What We Keep

De: Jennifer Millikin

Narrado por: Victoria Dickson, Wesley Mercer

Duración: 11 h y 3 m

Resumen del Editor

Amazon Charts bestselling author Jennifer Millikin delivers an emotional and riveting love story.

Charming and heroic, there’s nothing about Gabriel Woodruff that Avery Burke doesn’t love. His warm brown eyes, his generosity, that small scar above his lip. The newspaper photo of him carrying her from a burning home only adds to the romance of it all.

A fairytale beginning and a picture-perfect marriage practically guarantees Avery and Gabriel a ride into the sunset. But every relationship has flaws, and what they ignored while they were busy being flawless eventually surfaces. The unraveling begins with the smallest tug on the tiniest string.

Their fall is spectacular, the kind that makes the paper.

When the fairytale goes up in smoke, Avery and Gabriel are forced to ask themselves hard questions.

What does for better or worse really mean?
Is this their second chance at a once-in-a-lifetime love?
What do we keep, when we lose it all?

©2024 Jennifer Millikin (P)2024 Jennifer Millikin

For Better or Worse

**Audiobook Review: "What We Keep" by Jennifer Millikin, Narrated by Victoria Dickson and Wesley Mercer**

Jennifer Milikin has a remarkable talent for crafting thoughtful and strategic stories, and "What We Keep" is no exception. This book deeply resonated with me as it explores the profound and often overlooked consequences of life events like DUI and divorce on families. The story's emotional depth, which had me in tears more than once, is a testament to the author's ability to connect the readers with the characters' experiences.

Avery and Gabriel's relationship starts like a whirlwind romance straight out of a news story, with a perfect beginning that leads to marriage. However, as their relationship unravels, the challenges they face become painfully relatable. Millikin courageously delves into the flaws and hardships that many readers may see reflected in their own lives, making the story both compelling and a source of comfort in knowing they are not alone in their struggles.

Victoria Dickson and Wesley Mercer, both new narrators to me, delivered the story with a comforting tone that allowed me to absorb the emotional weight of the narrative entirely. While their performances didn't stand out dramatically, they provided the right atmosphere for this deeply personal and moving story.

Overall, "What We Keep" is a powerful and therapeutic listen that will resonate with anyone who has faced the complexities of love, loss, and the challenges of relationships.

I received an advanced copy from Valentine PR to listen to and review; all thoughts and opinions are mine.

"We were beautiful until we were tragic!

Plot: 5📍
Spice: 2 ❤️‍🔥
Overall: 5 ⭐
Audio/narration: 5 🎧

I can't explain well enough how freaking amazing this book was!

The opening chapter via audio is absolutely spine-chilling!

I think I paused listening to this book about a dozen times or more to force my dear husband to not only tell him what's going on with the story but to make him listen!

There is a quiet genius in the way Ms. Milliken constructed this story within a story. The use of dual almost triple timelines, but explicitly, clearly done, the literal use of past and present tense, how the dual POV/dual narrators are used. It's absolutely fantastic!

The tale of Avery and Gabriel is definitely more women's lit than romance although romance is definitely front and center. Twists, turns, abso-flipping-lute heartbreak, rebirth, overcoming family trauma, angst, and so so much more.

Avery and Gabriel are painfully normal, beautiful, broken, and just fantastic. Their story reads more like a dually-written autobiography instead of of fiction. Their stories, in part or in whole, can be fine in so many of us wonderfully, fractured, but real people. And prove to us that “going to war with our demons” is the hardest but most rewarding work.

Go listen or read this.

Have tissues ready. And your favorite snacks. And your favorite tea or coffee or comfort beverage close on hand. You won't want to stop once you've started!

What We Keep ❤️‍🔥

❤️‍🔥 What We Keep ❤️‍🔥

This book will break your heart and put it back together again all in one! It’s devastating and heartbreaking while also being hopeful and heartwarming by showing that true love prevails. This is a great second chance romance and was a wonderful story.

The story is done in two parts and is multiple timelines which I enjoyed. It was very easy to follow and I liked getting to watch their story unfold. You get to see Avery and Gabriel fall in love, fall apart, and come back to one another. It is heartbreakingly beautiful and Jennifer did such a great job with this story! There are some heavier topics shown throughout and it was done with so much care. The struggles of the characters were handled really well which was great to see. I liked both characters and enjoyed getting to watch their journey unfold!

Tropes:
❤️ Second Chance
🔥 Marriage in Trouble (NO cheating NO other woman/man)
❤️ Emotional
🔥 Angsty
❤️ Soulmates
🔥 Broken Hero
❤️ Big City and Small Town
🔥 Firefighter MMC x Therapist FMC
✨ There are some heavier topics within this book, please check content warnings before reading if you have any triggers ✨

This audiobook is duet narration which I really enjoyed! If you like audiobooks I’d recommend this audio!

Thank you Jennifer and valentine pr for an ALC I was so happy to get to read this one early!

Emotional, Angsty, Soulmates

What We Keep is a standalone contemporary romance that borders women’s fiction. This is marriage in trouble, firefighter hero who saves the heroine, second chance, and is VERY angsty. I thought after reading Here for the Cake, it would have a light tone. It does not! Avery and Gabriel met when he saved her from a house fire. They began dating and fell deeply in love. There was never going to be another for either Avery or Gabriel. They assumed that they would not break after they married, but Gabriel had trauma that he never dealt with and he downplayed his struggle with alcohol use disorder. He always felt that he needed to put himself on the back burner, because of his past trauma. Avery wasn’t completely innocent when Gabriel hit rock bottom, but having a martyr personality, he felt like he needed to let Avery go. After 3 years, they reunited and now they have to deal with all the demons that neither dealt with before their break up to get their HEA.Be aware that the way the author told this book was very different. There are 2 parts: part 1 was therapist sessions and the POV of Avery and part 2 was dual POV with Avery and Gabriel. It took me a minute to adjust to the different format, because it threw me out of the story. However, once I was connected to the story during part 1, I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook. This book hurts. We see Avery and Gabriel fall in love, thinking their relationship was invincible. Their downfall was trauma, but they were soulmates. Their second chance was gorgeously written. The emotions punched, but we got a well earned HEA. I love the therapy rep in this book! The character growth was inevitable, but their journey from seemingly perfect to realistically flawed with a growth of love was well done. There isn’t a lot of spice, but it didn’t need it.

What We Keep was everything I want in a marriage in trouble romance. I would recommend the audiobook. Victoria Dickson and Wesley Mercer did a fantastic job!

TW: divorce, DUI, alcohol abuse disorder, parent neglect, death of a loved one off page, surviving a fire, PTSD

An Enthralling & Emotional Journey! Amazing🎧📚🎧

Wow, just wow, Jennifer Millikin left me speechless, and it took time to get my voice back, and I am still wowed by this book, the journey, the unique telling of the story, an emotional rollercoaster ride and romance story like no other. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with. Gabriel Woodruff and Avery Burke’s story starts with an act of heroism, a whirlwind romance, and all was great until it wasn’t and the author is upfront about that in the unique telling of their story, a story that will charm your heart, then breaks it and then puts it back together to give you a whole new heart. No spoilers here, just read or better yet, listen to the audiobook, check your trigger warnings before starting, because the author covers some sensitive topics, and she keeps it all real. The writing, plot, world building, character growth and development are just as incredible as the story itself, which is captivating from start to end. It is a multi-layered story with drama, angst, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. A story of love, loss, forgiveness and learning to live and love again. Jennifer Millikin, thank you for this amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Victoria Dickson and Wesley Mercer did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life, and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that was fitting and was believable in their roles. Mercer nailed it as Gabriel, showcasing every aspect of his personality and demeanor, from his charm to his struggles and then his determination. Dickson did the same for Avery, showcasing her personality and demeanor perfectly, from her struggles to her strengths. Both were just as fabulous performing the roles of the secondary characters, too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These are two entertaining storytellers and their duet performance elevates this already amazing story to another level. Thanks for the wonderful listen.

Great narrators for a great story

What We Keep is my first time listening or reading a Jennifer Millikin book. I really enjoyed it. I love dual narrators. Victoria Dickson and Wesley Mercer had the perfect voices to bring the story to life.



I could feel Avery's love for Gabriel and I love their story. I love their relationship, their joys, and their pains. Everything about the couple made them realistic and relatable. I was invested in them figuring out what was next for them and the way to get to whatever was next.



I did not realize that this was part of a series, although I had not read any of the series. I jumped right in and never realized I was missing anything. I am going to go back and listen to more of this series just because I loved the characters so much.

breathtakingly captivating

4.75 stars

there are some books that just emotionally knock you out. this book kept hitting me left and right and there was no point putting up a fight because the damage was already done. i can’t even begin to articulate how much of an impact this story had on me. there are only a handful of books that have made me feel the way this book has and let me tell you that’s some feat.

i was instantly swept away with avery and gabriel. just as it was for them it wasn’t hard for me fall and fall fast. the attraction between them was instant and the chemistry was electric. they formed a connection that was real and beautiful. you’d think they were untouchable, but life has a way of coming at you when you least expect it. and just as fast as they’re whirlwind of a romance started, their downfall was just as unexpected and came just as fast.

the growth that both avery and gabriel made throughout the book was staggering. the healing that they both made was astronomical and much needed. it was never a question the amount of love they had for each other, even the years they were apart their hearts beat as one. the journey they both had to make to come back to one another and a better version of themselves was well fought and earned.

what we keep was an emotionally charged second chance romance with an abundance of feels. this heart wrenching story obliterated my heart and then-some. avery and gabriel were something else and i’ll never forget them and a piece of my heart will always belong to them.

what an audio. victoria dickson and wesley mercer did a phenomenal job portraying avery and gabriel. their performances were incredible and the emotions they evoked were outstanding. definitely recommend the audio.

this was my first time experiencing jennifer’s writing, and it won’t be my last.

What an emotional journey

“I was made to love this woman.”

I love, love, LOVE this book. It broke me, but the rebuild was so beautiful and worth every single tear I shed.

Second chance romances are my life. They speak to me in a way that other books can’t. They’re gritty, they hurt, they break you down. Love is not always easy. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. But, the journey changes you. It makes you see things you couldn’t before, and getting that second chance at happiness is worth it’s all.

What to expect:
🔥Second Chance
🖤2 Parts
🔥Troubled Marriage
🖤Soul Mates
🔥Angsty

Gabriel and Avery’s story starts when he saves her from a fire. These two are meant to be. Their love is fast and strong. But, they both have pasts that’s caused them to push their emotions down, and their individual paths in life have been shaped by those events. Things happen and the life they thought they knew and would have implodes.

“Love feels different after you fight for it.”

When I say this book broke me, I mean it. It hurts. But, this is a journey that I feel like you can personally take something away from. Be kind to yourself and never forget your own happiness matters.

Victoria Dickson and Wesley Mercer brought this book to life in such a phenomenal way. It’s duet narration and a must for all you audiobook gals!

Amazing!

What We Keep is one of the most emotional, beautiful, real, raw, books I have read recently. Right from the start the writing absolutely gripped me, the characters completely consumed me and the story was entirely addictive. This book is a total ride, but it is absolutely worth every single second. It is woven in the most beautiful and delicate way to truly make you feel and connect with these characters. It was FANTASTIC! I haven't read anything like this yet and it was refreshing to see the imperfections of a marriage, the hardships for the HEA.

Avery and Gabriel are explosive together. Their chemistry, their connection, their love, how they met, everything about their story completely consumed me. The first part of the book when we get Avery's POV of their story with the therapy sessions, I thought that was so original how it was constructed and that's truly what hooked me.

There are a lot of heavy topics in this book, so make sure to check triggers for you prior to reading, but honestly Jennifer absolutely killed it with her execution. The way the subjects were approached, discussed and resolved. Absolute PERFECTION. I went through all the emotions with this book, I absolutely fell in love with these characters, their story and I just fell in love with Jennifer Millikin!

🎧 The narration by Victoria Dickson & Wesley Mercer was chefs kiss. Absolutely beautiful. The pain, the emotions, it was all felt through their words. The way they delivered the story, they had the perfect voices and tones. They played the characters to absolute perfection. Highly recommend it!

HEARTBREAKING SECOND CHANCE STORY

⁀➷ Avery and Gabriel’s first meeting was like something straight out of a movie—a handsome firefighter rescued a damsel in distress from a house fire, they fell in love, and got hitched. But did they really get their happy ending? It turns out, love alone isn’t enough to keep a marriage together when Gabriel’s old traumas keep haunting him and tragedies keep pushing him away from Avery…

💭This story is incredibly tough to read—it's so emotional and intense. It really drives home how challenging maintaining a marriage can be; love alone, no matter how intense it is at first, isn’t always enough. Gabriel’s battle with alcoholism hits hard, and it’s gut-wrenching to think about everything Avery has had to endure because of it. I genuinely feel for her and all the pain she’s been through.

✨I thought the ending was pretty satisfying overall, but I can’t shake the feeling that their second chance at happiness seemed more like it was fueled by lust rather than genuine forgiveness at first. Plus, we didn’t get to see Gabriel’s journey to sobriety, which felt like a big piece missing from the story.

🎧𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄🎧
Victoria and Wesley are new to me, but I really enjoyed their narration. They brought so much emotion to the story, fitting perfectly with the angsty plot. Their performances really enhanced the experience and made the characters come alive. Overall, a great listening experience!

✨ 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 VALENTINE PR 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚢 ✨