Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Return to Zero
SERIES: Shatterproof Bond #3
AUTHOR: Isobel Starling
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 6 hours, 42 minutes
RELEASE DATE: July 27, 2017
BLURB:
The thrilling sequel to As You Wish and Illuminate the Shadows.
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 center, 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.
STORY REVIEW:
I found that I really liked this book much more in audio format. A lot of the issues I had when I first reviewed this went away when I could feel the tension and suspense being read aloud. I really feel like this series keeps getting more and more interesting. Return to Zero saw Sam and Declan fully involved in more of Sir James Aiken’s machinations and this time it affected their relationship down to the core.
There were times I was really worried about the outcome even having read this previously. I was concerned about these men as people making it out whole as well as them as a couple. There was so much set up for this to have gone in some really bad directions. I enjoyed the suspense and the action and loved seeing more of the inner workings of the spy agency and the effects it has had on those around the operatives. I loved seeing the series ARC move forward and this one really grabbed my attention and help me captive.
I have to admit I still had issues with Declan’s moods. They just seemed to come out of nowhere and I never felt like I understood why they happened as they did. They were like tantrums and were very off putting. I also never understood why Sam never pushed for true resolution to the childlike behavior. It was just an awkward situation that felt fake and forced just to have some sort of relationship issue. To be honest, it was not needed at all.
This is once again a cliffhanger ending and I have many more questions and I REALLY want to see Sam and Declan grow some balls and tell Sir James where to shove it. I am so eager for the next installment because this one had me on the edge of my seat and I NEED to know what happens next.
NARRATION REVIEW:
I am loving this narration. As the series progresses, I am becoming more and more dependent on the accents and inflections and emotions portrayed by the narrator. It adds an extra level of complexity and enjoyment. I highly recommend listening to this series in audio rather than reading the ebook format.
RATING: 
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