t easy, explaining his feelings was even more difficult.
But, there’s more going on in this story, you really have to read it yourself.
This was a very intense story. Feelings are all over the place. I loved the super focus on Malcolm and Kairo, their dynamic was overwhelming, their chemistry off the charts.
The family is, of course, present.
The conversations are insightful, my heart was happy for Kairo.
It’s all quite captivatingly written, I read it in one sitting.
This was another wonderful addition to the Van Doren series
RATING: 
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