Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Manipulation 
SERIES: Diversion #4
AUTHOR: Eden Winters
NARRATOR: Darcy Stark
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
RELEASE DATE: April 17, 2019
LENGTH: 8 hours, 43 minutes
BLURB:
Lucky Lucklighter has a new life. His old life wants him back.
He traded trafficking for taking down criminals with the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, and a drug-lord lover for a man on the right side of the law. Bo Schollenberger found the way past the thorny defenses of Lucky’s heart, and made Mr. I-Get-Along-Fine-Alone think about his and his closets, stevia in the sugar bowl, and a picket fence—with a good lock on the gate.
Now Bo is missing, and a voice long silenced asks, “Did you miss me?” Lucky must deal with a devil from his past to get Bo back.
And if Bo isn’t willing to come? A drug ring needs its back broken before flooding the US with a designer high, seductive and undetectable. But there’s a fine line between good and evil, and a truckload of temptation urging Lucky to cross.
REVIEW:
Let me start with saying that the title of this book is everything. Manipulation. It describes this book perfectly in so many ways. Both in terms of the plot and what the characters are put through, but also how masterfully Winters play with your feelings throughout this book – in a good way, the best way.
Corruption ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. Or at least unfinished business; is Victor alive after all these years? And if he is alive – what does he want with Lucky? To say that the message plays with Lucky’s head is putting it mildly. As life has a habit of for these guys, things get worse. Bo, still undercover, goes missing without a trace. Determined to get his partner back no matter what, Lucky sets after him. All the way down to Mexico. To the ghosts or more accurately devils from the past that welcomes him home and back into the world of drug trafficking, and a Bo that’s more Cyrus than Bo that he knows and loves.
There wasn’t much time for Bo and Lucky’s relationship to develop or grow deeper. They do make progress, and it was amazing to watch. But for the most part the focus was on stopping the drugs from entering the US and getting out of Mexico alive. A sane and healthy priority if you ask me. There were plenty of steam, heat and sexy times, but not that much the sweet and cuddly kind.
I loved Darcy Stark’s accents and there were plenty of them in Manipulation. Stark handled them all and switched between them effortlessly. I loved listening to this book, in fact I couldn’t stop until I finished all of it in one go. Stark made you feel everything Bo and Lucky felt, the desperation, the thrill, the hunt. It was one exciting afternoon that’s for sure.
Listening to these books has reminded me why I love these books and these characters so much and I can’t wait for the next audio to be produced and released.
RATING: 
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