Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Model Citizen

SERIES: Haven Investigations #1

AUTHOR: Lissa Kasey

NARRATOR: Mike Pohlable

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2016

LENGTH: 7 hours, 53 minutes

BLURB:

Oliver “Ollie” Petroskovic’s life as an international supermodel was heading in the right direction. He worked part-time for his brother at his detective agency – Petroskovic Haven Investigations – and had just bought his dream house. But all that changed when he found his brother dead, a victim of PTSD-induced suicide.

Almost a year later, Ollie is trying to keep his brother’s business afloat, but can’t get his PI license. Then his brother’s best friend, Kade Alme, shows up, fresh from the battlefield after a close brush with death. Kade is looking for a new life, in more ways than one, and with PI license in hand, he’s exactly what Ollie needs to keep PHI running.

When one of Ollie’s childhood friends gets in trouble, Ollie feels he has to help. Kade insists on investigating, if only to keep Ollie safe. Neither realizes the danger they’re in as someone tries to tear them apart before they can find solid ground together.

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed listening to this book, well at least until that last line… If you are anything like me, have the next book ready because this one ends with a cliffhanger. And those annoys me to no end.

Oliver Petroskovic’s life took a turn for the unexpected when his brother committed suicide. Leaving the runway and life as a supermodel, he returned home and started working as a PI in honor of his brother. Only he didn’t have a license, and he kept being arrested on an almost weekly basis, so to say he was struggling to make ends meet is a mild understatement.

Kade has recently returned home to recover from an injury from a battle in the military. Wanting to start fresh, he’s offered a job as a PI, working with his late best friend’s brother. A brother he’s had feelings for, for a long time. He was a general good guy with a lot of skills, but keeping Ollie from trouble might just be a bigger challenge that he ever dreamed of.

The mystery-romance combination really works for me. I know some readers might not like when the mystery part of the book is more prominent than the romance, but that really works for me. I love a good mystery to sink my teeth into and this book delivered that. I will admit that the Big Brother porn house plot was a bit much, it was also something I was happy to overlook in the grand scheme of things.

I found Ollie both refreshing but at times he also got on my nerves. I loved how truly comfortable he was in his own skin. Dressing and acting just like he wanted, and if he wanted to wear a dress or skirt he did, damned what anyone else thought. He wasn’t gender fluid or trans, just a guy equally comfortable wearing both men’s and women’s clothing when he wanted. At the same times he was also a bit irritating, constantly going back and forth with Kade, being dismissive and a bit hurtful at times. Sure it was understandable from all he’d gone through in the past, but I also wanted him to make up his mind and trust.

I enjoyed listening to Mike Pohlable, the emotions he injected into his narration spot on and the different voices he had for Ollie and Kade really portrayed who they were. He had a wide range of voices and I loved them all. I would loved to listen to many more of his books in the future – that is if he decides to narrate more books.

Model Citizen was a great book to listen to, and I will definitely pick up the next book in the series, I just need to know what happened next. I do however I’d been smart enough to have the next book ready to go…

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon

Audible