Category: Riptide Publishing

A BJ Audio Review: Never a Hero (Tucker Springs #5) by Marie Sexton, Narrated by Iggy Toma

Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

NeverAHero_AudiobookEveryone deserves a hero.

Owen Meade is desperately in need of a hero. Raised by a mother who made him ashamed of his stutter, his sexual orientation, and his congenitally amputated arm, Owen lives like a hermit in his Tucker Springs apartment. But then hunky veterinarian Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.

Nick is sexy and confident, and makes Owen comfortable with himself in a way nobody ever has. He also introduces Owen to his firecracker of a little sister, who was born with a similar congenital amputation but never let it stand in her way. When she signs the two of them up for piano lessons—and insists that they play together in a recital—Owen can’t find a way to say no. Especially since it gives him a good excuse to spend more time with Nick.

Owen knows he’s falling hard for his neighbor, but every time he gets close, Nick inexplicably pulls away. Battling his mother’s scorn and Nick’s secrets, Owen soon realizes that instead of waiting for a hero, it’s time to be one—for himself and for Nick.

Although this is book five of the series, it’s the first one that I read or listened to, and I can vouch that it works wonderfully as a standalone. It’s my third read by this author, and I enjoyed it as much as prior experiences. I really need to remember and read more from her in future.

Although there was some angst, this story wasn’t dark despite that both characters had issues to deal with. It was well-written and thoroughly enjoyable story with characters caught my interest right away and made me care.

With one exception at the very end, I adored and felt so intensely for Owen. While some may feel that Owen’s mother was too over the top negative to be real, trust me, she’s not. I have had similar people in my life, so I recognized the type immediately and wanted to hug Owen. At least he had his father, and although it would have been nice if he’d been more of a shield, I could mostly understand. Listening to the story of Owen slowly coming out of his shell and blossoming into the person he should have been was beautiful. His story spoke to me because it showed so clearly how it isn’t only abuse that can have lasting effects on our lives, but that the words said to us as a child can affect our confidences and how we perceive ourselves and our abilities for the rest of our lives. Another thing I know first hand and struggle with each day myself.

As for Nick, I loved because he’s a vet and fellow dog lover as well as how good he was for Owen. How he showed him acceptance and helped him to find out he was a worthwhile person with no reason to hide away. But being one who isn’t a fan of secrets, his keeping one did bother me, especially in how long he let it go on despite his obvious attraction to Owen. Yes, he should have shared sooner, but none of us are perfect, and so I forgave him.

The secondary characters were well done and have made me interested in reading more of this series to learn their stories. But when I realized that all of the books are narrated by Iggy Toma, who narrated this one, I’ve decided that it’s the audios format I want to experience. He definitely brought another level to the experience. His voice is extremely easy to listen to, and he did an exceptional job of creating the sense of the various characters as well as putting emotion into the words he read.

If there was one thing that kept it from being a full on five stars for me, it was the ending of the epilogue. It just seemed so out of character to me, and what I believe was supposed to be humor, fell flat for me.

Nice cover by L.C. Chase with subdued pleasant colors and enough of the story woven into it through the images while at the same time consistent to the style of the series.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


Book Details:  

Audiobook
Published April 29th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published May 13th 2013)
Original TitleNever a Hero
SeriesTucker Springs #5
CharactersOwen Meade, Nick Reynolds settingTucker Springs, Colorado (United States)

An Ali Audio Review: Starstruck by L.A. Witt and Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating:  5 stars out of 5      ★★★★★

Starstruck_AudiobookHollywood is full of dirty secrets, but Carter refuses to be Levi’s.

Retired action star Levi Pritchard has made a quiet life for himself in the sleepy logging town of Bluewater Bay, Washington. But then Hollywood comes to film the wildly popular television series Wolf’s Landing, and Bluewater Bay isn’t so sleepy anymore. His retirement doesn’t stick, either, because he’s offered a part on the show—exactly the kind of complex role he’d always wanted, one that would prove him more than a glorified stuntman. The only catch? He has to stay in the closet—no matter how attractive he finds his co-star.

Carter Samuels is the critically-acclaimed male lead on Wolf’s Landing. And now, the man who inspired him to take up acting—and made him realize he’s gay—is joining the cast, and sparks fly between them instantly. But Carter is out and proud and determined to stay true to himself.

Remaining just friends is the only thing to do, as both the studio and Levi’s disapproving, dysfunctional family keep reminding them. Except their friendship deepens by the day, tempting them with what they can’t have but both desperately need.

I loved this story.  Levi has spent so much of his life denying who he is to the world he doesn’t know how to change it.  When he meets Carter it gets harder and harder to deny what he desires.  Carter’s teenage fantasy was to be with Levi, when he gets to meet him in person it just solidifies his feelings.  As they become friends, determined to keep their desires separate, they can’t help but fall in love.

This story is told from both Levi and Carter’s points of view, which really helps understand the characters and what they are going through.  Levi is constantly fighting with what he wants and what he should do to make his family happy.  Carter loves his friendship with Levi, but won’t deny himself for anyone.

Nick Russo did a wonderful job narrating this story.  I could feel the characters emotions in how he spoke and their different voices helped me keep up with what was going on easier.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is perfect for this story.

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 7 hrs 1 min
Published: April 26, 2016 (ebook first published November 3, 2014)
Edition Language: English

Series: Bluewater Bay 

Amelia C. Gormley On Research, Characters and ‘Risk Aware’, her latest Novel (giveaway)

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Risk Aware by Amelia C. Gormley
Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist L.C. Chase
Read an Excerpt/Buy it Here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Amelia C. Gormley here today to share her thoughts and inspiration behind her latest novel, Risk Aware.  Welcome, Amelia.

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Hi, and welcome to the RISK AWARE blog tour!

RISK AWARE is probably the longest single writing project I’ve ever undertaken. I started working on the concept in the spring of 2013, not long after I finished writing SAUGATUCK SUMMER. Geoff and Robin first appeared as minor characters—already in an established relationship—in SAUGATUCK SUMMER and I wanted to pursue their backstory.

Disabled people aren’t generally featured in BDSM fiction, and the sorts of BDSM usually portrayed is largely focused on activities that could be injurious—if not actually fatal—to something with Geoff’s condition. The story concept gave me an opportunity to examine several things we don’t often see in erotic romance. But it also meant I had to step far outside my own personal sphere of knowledge and experience on multiple levels. Which meant research was required.

Lots and lots of research.

The upshot is that the book took me over two years to write. If you’ve followed my posts on other blog tours in the past, you’ll know that’s highly unusual for me. I wrote SAUGATUCK SUMMER—a longer book—in about fifteen days. A lot of this is because I kept setting the manuscript aside to work on other projects and then taking a while to get back into things. But most of it is that getting it right required so much effort. So it’s particularly gratifying to finally get to share it with everyone who has been waiting for Geoff and Robin’s story, and also with people who may just be coming into the Saugatuck universe.

So thank you for being here!

About Risk Aware

Tattoo artist Geoff Gilchrest is convinced his life is some sort of cosmic joke. Why else would a hemophiliac also be a masochist? He’s given himself more than one elbow bleed since puberty just doing what guys do when alone and bored, so forget about whips and chains. How many partners would contemplate playing with someone even a mild flogging could kill?

Gallery owner Robin Brady knows he can deliver what Geoff needs: to be taken to the edge of danger but never beyond. But Robin came to Saugatuck to get away from the leather scene and heal from a betrayal by his former sub, so he’s not sure he should get involved with Geoff. His ambivalence isn’t helped by the fact that Geoff’s unwillingness to communicate about his well-being hits Robin in some very raw places.

Geoff’s hemophilia isn’t the obstacle he thinks it is. Instead, a lack of trust—on both their parts—is what could end them before they have a chance to begin.

About Amelia C. Gormley

Amelia C. Gormley published her first short story in the school newspaper in the 4th grade, and since then has suffered the persistent delusion that enabling other people to hear the voices in her head might be a worthwhile endeavor. She’s even convinced her hapless spouse that it could be a lucrative one as well, especially when coupled with her real-life interest in angst, kink, social justice issues, and pretty men.

When her husband and son aren’t interacting with the back of her head as she stares at the computer, they rely on her to feed them, maintain their domicile, and keep some semblance of order in their lives (all very, very bad ideas—they really should know better by now.) She can also be found playing video games and ranting on Tumblr, seeing as how she’s one of those horrid social justice warriors out to destroy free speech, gaming, geek culture, and everything else that’s fun everywhere.

Connect with Amelia:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Risk Aware, Amelia is giving away an ebook copy of the Strain series. Leave a comment to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 14, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

A BJ Audio Review: Tempest (Playing the Fool #3) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating:  3.75 stars out of 5

Tempest_AudiobookSomething wicked this way comes.

FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness and con man Henry Page are on the run again. This time they’re headed back to where it all began: Altona, Indiana. Population: some goats. Henry’s not happy about lying low at the McGuinness family farm, but they’ve got nowhere else to go.

While Mac fights to clear his name and Henry struggles with whose side he’s really on, a ghost from the past threatens to destroy everything. And those aren’t the only storms on the radar. Cut off from both sides of the law, Mac and Henry must rely on their tenuous partnership to survive.

If Henry can convince himself to let Mac see the man behind the disguises, they’ll stand a chance of beating the forces that conspire against them. The course of true love never did run smooth, but for the two of them, it might be their only hope.

The finale of this three part serialized humorous romantic suspense was worth the wait. This installment was not as light as the first two, which I actually liked. Most of the banter and humor this time came towards the end. For those that love that sort of thing, it should be just what you are looking forward to as an ending. For me, I could have done without so much of that at the end. I’d hoped for Henry finally dropping all the banter and joking and letting his guard completely down with Mac but was disappointed there.

Lots of fast and furious action in the last third of that was sometimes a bit over the top. We finally have a resolution to the suspense and a romance, finally got to see the depth of Henry/Sebastian’s hurt and motivations, and Mac. Well, I just loved him through all of the stories. And also in this one we get to meet his family, and they are just as awesome! Viola and Mac young niece, Cory, rather stole the show for me at parts of this book, and I was totally on board with that. Loved them.

While there was no cliffhanger in this one, there were a few things left hanging (for me anyway). I wish there’d been more closure of Viola’s story, more than the one sentence comment that alluded to her possible fate. And something that bugged me to distraction was… what happened to Door Bell? Did they just abandon the poor dog there along with the apartment? If so, that is so sad. Certainly Henry didn’t take him and there was no mention when we see Stacy again that she did. I just really needed to know that he was okay, cuz yeah, I’m a dog household.

Nick J. Russo’s narration throughout this series was a highlight. All the voices were defined, the delivery of the humor was spot on, and the angsty bits were captivating. Overall, his narration was perhaps my favorite experience of the story.

Another simple cover design by L.C. Chase that works refreshingly well to set the tone of the book.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


Book Details:  

 Audible Audio
Published (first published March 9th 2015)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPlaying the Fool #3 settingIndiana (United States)

Its Back to the Superhero World of Panopolis with ‘Where There’s A Will’ with Cari Z (Riptide Giveaway)

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Where There’s A Will (Panopolis #3) by Cari Z.
Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Where There’s a Will

Being a Hero in Panopolis means living the high life: parties, money, influence, even reality television. And I’m one of the most powerful Heroes in the city. I have plenty of fans, a manager who looks out for me (after himself), and a job that pays the bills. I should be enjoying myself.

Unfortunately, the downside of my superpower means I can’t touch anyone, which tends to put a damper on things. I probably don’t deserve all those perks anyway, since I’m working in secret with two of Panopolis’s biggest Villains to undermine GenCorp—my main sponsor and the company that controls what gets through my force field.

I obviously don’t trust my corporate overseers, but they’ve hired a new scientist who actually seems interested in helping me. Dr. Mansourian might have the answers to all my questions—not to mention a starring role in most of my dreams—but he’s hiding something big. If I let him have what he wants, I might not live to regret it.

Then again, the way things are going in Panopolis these days, I might not live either way.

About Cari Z

Cari Z was a bookworm as a child and remains one to this day. In an effort to combat her antisocial reading behavior, she did all sorts of crazy things, from competitive gymnastics to alligator wresting (who even knew that was legal!) to finally joining the Peace Corps, which promptly sent her and her husband to the wilds of West Africa, stuck them in a hut, and said, “See ya!” She also started writing, because some things she just thought she could do better. She’s still climbing that ladder, but can’t stop herself from writing, or from sharing what she creates.

Cari enjoys a wide range of literary genres, from the classics (get ‘im, Ahab) to science fiction and fantasy of all types, to historical fiction and reference materials (no, seriously, there are so many great encyclopedias out there). She writes in a wide range of genres as well, but somehow 90% of what she produces ends up falling into the broad and exciting category of m/m erotica. There’s a sprinkling of f/m and f/f and even m/f/m in her repertoire, but her true love is man love. And there’s a lot of love to go around.

Cari has published short stories, novellas, and novels with numerous print and e-presses, and she also offers up a tremendous amount of free content on Literotica.com, under the name Carizabeth.

Connect with Cari:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Where There’s a Will, Cari is giving away ebooks of both Where There’s Smoke and Where There’s Fire, a $10 Riptide credit, and a Panopolis t-shirt. Leave a comment to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on May 7, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.  Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Panopolis

Panopolis, the City of Heroes: a place where exciting things happen every single day. Things like mad science, reckless public endangerment, corporate espionage, and political puppetry.

You’ve got to wonder, why would anyone ever want to move here?

And once they get here, why would they ever want to stay?

Maybe for the excitement of watching real super-powered Heroes battle it out with Villains every day—preferably from a few hundred yards back. Maybe for the chance to become one of those Heroes, brave and stalwart and always doing the right thing.

Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . some people stay because they prefer to take their chances with a Villain or two.

Where There’s Smoke (Panopolis, #1) by Cari Z

Where There’s Fire (Panopolis, #2) by Cari Z

Where There’s a Will (Panopolis, #3) by Cari Z

Where There's Smoke cover

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A Stella Review: Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh

RATING:  3.75 out of 5 stars

BetweenGhosts_600x900In 2003, journalist Connor Regan marched through London to add his voice to a million others, decrying the imminent invasion of Iraq. Eight months later, his brother, James, was killed in action in Mosul.

Three years on, Connor finds himself bound for Iraq to embed with an elite SAS team. He sets his boots on the ground looking for closure and solace—anything to ease the pain of his brother’s death. Instead he finds Sergeant Nathan Thompson.

Nat Thompson is a veteran commander, hardened by years of combat and haunted by the loss of his best friend. Being lumbered with a civilian is a hassle Nat doesn’t need, and he vows to do nothing more than keep the hapless hack from harm’s way.

But Connor proves far from hapless, and too compelling to ignore for long. He walks straight through the steel wall Nat’s built around his heart, and when their mission puts him in mortal danger, Nat must lay old ghosts to rest and fight to the death for the only man he’s ever truly loved.

I’m a fan of Garrett Leigh, she is a great author who writes beautiful and heartbroken characters, just how I like my boys to be. I had enormous expectations on her new release, Between Ghosts, and in some ways they were greatly satisfied, because the author can write and pick the right cast, main and secondary too. As you can read and imagine from the blurb, the story is pretty hard and the setting is hurtful, still I wasn’t scared and I was wrong. Now I can admit I can’t read these kind of books. Between Ghosts is well done and deeply emotional, but the sadness I felt, highly distracted me.

I was left dubious and not so into the book since the start, I felt a detachment from the words I was reading and although I was enjoying Nat and Connor, I couldn’t connect with them. And to me the reason was pretty simple: I was too overwhelmed by the setting. I was able to feel a chemistry and a connection, because it was clear from the first sight Nat and Connor are meant to be together and heal each other hearts. Still the mission  they were on played a huge role on the plot and was more important than the beginning of something (physical) between the guys.

I was a little disappointed by the last third of the story, some parts were predictable, others a little unrealistic but the ending was what I wanted, a sense of closure and a peace hard to find throughout the story, but so well deserved. What the MCs felt and did in their lives earned them the right to try and get all the happiness they can have together. And right there at the end I was really hoping for a sequel where I could follow them in a new life and enjoy them in another way.

The cover art by Garrett Leigh is well done as anything she designs. The cleaness and the colors were a success for me.

Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook,226 pages
Published March 14th 2016 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626493510(ISBN13:9781626493513)
Edition Language English

A BJ Audio Review: The Merchant of Death (Playing the Fool #2) by Lisa Henryand J.A. Rock/Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

The Merchant of Death audioAll’s fair in love and war.

There’s something rotten in the state of Indiana. When con man Henry Page takes it upon himself to investigate the death of an elderly patient at a care facility, he does so in true Shakespearean tradition: dressed as a girl.

FBI Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness has more to worry about than Henry’s latest crazy idea. Someone is trying to send him a message—via a corpse with a couple of bullets in it. He needs to figure out who’s trying to set him up before he gets arrested, and he really doesn’t have time for Henry’s shenanigans. Then again, he’d probably be able to focus better if Henry didn’t look so damn distracting in a babydoll dress and a wig.

But when Mac discovers that Henry has been keeping a secret that connects the cases, he has to find a way to live on the right side of the law when he just might be in love with the wrong sort of man. 

I enjoyed the second installment of this humorous romantic suspense story much more than the first. While there was still banter and humor, I felt this one had more of well, everything that I love. More romance, more suspense, more depth, and definitely more heat.

Very much enjoyed the mystery/suspense element of the book. Adored the cross-dressing and touch of kink! But it was getting to see the layers of Henry/Sebastian coming to light, getting to meet Viola and learn more of his past and what made him into who he is, that was what I loved. Also was pleased at where this book picked up without a big time gap after the previous one.

The care-home drama/mystery leads seamlessly into the next twist. And while we do have another cliffhanger, but this one didn’t actually rub the wrong way as much as the first. Perhaps that was due to the fact that it wasn’t accompanied by cock-blocking—or perhaps it was just that I liked those last several lines quite a lot.

Nick J. Russo’s narration was once again spot on and captivating. The character voices were distinct and well done. Definitely a case where the narration adds an extra layer to the experience of the story.

The brightly contrasting simple cover design works perfectly, and it’s refreshing not having a couple of guys or naked torsos on the cover.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible, Amazon, iTunes


Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 6 pages, 5 hrs 29 mins
Published March 15th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published January 31st 2015)
ASINB01CYN3RAU
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPlaying the Fool #2 settingIndiana (United States

Its Space Operas and Love for Christine d’Abo with No Quarter (Bounty #1) (guest post,excerpt and giveaway)

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No Quarter (Bounty #1) by Christine d’Abo
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by Lou Harper

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Christine d’Abo here today to share her thoughts about her latest release, No Quarter and her love of science fiction.  Welcome, Christine!

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Hello, my name is Christine d’Abo! Thank you so much for having me here on the blog today. I have been a big fan of all things science fiction since I was six. I started by watching reruns of the original Star Trek, moved on to watching (and re watching) Star Wars, and finally I was introduced to the world of Doctor Who.

My world exploded, expanded and I loved it all. The idea of space operas, and how they focus on the people and their developments, rather than the science was what appealed even at that young an age. The adventure, the romance, good versus evil, showed me that there could be more to live that what existed in my tiny world.

As I got older and my life experiences grew, I never lost that love of space opera. One thing that I wanted to do was to put my own mark on it, to show a different side to the worlds that had been portrayed. The Bounty series was my way of doing that. Not everyone in the universe is straight, and it’s important to show diversity out amongst the stars as well as here on Earth.

The men and women you’ll meet – both space pirates and bounty hunters alike – are full of life, love and are most definitely up to no good. I hope you enjoy reading their tales as much as I loved writing them.

If you would like to learn more about me, please pay a visit to my website http://www.christinedabo.com. I’m also very active on Twitter as @Christine_dAbo and have a monthly newsletter. If you’d like to sign up, simply click here to fill out the form.

About No Quarter

When bounty hunter Gar Stitt is given a simple locate-and-retrieve mission, he’s convinced it’s a waste of his skills. His success rate is legendary, after all, and Captain Faolan Wolf isn’t hard to find. He’s the most notorious pirate in the galaxy, and when he shows up planetside to take his pleasures, he’s far from subtle.

Faolan never expected a hot but tightly wound hunter to walk into his private party and try to apprehend him single-handedly. And when an unexpected betrayal forces them to work together, Faolan’s even more surprised to find himself drawn to Gar personally—especially since neither of them do personal.

Gar had intended to put Faolan in prison. Instead he finds his solitary existence shaken by his desire for the pirate. And when the bounty hunter becomes the hunted, he must put his faith in Faolan and his pirate crew, or run the risk of ending up dead.

Publisher’s note: This title is an edited second edition, previously published in 2010.

About Christine d’Abo

A romance novelist and short story writer, Christine has over thirty publications to her name. She loves to exercise and stops writing just long enough to keep her body in motion too. When she’s not pretending to be a ninja in her basement, she’s most likely spending time with her family and two dogs.

Connect with Christine:

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Giveaway

To celebrate the release of the Bounty series, one lucky person will receive a $50 gift certificate to Riptide. Winner will be selected from across all three book tours (No Quarter, No Remedy, No Master) and as such, the contest is open until midnight, Eastern time, on July 2, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Comment to enter, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Bounty Series

Bounty hunters and pirates may contend for dominance in the vast reaches of interstellar space, but the heart of the conflict always comes down to who you know. Who you hate. Who you love.

Whether the prize is a priceless gem, political gain, the antidote to a rare poison, or a bounty big enough to secure any hunter’s future, the only way for a pirate or a hunter to come out ahead is by building alliances. One system, one planet, one person, one heart at a time. The distance between the stars may be infinite, but love doesn’t care about boundaries.

– See more at: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/series/bounty#sthash.gZbNHJI3.dpuf

A BJ Audiobook Review: The Two Gentlemen of Altona (Playing the Fool #1) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Mischief, thou art afoot.

Two Gentlemen of Altona AudiobookSpecial Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness is having a rough week. Not only is he on a new diet, but he’s also been tasked with keeping Henry Page-the world’s most irritating witness-alive. Which is tough when Mac’s a breath away from killing the Shakespeare-quoting, ethically challenged, egg-obsessed Henry himself. Unless killing isn’t really what Mac wants to do to him.

Con man Henry Page prefers to keep his distance from the law . . . though he wouldn’t mind getting a little closer to uptight, handsome Agent McGuinness. As the sole witness to a mob hit, Henry’s a valuable asset to the FBI. But he’s got his own agenda, and it doesn’t involve testifying.

When evidence surfaces of a mole in the FBI office, Mac and Henry are forced to go into hiding. Holed up in a fishing cabin, they’re surprised to discover that their feelings run more than skin deep. But as the mob closes in, Henry has to make his escape. And Mac has to decide how far he’s willing to go to keep Henry by his side.

A well-written, humorous romantic suspense that seemed more focused on the banter than the suspense. Humor, banter and snark are not something I normally look for in a story, and the fact that this book is heavy weighted with it told me pretty early on that might be a case of a story not being a good fit for me.

The opening was a bit confusing and slow–it took me a while for me to engage with the plot. However, I enjoyed that the two characters were very much opposites. Mac wasn’t a typical super-hot perfect agent, but was bald, bit overweight and struggling with his diet as well as his grumpiness. I loved him. Henry, on the other hand, annoyed me much of time with his banter and lies. Came across as a taker who only did the right thing at one key point because someone else talked him in to it. It was only seeing the hints of a dark, sad past that kept me from totally disliking him, well, that and the scene with the storm. Overall, I found myself wanting less banter and more depth. Again, just a personal preference, I’m sure.

This book has massive cock blocking–phone calls at exactly the worst possible time more than once! I would have actually have preferred no sex to the continual interrupted starts and stops as I think that the internal thoughts and little hints at attraction would have been enough for nice sexual tension without all the coitus interruptus thrown in.

There were a lot of Shakespeare references that I didn’t connect with, and so I’m sure I probably didn’t get some of the layers of the story for that reason. Also, the scene in the hospital near the end didn’t click with me for several reasons (which I won’t mention due to spoiler aspects). Finally came the massive cliffhanger ending that left this feeling like more of an intro or serial than a full story.

Nick J. Russo’s narration was excellent, nice delivery of the humorous bits. The character voices (even the women) were well done and the rough, gritty voice he used for Mac contrasted nicely with the suave one for Henry. I think the narration added to the depth of the story and was my favorite part of the experience. The story itself didn’t engage me enough to make me eager to return to it, but once I began listening, the narration was always easy to listen to.

Engaging cover by L.C. Chase both because of the bright contrasting simple red/black/white color scheme and the simple design. Did a good job of getting the lighthearted humor with suspense idea across.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


 Audiobook Book Details:  

Audible Audio, 6 pages, 5 hrs 11 mins
Published February 12th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published December 27th 2014)
Original TitleThe Two Gentlemen of Altona
ASINB01BMMKJFU
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPlaying the Fool #1 settingIndiana (United States)