Tag: author Isobel Starling

An Alessandro Audiobook Review: As You Wish (Shatterproof Bond #1) by Isobel Starling and narrated by Gary Furlong

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Narration Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

 

One wedding, two best men, one hell of a love story!

Declan Ramsay’s brother Oliver was marrying Annabelle Aiken at a fairytale castle on the banks of Loch Ness in Scotland. The bride and groom decided that Annabelle’s gay younger brother would share the best man duties with Declan. Declan had never met the kid who was to be his joint best man. Sam Aiken was abroad, working as an interpreter and finishing his studies. He wouldn’t meet Declan until a few days before the wedding, so the best men communicated and planned their speech by email for more than a year.

But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to realize the kid isn’t a kid at all, but a tall, blond, and athletic young man. Declan is sure he’s straight, so he’s alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself.

But, is Samuel Aiken all that he appears to be?

 

The story is about Samuel Aiken and Declan Ramsay, they have been in contact for almost a year now planning the wedding of Sams sister. They got along really nicely, up until the point where they meet in person. Declan doesn’t really like Samuel, or does he? During the course of the wedding, they get to know each other better. And there is an undeniable attraction between those two, but there are still some parts missing and things don’t really add up.

 

Oh well, my first thoughts after reading this book is that I’ve got mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it wasn’t something new or exciting… The whole theme with the wedding is quite a popular plot for M/M books, so its quite difficult to make it interesting and fresh. Usually when reading a book/listening to a book I finish it quite quickly, but this time it was not the case. It took me like 2 weeks to finish this book. I got through the first 3 hours rather quickly, but I couldn’t see anything happening.. so I just didn’t finish it quickly. Not necessarily because this book was bad or anything. It just didn’t catch me.. if you know what I mean.

 

The story of this book was okay, I guess. As I said above, the plot wasn’t something new, so I knew what to expect when I started this book.

I really liked the setting of the book, I love to read about some Scotsman.(Hehe) But I feel like this story had something missing.. I think there was quite a big elephant in the room, but it wasn’t really discussed until the end. There were some things that didn’t really add up and I think the author could’ve used the potential of this book better. I think there was something going on behind the scenes, that we didn’t get to know, maybe we will get to know it in the next one.

What I enjoyed about this book were the characters. The development of the relationship between the two main characters, went quite fast, but the MCs alone were lovely. I really liked the grumpy feeling I got from Declan.(he is this manly, grumpy guy who is generally not really satisfied with his life.) He shows that with his behaviour towards people. I think this could’ve been explored more thoroughly. On the other hand, I didn’t enjoy Sam that much… I think there was a huge portion of his character missing and I always got the feeling that he is holding something back. I don’t think that the side-characters are worth mentioning, they were nice, but not memorable.

I think there were a lot of plotholes in this story and questions unanswered.

 

Oh well, the writing.. this was something I felt was kind of lacking? Or confusing rather. This book is written in the third person point of view. We follow the characters as a spectator. The thing was that sometimes it was hard to tell which characters I was following. Maybe it would’ve been different if I had read this instead of listening to it, but sometimes I was just like “What’s going on?”. Also I find that the writing had a weird pace to it. Like the first half of the book was quite good in pace, but the end was so rushed. Not just the end, but like 40% of the book was just.. sex and little plot. Some things could’ve been explored more. I wished this book had a little bit more detail to it.

 

Oh my lord, the narration? It was soooo good, I really really loved it. Every character had his own voice. The narration speed was okay. I loved that Gary Furlong even added accents to the Scotsman. It just sounded very sexy. Even though I sometimes really needed to concentrate on what he was saying, because he even made the accent thicker, when it was described that way. Loved it!

I recommend this story to all people who are looking for a light, sweet read with not too much depth in the story and don’t expect a masterpiece.

 

The cover art is by the author herself – Isobel Starling. I think the cover is quite fitting, because it pictures something that really happens in the book.

 

Sales Links:  Audible | Amazon

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook
Published May 9th 2017 by Audible (first published October 5th 2015)
Original TitleAs You Wish
SeriesShatterproof Bond #1
CharactersDeclan Ramsay, Sir James Aiken, Annabelle Aiken, Oliver Ramsay, Sam Aiken settingLoch Ness, Scotland, 2015 (United Kingdom)
London, England, 2015 (United Kingdom)

Release Blitz – Return To Zero (Shatterproof Bond #2) – Isobel Starling (excerpt and giveaway)

Release Blitz – Return To Zero (Shatterproof Bond #2) – Isobel Starling

 
Author: Isobel Starling
 
Release Date: June 6 2016
 
Price: £4.99/$4.99
 
Buy Links:
 
 
Length: 71,000 words
 
Previous Books In Series: 
 
Blurb:
 
Pulled into a world of secrets and lies for the man he loves, Declan Ramsay’s life has changed immeasurably in the eight months since meeting, and falling for his boss’s son, Sam Aiken.  Declan journey of personal discovery is about to take a darker turn, and for Sam, the world becomes more treacherous than he could ever have imagined.
 
Two agents are missing — presumed dead, while on a reconnaissance mission at an outdoor adventure centre in the Scottish Highlands.  Sir James Aiken sends his son and Declan to follow the trail, and discover the fate of the agents.
As the mission offers his first chance to use the skills he learned on the MI6 training course in Morocco, Declan is keen to get started. However, Sir James sees to it that the seeds of doubt and discord have been sewn between the couple, as they begin their mission.
 
The journey to their Highland location, and the discoveries they make when they reach the G’wan Adventures centre, prove that Sir James Aiken has been less than honest with his son.  Events in the Highlands force Sam and Declan to face their greatest fears, and understand what they both really want from life — and from each other.
 
Author Bio:
 
Inspiration strikes at the strangest of times. 
Born in Germany, Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art.  She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist’s creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved it more than making art. 
 
Isobel’s first novel “Schonling” was a best seller in the GLBT-Bisexual genre on the ‘All Romance ebooks’ site.  She mainly writes M/M Romantic comedy thrillers and has just completed her sixth book.  Isobel has also signed French translation rights for novella “As You Wish”. 
 
Isobel adores the M/M genre and enjoys writing about wounded souls and the complexities of personal relationships.  Despite not having found proof yet, Isobel believes in love at first sight and endeavors to give her men a thrilling journey and a satisfying ending!
Social Media links

http://isobelstarling.wix.com/books
https://www.facebook.com/isobelstarling
https://twitter.com/isobel_starling
https://isobelstarling.wordpress.com

Excerpt from “Return to Zero” (Shatterproof Bond #2) By Isobel Starling


“Hullo,”


“Parcel for Samuel Aiken” The gruff male voice said. Declan peered at the CCTV image on the wall tablet screen of a courier wearing a Swift Co tabard.


“Hang on a minute” Declan replied “You expectin’ anythin Sam?” He hollered. He would not be fooled a second time. Sam sauntered out of the bedroom, bare
chested, with dark grey jersey pyjama trousers hugging his prominent hip bones.


“Let him in,” He directed, so Declan did as he was told and pressed the button to unlock the downstairs door. Sam and Declan stood either side of the closed front door, both on edge, expecting… something. Had James sent them a message at last?


They both startled and sniggered at each other, at hearing the hard thump on the front door. Sam took a quick look through the peep hole to see the courier — a grey haired, slightly obese Asian man in his early fifties, with Fred Flintstone stubble on his chubby face. He held a package the size of a shoe box, wrapped in brown paper and tied with string, in an old fashioned way. Sam opened the door, and was immediately knocked back by the scent of sweat and cigarettes. The man smelled like he had bathed in kebabs. If this was an attempted assassination, the courier’s armpits would surely do the job. The man shoved a clipboard in Sam’s direction. He browsed the delivery note attached. The ‘sender’ address box was empty.


“Where d’ya pick this up from mate? I weren’t expectin’ nuffink,” Sam said in a rangy East London accent.


“I picks up from the depot, and delivers. Don’t know nuffin’ abaht where vu packages comes from, not my business,”


“Well, it had better not be tickin’” Sam joked, his expression gormless. The courier snickered and put the box to his ear.


“Nah, prob’ly a pair of shoes, or somefink — nice surprise from your lady love?”


“Yeah, prob’ly,” Sam mimicked. He signed an illegible squiggle, took the box, and was immediately surprised by its lightness. “Cheers mate, have a good one,” he said, giving the clipboard back, and then closing the door.


Declan observed the wall mounted tablet screen as the courier left, and the main entrance door sealed behind him. He then opened the apartment front door and checked the hallway and staircase. Nothing had been left behind. Declan felt a little melodramatic and over cautious with his behaviour, but he had a strange gut feeling that something was afoot, something that would bring more sweeping changes to his life. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Declan had felt this tinge of something ever since coming back from Morocco, like he was still in a holding pattern, waiting for permission to land. Sam didn’t seem to be unduly concerned about James lack of contact, but the past few months had seen a huge shift in the way Declan lived his life, and his self-esteem. Long hidden memories had been uncovered by the ‘interview’, and the flashes of remembrance that Declan couldn’t dare talk about, made him feel unnerved and uncomfortable.


Sam sauntered into the kitchen and retrieved a pair of scissors from a drawer filled with miscellaneous kitchen implements. He put the box on the kitchen island worktop and cut the string. There was one branded Swift Co courier label on the front of the box, and no return address. Sam made an incision at the side of the brown wrapping paper, and then cut along one side, so as to keep the adhesive tape and any fingerprints or DNA that may have gotten stuck to it, intact. He slid out a cream coloured shoe-sized box. Sam looked curiously up at Declan, who stood silently beside with his arms folded.


“Would you like to do the honours?” Sam asked witheringly. Declan held his palms up in surrender,


“Nah, yer grand. I think The Amazing Sam’s got this one” he snickered.


The box displayed no visible wires, there was no ticking sound, and the box was feather-light. Sam thought that he would feel completely foolish about the cautious way he approached opening a package if it were empty, but he’d been trained to be cautious. He returned to the drawer filled with kitchen implements, and retrieved a pair of plastic barbeque tongs.


“You know I love you, right?” Sam said dramatically, as if they were to be his last words.


Declan shook his head at the ridiculousness of the charade and pursed his lips.


“On three. Ready?” Declan nodded,


“One…” Sam flicked the lid up and Declan reflexively stepped back covering his head with his arms.


“Ye said on three,” Declan whined, feeling like an idiot. Sam snickered with relief at the lack of fireworks. He used the tongs to remove a sheet of white tissue paper that covered the contents. When Sam saw what the box contained, he gasped and stepped back.


“What?” Declan said in alarm, seeing Sam’s complexion turn ghostly pale.


“Nothing” Sam flattened his expression and then reached to replace the lid. Declan stilled his hand, and took a look. The box held a noose made from red paracord rope. Just like the rope that had been secreted into his pocket at the Coburg Bar, nearly three months earlier.


“I’m going out. I’ve got to get this to the lab” Sam said coldly, his stare detached and light-years away.


Declan was suddenly overcome by a wave of frustration. “What the hell’s this about Sam? Jesus, I don’t even know where the fucking lab is!” he roared furiously.


Sam was shocked by the anger in Declan’s tone. He felt a prickle of guilt for behaving all ‘cloak and dagger’ with his partner — the one person he was supposed to trust. Declan had every right to know about the A.L.L lab and warehouse.


“Get dressed,” Sam directed, and then he turned and left the kitchen.
 

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