Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: What Remains

AUTHOR: Garrett Leigh

NARRATOR: Craig Beck

PUBLISHER: Riptide

RELEASE DATE: January 3, 2017

LENGTH: 7 hours, 4 minutes

BLURB:

Web designer Jodi Peters is a solitary creature. Lunch twice a week with his ex-girlfriend-turned-BFF and the occasional messy venture to a dodgy gay bar is all the company he needs, right?

Then one night he stumbles across newly divorced firefighter Rupert O’Neil. Rupert is lost and lonely, but just about the sweetest bloke Jodi has ever known. Add in the heady current between them, and Jodi can’t help falling hard in love. He offers Rupert a home within the walls of his cosy Tottenham flat – a sanctuary to nurture their own brand of family – and for four blissful years, life is never sweeter.

Until a cruel twist of fate snatches it all away. A moment of distraction leaves Jodi fighting for a life he can’t remember and shatters Rupert’s heart. Jodi doesn’t know him – or want to. With little left of the man he adores, Rupert must cling to what remains of his shaky faith and pray that Jodi can learn to love him again.

Reviewed by Christine

TITLE: How to Blow It With a Billionaire

SERIES: Arden St. Ives #2

AUTHOR: Alexis Hall

NARRATOR: Joel Leslie

PUBLISHER: Hatchette Audio

LENGTH: 11 hours, 37 minutes

RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2018

BLURB:

Be careful what you wish for….

Once upon a time there was a totally ordinary boy who fell for a cold, beautiful prince. Only it’s not a fairy tale, it’s my life. The prince is a billionaire called Caspian Hart. And we’re trying super hard to live happily ever after.

He’s everything I want, need, and can’t resist: a man who looks like a god and bangs like the devil. Except he’s still got his rules and he’s still got his secrets….

But if there’s one thing Caspian’s taught me it’s that you should never settle for less than you’re worth. And I’m worth his trust. I have to show him that I see him. That I’m not afraid of his passion, or his power, or his past. And that I won’t settle for less than everything.

NOTE: This book ends on a cliffhanger! See how Arden and Caspian’s love story ends in the third book, coming Summer 2018!

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: A Restored Man

SERIES: The Men of Halfway House #3

AUTHOR: Jaime Reese

NARRATOR: Greg Tremblay

PUBLISHER: Romandeavor Inc.

RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2016

LENGTH: 11 hours, 45 minutes

BLURB:

Cole Renzo thinks his greatest challenge is to behave for the remainder of his term at Halfway House. Until he meets his new boss, Ty Calloway, a man who ticks off every box on Cole’s list of interests.

A sought-after restorer and customizer of exotic and collectible cars, Ty had enough confidence to command what he wanted in life, until one fateful night changed everything. Almost two years later, he’s slowly rebuilding his life with great control. He’s defied the odds and works tirelessly to be the man he once was—but he still feels broken.

Cole’s candor and unfiltered personality awaken Ty’s barely-remembered desire to greet each new day with a smile, while Ty’s unwavering acceptance of Cole’s quirks and brash humor makes Cole feel as if he fits in for the first time in far too long. When a nemesis threatens Ty’s personal restoration and the things he holds dear, Cole is determined to protect their relationship, even if that means sacrificing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ty will have to let his guard down, surrender control, and admit he needs Cole first, even if that puts himself at risk of breaking beyond repair.

Reviewed by Lisa

TITLE:  The Consumption of Magic

SERIES:  Tales from Verania #4

AUTHOR:  TJ Klune

NARRATOR:  Michael Lesley

PUBLISHER:  Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH:  18 hours, 18 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  April 30, 2018

BLURB:

Sam of Wilds faced the Dark wizard Myrin and lived to tell the tale. Granted, the battle left him scarred, but things could be a hell of a lot worse.

It’s not until he reunites with Morgan of Shadows and Randall that he realizes just how much worse things could be.

Because the scars have meaning and hint at Myrin’s true plans for Sam and the Kingdom of Verania.

With time running out, Sam and his band of merry misfits – the unicorn Gary, the half-giant Tiggy, Knight Commander Ryan Foxheart, and the dragon known as Kevin – must travel to the snowy mountains in the North and the heart of the Dark Woods to convince the remaining dragons to stand against Myrin. Along the way, Sam learns secrets of the past that will forever change the course of the future.

A reckoning is coming for Sam of Wilds, and there is nothing he can do to stop it

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Spencer Cohen Book 3

SERIES: Spencer Cohen #3

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

NARRATOR: Joel Leslie

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2018

LENGTH: 6 hours, 26 minutes

BLURB:

Learning to be in a committed relationship has been easy for Spencer. In fact, too easy. Andrew has fit into his life seamlessly. Spencer’s let go of his insecurities and hang-ups, and he and Andrew are enjoying where things are headed. For the first time in years, Spencer’s life is unbelievably perfect.

Andrew overthinks everything. So when Spencer gets a phone call from Australia, he’s certain Spencer will push him away. But instead of driving them apart, maybe it will solidify what they already have. Maybe Spencer will depend on Andrew more than ever. Maybe the Spencer Cohen story will come full circle, and maybe, just maybe, Spencer will have the happily ever after he never thought possible.

Reviewed by Lisa

TITLE:  The Guy from Glamour 

SERIES:  The Guy #1

AUTHOR:  Skylar M. Cates

NARRATOR:  Matt Baca

PUBLISHER:  Dreamspinner Press

LENGTH:  8 hours, 12 minutes

RELEASE DATE: October 17, 2014

BLURB:

Anthony Carrino loves his big, gregarious Italian-American family, even if his sisters are interfering, and his dad, the local sheriff, knows everything going on in town. He’s happy as a middle school guidance counselor. Despite helping kids and their parents fix their problems, Anthony can’t manage to get his own love life right. If only everyone would stop calling him the “nice” guy.

Dean Pierce doesn’t do relationships. A tough-minded military man, he is dedicated to his job as a Night Stalker, flying Chinook helicopters and not speaking much to anybody. He certainly doesn’t want to deal with a mess of emotions. But when tragedy strikes, Dean finds his hands full with his troubled niece, her irresistible guidance counselor, and a meddlesome family, which includes a rather large puppy.

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Wolf and the Holly

SERIES: Rowan Harbor Circle #2

AUTHOR: Sam Burns

NARRATOR: Chris Chambers

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2018

LENGTH: 6 hours, 13 minutes

BLURB:

Five years ago, Jesse dropped out of college and came home to Rowan Harbor to find safety with his pack. A broken man, he’s been living as though the world is ending – allergic to responsibility and spending most of his nights at the local bar. But he can’t avoid growing up forever.

On the night of his 30th birthday party, he finds his childhood friend Isla unconscious, attacked in the middle of their peaceful hometown. The wolf inside him wants to protect its people from the slick-haired, smooth-talking vampire who’s brought trouble to town, and Jesse can’t run from his instincts any longer.

Now that his inner wolf is out of its cage, it’s picked the most inconvenient moment to find its mate. Sean Anderson – recently back from college and much changed from the skinny preteen Jesse once knew – is just what he never knew he needed.

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Model Bodyguard

SERIES: Haven Investigations #2

AUTHOR: Lissa Kasey

NARRATOR: Brian Hutchison

PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press

RELEASE DATE: January 4, 2018

LENGTH: 9 hours, 47 minutes

BLURB:

Things are going well for androgynous model Ollie Petroskovic, ex-Marine Kade Alme, and their business, Haven Investigations, until rock star Jacob Elias shows up in need of their services…and trouble follows.

Jacob is a playboy with a serious penchant for kink, slaves, and sex toys. He’s also Ollie’s ex – and all that implies. With the media exploiting his personal life, a stalker sending blood-soaked “gifts”, a bumbling security team, and a family he can’t trust as far as he could throw them, Jacob is in desperate need of a bodyguard for his latest tour, and Kade can’t refuse.

While Kade deals with new doubts about his partnership with Ollie and struggles with reminders of his war injuries, Jacob’s stalker escalates from blackmail and threats to murder. As Kade and Ollie work to keep Jacob safe and find the culprit behind the attack, a web of family secrets, lies, and abuse slowly emerges, leading up to a final confrontation that they might not walk away from – and that will have lasting repercussions for Kade and his relationship with Ollie.

Reviewed by Annika

TITLE: Blackbird in the Reeds

SERIES: The Rowan Harbor Cycle #1

AUTHOR: Sam Burns

NARRATOR: Chris Chambers

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2018

LENGTH: 5 hours, 43 minutes

BLURB:

Devon Murphy has never believed that there were fairies at the bottom of the garden, but when he’s in an accident on his way to his grandmother’s house and comes face to face with the biggest, baddest wolf he’s ever seen, he’s forced to reconsider. When his grandmother asks him to look into a string of suspicious accidents, he finds a much bigger mystery to unravel. From his childhood best friend to the too-attractive deputy Wade Hunter, everyone in Rowan Harbor seems to have something to hide. Devon has to get to the bottom of it all before the accidents turn deadly. Contains mature themes.