Audiobook Review: Finder's Keeper (Heart's Gate #1) by Shira Anthony

The truth might ruin his dreams—or make them come true.

When Zane moves into an old gothic brownstone, he discovers the house comes equipped with a caretaker—Kit, who lives in the basement. Zane is immediately drawn to the charming and attractive Kit. But Kit is much more than he seems. He is a two-hundred-year-old half-human, half–red-fox spirit who guards a Gate between the mortal and spirit worlds—a fact Zane should recognize, but doesn’t.

Orphaned at a young age, Zane never learned he comes from a long line of mystical Keepers. Kit needs Zane’s help to protect the Gate, but how can he tell Zane of his legacy when that will crush Zane’s dreams of traveling the world? If he takes up the mantle, Zane will be bound to the Gate, unable to leave it. But when Zane realizes Kit’s true nature, and his own, he’ll have to make a choice—fight to protect Kit and the Gate, or deny his destiny and any chance of a future with Kit.

Narrated by: Kenneth Obi 
Listening Length: 5 hours and 39 minutes


Bleeeeerrrrggggghhhhhhh....


I don't know what happened! I was so looking forward to this one but I never connected to these characters which is a shame since it's got a lot going for it-unusual shifters, intriguing plot and cracky fluff. Slam dunk, right?


Kit is a ginger fox shifter and guardian of a gate to the spirit world who lost his keeper five years ago. He's been white knuckling it since then until Zane finally gets a job in Ohio and moves into the house he's inherited. Zane is the next keeper in the family line but since he and his sister were orphaned he doesn't know it. Kit is loathe to tell him for fear of binding him to a life he doesn't want yet the longer Kit goes without a keeper the weaker he becomes.

Me and the martyr thing don't get along and Kit lets it go on for far too long, especially considering Zane keeps telling him how much he wants all the things, so it came across as unnecessary drama. That coupled with the fact that I never felt their soul deep, forever-n-ever connection left me...


I know. For shame. I did like the spirit world and how vast and rich texturally it sounded filled with unusual creatures. Zane's attraction to Kit was nice and I liked that Kit was awkward and inexperienced due to never having formed a romantic connection to anyone before much less his keeper. But I didn't get the warm squishy feels I've come to expect when reading the cracky fluff.

This is my second rodeo with this author in audio format and as much as it makes me feel like a pill to say this, I don't think her writing style is conducive to audiobooks. It comes across choppy and muddled. There are excessive details regarding everyone and their sister's actions that make the narrative difficult to follow. I found myself so distracted with trying to keep up with who's sighing, who's finding the cure for cancer, who's making a batch of scones and who's about to die at the hands of some nefarious being that I think I subconsciously checked out after awhile. I kept listening but I was mailing it in. The action nor the romance plots moved me and both took too long to coalesce. However, I have resolved to try her in written form and hopefully that goes better. 🙏

As far as the narration goes, Obi differentiated all the characters well. I liked his voice for Kit but his voice for Zane was a little too breathy for me and I think sometimes he "punched" the wrong moments.

This will be my last Anthony audiobook and I wouldn't recommend it but my opinions are my own and YMMV.



A review copy was provided.




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