Keeper

I received a digital arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Flux Books, for this opportunity!

Keeper, the debut novel by Kim Chance, is a magical tale intertwined with love, secrets, and betrayal. This story kept me on the edge of my seat, eyes glued to the words before me and left me wanting more.

Keeper is the story of Lainey Styles, your normal run of the mill overachiever whos' only care in the world is passing the SAT's so she can leave her small sleepy town of Lothbrook Georgia for college and big adventures. Little did Lainey know that her life in this small sleepy town along with everything shes ever known was about to be turned on its head with the appearance of a ghostly woman covered in blood. With the help of her Uncle Gareth, his loving but kooky girlfriend Serena, her comic book loving, superhero obsessed best friend Maggie, and the new handsome boy in town Ty; she sets off to uncover the truth behind this ghost, her family, and herself.

This wonderful story is available for your reading pleasure on January 30th, 2018. I would again like to thank Flux Books an imprint of North Star Editions along with those at NetGalley for giving me the opp0rtunity to read and review this book.

Actual rating: 4.5

While I found the blurb interesting enough to request an ARC I didn't expect to enjoy <i>Keeper</i> as much as I did. Generally I find it hard to connect with young adult characters (I guess I'm too old for it) so what I really wanted was to see how the story would be told.

What I got instead was a set of very likeable and surprisingly relatable characters. Lainey reminds me so much of myself when I was her age with her dreams of being a scientist and her desire for the escape that a science career can provide. She's mostly logical and doesn't have the usual for teen characters TSTL moments. When I say mostly I don't mean it as a critique because no one acts totally logical all the time and if that was the case it would have been off putting. She acts like a real teenagaer, not some stereotype of one. That alone was reason enough for me to give a high rating. Add to it the adorable comic-reading sidekick Maggie (I loved every single geek comment!) and I was hooked! It was Maggie that made me feel like I'm just hanging out with my own RL friends and it helped me get emotionally involved in the story.

The story itself is engaging and decently told, though I managed to figure out most of the plotlines from the start, including the plot twist at the end. I even have some theories on what really happened and as a result I'm looking forward to the sequel (yes, yes I know this book isn't even published yet and I'm blabbing on for the second instalment but hey you can't blame me the story did get it's hooks into me!). With books like this one, when a lot of the plot is obvious from early on, the way the story is told becomes the most important part and I really enjoyed Kim Chance storytelling.

If you enjoy YA I would recommend you give <i>Keeper</i> a try but do not expect a light read, nor brainless characters. Don't expect something brilliant either. If you generally dislike YA it's a toss whether you'll like this book or not. I guess it would depend on your general mood and what you've read just prior to picking the Keeper ( I read a couple of books with one of the most TSTL characters ever so the bar was really low). Still if you want to remember what it was like to be a teen but with a paranormal twist do give it a try.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Keeper by Kim Chance. I have been patiently waiting for this book's release, and even though I was able to read it early, I can say it was worth the wait. The characters truly do make the story come to life. First off we have Lainey our protagonist. She is a relatable 17-year-old who is focused on passing the SATs and getting into a good school. Throughout the book, we follow her on her journey to understand and accept who she really is. The emotions she feels are incredibly real and well written. Her fears and anxieties are palpable throughout the story. She is the hero you can't help but cheer for, and a girl who's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. Next, we have Maggie, one of my favorite characters. She is funny and forever an optimist. She is a loyal best friend and always has a nerdy comeback for everything. I want her to be my best friend! Then there is Ty, oh Ty. Forever playing with my heart. Handsome and mysterious Ty may be the obvious love interest but he will keep you guessing the entire time. With a slew of supporting characters that I could go on and on about, Keeper's characters really do deliver. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and I was finished with the book in just a few days. Reading this book in the middle of the night when I was the only one awake in the house terrified me a to a point that I am embarrassed to admit. It really was the perfect fall read. Debut author Kim Chance lets her voice shine in Keeper. She has created a world you can fall in love with and leaves you wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel to see where the story goes.

Keeper made me realize how much I’ve missed reading YA fantasy. I’ve always loved fantasy, but I haven’t always loved witch stories, but Kim hit it right! Keeper has a touch of romance, comedy and touches of bad-ass. While any fantasy story can contain fight scenes, not every fantasy story has a Maggie. I think I may have highlighted every line Maggie had that referenced another fandom: Spiderman, the Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and that’s just to name my favorites. If I could choose my best friend, it would be Maggie.
I didn’t know Keeper was going to be a series, and now that I’ve read book one I cannot wait for book two! Throughout reading the book I’ve been trying to guess who the “good guys” and “bad guys” are and I have a feeling I won’t find out until book two!
As a debut novel I think it’s really great! In terms of writing, I think we’ll see Kim branch out even more in book two.

A charming, witty witchy read! There is so much to love about this book that I am not sure where to start. Here are a few of the things that make this a standout novel.
- Quirky, lovable, realistic characters
-Fun pop culture references that that teens and adults will relate too.
- Excellent mix of past and present as the main character discovers she is a witch and how the past threatens everything she holds dear.
- Plot twists that are unexpected and move the story forward.
- Well written quick read

All in all, I recommend this book for teens, YA-loving adults, fans of pop culture, and anyone who enjoys the adventures of a witch coming into her powers.

I really enjoyed this book, I felt like it took a while to get started but by the end I was desperate to read the next instalment. I liked Lainey and definitely didn’t see the twist coming, a must read for anyone who likes YA sci-fi.

I devoured Keeper in one sitting, letting go of any reservation that this was a paranormal story which was mostly what I read in 201, and instead of thinking 'oh no, this is exactly like this book' I let myself be transported to when I first discovered YA and read romances like 'Hush, Hush', 'Fallen' and 'Beautiful Creatures.'

Keeper is a nostalgic YA mash-up. It feels a little odd to be reading it in 2017 because my reading tastes have changed so much, but you all know I'm a sucker for witches, I love Kim's YouTube channel and I wanted to support the book. It's a little trope-y but the secondary characters leap of the page and the ending definitely has me invested in a potential sequel. Thinking too critically would definitely spoil my enjoyment of it, so I tried to ignore the romance entirely and focus on the 'discovering new worlds' element, which was incredibly well-paced to begin with , but I think things got a little out of control by the end.

If you too are feeling like you want to re-experience your old reading tastes without having to re-read and potentially change your opinion on an old favourite, then Keeper is perfect for you. Alternatively, if you're new to the supernatural genre, then Keeper could be your new favourite!

Kim's writing enticed me. It was straight-forward, yet beautifully descriptive at times and it sucked me right in. Honestly, it was a story that I read pretty quickly and I always enjoy that!

The other huge plus was Maggie, the most geeky, protective best friend you could possibly imagine! References to Harry Potter, X-Men, Supernatural and all kinds of other series, superheroes and comics are thrown everywhere and I absolutely loved that. I could really imagine one of my friends going on in exactly that way, which made me love Maggie even more.

But then... I didn't really like our MC, Lainey. She's almost seventeen, yet behaves like a child. Her feelings are all over the place and, even though that might be normal if you discover one secret after another, it was just over the top. One second she's mad, frustrated and practically screaming, while she's all forgiving the next. Then she's a whiny, crying mess and all of a sudden she's waving a sword around and wants to sacrifice herself? It simply didn't feel right and made it impossible for me to connect with her the way I wanted to.
Although that did improve by the end of the novel, so there's that.

Then we have our typical bad boy, Ty. You all know that I like my bad boys and I have to admit that I liked him as well. Of course, there's a bit of insta-love going on. Normally that wouldn't really get on my nerves, but this time was different.
Lainey's whole life is changing, falling to pieces and she still was all blushy, gushy and lovey-dovey as soon as she'd set her eyes on him.

I'm not going to say I disliked Keeper, but I didn't love it either. It was an okay-read, but that's it. I'm still not sure whether or not I'd be tempted to read the sequel...

THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW

I received an arc of Keeper in exchange for an honest review.

First - the cover is astoundingly gorgeous. The colors, the elements within the artwork, the representation of the main character Lainey - all wonderfully pulled together in a way that illustrates the story within perfectly.

The characterization in this novel is fantastic. Each character has their own distinct personality, and Lainey's best friend Maggie brings a bit of comic relief to an otherwise serious story. It's easy to connect to Lainey but also to the other characters around her. They all have depth and well-defined identities.

The setting in the small southern town is that of a quaint, average place. The reader is given just enough description without the total immersion that would be unneeded in this particular book. As the focus is on characters and backstory, and over-done setting would have detracted from the book. That the author held back on providing too much in the way of setting was a brilliant move.

The story itself focuses on Lainey's discovery of her witch ancestry, yet there are many other magical beings portrayed within the story. That being said, the magic system is not overly-complicated. One mistake that books in this genre tend to make is focusing way too much on the magic system - thus the reader is not overwhelmed with a system hard to follow.

Though the story is set primarily in first-person, there are several chapters from another's perspective that are in third-person. This switch eliminates the difficulty of having to reorient oneself to who is narrating. Not to mention the switch in writing style to a poetic, almost ethereal song is simply breathtaking. The artistic skills of the author become clear when switching between these two perspectives.

The story includes a love interest, and Kim Chance does a terrific job of avoiding the dreaded Insta-romance that so many YA books are cursed with. The romance is sweet and G-rated; no worries about picking this up for your teenage daughter to read.

I cannot wait to read the next book in this series; putting it down at the end and leaving Lainey's world, albeit temporarily, was very hard indeed.

Worth every star possible!

This book has many different elements. Readers who like magic will like this one. A young witch who has no idea all the sudden finds out she's super powerful. Her bestest friend is by her side through it all. There is some teen romance to this book, but it does not over power it like others. You have to feel for the main character as she deals with so much at a young age. The story flows easily with great characters. Descriptive scenes and an great story line.

Lainey is has it all planned out. Graduate from school with top marks, and go the the college of her choice to study Science.
But a strange meeting with a woman covered in blood sets in motion a chain of events. Turns out, Lainey doesn't know everything about her past. And suddenly the past catches up with her and she is thrust into danger.

I really enjoyed reading Keeper - it was well written, interesting, great world/magic and character building.

Recommended for urban fantasy/supernatural fans.

I'm hanging for book two!

When Chapter Two of the Keeper by Kim Chance mentions my favorite show "Supernatural" with Sam and Dean I am more than hooked! Teen characters with adult hurdles to leap over will entertain both age groups. Lainey is a driven student with college on her mind and one goal "To ace the SAT Test". Her best friend Mags is a quirky, fun, optimist with a craving for anything comic book related. Being raised by her Uncle Gareth and his psychic girlfriend Serena; Lainey has spent her life moving to tons of sleepy little towns. Lainey's secret past is revealed when her long dead ancestor Josephine appears to her. Josephine DuCarmont was a powerful WITCH in her day and a Keeper of a leather bound book called the Grimoire. Action packed, romantic elements, loyalty, and deceit fill these pages with amazing characters who fight the forces of good and evil. Ending is amazing and only makes the reader anxious for future additions to it. To quote a passage "MAGIC ALWAYS LEAVES A MARK". "A copy of this book was provided by Flux via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

KEEPER is everything a reader could want in a contemporary fantasy with Southern Gothic and historical undertones. I absolutely loved the way the author blended the past with the present and KEEPER has so much to swoon over—from its hauntingly beautiful setting, to the world-building, the magic, the female friendship, the elusive love interest, and the intense struggle the main character faces when her carefully planned life runs smack into a new reality—all the hooks are there. It read SO MUCH like a movie. I could see everything Kim Chance was describing and the pacing was nice and fast. It kept me turning the pages so I can see KEEPER being a huge, and well-deserved, hit!

What can I say? I am absolutely in love with this book!

"Magic always leaves a mark."

This book will definitely be leaving it's mark on me!!

That cover is simply beautiful. Eye catching and promising fantastic things beneath and it did not disappoint! Happening upon Kim Chance by accident was the best thing ever! Keeper was brilliant, so magically charged that I was hooked immediately. I couldn't put it down.
Kim Chance is obviously a very talented storyteller blending so many different elements into one seamless story. There are a few twists and turns to keep you firmly on your toes with this unpredictable, spellbinding story and that ending! I need the next book yesterday.

Seriously this is not one to be missed!

I received Keeper by Kim Chance from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The cover is what initially drew me in and made me want to read this but the plot line left me wanting more. I loved the premise of Keeper. A teenage girl comes into her heritage/powers, learns the truth of her family and she goes on a journey with her friend, and love interest. This one fell short for me as an avid fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi reader. I was expecting more.

It felt almost like it wasn’t a fully thought out idea or read like fanfic posted over a period of weeks. What bothered me the most was the inclusion of Josephine POV chapters, there weren’t enough of them. You didn’t get the full story like I feel like you should have in order to understand how powerful Josephine and Lainey truly are and why its so important for the Master to get to her.
When I first started reading Keeper, I was amused by all the pop culture references Maggie made. I knew exactly what she was talking about and she did have good timing but it got tiring after a while. There are other ways to show Maggie is into comic books and cult-hit television shows. I did find myself wanting to know more about Maggie rather than Lainey or Ty though.

The ending didn’t blow my mind. It was pretty easy to tell where things were going.

Would I recommend this to others? Eh, maybe someone in high school but not any of my friends or family.

Great paced story with a back story as well. Lainey was very likable and acted age appropriate for what was happening to her. Maggie and her references were fantastic! Loved reading her comparisons to characters to what was going on in the book. The history of the Keeper was written and placed in the story at intervals that worked well with the rest of the story. Ty was a great character and I would have liked to have known more about his history and his family's history. The twist at the end had me going and I can't wait to see what happens next. I received a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

'Keeper' is a solid debut effort from author Kim Chance. Best suited for younger YA readers. A magical young-adult witchy read!

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. The world building was great and the characters were likable. The twists were truly twists I didn't see coming. Very well done and left it open for a possible sequel.

I enjoyed Keeper specifically because of the relationship of Lainey and her best friend. Most Young Adult, supernatural books tend to focus on the lead and a romantic interest. In the era of Twilight, where the lead gives up everything for a love interest, it is refreshing to read a book that shares a healthy relationship as a side plot and not the focus. I think the author did a great job including fun pieces of relevant cultural tidbits for the "nerdy" community. Different comics, tv shows and books were referenced throughout the book and it helped to explain exactly who the characters were as people. All of these things are just the icing on top of the cake when it came to the actual plot of the book. Keeper gave me anxiety, waiting for the other shoe to drop, in the best way. Kim Chance did a great job of adding in suspense when the book needed it but still allowing the plot to take it's time to develop. She didn't rush anything but at the same time, the book was written with a great tempo. One of my favorite things about this book, is the author made it completely age appropriate. It wasn't condescending to teenage readers; it felt as though it was written with them completely in mind. They aren't fully adults, but that doesn't mean that they can't handle some mature themes. (In relation to this book, how to process things when you feel as though your world is spinning out of control). I can't wait for this to be published so I can recommend it to my students.

"'What? I’ve been marathoning Supernatural. There was this one episode where Sam and Dean—'
'Wait. Supernatural? Seriously, Mags?'"

If that’s not enough to sell you on Kim Chance’s debut novel Keeper, then I don’t know what is.
Keeper is about the sixteen-year-old Lainey, a super ambitious girl with a nerdy best friend who just wants to do good on her SATs. But fate has other plans for her, and she soon discovers that she’s a not-so-normal-girl but a witch… a secret which her uncle has kept from her for the last sixteen years. (If you want to know more about the book, consider reading the official synopsis—it gives away a lot more.)
I’ve been a fan of Kim for over a year, her youtube channel being a constant source of inspiration and optimism for me. It made me all the more excited to receive an arc of her debut novel.
Long story short: I adored Keeper. From the very first page the story pulled me in; I could barely stop reading. Lainey is such a kind and sensitive yet ambitious and witty protagonist and I adored her from the beginning. She seems wise beyond her age sometimes, and I loved seeing her conquer her fears and overcome all the burdens she was confronted with. Her narration of the story was nothing but beautiful, Kim’s writing style being simple yet elegant.
If possible, I loved her best friend Maggie even more! Oftentimes in YA, the best friend is reduced to a one-dimensional sidekick, but that’s not at all the case in Keeper. Maggie is not only present throughout the novel—she accompanies Lainey in both her good and bad times and is the most amazing support system a teenager could wish for. Seriously. I’d like to have a Maggie myself, thank you very much.
The same goes for Ty, the new boy at school who’s all mysterious at the beginning, yet develops to someone far more than the usual love interest. The romance was adorable—but I loved the friendship developing between him and Lainey even more. Kim proves that there’s more to a love interest than a snarky, overly protective guy, and for that I loved her and Keeper even more.
I already mentioned that I practically flew through the book, but holy crapkittens (as Maggie would say), the last chapters were absolutely breathtaking! I literally could not put it down, and every time I thought it couldn’t possibly get any more complicated, Lainey proved me so wrong. (You have no idea!)
The book isn’t flawless—sometimes I felt like the story didn’t quite provide enough answers to the questions asked, that the world building could become even stronger—but friends, for a debut, Keeper is brilliant, far ahead of so many other debuts I’ve read.
There IS a downside, though… the book doesn’t come out until January 2018. I know, I know. I can reassure you, though: I have to wait even longer for the sequel than you do. (And I really, really, REALLY want a sequel right now. That ending!!) And it’s already up for pre-order. So go pre-order, you’ll thank me later.
All in all, Keeper is a touching story about a girl who has to come to terms with the fact that life doesn’t always go as planned; a story about family and friendship and fate that is executed beautifully. I cannot wait for you all to read this.

"A person’s destiny isn’t a concrete certainty. There a people who live their entire lives and never fulfill their true purpose. Free will and choice, you see, are powerful tools of alteration. A simple choice can change everything."

Keeper by Kim Chance is phenomenal! And it's her first book, I expected action, magic, awesome characters, charming witchcraft etc and it delivered! From the very beginning, I knew I'd love it. Lainey Styles is a bookish practical girl whose life gets turned around when she has an encounter with an apparition (ghost sort of). Wanting to get to the bottom of it, She investigated and eventually made a disturbing connection to her late mother. As weird stuff is happening to her, she encounters a mysterious and enigmatic hot guy, Ty who literally oozes Mysterious Supernatural dude appeal. Odd things happen whenever he's around Lainey. Lainey eventually learns through memorylike visions that the ghost she's been seeing is Josephine, A girl who has magic and lived in the past. But things were still confusing as Lainey didn't know the full story. Everything blows up with a bang when Lainey gets attacked by a tree (a Dryad specifically) and has to use magic to free herself, This leads to the revelation that she is the last descendant of a long line of powerful witches. Each family has a Grimoire and a Keeper (A Keeper is the person in the family tasked with keeping the Grimoire safe). The more powerful the magic of the family, the more powerful the Grimoire is. As Lainey's family is one of the most powerful witch lines, they have been hunted throughout time by a dark being called the Master who seeks the Grimoire. They kept it safe until Lainey's mom got killed and the Grimoire was taken (It can be transfigured into an emerald amulet). Finding out that she's been lied to all her life by her Uncle (who is not actually her real uncle) who is apparently a Faerie and she has this powerful magic linked to her emotions was not easy for her to deal with but she had her best friend superhero fanatic Maggie and Ty who has a supernatural secret of his own. Her ancestors have been hunted and murdered for generations but Lainey was determined to get her life back. Since she apparently has powerful magic than the world has seen in a long time, She was going to go after the very people hunting her. They have taken what was hers and she is going get it back or she will die trying. The romance between Lainey and Ty is a nice touch to this book, Their love is beautiful, adorable and hot. It was really quite nice seeing them together and I totally ship them, HARD.
The ending was a crazy whirlwind of action, magical fights, insane twists and turns that left me excited for what's next in this series. Keeper is a really amazing book, most especially because of Lainey. She's brilliant, feisty and just simply amazing. Kim Chance has impressed me with Keeper. She is a master storyteller and her books are now a must read for me. Keeper is a superb combination of magic, romance, wit, monsters, action, supernaturals and a splendid cover. I happily recommend Keeper to all readers out there, it will definitely resonate with everyone.

This one is for anyone who has dreamed of being bitten by a radioactive spider...the premise of this book is what first caught my attention with a very interesting twist on the supernatural world.  There are a lot of unpredictable twists that kept me guessing until the end,  oh my gosh, that ending!  I will definitely be picking up book two to see what happens next!

This novel was much more than I expected it to be and I enjoyed it immensely. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down!! It kept me is such suspense!! It involves magic and other supernatural creatures that has spanned over time. It brings the past and present together to stop an evil that is relentless. There is also action and romance, with lies and betrayals. Nothing is ever as it seems and those choices impact the choices that are made. Free will allows one to make choices, which makes one choose if they are willing to accept their destiny or run from it.
Lainey Styles is an ambitious 16 year old, trying to graduate high school early. When she is confronted with a ghost, her whole life turns upside down. Now she has these magical powers and no control. When the truth is revealed to her, she finds out "The Master" has been killing generations of her family members to get a spell that was stolen from him and placed in the Grimoire. Along with her best friend Maggie, who stands by Lainey through it all and Ty, a street fighter who is more than he seems, they try to stop The Master's plans before he can use the spell to steal all the world's magic. I cannot wait to read the next novel in the series to see where the adventure leads Lainey and her friends!!

Keeper is about an ambitious young girl, Lainey Stiles who dreams of college and becoming a scientist. She is intelligent though a little awkward in social scenarios. She has the best sidekick ever in her exuberant bestie, Maggie who is into SO many fandoms, my nerdy little heart was doing cartwheels!

                 After a disturbing encounter with a powerful woman Lainey later discovers is a witch from a bygone age, Lainey learns that she herself is a witch (which her uncle who raised her should have told her… along with a few other things) and is thrust into a world filled with magic and dark intrigue. Throw into the mix a dark and broody hunk, Ty, who is more invested in her fate than she can grasp. With the help of her friends, her uncle and his girlfriend, Lainey must come to terms with who she is and what that means not only to herself but the world.

                This story is the perfect, fast paced, fun read filled with Southern Gothic witchy-ness, some historical fun and nods to several other schools of magic and magical creatures (that I’m hoping feature strongly in the sequel?! Please 😊) as well as some amazing comic and nerdy fandom references from my favorite character, Maggie! Chance has a way with her storytelling that is engaging, endearing and exciting and leaving you wanting more.

               I will say that I don’t always love YA (Young Adult), but I went into it expecting a light YA read and I came out very happy. Mostly because it wasn’t nearly as light as I expected. It was intriguing and had some intense dark moments that had me gasping a bit.

                While I wasn’t blown away by the twists and turns, I enjoyed every one of them. I think she set herself up for an amazing series here, and I will definitely be buying ALL THE BOOKS! If it weren’t for the fact that I’m a mom of two young kids and life happened, I would have devoured this book in one sitting!

              I received my ARC from Netgalley and I am on Kim Chance’s Street Team to help her promote her book. I have been a fan of Kim Chance for a while now, watching her writing trials and successes (via YouTube) and her positivity is infectious. You can see her personality all over this book, which is so great! Kim deserves a huge success in her first published work, and I will forever be a fan… and purchase anything she deems worthy to put in my hands.

                Thank you so much Kim, for writing this story and allowing me to be a part of the team that helps you bring this story to the world! You deserve all the best!

I didn't have a lot of preconceived notions about what to expect going into Keeper - but I did know that I love Kim's YouTube channel, and that her writing advice has always been incredibly helpful, so I absolutely wanted to check it out. Thankfully, I was given an ARC through NetGalley and Flux, and I'm delighted to say I LOVED this book.

So! The book starts off centered around the school oriented, very intelligent sixteen-year-old Lainey, and rapidly we find out that she's anything but when she keeps seeing an apparition following her around. Sounds great right? I was definitely curious.

The beginning was a bit slow going for me, as world building sections can be. I immediately felt drawn to Maggie because of my own personal interests but I also appreciated the quirks that Lainey brought to the table. As the story progressed these initial feelings were reaffirmed over and over as new characters were introduced. I especially delighted over the "You're Wolverine. Got that?" exchange. ;) The nerd references were fantastic and helped provide some comedic relief, they were very well placed. (Maggie and Ty ended up being absolute favorites by the end.)

I also appreciated the way Josephine was handled - too often these segments become info dumps or are disorienting, but these were smooth and informative without breaking from the story.

Don't get me wrong, Keeper definitely follows several tropes, but I genuinely enjoyed the way Kim handled them, and I'm incredibly eager to see book two! <3 Highly recommend!

I received a copy of Keeper from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Keeper is the debut novel by Kim Chance. It’s about a girl whose entire world gets turned upside down after a series of revelations about her heritage. It’s a fast read and is perfect for fans of young adult dystopian novels.

Spoiler Warning

Warnings first: The villain (and his minions) of this series like the idea of using the threat of rape to get the women in the series to do what they want. Thankfully it never goes beyond threats, but they are still upsetting scenes, especially for some.
I think Keeper had a lot of potential as a series, unfortunately on the whole I just found myself not loving it. It was a decent and quick read though, and if I’m being honest the main reason I didn’t enjoy is more is because I spotted a plot hole early on that I had trouble getting over (more on that later). Otherwise it wasn’t that bad – it’s a perfect example of its genre, which I’m a fan of.
We start out with Lainey, our main character, freaking out studying for the SATs, which for the moment is the biggest concern in her life. Clearly whatever event happens in the novel hasn’t occurred yet, and poor Lainey has no idea what she’s in for. The plot starts rolling pretty quickly, with Lainey having disturbing visions of a dead woman; from there things sort of cascade for our heroine, until she’s in a battle for her life (and more).
Lainey is an interesting character – she’s a bit all over the place at times, but it’s still very clear that she’s truly a good person. Even better, she’s got a supportive best friend to help her through all her turmoil’s (which go way above and beyond standard teenager problems). I actually really enjoyed watching Lainey’s transition; she went from being a girl completely absorbed with SATs and her academic future, to a girl on the run for her life, trying to figure out how to best stop the big bad in her life.
I mentioned earlier that I noticed a plot hole (or two, depending on how to look at it) pretty early on in the book; (spoiler warning) if I’m correct about my assumptions of how the Grimoire works, then there were a few obvious ways to stop the villain from getting what he wants. First, the Grimoire needs to be activated by somebody of DuCarmont blood to unlock it, yes? So instead of worrying about protecting the Grimoire, why not just insure that the line doesn’t continue? I understand that Josephine didn’t plan to continue her line, but presumably this would have occurred to any one of the other women between her and Lainey, surely? I’m going to assume the Grimoire was indestructible as well, because I imagine one of them would have tried that at some point, so I’ll leave out any analyzing about that potential.
On the whole Keeper was a decent read, with a different spin on a coming of age story. I liked Lainey and her best friend, and how together they seemed capable of getting through anything (also, how brave must the best friend be to be a human that stands up against all these monsters?). I’ll be curious to see what Kim Chance comes out with next.

I received an ARC copy from NetGalley for my honest review. Keeper is set to release January 30th, 2018!

I absolutely loved this book! It has all the right mixture of modern, supernatural/magical, romance and shockingly a little betrayal wrapped into one. Everything is fast pace so you'll never be bored. I loved how all the charchters blended so well, nothing felt awkward and rushed. The romace was good, just the right amount. I liked how it didn't consume the whole book like most YA books seem to do. My favorite character was Maggie ( I relate mostly to her lol). Keeper kept me on my toes the entire book, it was hard to put down! Without giving anything away by the end of the book you might want to have some tissues on stand by! I would definitely reccomend this book to my family and friends. I can't wait for the next installment!

I love when I can identify with a character right off, and I did identify with Lainey right away. Of course, the amazing things that happen to her never happened in my oh-so-normal life, but that’s why it’s fiction, and that’s what makes it fun!

I love Lainey because she never backs down from the chaos she’s thrown into. She faces everything head-on. I ADORE Maggie, and I want to be her best friend.

Until KEEPER, I hadn’t liked any of the witch books that have come out lately (I have NOT read all of them, just a few.) But this one I loved. I loved Lainey’s connection with her mother and other ancestors, and her interaction with them. The plot kept me guessing, and I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

I really enjoyed reading Keeper! It took so many turns I hadn't expected, which kept me reading more! I got attached to all the characters and thought the plot was solid. I am really a fan of Kim's writing style, the kind of no-nonsense writing where there's the perfect amount of description, dialogue, and prose. I can't wait for the sequel!

I really enjoyed this book, the pacing is fast, it's a total page turner and the paranormal elements are delivered and built at just the right speed to draw the reader in. The dialogue between Lainey and Maggie works really well, it's bubbly and girly and makes the MC very likeable.
The paranormal elements were so very intriguing, I didn't know if I would like a paranormal book, but I've changed my mind! I really felt that the author's imagination came alive with the paranormal world building and I feel like there's so much more to be explored in a sequel.

Despite this book having a very young adult feel to it, mainly due to the writing and the dialogues, I was positively surprised by how much I ended up enjoying it.

Things that really worked for me:
• Those great, lovable characters
• That adorable and precious friendship between the protagonist and her BFF
• The intriguing plot and world building
• The action sequences
• The tragedies
• The ending

Things I didn't love:
• Sometimes drawn-out writing
• The flashbacks (though that's just me - I don't like flashbacks, no matter how important they are for the storyline)

This was exciting and original. Can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

This was a wonderful title with magic, romance, humor, and suspense. I enjoyed Lainey’s character from the beginning. She was highly relatable and easy to understand. Her reluctance to believe was quite believable and her eventual acceptance was kept to nice pace. Maggie’s character was a little harder for me to embrace. Her constant comic book references were annoying at first, yet became bearable as the book went on. These references can become confusing to those not in the know, yet are seen that way through Lainey’s eyes, which does help. I feel that these references, and some about pop culture (minions t-shirt), may date the book and keep it from the test of time.

The story moved along very nicely, with continuing action abound. The beginning chapters seemed to drag on a little bit, but I was quickly sucked in. The romance was played out uniquely and with lots of heart and sweetness. There was an unexpected twist towards the end that keeps the reader guessing, and hoping, long after the book is finished. The book was left with plenty of room for a series to follow, and one that will be eagerly waited for.

the link goes likes on the blog on January 21st 2018.

The cover for this book is absolutely stunning. I love the green colour and after reading this book I can tell you the girl on the cover is exactly how I pictured the MC, Lainey. The blurb definitely has that, I need to know more vibe.

To begin, I want to start with the bad points. I found the pacing of this novel really hard as it was super slow. Normally it takes me about ten days to read a book on my kindle as I aim for 10% each evening that I read. But this book was so slow it made my brain hurt. Things definitely picked up again towards the end of the book which was amazing. It gave me the same vibe as Zoe Sugg's book Girl Online where it was clearly written for a younger audience. 

There's a lot of modern references in this book. As someone who is used to things like comic book stores (thank you Big Bang Theory), this was easy to follow but I feel like younger audiences might get a little confused or have to look up a few things. 

The story brings us Lainey, a teenage girl who knows nothing about the truth of her past. A mysterious boy shows up and a lot of unexpected things start to happen in her life. Lainey's best friend is quirky and I love how she's always willing to help her no matter what the issue is. 

Side note: I also love the fact our villains have the same nickname - The Master.

The story itself isn't too bad. There are lots of twists and turns, along with a whole cast of supernatural characters. Overall, I did enjoy the story, but the pacing kept me from being able to fully immerse myself in it. 

If you like YA then it's definitely a book to try. I loved all the supernatural elements to it.

Kim Chance’s “Keeper” is a refreshing breath of air when it comes to contemporary fantasy, a popular YA genre these days. It has heart, action, a love interest, and a strong female friendship. The cast of characters were developed enough to stand on their own feet and feel real. None of the side characters melted into each other or the background. I enjoyed each of them for their unique personalities and contribution to the plot.

The dialogue flowed and was realistic. Descriptions made me feel as if I was experiencing everything firsthand and drew me into the story. Many scenes were unpredictable and that increased their excitement and my enjoyment of them. The story flowed naturally and no scene felt forced or out of place. There were no filler scenes, each scene contributed to and progressed the plot.

The main character Lainey had a definite character arc, which is more than a lot of books on the market can say. She is smart, and strong in an emotional sense more than a physical sense (though she can kick butt when required!) What I love most about Lainey is her devotion to her family and friends. She would do anything for them. I also enjoy how Lainey deals with every supernatural thing thrown at her in a natural progression of denial to reluctant acceptance, which was refreshingly realistic in contemporary fantasy.

If you’re looking for a book with strong female friendship, this is it. Maggie and Lainey are a true representation of best friends who support and love each other. Whenever one calls, the other comes to her aid immediately. They trust and believe in one another, and Maggie is completely on board with whatever Lainey has planned. I love how Maggie is not only the first person Lainey tells about her ghost encounter, but it’s also the first thing she does after the encounter. Which is such a realistic best friend move. Another minor example of their friendship is how Maggie gives up a date because she promises Lainey she’d help her study, but then Lainey insists she goes on the date. I’d be giving away spoilers to mention the dozens of other instances Maggie and Lainey have each other’s backs. It’s a joy to read their friendship.

Side note: Maggie is an amazing character who loves all things comics and has amazing references to those comics she loves most. It’s fun to read as a fellow super hero nerd.

The magic system is only brushed upon in this book, which makes sense since Lainey is just learning about it and the story is from her point of view. I enjoy how she struggles to control her powers, how they’re tied to her emotions, and how it takes a lot of her energy to use magic. It makes for good realism and a counter balance to magic. You might be powerful and able to do extraordinary magic, but you will be dead dog exhausted after using it. I also loved how it was physically represented as green lightening.

I found the praetorian bond a little confusing since it wasn’t fully explained (I’m sure it will be explained more in future books) and a tiny bit cheesy, but otherwise I highly enjoyed the range of supernaturals Chance introduced and how she altered even the most familiar supernatural creatures (werewolves and fey) to make them unique in her world.

The big baddie wasn’t really present until the end (except in flashbacks), but he was satisfyingly psychotic and manic and twisted. This book actually brought me to tears at one point (I won’t say which to avoid spoilers) and I physically felt Lainey’s pain.

I was less emotionally connected with Josephine (the ghost of the 200 year old which) and her flashback story, but I did enjoy the information provided during those flashbacks and the use of flashbacks to iron out some background info. It was creatively done on Chance’s part.

There were some recognizable tropes, but they were tropes I enjoyed: meets boy by pretending he’s her boyfriend to ward of unwanted suitor; BFF loves fashion and thrusts it on friend who doesn’t like fashion (especially heels); masquerade ball thrown by antagonist; a tiny bit of insta-connection where she feels instantly drawn to the boy and he feels familiar; Lainey has a habit of babbling which she hates but others find endearing; uses passing out at the end of several chapters (which actually makes sense because magic drains her to the point of passing out at times). As you can tell these are very minor, verging on picky. This is how picky I had to get to find a ‘fault’ with this book and they aren’t even necessarily faults because they didn’t detract from the book at all.

Overall this book was a joy to read and, had I had the time, I would have read it in one sitting. The pacing had me wanting to know what happened next and there were many surprises throughout the book that I didn’t predict. I’d call it a great debut novel, but it’s more than that. It’s a great book on its own, debut or not. I don’t want to limit it’s storytelling to being good ‘for a first novel’ as some people may interpret the phrase ‘great debut novel.’ It’s a fun whirlwind story of magic, family, love, and learning who you are that draws you in from the first scene. I’ll definitely be picking up a physical copy when it hits stores January 30th 2018. Hopefully Kim won’t make us wait too long for the second book!

would like to thank net galley and the publisher for letting me read this amazing book

and what a book it was...full of adventures and magic...the next series to read after harry potter...i cant wait for the next book

it was so entertaining i couldn't put the book down.. so much was going on

This book is what I like to call a "slow burn". It started off at a steady pace and continued at a steady pace until the end where it exploded into an awesome end.

The book starts off introducing the Lainey and her "sidekick" which is referred to often in the book, and who I personally adore - I don't know what it is with me and the side characters in books but damn she's just so awesome I can't help myself.

The book progresses into learning about the Lainey's past and her role as being the Keeper of the Grimoire - reminded me truly of Charmed and their protection of the Book of Shadows and that's one of my favourite shows of all time - and then we learn about all the twists and turns of Lainey's past (spoilers upon spoilers so no mention here) but some twists, some turns, some predictable spots but overall exciting.

The one liners in this book are epic - by one liners I mean solid laugh out loud lines that I just had to re-read multiple times for more chuckles before I moved on because they were that entertaining. I did not think this book would have that much humor in it and I absolutely adored that! SUPER AWESOME.

I definitely recommend this book - I don't read much about witches, etc. this had a plethora of supernatural beings in it which is exciting and I definitely think it's set up for another book - at least I hope so, I'd read more of this world.

How would you react if you went from being a normal high school kid with a plan for your future to seeing ghosts, finding out the paranormal is real, and everything you thought you knew about your family was wrong? These are the challenges Lainey faces in this book.

Lainey is almost 17. She is a straight A student, with a plan for her life. Then she starts seeing a ghost, which sets events into motion. With her best friend, and a cute guy she just met to help her figure out what's going on. Then the help of her Uncle and his girlfriend Lainey tackles struggles bigger than any high schooler should have to handle.

This book was amazing. It had me on the edge of my seat, grinning from ear to ear and crying at times. I would highly recommend it. With a few minor kissing scenes and a couple of violent scenes I would say it is still appropriate for kids over the age of 13.

I really loved this book. It was so fast-paced and incredibly action-packed. The characters and their relationships were so great and incredibly relatable. I loved the story-line and how there were two storylines that almost paralleled and crossed over each other at times. One of the things I loved the most was how the story was grounded in reality with all the pop-culture and comic book references; it made it so much more real.

Keeper, the debut novel by Kim Chance, is a coming of story. Keeper is the story of Lainey Styles. She is your typical everyday overachiever. She wants to leave her little sleepy town for college. Lainey has a quirky best friend, Maggie, who is into comic books and tries to keep her active in social life. While at a party she really doesn't want to be at, Lainey meets a guy named Ty. But she also gets a fright when she sees a ghostly image that calls her by name and then she blacks out. As if this isn't bad enough, her world is about to get flipped upside down when she learns her family secret. Together, with her Uncle, her Uncle's gf, her best friend, and this new guy, Lainey ventures down memory lane to figure out how all these pieces fit together.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and entertaining throughout. The book left me wanting more of the story. I am looking forward to book 2.

I received a copy of this book thru NetGalley in return for my honest review.

So, this is sort of a follow-up review to the one I wrote way back in 2016 when I was a beta for this novel. Now as a part of Kim’s street team, I was generously given an ARC by Netgalley and Flux Books in exchange for an honest review. As I am reading this for the second time, and since gaining experience as a freelance editor, I will likely be more critical than the average first-timer. With that in mind…

Pros

Characters: All of the characters felt authentic and I could easily relate them to people I’d met in my own life.

I saw the most of myself in Lainey, who prides herself on having everything totally figured out, is extremely dedicated to her studies, and won’t hesitate to call people out when they try to bullshit her. Sometimes, though, she can be a little bit too set in her ways. Thankfully, she has Maggie to mellow her out.

Maggie is the classic best friend character. She’s always optimistic and obsessed with the heroes from her favorite comic books. Her fun-loving, slightly over-the-top personality is a great counterbalance to Lainey’s fact-driven, down-to-earth mindset. I do wish we got a little more insight as to how they met and why the two of them are such good friends in the first place. Even though story-wise they work well as foils for one another, they don’t seem to have much in common. There was a lot of time when Lainey was still grasping at straws for a normal life and I wish some of that had been used to show their bond. It was easy to understand that they cared a lot about each other, but I wanted to know more about the reason behind that connection separate from the plot.

Then there’s Ty, the mysterious, attractive bad boy. He is also, as you might have guessed, the love interest. Though the initial introduction of the character is very much in line with the tropes of YA love interests, throughout the book, Ty is given some depth and a backstory to set him apart. There is a twist at the end that particularly turns the trope on its head, and I applaud the author for that. I’m curious how it will play out in subsequent books.

Finally, we have Josephine, whose story arc plays a large part in this book skirting the line between traditional “Chosen One” stories ala Harry Potter and uncharted territory. I don’t want to say too much in order to stay away from spoilers, but there were times when I found myself more interested in Josephine than Lainey. She had roots deeply set in the magical history of the world and was on a different journey than the classic self-discovery. She also gave readers a glimpse into a unique time period that I hope we get another chance to explore in the future.

World-Building: I do have some questions about the magic system used in this book, which I will address later. For the most part, though, all the elements necessary to the readers’ comprehension of the story were explained concisely and not before they were needed to propel the plot forward.

Twists and Turns: As a first-time reader, I remember loving the way everything gradually unfolded. The moment you thought everything that could be revealed had been, something else would throw a wrench in the works. It made for a very exciting read.

Cons

Dialogue and Pop Culture References: I will be the first to admit that dialogue isn’t my strong point as a writer right now, though I am working hard to improve. I could definitely tell, though, that some of the speech was modeled after the cadence if the author. Expressions like “holy crapkittens” and “good gravy” are things that I’ve often heard the author say via social media, and being able to recognize them had the tendency to take me out of the story in the same way that the pop-culture references did. Now, if you are a big fan of comic books or the TV show Supernatural, you will likely find a lot of the references very entertaining and possibly funny. But for someone like me who has an appreciation for those medias but does not watch or engage in a lot of fan activities revolving around them, they were hit or miss. The first few were entertaining enough and gave Maggie some character. After a while though, they got a bit stale for me because I couldn’t relate.

Villain Motivation: Basically, the Master wants to be all powerful. That in itself is not a bad motivation, but it lacked a reason. The only explanation we get is that (MINOR SPOILER) he used to be a member of the magical government, but grew tired of their beliefs and struck out on his own. I think the author missed an opportunity to give him some real depth here. One of my favorite villains is Rumpelstiltskin from the show Once Upon a Time. He, too, wants to be all powerful, but the writers go a step further by explaining that the reason he is so attached to his dark power is because he injured himself in the front lines of a war so that he could come home to raise his son and would not leave him fatherless the way he had been. But people called Rumple a coward for that and he lost every ounce of respect they once had for him. The power was the only way he felt he could regain those things, even if that devotion was born of fear. I wish the author had taken the time to incorporate something like that in order to make the villain a more well-rounded person. The fact that he had most of his henchmen do his dirty work did not help matters either. I think the author meant to make the Master menacing because he had so much control over the Supernatural race. Instead, his lack of response until the climax made me think that he was not only power hungry, but unwilling to work for what he wanted. Rumpelstiltskin did all of his misdeeds himself. Even though his reputation was heinous, he had taken the time and initiative to earn it. The Master, however, did not.

Bait and Switch Personalities: Two characters in particular, Lainey, and one that I cannot reveal for fear of having to dive into a plot twist, did not have consistent characterization throughout the novel. In the opening chapters, Lainey is introduced as a level-headed, fact-oriented, logic-driven character, even going so far as to quote definitions of SAT words in an effort to distract or calm herself during a stressful situation. Yet when her life is turned upside down, she lets her emotions rule. While I appreciate the fact that the author took her emotional growth as a character into account during the course of this novel, I thought, at times, it went a little too far. It was not properly balanced out with the logical side of her personality. For example, I am a pretty rational person and when I get upset by something, the first thing I try to do is break said thing down into smaller, more manageable pieces so that I can look for a logical explanation. Knowing the reason behind someone’s thoughts or actions always makes them less scary to me.

Now, obviously, I am not Lainey, but based on the personality that we are given within the first few pages, I kind of expected logic to be in the driver’s seat and her emotional journey to be a secondary development once she realized that sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. In this case the opposite seemed to be true. There were many times when Lainey would be doing something irrational to cope with her emotions and small hints of logic would creep into her mind. In reality, I would think the logical side would have been louder, but her emotional impulses would have propelled her forward in spite of the risk involved.

I don’t want to say too much about the second character as far as a bait and switch goes, but I will say that as much as I enjoyed the plot twist for its uniqueness, it punched a hole in my understanding of the magic system.

Magic: I had several questions about the magic system in this book. There will be SPOILERS in this section so that I can properly explain myself, so if you haven’t read the book, SKIP THIS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

What is a Praetorian? If it is literally branded into Ty’s DNA for him to protect Lainey with his life, how is it possible for him to betray her? Unless he was actually a Scavenger posing as a Praetorian (which I don’t think is possible because, if I remember correctly, they look kind of werewolf-ish) or if he is the Master’s son. We learn that his father taught him how to fight, but I think the Master is too power-hungry to have a family. This seems like a large case of the author breaking her own rules. Perhaps it will be explained in the future books, but based on the way he exited, I don’t see that happening. He’s become an antagonist and Lainey would be nuts to trust him again. (Though, if I know the YA genre, she probably will).
Limits: I understand that the DuCarmonts are super powerful, but even if Lainey is going to start her formal training in the next book, it would have been nice to see her try something and fail, not for lack of control, but lack of ability. After all, if DuCarmonts can perform any spell imaginable, then who’s to say they can’t imitate powers of other Supernaturals? By giving clear limits, the suspense would’ve been heightened that much more.
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars. Recommended for those who enjoy Chosen One, witch, and supernatural stories with a twist.

First off, I wanted to thank Net Galley for my ARC copy of this book. I'm beginning to love the reviewing world, even though I'm still a "Newb".

I don't honestly have much to say other than I truly loved this book. I needed a book that was geared to YA to refresh my mind, and bring me back to pace after a very rough end of the school year. It was pleasant, and Chance kept me guessing. I would think I know what's going on, then she would switch it up. This series, whether it be two books or more, has great potential. If you love witches, magic, fantasy and strong female characters this book is for you.

The writing in this book is geared towards younger ages, however, I'm not one of those that has a problem with that. After all, I've said before: When reviewing books it's important to remember who actually tried and successfully wrote and published the book and who is just reviewing. This writer will do well I think, and I for one am looking forward to any of her future books!

It reminded me a lot of Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini. TBF is one of my favorite series, so Keeper was bound to be amazing. I throughly enjoyed it. It was exciting, twisty, dark, and I couldn't put it down! Well done!

oh my gosh guys this book is amazing.

Kim Chance can tell one amazing story, she just has away of telling it that you really feel like you are in story.

Lainey is one bad ass mc and Maggie is seriously one awsome best friend

please do yourself a BIG favor and go get this book when it comes you wont be disappointed

I really appreciate how this wasn't a remake of the same witch trials. It is hard to find a book about witches that keeps my interest and this certainly has!

I had been following Kim Chance's youtube channel for about a year now. She gives solid writing advice and I love her bubbly personality. This book is a lot of fun, the story starts with Lainey Styles a normal sixteen-year-old girl who gets attacked by an ancient witch in a parking lot.

I found myself sucked into the story I was flipping through my phone to find out more about Lainey's journey. There is a whole past she's not aware of. I liked her best friend Meggie, a comic book fanatic is willing to do anything for our little heroine. There are pop culture references in the book which you, nerds can fangirl/boy about. A cute boy Ty but that all I say about him  (spoilers!)  The writing style is simple but well written, as a writer myself, I understand that this book is generated for a younger audience.  I did, however, like this message:



"You can't control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it. Those choices are what will determine your destiny."



I would like thank gallery for a free copy of this book.

Keeper has everything in it that I love and need in a young adult novel, and the added bonus of witches and supernatural creatures bring this book to a top 2017 read for me!

One of my most favorite aspects of this book is Lainey and Maggie's friendship - they are close, and you can tell they genuinely love and care for each other. But they show love in comic and television show references and sarcasm. It's the perfect formula for a friendship. I adore Maggie the most, she's so bubbly and fun! Lainey doesn't have much family around - but she does have an Uncle and his girlfriend... both part of this supernatural world that Lainey learns exists at the very start of the book. All of the main characters were easily relate-able and very lovable overall, although some of them (Ahem, Ty) still remain a bit of a mystery.

There is also a bit of a historical feel to some of this book, and I think that was my most favorite aspect - I loved how the story wrapped in and around itself a few times before we find out what's really going on and who the BIG BAD is.... the story ties up nicely, leaving us with the hint of a chance at a sequel. I think teens as young as fourteen can easily read this, it's very clean.

Lainey and her best friend Maggie are hanging out at a comic book store event, Maggie is invited out by a boy who is just her perfect partner, so Lainey heads off home alone. Before she reaches her car a ghost, all bloody and gruesome, grabs her and Lainey falls unconscious during the encounter. When she comes to she calls Maggie to get her help, as she is freaking out from the experience.

Maggie is obsessed with all things comic book and explains life and it's happenings based on her favourite subject. Lainey is science oriented and likes to analyse life based on logic.

Ty is a young man that Lainey met for the first time while avoiding a Thor costumed boy at the comic book store event. He has been in town for about two weeks (Maggie found that out).

Lainey lives with her uncle Gareth and his girlfriend Serena, but prefers not to discuss her situation with them, as it's a) weird and b) Serena is a hippy medium.

So the story unfolds with Lainey and Maggie having 'adventures' and Lainey and Ty teasing out how they should be.

There is magic and murder and mayhem and Maggie would love to be able to claim to be something more than human, like the characters in her comic books.

Lainey discovers that she is a witch, like her mother before her, with a duty to be the keeper of an ancient magical grimoire. The grimoire was taken and Lainey must find a way to retrieve it.

I could have finished this in one sitting if I had started it earlier in the day! As it was I had to wait until the next day to see how the second half unfolded. It was worth waiting for, there was a lot to read. And now I wait for the next book to see what happens to each of the characters.

I am not a 'romance' reader, so I was pleased that the author didn't go all soppy with the boyfriend / girlfriend interactions. And the amount of blood and gore was definitely within my acceptance sphere. I really enjoyed reading this story and as I mentioned I'm keen to read the next book.

Brilliantly written, and I am waiting impatiently for the squeal. Once I started reading, I could not put it down.

*Received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

First thing first - I would completely love a best friend like Maggie! I loved her little superhero references and other references to things like Supernatural. I also loved the character of Serena, I think it's possibly because I'd say I'm a little bit like both Maggie and Serena though? Like I'd happily cleanse my whole house if I thought there were spirits there and I'd be more than likely to be found reading a graphic novel... On that note, I think there should be more events at comic book stores like the one this starts with.

Anyway! The book hooked me from the start with Maggie's quirky quips and at the end of the first chapter it sucks you in with an incident that makes you want to read more and understand. The town of Lothbrook is your average little quiet town but Chance describes everything so well it's as though you can place yourself right next to Lainey. The way Chance writes about both the past and present too is such a smart way of introducing the reader to this new world and it's easy to get lost in the story completely.

The characters though, and I know I keep going back to this but I loved the way that each character was slowly unravelled, especially those closest to Lainey. Maggie's optimism especially is an amazing breath of fresh air to read about. For instance, one of the parts of the book that sent a massive chill down my spine was when she said the following (about life not being fair):

"No, it's not," Maggie agreed. "But this is your life now. This is who you are, and you can't run away from it. You have to face it."

Whenever Lainey needed someone she was there, the only human main character and yet she was such a strong element of the book.

I also loved how Keeper has so many well known supernatural elements but the story itself seemed so fresh and new from how Chance puts it all together. I mean there are Witches, Seers, Faeries and even Lycans and Shifters and more supernaturals and just the whole history that ties them all together is brilliant to read about.

I love the book cover also, green is such an important colour throughout the book so it represents it so well. I don't want to spoil the ending, because you have to read this book (especially if you're a fan of Harry Potter), but I wasn't expecting it whatsoever and it was such a brilliant twist! I really hope there's a sequel out because I need to know more.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

4.5/5*

*Potential Spoilers*

OMG the twists and turns in this novel were insane! I absolutely loved it!

The writing was so easy to follow which made sure that I was able to keep up when a new twist happened but also complex enough to make the novel interesting.

I loved the girl power friendship between Lainey and Mags - it is definitely something that as a reader I would love to see more of. (Plus the undeniable comic book nerd in Mags made for major entertainment).
Using various different comic book references made it easier to understand certain things that were happening and definitely gave me a better understanding of the environment Lainey found herself in.

Another element that had me falling in love with the story was the historical element - Josephine and the other Keepers. Using that gave such great depth to the story and added more to my understanding of what the characters where having to face - which I feel is not a totally common thing in the genre.

This is definitely a book that keeps you on your toes through out and would definitely be something that should be read by fans of Fantasy and witches. (of which I am a fan of both!)

3,5 stars

What a fun ride! An enjoyable debut novel with lovable characters and an interesting plot. I really liked our main protagonist Lainey, she is smart and precious. I LOVED her friendship with Maggie, Maggie is such a hoot and also a comic geek!

The secondary characters pale in comparison to Lainey, though, I hope that in a possible future sequel they will be more developed. The insta love also bugged me in this book, I'm just so not a fan of that.

But that ending! GAAHHHH, I need more!

3.5 stars – This novel deserves more than a generic “like” but I can’t put it with those novels that I “really like”. I enjoy that occasional novel that you don’t have to work too hard at but is still fun and engaging. What isn’t enticing about witches, ghosts and magic? This story succeeded at entertaining me without a lot of insulting fluff. This was all I was really looking for at the time. While the characters and plot were not in-depth, the writing flowed easily and the characterization was good. I really liked Lainey and her best friend Maggie. I am curious about Ty. The dialogue didn’t feel forced, the banter seemed realistic and the story was fast paced.

I am generally annoyed by too many pop references in a story. I don’t read comics so all the super hero references were lost on me. They did seem appropriate for the target age group though. Many novels in this genre seem to have no ending but rather set the reader up to buy another and another book. I always feel cheated by these cliff hanger novels. The author assumes the reader will enjoy the book enough to keep buying them. This is something I expect from chapter books but for an actual novel, this tactic rarely works for me. I was pleased that this book did have an ending but left no doubt that another novel would follow. This will not be (for me) a particularly memorable novel. Still, it was enjoyable and should the next novel come out before it leaves my memory then I am sure I will buy it. If you want a fun, fast read then Keeper fits the bill.

Thank you to Flux and NetGalley for providing a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Arc was exchanged for an honest review, I am giving this one 3.5-4 stars. While I found the blurb really interesting and the cover is beautiful I was quite surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did.

I was so happy, this one has everything you want in a paranormal story, action, magic and great characters.

"Magic always leaves a mark"

This story is set in a small southern town, and the authors words captured me. Keeper is written in first person with the main character called Lainey, she is to learn more abut her witch ancestry, The romance is sweet, it dose not have a insta love feel.

I am glad I tried this one, and happy with the outcome and overall story.

Had a great time on the emotional roller coaster with main character Lainey. Witches, magic, and relatable characters make this a fantastic read.