Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Rebel 
SERIES: 415 Ink
AUTHOR: Rhys Ford
NARRATOR: Tristan James
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
RELEASE DATE: April 12, 2018
LENGTH: 9 hours, 11 minutes
BLURB:
The hardest thing a rebel can do isn’t standing up for something — it’s standing up for himself.
Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After years of running from his past, present and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, Karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on; a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating break-up three years ago.
Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.
For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold onto. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.
When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.
REVIEW:
I love you, you know. I’m sorry I took so long to see it… too long to understand what it was you meant to me… but I’m glad you’re here. With me. In this bed. And I want to fall asleep, but if I do, I won’t see you again until I wake up, and that’s too fucking long to wait.
Excuse me while swoon a bit.
Gus has been in love with his brothers best friend Rey for years and getting dumped by said man broke him into pieces. A drunken night gives him a son he didn’t know about until years later. But when he does. he realises it’s time for him to return back home where he belongs and be a part of his son’s life. He just hopes everything with Rey won’t come back to haunt him.
These boys have Chemistry. And the UST is off the charts! I mean… phew, I need a cigarette just being near them – and I don’t even smoke! Everyone around them are probably lucky they have a couple of fire fighters among them. 😉
Joking aside, I really enjoyed listening to this book. I fell in love with this family. My heart broke for them, ached for them and what they’d all gone through growing up. Each and every one of them carrying their scars, some more visible than others. But what’s even more striking is the inner strength they all have and the love they feel for each other. They truly are a family in every sense, blood related or not.
I do feel like a lot of Rey was left unexplored and I wanted more of him. Wanted to know more about his past, present but also for him to resolve some if his family issues. We find out that they are there, but then nothing happens on that front. The story was too focused on Gus, not to say I didn’t love him, but I wanted Rey too.
Tristan James has become a bit of a hit or miss with me. On the one hand he has an amazing voice and I just love listening to it. On the other, he has this habit of sounding bored while reading, not really feeling the book or the characters. It gives off a kind of negative vibe for me and I know that I’m not enjoying the story as much as I know I could have. I also think that this is a tough book for one person to narrate alone. There are many important characters that needs a distinct voice in order for them not to blend together. I feel like James didn’t quite get there, but more or less narrated the book in the same voice. It made some parts difficult to follow, especially when there were scenes with several of the brothers speaking.
Rebel is a second chance story in so many ways. A second chance at that one great love that was never forgotten, but also a second chance at life, to starting over and truly letting go of the past. The past can dictate who we are and become, but it doesn’t need to rule your future. I loved listening to Gus overcoming his past demons, stop being afraid of himself and seeing him embrace the future.
I love you. With all of my heart. All of my soul and most of my sanity… I love you
RATING: 
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