Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Noble Hops 
SERIES: Trouble Brewing #3
AUTHOR: Layla Reyne
NARRATOR: Tristan James
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Audio
RELEASE DATE: February 11, 2019
LENGTH: 8 hours, 1 minute
BLURB:
Everything Dominic Price has worked hard to uphold is about to come crashing down on everything he holds dear.
So much for the quiet life. Just as assistant US attorney and brewery owner Dominic Price is settling into a comfy new chapter with his partner, FBI agent Cameron Byrne, the sudden death of Nic’s father puts their happily-ever-after in jeopardy. Nic immediately suspects foul play, his prime suspect a notorious gangster his father was indebted to—only now the loan shark is out for blood.
Cam has been longing for Nic to finally let him in on this very personal case. But when Nic’s belief that he’s the sole Price heir is upended, the line between personal and professional starts to blur, leaving Cam unsure of where he stands.
Nic is depending on Cam’s kidnap and rescue expertise to save his recently discovered family member before it’s too late. But with a dangerous threat closing in, the ghosts from Nic’s past cast long shadows. Any relationship could crack under the pressure, but for Nic, finding his family might mean losing the love of his life.
REVIEW:
The beginning of the end. The final chapter. Closure. Answers. That’s what Noble Hops brings.
Since the start of this series there has been conflict, there has been mystery and crimes surrounding Nic’s father, suspicion of a traitor amongst their ranks and just generally bad stuff happening. Things that was never resolved in the previous books. Now it’s all come to heed and it all starts with Nic’s father dying. Nic being Nic and with the knowledge he has about his father and the shady dealings going on, immediately suspects foul play and starts to investigate. He investigates the man responsible for blackmailing his father, but he also continues the investigation of the mole within their ranks. Secrets are unravelled, some more shocking and life altering than others. By his side, step by step is Cam. Doing everything he can to help the investigation and in general to keep Nic sane.
Nic and Cam have come a long way since it all started. They aren’t perfect by any means, but they are solid. Well for the most part – a long lost first love does shake things up a bit. But sometimes things need to be shaken in order to grow stronger and deeper. I also appreciated that there was no unnecessary drama for the sake of it, no huge misunderstandings. They were adult people (mostly) capable of having mature conversations.
Like the previous books Noble Hops focuses mainly on the mystery and that works for me. I love me a good head scratcher, the race against time, wondering if they’ll succeed. Not to mention the plotting and planning. It’s all right up my alley so I couldn’t have been happier.
Tristan James is not my favourite narrator, that’s not a secret. Nor is he by any stretch if the imagination a bad narrator. So I’m chalking it up to chemistry or personal preference. So I tend to try to avoid his works where possible – or at the very least spread them out over time. That being said, he does tend to narrate some of my most anticipated books, which is why I find myself here time and again. Now, James is undoubtedly a talented narrator, I love his voice; it sooths me (a bit too much at times), and he’s wonderful with accents. He even does some variations to distinguish between characters.
Yet still it feels like something is missing to me, I’m never engaged. Always on the outside looking in – or wandering off somewhere else. It might be because I don’t feel like he’s engaged in his narration, but that’s highly speculative on my part and should not be interpreted as a fact. That being said, I do recognise that everyone won’t feel the same as me, and please do take my comments with a grain of salt. Listen to the samples and make up your own opinion – because you never know, he might just be your next favourite narrator.
I have enjoyed spending time with these men (I was going to write boys, but that kind of creeped me out). It’s been a rollercoaster with a lot of ups and down, many tender and sweet moments, but even more nerve racking intense ones. It’s been a great ride and I can’t wait to see what else Ms. Reyne has up her sleeves.
RATING: 
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