Audio: Strong Hold - Sarah Castille

My thoughts:

That blurb is...not quite right. Sure it is right, and still not right. Let me begin.

Zach is looking for a new star, that is right. He was a winner himself, and then he quit. He seems like a good guy, until he is around Shayla. I mean wow, can you spell Alpha!? He gets really protective and I really wish he was not 5 years older cos...yeah something gets weird when you think too long about it. Still, he means well and really really really loves her.

Shayla was a ballerina and now she is a fighter with scars. And she really wants to take it to the next level, but it's hard to get there.  I liked her, she picked herself up again and got strong (kick-ass strong!) Though she really should not blame some things on Zach, you are your own woman!

They meet and he decides to stay around cos hello! Destiny right there!

The Redemption gang was great. They truly are a family and take care of each other. I wish some did not have names like JR Ward cos it made me cringe.

The book is about these two trying to get over hurts and deal with their own shit in the past. Plus there is lot of fighting and fight talk. It's about MMA after all.

Love, passion and throwing your hat in the ring and going for it. I enjoyed it.

Narrator: Josh and Chandra Skyye

I have heard Chandra before and I do enjoy her voice. She did her chapters well with voices and range.

Josh was new to me, but he did his Zach chapters well too. A pleasant voice.

Cover

Right, so this is more Shayla's book and it really should be her there

Blurb:

Fight promoter Zack Grayson is on the prowl for a rising star. As the top recruiter of a prestigious MMA promotion company, he wants to take someone where he will never be able to go again: the top of the professional league. He didn't expect that someone to be the woman he loved . . . and left. Top-ranked MMA amateur fighter Shayla "Shilla the Killa" Tanner built walls around her heart when Zack left her seven years ago-and again when her husband turned violent. Now, seeing Zack is nearly enough to send those walls crumbling. But she can't risk the exposure of the limelight, and she definitely can't risk another heartbreak. As Shayla and Zack grow closer, though, business turns personal. And once their passion unleashes, there's no going back . . . 

Audio CD, 10 h
Published July 3rd 2018 by Tantor Audio
Redemption #5
Contemporary romance
For review

Audio: Rocco - Sarah Castille

Mafia enforcer Rocco De Lucchi is the best in the business. Cold, hard, and utterly ruthless, Rocco is the most dangerous of men. Feelings are a luxury he cannot afford-until a chance encounter brings him face to face with the only woman who found her way into his heart and touched his soul. Grace Mantini has spent her whole life running from the mob. The daughter of the boss's right-hand man, she is both a prize and a target. When Rocco walks back into her life, she wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her and broke her heart. But only Rocco can protect her from the dangerous forces that seek to destroy her family. Can they escape the hands of fate closing around them? Or will love be the kiss of death for them both? 

Audio CD, 12 h

Published March 6th 2018 by Tantor Audio (first published January 2nd 2018)

Ruin & Revenge #3

Contemporary romance

For review

My thoughts

I was hesitant, I mean he is a criminal! And not just any criminal. He is a mafia enforcer, and he will pull the trigger without blinking. As you can see this was my first trip to the darker side of romance, I guess gangsters need love too. So at first I was all, he kills people! *eyes wide* But dang it, he managed to steal my heart! Told you, a thief too.

Rocco as you might have guess is a criminal. He kills people. He break their knees and he was raised to feel nothing. And he is SO alpha. Possessive, dark, too much, but at the same time, he is just so broken that my inner voice goes all, someone needs to fix him. He is not very likable, but to those that see past it, yes, he has a heart and I like that Castille managed to give him a soul. Because it was tough in the beginning.

Grace ran away from her mafia family and made herself a new life. I do wonder who she could be so blind and not see that her dad was a mobster. Oh girl, seriously? She was broken too after something that happened that we later learn about. She was anti violence, anti mafia, anti family. She was also really self conscious about her scar. Again poor girl, stand up for  yourself and tell people to go to H if they stare!

After 6 years they meet again. And they could never forget each other, awwww. But he is nothing and a killer. She is still way above him and not to mention she does not want that life. They had a lot to go through and I did wonder at times if they would make it. I mean I knew they would but how?

Throw in lots of violence, mob hits and hiding. And let us not forget lots of passion too.

One thing, she explains a lot of terms, this being book 3 I guess the explains those terms in all books. I wrote a paper about Lucky Luciano in HS, I know those terms (and yes I was weird, who writes about him?).

But the end, omg, there is this secret and they are all, we will talk about it tomorrow and the book ends! And no word about more books. But but but I wanted to know!

It did make me go back and listen to the previous two!

So dark and passionate.

Narrator Aiden Snow

I liked his voice for Rocco. He was Rocco, all dark and edgy. He did a great job bringing this terrible world to life. Perfect.

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