★★★ #Razed #ShilohWalker
Back to the Barnes brothers series, this is book two which can be read out of order. We find out how Zane finally wins over the oblivious and sometimes skittish Keelie. We first met Keelie when she decided to go after her partner Zach who was in love with another woman. Keelie came out more like a heel. Or maybe like Julie Roberts in "My Best Friend's Wedding". Except, I found Keelie much less likeable when we first met her.
As the story continues on and Zach starts to get Keelie to warm up and see him, I see that there is more to Keelie. From a character building standpoint, Ms. Walker does a bang up job creating an unlikable female into someone I better understand. Even if I didn't agree with how Keelie handles the situations, I can understand why she did it. This is what I love about Ms. Walker's characters. She's able to give depth to a seemingly shallow character. And in this case, less shallow but more prickly. Learning about Keelie's guilt and self hatred explains so much about her behaviour.
By the end of this story, seeing Keelie open up and work through her past with Zach's support is beautiful. As with most of Ms. Walker's romance stories, there are plot devices that just hit hard into the gut. Terrible things happen to her characters. Each time, her characters are survivors who rise up above the muck they have landed into - be it from their own choice or they were thrown into it. Keelie is a strong female who finally is at peace with her past. This allows her to move on with Zach. Zach's journey in this romance is not easy either. The big changes in his life pairs up nicely for a romance with Keelie. This contemporary romance is recommended to readers who like prickly females with gooey centers.
