Review: Baby Mine by Kennedy Fox

BABY MINE

Kennedy Fox
Publication date: April 23, 2019

Series: Hunter & Lennon #1 | Roommate Duet #1
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Format: Audio
Source: Hoopla
4 Stars

I saw her first.
Blonde. Gorgeous. Feisty.
I was captivated.
But it didn’t matter because when she walks out of my best friend’s bedroom half naked, I know I’ve lost my chance.

Now we’re roommates and constantly fighting about our living arrangements. Though we argue about everything, I can’t stop thinking about her in all the wrong ways. I should move out so I can finally get over her, but the selfish part of me can’t let go.

When tragedy strikes, we’re left to deal with it together. Instead of pushing her away, I pull her closer.

Just as we come to terms with our new reality, she reveals a life changing event that affects us both.
And I’m left to make the hardest decision of my life—remain friends or confess my feelings and risk it all.

I read the prequel novella to this series, Forever Mine, last year and enjoyed it enough to know I would continue the series at some point. I decided to make that happen this month and I’m so glad I did. Between Kennedy Fox’s knack with creating realistic characters dealing with emotional situations, and the narration of Maxine Mitchell and Aiden Snow, I was hooked.

Hunter and Lennon meet one night at a bar while Hunter is bartending. They have an interaction, share a connection, and Hunter wants to pursue it. But by the end of the night, Lennon was gone. Lennon felt the connection, too, but as she watched Hunter she saw how women flocked to him, how he easily flirted back, and she made the assumption that he was a player and out of her league. That same night, she met Brandon, a gorgeous guy who was also a sweetheart, and she ended up going home with him. You can guess what happens the next morning: Lennon and Hunter have an awkward meeting in the kitchen. Because Hunter and Brandon are roommates and best friends.

Fast forward two years and Lennon is now living with Brandon (and Hunter) and the tension is off the charts. Hunter is still pining for her (hardcore) and the only way he can deal with it is by behaving like an ass to keep her at a distance. His reasoning: if he can make her hate him, maybe that will stifle his feelings for her. So the two of them are constantly at odds. Lennon doesn’t understand why Hunter is so horrible to her, but she’s crazy in love with Brandon and tries to keep the peace.

Then the unthinkable happens. In a single moment, life changes for both of them and Hunter is there for Lennon – by her side, providing support, there for her every need. And before they can even adjust to their new normal, Lennon is blindsided again. As they grow closer and closer and lines are crossed, they are both fighting feelings that could either bring them together or tear them apart.

So, let me just say that a large part of the premise depends on the reader buying into the fact that Hunter fell so hard for Lennon after that one interaction that he was still pining for her two years later. And I did struggle with that for a bit, but I was completely won over by these characters and so invested in their outcomes that I did get past it. Yes, this was angsty but it never dipped into melodrama and Fox kept it all grounded in realism. Between the unrequited love and the sacrifice on Hunter’s part, and all the conflicted feelings on Lennon’s part, my heart was feeling bruised and battered. Then that ending… talk about a cliffhanger! Not the rage-inducing, how-dare-you kind, but the OMG-I-need-the-next-book-now kind. (And yes, I started the next audiobook immediately.)

If you enjoy your contemporary romance on the emotional side, and don’t mind a healthy helping of angst, I so recommend this one. Baby Mine was equal parts sweet, sexy, funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful. The friendships were strong and the bond between Lennon and her sisters was rock solid. All I could think when I finished was: I need more!

HAVE YOU READ ANYTHING FROM KENNEDY FOX?