When Zane moves into an old gothic brownstone, he discovers the house comes equipped with a caretaker—Kit, who lives in the basement. Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a two-hundred-year-old half-human, half–red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds—a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.
Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice—fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit.
Sara - 5 Hearts
I realize that y’all are probably tired of me raving about the Dreasmpun line and now that I’ve got the Beyond books to revel in, I just can’t stop being in love with both series.
When I saw that Shira Anthony would be contributing to the new line I was happy and then I read the blurb and had to tone down my excitement until I got my hands on the book. I love the idea of fate: that something beyond your run of the mill existence has been planned and is out there waiting for you to find it. It’s even better when that existence comes with the love of your life and the only place you belong.
Yeah. All together now… Le sigh.
We meet Zane Mayer as he is taking a perilous walk to the Cleveland brownstone he will be living in now that he has taken a new job and had the house left to him from his second cousin. Zane does find it odd that he was left the brownstone considering he never met is Cousin Ralph and that there is “do not sale” attached to the in heritance. But Zane doesn’t find it odd enough to leave Raleigh and start a new life. I just don’t think it’s the life he ever imagined, or maybe it’s exactly the life he dreamed of.
Along with the brownstone becoming his, Zane soon learns that the house comes with a caretaker, Kit, who lives in the mother-in-law suite in the basement. Though Zane should find it odd that the house comes with its own live in caretaker, he just rolls with it because Kit is an adorable curly haired ginger with green eyes, pale skin covered in freckles that you want to count and is one fabulous cook. It’s only normal that Zane overlook the fact that a virtual stranger has lived in this house and just assumes to keep living there… right?\
He couldn’t explain it, but in spite of the strangeness that seemed to accompany Kit and the house, Zane felt as if he belonged.
But Kit isn’t just a caretaker; he’s a half red-fox half human spirit who has been guarding the gate between the spirit and human world for well over 200 years. The gate that just happens to be conveniently located in his bedroom. You see, Kit is a Guardian of the gate who needs to find his Keeper to make them strong and keep the right and wrong spirits from moving between the two worlds. Oh and guess who the Keeper is? Yup, but Zane doesn’t know it yet.
I love the idea of the Guardian and the Keeper. That apart they can survive but only on the weakest level. It’s only together that they become stronger to survive and strive. The world building we get in this book, which is listed as the first in a series, is fantastic. We get the knowledge of who Kit is and how he became a Guardian and the number of Keepers he’s been bonded to over the years. We get all of this as the slow burn romance happens quietly between Zane and Kit and while Kit wrestles with the decision to tell Zane about his true path and his true self. Kit has never felt the way he feels for Zane about a Keeper before and fears that once Zane knows the whole truth, he’ll leave.
Oh and Zane, he doesn’t know he’s a Keeper because most Keepers learn of their history and their destiny through their parents and Zane’s parents died when he was young. He was raised in a foster home with his twin sister Ren until a family took both of them in until they were adults. Zane feels a pull toward Kit that is more than physical attraction but doesn’t know how to pinpoint why he feels it.
Anyway. Zane and Kit have a full week of getting to know one another when Zane feels there is something wrong with Kit so he seeks him out and sees Kit for who he really is. I loved this part and Zane’s reaction to seeing Kit as a red fox spirit. Kit in his true form as a fox spirit is of the Kitsune persuasion and not a full shifter-esque fox. I went and stalked the author’s website to see if she talks about Kit and she said her inspiration for him was from Japanese Anime and I fell down a rabbit hole of videos with Tomoe and Soushi just admiring how gorgeous a fox spirit is. I would love to see a drawn image of Kit with his long red hair, vibrant green eyes and those tails…those tails! *swoon*
A Guardian’s duty was to act as the conduit for the Keeper’s power and to oversee the passage of spirits to and from the human world. The true power to maintain the Gate resided with the Keeper.
So Zane sees Kit and Kit has to get over the “I know better than you” deal and tell Zane who he is. With Zane having a twin sister who reads Tarot and owns an occult shop, it’s not a ginormous leap for Zane to believe he is part of something bigger than he ever imagined. Zane accepts his job as the Keeper of the Gate and is more than thrilled to find out that he can be bound to Kit in every way he wants to be. Kit has reservations about letting Zane bind him as once bound, neither the Guardian nor the Keeper can leave the Gate without consequence and Kit cares for Zane too much to let him sacrifice everything he dreams of. Silly of Kit to assume before Zane can tell that this is more than he could have ever hoped for.
What I loved about this book and honestly, I am just getting it as I write this review, is there’s a sense while reading of trying to grasp onto something and hold on while everything seems to moves quickly. A feeling of unease and uncertainty but one of hope that now as I am looking over my notes, Zane and Kit were having those exact feelings as they try to figure this new relationship out. Both the romantic and the supernatural but these two are amazing together and this new threat they face between worlds will only make them stronger.
The connection wasn’t unexpected— Keepers and Guardians had a natural chemistry through their bond— but the intensity of it took Kit by surprise.
Yeah, I know. I went rambling there didn’t I but I really loved this story. I adored the hurt comfort with Kit, how he’s been told his fox spirit form is hideous and that he is only a servant to his Keeper and how Zane will make him feel his worth no matter what. I loved the hell out of Lor in any form he’s in and how a demon became BFF’s with a Guardian for some 200 years. I had feelings about Steve and am so glad I was right and the bit with Ren at the end is how I totally felt about this book!
Okay, I will stop now. Just know if you couldn’t tell, I LOVED this book and I want so much more in this series.
SheReadsALot - 4 Hearts
I'll be honest, I didn't read the blurb when I saw Shira Antony's addition to the new Dreamspun Beyond line. And if I did, I probably wouldn't have read it. Because
But it's Shira Anthony and I've yet to be disappointed, especially with her ginger MCs. Every one of them have been solid characters. Finder's Keeper can be added to the list.
Set in Cleveland, Ohio, 28 year old engineer, Zane, finally moves into his cousin's brownstone five years after his cousin's death. He never met his cousin Ralph, being as he and his twin sister's were orphans and grew up in the foster care system. With a new job and house set up,, Zane finally answer the pull inside him to go to this house. He was surprised when he discovered his house comes with a ginger haired caretaker who lives in his basement.
Zane is isn't used to letting people in especially new people, but there is something about Kit that draws him to the mysterious man. Kit knows what the draw is. Zane is his Keeper and he's Zane's Guardian and the house is where they need to be together to make their powers stronger. Kit is a kitsune, a human/ red fox spirit hybrid that has lived for over two centuries and the pull he feel with this Keeper is different. With a demon sidekick, Kit tries to keep an eye on the man while battling his feelings for Zane and self sacrificing his happiness to keep Zane in comfort. It's sweet and little hurt/comfort mixed in.
A Guardian is the gatekeeper to the spirit world, there is a Gate to guard. The Keeper is the battery to supply the Guardian the power to grant wayward spirits a safe travel to the spirit world. The Gate is in the house and Zane is none the wiser. A chunk of the story is based on Kit trying to hide the supernatural bridge from the man. It makes for an interest set up and read because fate4 can't be denied in this one. Nor can love.
The story was smooth, but I think it could have been smoother in certain areas. I have a niggle with the near death experiences regarding Zane. In the beginning Zane is introduced as super klutzy and has lived a life where mysterious injuries tend to happen to him. Hell, even his parents were killed in an accident with him. The klutzy/clumsy vibe kinda died down and world building took precedence. There was a spook factor, but with an attack once and then it kinda stalled. Also, I kinda expected more trepidation on Zane's part when he embraced the supernatural. I get it he's been exposed his entire life, his twin sister runs a tarot shop. But he was a denier and little glimpse of his troubled childhood would make me expect more fight from Zane. More reaction from Zane to the spooky forces out to get him at least.
Overall, strong story. The romance is slow burn and a mix of insta-love. The feelings develop really quickly. There is one sweet sex scene that felt super appropriate with the way the two feelings develop. Plus, virginity score. I bought the feels and the romance end of this tale.
There are two side characters that seem to have potential for future leads, as this is the first in the Heart's Gate series. I see demon loving in my future. (I hope!)
Recommended for readers who like supernatural, damaged fox spirits and slow burn!
Don't miss the Finder's Keeper blog tour HERE!
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