Audiobook Review: Stay by Riley Hart

Stay by Riley Hart
Series: Blackcreek #2 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Length: 7 hours and 14 minutes
Narrated by: Luke Itzvic
Links: Audible • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Wes Jensen just lost the sister who raised him, and gained custody of his niece. The last thing he needs to add to his full plate is dealing with Braden Roth, the one-night-stand who continues to try to push his way into Wes’s life. He has a kid to raise now, and Wes isn’t great at getting close anyway.

Braden has never had a woman or a man sneak out on him the morning after. From the start, Wes intrigues him, and Braden isn’t one to deny himself something he wants. And he wants Wes. The more time he spends with Wes and the little girl who constantly keeps them on their toes, the more Braden realizes this isn’t just about getting the guy who walked away.

As their lives intertwine more and more, Wes discovers Braden isn’t as shallow as he thought. But after everything Wes lost in his life, he isn’t sure he can risk his heart, and truly want Braden to stay—and if he did, would Wes’s quiet life be enough for Braden?

I’d been excited for Wes and Braden’s story ever since listening to Collide! They were such an interesting couple – I couldn’t wait to see how the man raising his sister’s daughter and the consummate playboy would fall for each other and make a relationship work out. This book was surprisingly sweet, especially with the adorable Jessie. I didn’t fully connect with the story, but I appreciated that there was so much heart in the romance and characters. I enjoyed listening to Stay, but I do think I liked the first book a little more.

Wes Jensen lost his beloved sister, but gained her daughter instead. Getting custody of Jessie was never in his plans, but he’ll do anything to care for and protect his niece. She’s his number one priority at the moment, which means his personal – and romantic – life has to take a step back. But Braden, his one-night-stand, won’t stop trying to push himself into Wes’s life. Can Wes believe that Braden truly wants more with him, or will he keep his heart forever guarded against this man?

I adored Braden and how hard he tried to make Wes see that he genuinely wanted more with him. This playboy fell hard and fast, and it warmed my heart to see him act in such a caring way with Wes and Jessie. Wes’s struggles and his back and forth with Braden were understandable but frustrated me a little. Overall, this story was a pretty mellow listen with little drama, which I appreciated. Luke Itzvic once again did an incredible job with narrating the two male characters, and I would definitely listen to other audiobooks he narrates Even though I didn’t love Stay, I’m still looking forward to listening to the rest of the series!

STAY is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2eeCkGZ

3 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Blackcreek series

   

#1 ~ Collide: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stay: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Pretend: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Return to Blackwater Creek: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from Stay!


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Audiobook Review: Collide by Riley Hart

Collide by Riley Hart
Series: Blackcreek #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Length: 7 hours and 44 minutes
Narrated by: Luke Itzvic
Links: Audible • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

At ten years old, Noah Jameson and Cooper Bradshaw collided mid-air when they dove for the same football. For three years, they were inseparable…until one day when Noah and his parents disappeared in the middle of the night.

Noah and Cooper never knew what happened to each other. Now, seventeen years later, after finding his boyfriend in bed with another man, Noah returns to Blackcreek looking for a fresh start. And damned if he doesn’t find his old friend grew up to be sexy as sin. Coop can’t believe Noah—the only person he trusted with the guilt over his parents’ death—is back. And gay… Or that Cooper himself suddenly wants another man in his bed for the first time.

There’s no denying the attraction and emotion between them, but can they overcome the ghosts of their pasts to have a future together?

Collide is the first M/M audiobook romance I’ve listened to, and I totally adored it! I love friends-to-lovers romances too, so Noah and Cooper’s story was pretty much the perfect listen for me. It was surprisingly sweet, with heaps of sexy to balance it out. If you’re a fan of M/M romances, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a listen!

Cooper and Noah were childhood best friends, until Noah and his family disappeared from town. Now, seventeen years later, they’re reunited, but Cooper is in for a shock when he finds out that his childhood best friend is actually… gay. It throws Cooper off, but it doesn’t stop him from offering Noah a place to stay at his house. But when Cooper sees Noah getting intimate with another man, he struggles with the jealousy that arises in him. Cooper knows he’s straight… right? So why doesn’t he like the idea of Noah with another man?

What starts off as a tentative sexual exploration for Cooper turns into so much more. For Noah though, he’s always been in love with him best friend, and he’s happy to take whatever Cooper can give. But what happens when Cooper still wants to keep his sexuality – and their relationship – in the closet? Will it be enough for Noah anymore?

Collide was a great mix of angsty, sexy, sweet, and heartwarming. I loved Noah and totally felt for him. Cooper was frustrating at times but he won me out by the end. The story is told in alternating third person, and Luke Itzvic was the perfect narrator for Noah and Cooper. I was hoping he would be able to distinguish between the two male characters’ voices, and he did just that, so I have no complaints. I’m so excited to listen to the rest of the Blackcreek audiobooks!

COLLIDE is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2eeHkeO

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Blackcreek series

   

#1 ~ Collide: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Stay: EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Pretend: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#3.5 ~ Return to Blackwater Creek: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads

Here’s an audio excerpt from Collide!


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Audiobook Review: The Score by Elle Kennedy

The Score by Elle Kennedy

The Score by Elle Kennedy
Series: Off-Campus #3 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Length: 11 hours and 41 minutes
Narrated by: Savannah Peachwood & Andrew Eiden
Links: Audible • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

He knows how to score, on and off the ice

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

Y’all, the audiobook of The Score is SUCH an improvement from the last two Off-Campus audiobooks. I’m so glad that they decided to go with a male and female author instead of one female author who sounded nothing like two college-aged students. So if you weren’t a fan of The Deal and The Mistake in audio, I can promise you will enjoy listening to The Score SO much more. Good narrators make all the difference in the audiobooks I listen too, and it made a huge difference in The Score. I loved listening to it this time around, and I’m hoping that the next book will also have dual narrators!

Allie Hayes has broken up with her boyfriend Sean for the last time, and she’s in need of someone to keep her from taking Sean back. Enter Dean Di-Laurentis, resident manwhore and hockey player. Dean lives by his own rules, doing what he wants, when he wants, and for the moment, what he wants is Allie. But one night of drinks leads to sizzling-hot passion and Dean can’t quite seem to get Allie off his mind or stop wanting her… And soon enough, when Dean falls, he falls hard, and my heart swooned like crazy over the love he gradually grows to have for Allie.

If you haven’t already read The Score, it’s amazing as an audiobook – or you could be like me, and have read AND listened to it! It’s another great installment to the Off-Campus series – it’s got the usual laugh-out-loud humor (I literally laughed out loud while listening to this), fantastic sexy-times, amazing bromances, even some Twilight references, and a romance that warm your heart and leave you smiling and wanting more. Dean and Allie are perfect together, and what’s even better, their narrators are spectacular as well. The male narrator, Andrew Eiden, was PERFECT as Dean, and though it took me a little while to warm up to Savannah Peachwood, Allie’s narrator, since she spoke really slowly in the beginning, I enjoyed her narration by the end of the audiobook. So if you’re thinking of getting an audiobook in the Off-Campus series, I highly recommend The Score – it’s got the best narration of the series.

THE SCORE is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2e2IfN3

5 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: Off-Campus series

The Deal by Elle Kennedy The Mistake by Elle Kennedy The Score by Elle Kennedy 

#1 ~ The Deal: Book Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ The Mistake: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ The Score: Book Review • Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#4 ~ The Goal: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads


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Audiobook Review: Fearless in Love by Bella Andre & Jennifer Skully

Fearless in Love by Bella Andre & Jennifer Skully
Series: The Maverick Billionaires #3 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: September 10th 2016
Length: 9 hours and 15 minutes
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky
Links: Audible • EbookPaperback • Goodreads
Source: I received an audiobook in exchange for an honest review

Meet the Maverick Billionaires―sexy, self-made men from the wrong side of town who survived hell together and now have everything they ever wanted. But when each Maverick falls head-over-heels for an incredible woman he never saw coming, he will soon find that true love is the only thing he ever really needed…

After growing up dirt poor in a seedy Chicago neighborhood, Matt Tremont seemingly has it all now–brains, brawn, and billions. And most importantly, Noah, his five-year-old son, the one good outcome of a disastrous relationship that destroyed his last ounce of trust. The only thing he’s lacking is the perfect nanny for his son. And Ariana Jones is absolute perfection. Utterly enchanting. Completely fascinating. And totally off limits.

Like a match made in heaven, this is Ari’s dream job. Swallowed up in the foster care system after losing her brother and mother, Ari has always dreamed of family. She showers five-year-old Noah with all the love she’s kept bottled up inside. Love she could also offer to her gorgeous billionaire boss–if only he weren’t the very last man she could ever hope to have.

But when sizzling sparks of attraction turn into a forbidden, sinfully hot night of pleasure, will Ari’s love be enough to make Matt forget the past and love fearlessly?

I absolutely adore listening to the Maverick Billionaires series! Bella Andre and Jennifer Skully make up a fantastic writing duo, and add in Eva Kaminsky’s narration, I’m pretty much a happy camper. Fearless in Love is book three in the series, though it can be read/listened as a standalone. Here we have a sexy, billionaire, single father who falls for his nanny – if you love sweet, sexy romances that will tug at your heart, this one is a must listen!

Matt Tremont came from a broken family, but after meeting the Mavericks and turning his life into something better, he’s grown into the incredible self-made man he is today, with a few walls guarding his heart. He’s a single father and his son, Noah, is the most important thing in his life and is his top priority. Which means finding the perfect nanny – which is where Ariana Jones comes in. Ari is sweet, kind, and has a heart of gold – there is no one better to care for Noah. She is beautiful inside and out, and it’s not long before Matt starts falling for her. Can Matt let down the walls around his heart in order to let Ari in? Or will he only keep her out and push away one of the best things to ever happen to him?

As usual, Fearless in Love is another syrupy sweet romance from Bella Andre and Jennifer Skully – but it’s not TOO sweet that it’s hard to digest. I don’t know how they do it, but they write books that are just the right amount of swooniness. I really enjoyed Ari and Matt’s slow, heartwarming romance. The journey to their HEA isn’t quite smooth (there’s actually quite a bit of back-and-forth thanks to Matt’s feelings and hesitations) but overall it was a worthwhile listen, made all the better thanks to Eva Kaminsky’s narration (I seriously love her!). If you’ve never experienced one of Bella Andre’s audiobooks/Eva Kaminsky’s narration, I highly recommend doing so. The Maverick Billionaires series is the perfect place to start, though I do recommend the Sullivans series as well!

FEARLESS IN LOVE is now available on Audible: http://amzn.to/2dq8gK3

4 hearts
lacey


Reading Order: The Maverick Billionaires series

Breathless in Love by Bella Andre 
  

#1 ~ Breathless in Love: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Reckless in Love: My Review • EbookPaperback • Audible • Goodreads
#3 ~ Fearless in Love: EbookPaperbackAudible • Goodreads
#4 ~ Irresistible in Love: Goodreads (release date TBA)
#5 ~ Wild in Love: Goodreads (release date TBA)

Here’s an audio excerpt from Reckless in Love, also narrated by Eva Kaminsky!


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Audio Tour + Review & Giveaway: Lucian by Bethany-Kris

lucian-audio-tour

Welcome to today’s stop on the audio tour for Lucian by Bethany-Kris!

Lucian by Bethany-Kris
Series: Filthy Marcellos #1 (full reading order below)
Audiobook Publication Date: August 17th 2016
Length: 13 hours and 26 minutes
Narrated by: John Thrust
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Lucian Marcello is aware of the expectations following him as the oldest son of one of North America’s most infamous Cosa Nostra Dons. Family in his world is more than blood and sharing a last name. It’s the honor, respect, business, and the life. Being a Capo is just a stepping stone until it’s time for him to take on the role of underboss but a chance meeting with her could be the one thing he’d risk it all for.

She is exactly what he didn’t know he was looking for.

Jordyn Reese spends her time trying to stay under the radar of a man who wouldn’t think twice about killing her. Unwillingly affiliated with a dangerous MC gang, her life is dominated by the men surrounding her and her future rests solely in how useful she can be for them. The last thing she needs is some Mafioso gaining her more unwanted attention from the club.

He is everything she should stay away from but can’t.

Notoriously violent when it comes to getting what he wants, Lucian will stop at nothing to make the target on Jordyn’s back disappear. But sometimes the worst threats are the ones you can’t see until it’s too late. The truth behind Lucian’s history is about to take center stage in more ways than one, and it’ll either save him or kill him.

This world leaves everyone a little filthy.

Buy Links:
AudibleEbook • Paperback • iTunes

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It’s been a while since I dived into mafia romance, but Lucian was a great way to get back into one of my favorite kinds of romances! It was an intense, surprisingly sweet, audiobook I enjoyed listening to. The narrator did a great job of getting into the voices, especially those of the mafia. I would definitely recommend this to audio fans who love mafia romances on the lighter side.

Lucian is the oldest adopted son of the Marcellos, his father being the most powerful and dangerous of the Cosa Nostra Dons. He’s being prepared to take over his father as the underboss – and everything would go smoothly until he comes across a beautiful woman on the run from a deadly MC gang. Lucian takes it upon himself to get involved and save Jordyn, thus getting his mafia family involved as well. Jordyn soon becomes something precious to him that he won’t let go of – so how far will he go to protect her?

Lucian is an alpha hero through and through – but he was surprisingly more sweet than I expected. He dotes on Jordyn, would do anything for her and to protect her. Jordyn has had a rough life and can protect herself, though she does make some idiotic decisions that undermine her intelligence. Their romance is sweet, though I never really felt the connection between them or the chemistry. There was no spark, but that in no way means I didn’t enjoy their story, because I did! The mafia aspect was what shined in this book – I’d definitely say to give this a try if you like mafia romances.

The narrator, John Thrust, did a great job of narrating this book, especially with his slight accent that made the mafia part feel more authentic. If the other books in the series become audiobooks, I would definitely hope he continues narrating!

3.5 hearts
lacey

Here’s an audio excerpt from Lucian!

about the author button

Bethany-Kris is a Canadian author, lover of much, and mother to three young sons, one cat, and two dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a hubby calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something … when she can find the time.

To keep up-to-date with new releases from Bethany-Kris, sign up to her New Release Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bf9lzD

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Pinterest • Mailing List • Amazon Page

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2 Winners:
2 Signed paperbacks from the Filthy Marcellos series

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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