Reviewed by Anna Lynn
TITLE: Atonement
SERIES: The Protectors #6
AUTHOR: Sloane Kennedy
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 9 hours, 5 minutes
RELEASE DATE: September 30, 2019
BLURB:
“Once a f–k up, always a f–k up.”
Words 26-year-old Dante Thorne has had to live with for more years than he can count and a title he finally earned at the tender age of 16, when one careless decision led to tragedy. And since he can’t deny the truth of the words, why not live by them instead? F–king up, f–king, it doesn’t matter as long as it feels good and makes him forget the day he failed the one person he’d always sworn to protect. A good philosophy to live by, until Dante meets the one man who might actually have him wishing he was something more….
At 41, and with a distinguished career as a Texas Ranger under his belt, Magnus DuCane should have been in the prime of his life. Instead, he’s mourning the loss of the daughter he couldn’t save and contemplating a future that looks nothing like the one he had planned. The only bright spot in his life is the young grandson who has suddenly been returned to him after going missing two years earlier and the new family of men that he’s been welcomed into with open arms.
But with his iron will, unfailing self-control, and unflappable discipline, Magnus knows he can start a new chapter and get his life back on track…if he can just get past the disturbing, unexpected feelings one young man stirs in him. Because, everything about Dante Thorne is wrong for Magnus. His arrogance, his cocky attitude, every single unfiltered word that falls unchecked out of his mouth and, of course, the fact that he’s a man.
But when his well-meaning friends send Dante with him as a bodyguard when he returns to Texas to testify in a high-profile case, Magnus begins to see beyond the brash words and endless sexual innuendo. And when he starts to discover that what he sees isn’t all that bad, suddenly, the fact that that Dante is a man instead of a woman no longer seems like such a big sticking point….
Atonement can be listened to as a stand-alone story – no cliff-hangers.
The Protectors series crosses over with some of my other series, so for the most enjoyment, they could be listened to in order, but it is not required. You can find the correct reading order at the beginning of each book. I’ve also bundled all my series in the correct order under the title of A Family Chosen: The Protectors and Barrettis.
REVIEW:
The Protectors series of Ms. Sloane Kennedy is one of the best series I have ever had the privileged of reading in this genre. The series feature strong Alpha Male characters who have gone through life-changing situations in their lives. These situations could have happened to them or to their loved ones but will forever change their lives.
The group of Protectors is headed by Ronan Grisham, whose life was forever changed due to the tragic circumstances that involved the death of his boyfriend while they were both still serving during the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era. What happened to them as a couple paved the path for this amazing group of men. Since Ronan started the group, he has encountered, befriended, and recruited strong Alpha men who were broken but together were able to find a new purpose due to that one defining experience they had. One of these young, brave, strong and lovable men is Dante Thorne, even if he doesn’t think so himself. All of these young men have stories that only Ronan knows. And sometimes, these men will bring into confidence their brothers.
Dante feels like a worthless piece of a human being. Due to what happened when he was younger, he has condemned himself to being unworthy of compassion and even love. He knows and believes this. But seeing someone look at him the way he feels about himself makes him angry, resentful – at himself and at the person judging. He feels like, “I know what I am but you don’t have to rub it in my face-kind of feeling!” Because that is how he feels every time Magnus DuCane looks at him. He feels small and insignificant, next to this amazing, delicious man!
Magnus DuCane has loved and lost many times. First with his father and mother, then his grandfather, his wife, and then his daughter. What he went through, I can’t imagine myself surviving it. Finding out that his grandson is alive but going through treatment for cancer is another devastating experience that he just went through. Aside from all of these, now he is a star witness in a high-profile case back home. So before he hands over his Texas Ranger badge for good, he has this one last job to accomplish as part of his duty.
Mr. Michael Dean does an amazing job voicing these men and all the hurt they have inside. His amazing voice talent is able to portray all the feelings that Magnus and Dante felt at every scene in the story. What an amazing listen. It is an absolutely amazing story and being brought to life by an amazing voice. I cannot wait to hear the rest of the series in Mr. Dean’s voice.
RATING: 
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