Lovely story

This is my first book by Amy Aislin and I was curious because I really like fake boyfriend stories. I really enjoyed the writing style, easy-going and emotional. The author has a talent for making the reader empathize and sympathize with the protagonists very quickly.
Casey and Ethan have been best friends for a very long time and are now in college together. There, Casey claims to be Ethan's boyfriend because he doesn't like the team captain's attitude towards Ethan's sexuality. 
I liked Ethan from the beginning, the author had me right there and Casey is likable too. It's not just about hockey, this is a slow burning friends to lovers story where the protagonsites have a lot to work through. It's about friendship, about teammates, but also about grief that everyone deals with differently, about settling in and finding your way at college, and then there are budding emotions to add to the mix. Amy Aislin has portrayed the whole thing authentically. How do you deal with emotional chaos when you realize that maybe it's not just a fake relationship after all? Ethan and Casey were so cute and sweet together and the ending was absolutely well done. The story is deeply told and I really liked how Casey handled Ethan's diagonse and gave him hope. 

Michael Franklin is a new narrator for me and he did a good job overall. He has a pleasant voice that is easy to listen to. I wasn't quite as happy about his choice of voice for Casey though, it was a tad too feminine for me. I enjoyed the audio book and look forward to the next volume!

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1 person found this helpful

Sweet Romance

A sweet, college age friends to lovers, fake boyfriends romance. There isn't a lot of angst which was perfect for me at the time I read it. A pleasant afternoon's read.

I've now listened to the audio version as well, and Michael Franklin's voice sounds appropriate for the ages of these characters. He does a great job distinguishing them from each other and in bringing them to life.

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Heartwarming best friends to lovers hockey romance

Keeping Casey is a wonderful book in Amy Aislin's new series, Keeping Him. It includes several tropes - fake relationship, best friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, sports/college.
Casey and Ethan have been best friends for as long as they can remember and it really shines through in all of their interactions, as does that they have feelings for each other, though with neither having a clue about the other. When the idea of fake boyfriends comes up to help keep a teammate off of Ethan's back, Casey jumps at the chance whilst still denying that he's capable of more due to the grief he still lives with at the loss of his father five years previous.
There is a fair about of angst as there is unrequited love for a good amount of the book, both men lost a parent but have coped with it in different ways and then the fallout of a fake relationship between best friends is always rife with endless possibilities. One thing I really loved was how much care and attention Casey and Ethan have of each other, even before a relationship was thought up. Ethan's stubbornness to accept help doesnt really extend to Casey as the man knows him too well to see when he's in pain with his RA. It's interesting reading as well for the possibility of playing hockey whilst living with such a disease.
Several side characters really helped the MC's and kept spirits up. I hope we hear more from them, especially Theo and Brent. There are also appearances from characters from Amy's Stick Side series which was a fun bonus and a chance for a mini catch up with them.
I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to who comes next in the series.
This is my first listen from Michael Franklin and he is a good narrator. It does come across a little bit monotone in places but overall I enjoyed how the MC's are portrayed and the emotion came across well.

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Slow burn, best friends to lovers, fake boyfriends

This was a sweet, adorable college romance.
Casey and Ethan have been best friends since childhood.
They've also both suffered the loss of a parent and it bonded them.
As a result it has left lingering effects and Casey's response was to shut people out, never letting anyone get close because then it won't hurt when you lose them.
Ethan has been in love with Casey for a long time but it's unrequited because Casey is straight.
Ethan has respected Casey's feelings and simply supported him.
When Ethan begins having problems with a hockey team member they decide to start a fake relationship to resolve the situation.
As they navigate the situations suddenly fake becomes reality and develops into something beautiful.
Ethan has a medical issue he's dealing with and I appreciate how the author desalt with it realistically and didn't make a martyr of him.
I loved how sweet and oblivious both of them were not even realizing that they were already in a relationship even though everyone close to them did but then it's not surprising because Casey was straight.
Michael Franklin did a wonderful job narrating and bringing these characters to life.

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Friends to lovers college tale is sweet and angsty

I enjoyed this friends to lovers college story featuring two extremely likeable MCs... Nerdy overthinker Casey has a lot of quirks and insecurities, and his best friend since childhood Ethan, an athlete, has always been his rock. Briefly posing as fake boyfriends to get a teammate off Ethan's back provides some clarity, driving the story forward. It's a sweet, fairly simple story about two college friends discovering what they really mean to each other, while navigating the obstacles college (and life) put in their path. I found Michael Franklin's narration to be pleasant, adding nuance to these characters' personalities.

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Loved the story so much!

I am such of fan of Amy Aislin’s books and this was no exception. Casey and Ethan are adorable together - such a beautiful friends to lovers story. Wonderfully written, nicely narrated - really enjoyed!

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Sweet but no heat story.

M/M
Best friends to lovers
Fake boyfriends
MC has RA chronic pain disorder

Fantastic narration. He had a pleasant reading voice, expressed the emotions well and did different voices. I could easily tell the characters apart and all the voices were pleasant making it a great listening experience.

I enjoyed the story. It was cute. Both the main characters were likeable and they had great chemistry. A big thank you to the author for breaking the overused stereotypical jock in the closet trope and actually showing out players who are supported (for the most part). Even though it was a decent length book I still read it all in one sitting. It kept my interest from start to finish. There's some relationship angst but it's pretty minor. For anyone not into sports the book is very relationship focused so I think even non sports fans would love it.

It's a slow burn and that is part of the reason I didn't give it 5 stars. It could have happened a little sooner for my liking. Also, communication would have solved all their problems.That part always frustrates me but both characters have hurtful pasts so I couldn't be too frustrated with them and had they communicated then there wouldn't be any story. It is highly focused on that secret pining trope. Lastly, there is zero heat! Everything is off page implied. I did not like that.

Overall it was well written and sweet and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming friends to lovers story but doesn't mind a low heat book.

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They've Shared So Much, yet kept a secret too.

MM, Sports themed, College based, Fake relationship, Best friends to lovers, Contemporary Romance. Fantastic story with some light angst and emotion. Both main characters are a couple of years late starting College so not teenagers. This story has so much going on throughout and is sweet and funny as well as loving and emotional...it has Everything!! A great way to start a new series, I believe the story can be read as a stand-alone with no loss of enjoyment or understanding. Well narrated by Michael Franklin.

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sweet romance/good narration

What an incredibly sweet romance, it can be summed up by the title of a book I read ages ago, Everything I Never Told You. Although I loved these two as MCs, at times I wanted to shake them. Despite this, I absolutely adored Ethan's character, and how he made no excuses for who he was, it takes a brave person to unapologetically wear socks and sandals! Casey is just as sweet, a little mixed up, but with good intentions. The secondary characters were likeable, and I'm hoping we'll get their stories eventually. Loved meeting characters from previous books in the series again. An equally good read/listen if you need a bit of escapism. Michael Franklin did a good job narrating the story, he caught the nuances of the MCs really well.

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Sweet and Lovely

Keeping Casey is the first book in the Keeping Him series, set within the same universe as the Stick Side universe. However, this book completely stands on its own, and you do not have had to read the Stick Side series beforehand. For fans of the Stick Side series, we do get a treat and see some of the previous characters make cameos.

Casey and Ethan are childhood best friends whose worlds are intertwined with each other. Their relationship and friendship is what makes this such a charming book. Casey creates this idea of "fake dating" to help Ethan out. This gives the men an excuse to explore a romantic relationship between the two of them with enough deniability to make themselves feel safe. It was sweet to see how protective and supportive each character was of each other. I also loved Casey's personality - he was intense at moments and his drive was very admirable. The ending was romantic and lovely.

The audiobook was narrated by Michael Franklin who does a fabulous job. Micahel Franklin is a new-to-me narrator who has a very smooth and enjoyable voice. The vocal performance brought the characters to life and it made for a great listening experience.

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