Put a Ring on It

Ready or Knot, Book 1

By: K.A. Mitchell

Narrated by: Michael Stellman

Kieran Delaney-Schwartz - adoptee, underachiever, and self-professed-slacker IT guy - lives his under-the-radar life by the motto: Don't try, don't fail. His adopted siblings are all overachievers, thanks to his driven, liberal parents, but Kieran has elected to avoid disappointing anyone by not getting their hopes up. He's coasting through his early 20s when he's hit head-on by Theo. The successful decade-older Broadway producer sweeps him off his feet for a whirlwind of 13 months that are pretty sweet, until it all comes screeching to a halt on Valentine's Day, with an unexpected proposal via an NYC Times Square flash mob.

Now everyone wants in on the wedding, except the grooms....

©2015 K. A. Mitchell (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

Two guys NOT talking about their real feelings

Kieran and Theo have been living together for several months and dating for over a year. Everything looks likes it’s going great, so what does Theo do? He takes his very introverted and socially awkward lover to Times Square to propose to him (without having ever brought up marriage before) with a flash mob made up of Broadway singers and dancers.

Not wanting to hurt Theo in front of God and everybody Kieran reluctantly says yes, but it is not his idea of an ideal situation.

Then, to compound things a morning talk show runs with this and promotes their marriage by offering to pay for their wedding in Hawaii so long as they do it in 2 weeks.

Now, just when we think Kieran is going to make a run for it, they manage to come to an agreement only to have it blow up in their faces whether its from well-meaning friends, or family or a devious producer.

In any case, they manage to finally come to an agreement everyone can live with.

**

This was a different KA Mitchell than I’m used to. I’m quite used to her having “anti-heros” (Bad Boyfriend series) and smokin’ hot sex scenes and these are there. But she has also really touched on some of the important issues every couple faces – communication, trust, honesty and a willingness to be vulnerable.

There were times when I was so mad at both guys, but I totally saw where they were coming from.

I got a little bogged down by the side story with Theo’s college buddies and wondered at the amount of page time they received but I appreciated some of what they had to offer.

I was also a little disappointed by the ending – I won’t spoil it for you – because it didn’t feel as deeply personal and emotional as the rest of the story and in fact felt pretty rushed.

That being said it was still a great book and a nice change of pace from the typical romance that starts with two lovers meeting and ends with them in and a HEA.

4.5 of 5 stars

Will They Ever Make It?

Fun but angsty story of how hard it can be to get that ring in place and to keep it there. Sometimes it was almost painful to see the way Theo and Kieran dance around their own insecurities while managing to tromp all over the other guy's. Also, friends can sometimes be the worst part of trying to get things right. I often wondered if they would ever get things right or if it was a set up for something completely differently. It took work but it was worth the battle.