Keep Me Safe: A Slow Burn Novel (Slow Burn Novels)

Love suspense/romance books! this book was great. I really enjoyed that little extra in the book. It is PNR but there are characters that have abilities beyond regular people and I loved it! I can't wait for the rest of the books in the series to be released. i want more of this family!

As always, Maya Banks holds your attention. It doesn't matter what the subject matter is, Maya Banks writes in such a way that you care about the characters and how they feel. Her style helps you feel what they feel. I was on the edge of my seat to see how everything under folded.

Maya Banks is very good at writing romantic suspense. This is the first book I have read by her. I can only say that I had to find out what happened in the end. I will be sure and read the rest of this series. They were very engaging. I would recommend this author to friends and family.

Whew! This book was a roller coaster. It reminded me in parts of the KGI series but it was captivating and well written. Typical Maya Banks style! Good story but not a relaxing read. Lol. Can't wait for the next one

Though the book had too much dialog throughout, the moment of horror was well worth the wait. This book did need more balance of action to talk, but since it is the first of the series one read it to be presented to the future cast of characters.

Awesome awesome awesome!!!!! The suspense is killing. Lol. I was on the edge of my seat thru the whole book. Can't wait for the next book. Maya Banks ROCKS!!!! Everything you write is great. I own all your books. Keep writing and I keep reading.

Fished the book in one night. So much excitement and gut wrenching situations the whole time. Didn't expect the ending at all. Not predictable and that's why it's so so good. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The book (and the gore) were practically endless. I read for the romance, and to a certain extent, for the sex. There isn't a lot of either in this novel. I like Maya Banks, but not her "Slow Burn" titles.

Mgs banks should stick to what she knows best. She tried to write a thriller with a psychopath but comes up short.
Story line didn't for and characters were NOT DEVELOPED at all. Leave the thrillers to Patricia Cromwell.

I have been looking forward to this book since Maya started teasing it. Mainly because I loved Whispers in the Dark and the psychic elements that were a part of that book. I was looking forward to seeing what this book had in store for us.

I wasn't disappointed. The only thing you have to get past is that I found the first little bit a tidbit repetitive.

Overall, I found the story engaging, the plot moved forward steadily and I found Ramie's and Caleb's relationship extremely interesting. Caleb was the predator and Ramie was the prey. Ramie has been through a lot, but she is a fighter through and through and you see that as the book progresses.

Not only are Ramie and Caleb intriguing, but the supporting cast is incredibly interesting and I can't wait to see what Maya has in store for them!

I listened to the audiobook version of this one. I agree with the other reviewers: it's ridiculous that the two main characters basically fall in love immediately. Gag me, right? But the psychic connection aspect of the book was fun. The murder/torture scenes were gory (especially when read to you). The sexy scenes were more graphic than I'd expected, so that was a nice surprise from the usual tame love scene. It's a good book to listen to on a road trip by yourself.

3.5/5 Stars

This book was different than anything I’d ever read before, so it was fresh and interesting to me. I really enjoyed the overall concept, but there were a few major points that kept me from truly loving it.

What I loved:

The concept.
The concept of this book really struck me and made me instantly empathize with Ramie. Ramie was a psychic who helped locate kidnapping victims – but when she was psychically linked to the victim, she would actually experience whatever the victim was going through. It was not as if she was just witnessing it, but actually going through whatever they were going through. She even exhibited the physical signs of the attacks (though I think she recovered from them more quickly than an actual victim – this wasn’t entirely clear). Obviously, this was horrendously traumatic for her, and she eventually went into hiding. This whole concept was incredibly unique to me (and somewhat horrifying, but in a “can’t look away” sort of way).

Ramie.
Ramie wasn’t always the strongest of characters, and some people might not like that about her, but I was actually okay with it. I don’t always need my female characters to be completely strong heroines. Because of the horrific things that Ramie had been through at the hands of many different perpetrators, she had a valid reason for being fragile and broken. In fact, I think it would have been unrealistic if she wasn’t. I honestly couldn’t imagine holding up half as well as she did under the circumstances. I could also see how Caleb would feel strongly protective of Ramie once he knew the truth and how he would feel not only pain and guilt over what he had done to her, but also respect her for everything she had been through in order to help other people.

The suspense.
This book in its essence was a suspense novel – you knew that someone evil was trying to get his hands on Ramie and that there was a high likelihood that there would be some collateral damage before everything was said and done. Well, that was definitely true. I was never sure exactly what was going to happen and, especially during the second half, I was glued to the book in order to find out how it would all play out. Banks did a fantastic job of building the suspense and giving hints about what would happen without spelling it all out for us. I was 100% engaged!

The negatives:

Insta-love (or something close to it).
Okay, to be fair, the actual L word isn’t brought up immediately – and by the time it is, I was actually mostly okay with it. But the two leads have a sort of instant connection that made me roll my eyes a bit. I wanted to see more build between them before they even started down the road to romance, but instead they headed in that direction pretty much instantly (at least after their very first meeting, which was anything but romantic).

I’d do it all again.
There was one aspect of this book that was actually really disturbing to me. This was the fact that Caleb repeatedly said that, even knowing the truth about what Ramie went through in order for him to get his sister back, he would do it all again. And Ramie accepts this. Understands it even. Um, no. I really had a hard time with this. Remember that Ramie essentially experienced Tori’s rape and torture along with her – not passively, but as if she were actually being tortured and raped along with her – she even showed the physical signs of what was happening to Tori. He didn’t realize this when he forced Ramie to have the vision of his sister, but he certainly understood it afterward. So for him to say that he would do it all again if he had to seemed absolutely horrific to me. I couldn’t help but think of this in real-world terms. Caleb is essentially saying that, in order to save his sister from being killed, he would hand over another woman to be raped and tortured along with her. And this is okay how? This, along with the insta-love really bothered me for the first half of the book, but I was able to get past it in the second half, when the action was in full swing and the characters had more of a real connection (and I put my distaste for this one issue aside).

I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy romantic suspense and you don’t mind a heroine who is on the verge of breaking down (with good reason). Banks kept me interested and I’m curious to see what she’ll do with book #2 in this series. 3.5/5 stars.

***Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

No longer rewarding authors for their prior books you know when you sell these editors that they're letting these things through with nothing but repetitive phrasing over and over and over. Constant rephrasing of the exact same thoughts and feelings from chapter to chapter over and over and over. Tops two chapters worth of real story. Until you start giving these books the reviews they deserve we are not going to get any better quality. Say no to Robot Editing.

I usually enjoy books by Maya Banks, but this one was very disappointing. I wanted to like it, but ended up just skimming over much of the repetitive narrative and dialogue. I don't mind some violence, but the many gruesome murders didn't really help the story line. Ramie was not an overly likable character and I was quickly tired of hearing about her personal anguish over and over. I hope the next books in this series are better.

I agree with other readers this is not Maya Banks best book at all.. Took me forever to read all of it.. Very slow going and boring....
I love Banks books but this fell flat and short... I am interested in reading the other books in the series esp the one about the sister since she is the one that is rescued and has not appreciated it all.. Love the Brothers hope they get their own books as well.. Characters didn't know each other before saying I love you...blah... blah....

I loved this story. Caleb and Ramie are amazing. Not usually into the paranormal but this wasn't too far to be enjoyable. Ms. Banks always knows how to please her readers. Such a great start to a series I plan to stay deep within. On to book two!

Some people think Psychics are crazy and others know better. I love this series and couldn't believe the things these people have to go through. Amazing character development and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I actually liked this book. I almost gave up reading Maya, her books were becoming a little rough for me (i.e. Taking It All), but I read the summary and decided to give her one more try. I really enjoyed this book! Must Read!

I got the series for Christmas and returned them all. I made it less than half way through Keep Me Safe and I couldn't read anymore. I'm a fan of Maya Bank's previous books, so I thought this would be a sure thing, but it was awful. I have never returned books due to not liking the writing, until now. The story is repetitive, lame, and the writing is awful.

Writing a book is no mean task. Years of research and reading, approvals and disapprovals, edits and corrections, time away from family and burning the midnight oil. I have the ultimate respect for writers and authors, who have chalked a large percentage of their time to give us readers, wonderful and heartwarming stories of love and passion, evil and good, relationships and support, pain and turmoil, allegiance and loyalty.

Maya Banks is one such writer (one of my top favorites), as she weaves stories spanning multiple genres, and I love every one of them. Her new series “Slow Burn” is no exception to her mastery of writing and the first book “Keep Me Safe” is a brilliant portrayal of a woman cloaked in pain and torment hoping to be saved by a knight in shining armor and maybe just hope for a normal life.

Ramie has psychic powers that connect her to the victims through their pain, but it comes at a very high price with Ramie going through the same pain as the victims. A power that has put her in hiding from the society, as a stalker is hell bent on killing her. She cannot escape him and she cannot get to him, as the stalker has psychic abilities that are a danger to Ramie’s life.

Caleb Devereaux hunts down Ramie at her hiding place, as she is the only one who can save his kidnapped sister, not realizing the physical pain that Ramie has to through. Despite filled with remorse for the pain he’s caused Ramie, he would have gone to the ends of earth to protect his family, and vows to repay her any which way he can. When he gets the call from Ramie to keep her safe, he leaves nothing to chance to protect her, give her security and keep her close to his heart.

As the passion flares between Caleb and Ramie, the body count rises and the killer becomes more and more aggressive. Maya Banks breathes life into her characters of Ramie and Caleb, as they go through desperation and anguish, nightmares and fear and helplessness and frustration. The emotions roll off of her pages and you get sucked into Caleb’s and Ramie’s depth of love and despair. They hold a very special place in my heart as one of the best fictional couples of Maya Banks.

The final chapters of “Keep Me Safe”, is pure brilliant creative writing and leaves you wanting to read more of Caleb and Ramie. A great writer is one who can make the characters living and breathing, and Maya Banks has always succeeded time and again. Her books leave you yearning for more and more!

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5 Sexy Suspenseful Stars!!!

Well, this little gem came out of NO WHERE. I loved Keep Me Safe. I really did. I’ve always been a fan of Maya Banks. She’s one of the first authors I picked up when I started to read new adult. I think after that, I never looked back.

Keep Me Safe was nothing what I expected. It was suspenseful with a paranormal twist and the romance will make any book reader happy.

Ramie is sort of a physic. She can tap into people’s minds by touching anything they own. She helps bring kidnapping victims home, but it comes with a price. Ramie feels everything the kidnaped feels. Since Ramie is good at what she does there is a particular kidnapper that has been stalking her. He doesn’t like that she helps saves his victims and he intends to hurt Ramie. He just needs to find her first.

Caleb’s sister is kidnapped and he will do anything to save her. He knows Ramie’s abilities and he wants to use Ramie to find his sister.
Ramie reluctantly helps Caleb. Caleb had no idea Ramie would feel his sister’s pain, but he can’t focus on that now. He needs to save his sister.

When I first started Keep Me Safe I was punched with so much and I couldn’t stop reading. All Caleb cares about is finding his sister and when you see the pain Ramie goes through in order to find her, oh it breaks your heart. I gobble this up like crazy. Ramie is concerned that Caleb found Ramie easily and Ramie is scared of her stalker. Ramie decides to go on the run for good.

I love me a damsel-in-distress storyline! If you don’t’ like Heroine’s being stalked by crazy killers, then this isn’t for you, but fortunately it’s 100% for me and that is why I enjoyed it so much. Ramie goes on the run, but it seems that every where she goes the stalker is always near, a little too close for comfort and so Ramie enlists Caleb to help Ramie. It’s the least he could do with everything he put her through right?

I love Caleb’s guilt. I love that he’s torn of what he did to Ramie, but he would do it all over again if it meant saving his sister. Caleb is my kind of Hero. He has this protectiveness that I crave, yet he has a Ramie complex. He wants her, but he has massive guilt.
Keep Me Safe is no normal book. It goes way out there with physic stuff and suspenseful moments, but in all honestly it felt really fresh and I felt like I was on my toes most of the time. I also love the villain! I love to hate a villain and Maya Banks delivered for me. He is pure evil.

I also loved getting small glimpses of the brothers, since they will be apparent throughout the series. I can’t wait for the next book!

If you love Maya Banks or want to try a Maya Banks book, but want something a little different than the norm, then this one is for you.

An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review

Story Rating ~ 2.5 Stars
Hero Rating ~ 3 Stars
Heroine Rating ~ 3 Stars
Romance Rating ~ 2.5 Stars
Heat Level ~ 3 Stars
Ending ~ 2 Stars
Overall Rating ~ 2.5 Stars

Keep Me Safe started out really good. I liked the direction the story line was going and loved that it was creepy. Then the story took a backwards slide and it took sometime before it picked back up.

I thought Caleb was a good character, but I found it hard to believe that he fell in love with Ramie so fast. I didn’t really feel the connection between them until the end of the book.

I loved Ramie's psychic abilities and I thought her back story was well done, however I got tired of her thinking she was a coward throughout most of the book.

There were a few sex/love scenes, but for me they were not up to Maya Banks’ usual sensual level. I felt some of them took place at a very inappropriate times, which made me feel that they were just added for the sake of adding a sex scene.

There were some fabulous action scenes and that’s what made the read for me. Without them this book would have been a bust.

I felt the way they caught the killer was not very believable , it was rushed, and would have loved for this part to be drawn out a little more.

I have to say that I thought the overall part of Ramie's abilities was a great touch, but it could have been a much better story if it would have continued on the eerie side, instead of the romance, which iI felt fell flat in the end. It should have focused on one or the other.

I love the steamy, sexy books with a little... extra. Either a paranormal aspect or a good mystery or something else to provide a different backdrop for the hot story of two people falling in love. So, the premise of KEEP ME SAFE intrigued me. It's not quite paranormal, but it's almost there. There's definitely a good mystery, a healthy dose of suspense, and even a little of the awesome military action that I love Maya Banks for (have you read her KGI series??).

Ramie St. Claire is trying to escape. Her psychic abilities have been used countless times by law enforcement to find missing persons, but each time, she loses a bit of herself because she actually slips into the victim's mind and experiences all the pain, torture and fear. After the last guy got away and fixed his sights on taking Ramie down, she fled to the wilderness of Colorado. Which is where Caleb Devereaux found her. His sister was missing, and he needed Ramie's help. Ramie endures the pain one last time to help Caleb, then drops off the radar. A year later, Ramie seeks him out again, knowing he's the only one who can protect her from the mad man who's getting ever closer to finding her.

One thing that was awesome about Keep Me Safe - there is no easing you into the action. No foreplay or stage setting. In chapter one, we see the extent of Ramie's abilities and the forceful, commanding presence that Caleb has. It's a powerful combination, and it sucks you into the story immediately. There's no opportunity to get bored or lost. You're thrust into the action while being introduced to the characters all within the first 10 pages or so.

Ramie was an interesting character. I waffled between thinking she was so incredibly strong to wishing she would man up a bit. I know, I know - that's quite a dichotomy. Ramie goes through a lot of physical, emotional and mental torture when she slips into the minds of victims she's trying to find. It takes guts for her to do it, and during the course of Keep Me Safe, we see her voluntarily do it several times. It takes a toll on her, and she willingly puts herself through that to help others. And, yet, during her more quiet moments and her alone time with Caleb, all she seems to do is cry. Funny thing is, even Ramie beats herself up about this, by saying she's not usually so weepy, and it irritates her that she is now. It lessened the irritation that I felt too.

Caleb is the perfect alpha hero. He's a commanding force. The head of his family. Smart, loyal, a protector. And, of course, hunky and gorgeous too. The great thing about him is that he absolutely has a soft side too. It comes out immediately with Ramie in chapter 1. He feels so guilty about what he's put her through in order to find his sister that he resolves to come back for her later and make it up to her somehow. Of course, Ramie is long gone by the time Caleb gets back to her house, but it doesn't stop him from trying to find her for an entire year. When he does find her, he helps her with no questions asked. He brings her into his home and does everything he can to save her.

The connection between Ramie and Caleb is immediate and intense (crap, Maya - now I'M using that word too!). Ramie says she's never been with a guy before because a side effect of her psychic abilities is her ability to tell whether someone is inherently good or bad. Her tragic childhood, coupled with her abilities, haven't made her very willing to be with any man, and understandably so. It seems a little off to me that she would have absolutely no problems with sex. I would think she'd be traumatized, maybe just a little bit, from all the rapes she's had to relive. And, it's implied (though not expressed specifically) that she's a virgin. Because of these things, I expected, and even wanted, her to balk at Caleb's romantic advances, and especially at having sex with him. I do like for a man to have to work for it. :) But, she capitulates relatively easily, so I had to scratch my head at that.

I got over it pretty quickly, though, because Caleb is Caleb and Caleb is a hottie. All the psychicness in the story was pretty awesome too. It was a different take on that particular characteristic, and really interesting. It caused some nail biter scenes in the book where I was yelling at the characters. I love yelling at my books. It means I'm into the story enough to care. That's always a good thing.

You need to go check out this new series. It didn't disappoint.