Maya Banks’ Kept is an Intense and Emotional Love Story

Our heroine is Hayley, who is working herself to the bone as she pursues her dreams of becoming an accomplished violinist. She’s the kind of character you want to take out for cocktails and offer your couch for a week or so. She’s struggling to survive in New York City, working tons of terrible part-time jobs while attending a prestigious—and expensive—music school. When the story begins, she is in desperate need of a new place to stay.
Her love interest is Silas, who works for Drake Donovan. Drake and his now-wife, Evangeline, were the subjects of the first two books in the Enforcers series. Readers who are not up to speed with this series needn’t worry—Banks provides plenty of context to give you a solid idea of what’s going on. Bottom line: Drake is in charge, his world is a shadowy and dangerous one, and his number one priority is his wife, which also makes her a major priority for his men. This group of men includes Silas, his right-hand man who helps watch over Evangeline with exceptionally protective eyes.
Silas first sees Hayley entirely by chance, and his reaction to her is immediate. He views her through a security camera when she enters the apartment building he owns to inquire about available spaces for rent. He is immediately captivated, and rightfully sees a vulnerable woman who could use a break. Per his instructions, the building doorman chases Hayley down after she’s left and, in a true fantasy for anyone who has ever dwelled in an expensive city, quotes a ridiculously low rent price for one of the building’s units.

Soon after Hayley moves in, she and Silas begin an acquaintance that easily rolls over into full-blown obsession on both sides. Silas is already hooked on her before they’ve even officially met thanks to seeing her on camera that first time and listening to her play the violin at night. He feels very protective of her. The turning point in their budding relationship is when he saves her one night from being raped when she’s walking home from work. He’s then truly brought out of his isolated bubble and into her life for good, and they soon become involved in an intense affair.
While Silas is quite the sexy guy, he also had an exceptionally difficult childhood that has wholly affected the man and person he is today. He was neglected and sexually abused as a child, which has led to major, present-day intimacy problems. He prefers to keep to himself in adulthood (when he’s not working for Drake, of course), and he thrives in isolation.
This is exactly what makes Hayley such a perfect foil for Silas. She’s virginal in the literal sense, and he’s virginal in the emotional sense. Unlike Silas, Hayley hails from a loving background. She was close to her late father, and knows what true love is. She’s a sweet person with nothing but love to give. She’s not bitter about her circumstances, just eager to make things work out for herself and willing to do what she has to do. She’s certainly not above hard work, and like any musician worth her salt she logs in her practice time. Her efforts to show her gratitude to Silas—such as baking him treats and writing thank-you notes—almost seem comical when you think about the type of man he is and the horrors he’s seen.

Woven well throughout the story are the issues Silas’ boss, Drake, and his men have with a major crime family. Banks does an excellent job of touching upon these issues and reminding readers of the larger things at stake without letting them take over the story. Also, while the vast majority of this story does focus on Hayley and Silas, there are a few other characters who help spice things up. A classmate of Hayley’s who is interested in her proves to be a major nuisance. He aggressively pursues her without an iota of sincerity and makes Silas and his men put in some major overtime.
One of the best parts of the book, however, are the trio of bodyguards—Jax, Maddox, and Thane—Silas assigns to guard Hayley. They are adorable softies at heart, the sidekicks or brother-type figures Hayley probably could have used by her side in life to help her build her confidence. They eagerly devour the food she cooks for them, and they even insist on hearing her play the violin—and genuinely enjoy it. You can’t help but hope that each guy will get his own spin-off. (Hint, hint, Banks!)
Kept is an intense read, one that will immediately draw in readers who love a controlling alpha male like Silas, who possesses deep down the heart of a man who is severely damaged emotionally and who needs love just like anyone else. When he meets Hayley, whose open heart and innocence provide him with some much-needed balance, the result is a love story that is also a deeply affecting emotional journey.
Kept is on shelves now.