Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Revelation

SERIES: The Protectors #7

AUTHOR: Sloane Kennedy

NARRATOR: Michael Dean

PUBLISHER: SK Publishing, LLC

LENGTH: 7 hours and 52 minutes

RELEASE DATE: January 31, 2020

BLURB:

“I trusted once. I won’t make that mistake again…”

An ugly childhood and devastating betrayal have left 25-year-old Cain Jensen scarred inside and out. Protecting himself means keeping everyone at arm’s length and protecting others means never getting emotionally involved. In the three years since he’s joined an underground vigilante group, every life he saves helps ease the guilt of the ones that were lost to him so long ago. So when he’s sent to a remote cabin in the Cascade Mountains just north of Seattle to follow up on the disappearance of his boss’s co-worker, his only thought is to see that justice is served, no matter what the circumstances.

But nothing he’s ever experienced has prepared the cold-hearted and very straight Cain for who he finds on that mountain…or the intense need to suddenly offer more than just protection.

“I’ve finally managed to break free, but I’ve never felt more trapped in my entire life…”

Ethan Rhodes has been running for six months, but it’s never fast enough, it’s never far enough. At 30 years old, the talented ER Doctor should be spending his days saving other people’s lives, not worrying about his own. But he knows that the four years of physical and emotional abuse he’s suffered at the hands of his volatile ex are nothing compared to what will happen when Ethan runs out of places to hide, especially after taking something from the man he once was sure would be the love of his life.

A violent episode that has Ethan narrowly escaping death leads to a quiet cabin in the mountains where his battered body will have time to heal before he and the young girl relying on him need to run again. But everything changes with the arrival of a mysterious stranger who threatens to give Ethan something he’d finally accepted was gone forever…hope.

“I didn’t see this coming. I don’t think he did either…”

To get to the truth, Cain must first get through Ethan’s defenses, but watching the other man’s walls start to come down forces Cain to face his own past. And as the tremulous connection between the two men grows and gives way to something more, both will need to decide if they’re willing to risk giving each other the one thing that has cost them so much in the past…trust.

Will two men who’ve vowed never to let someone close again let down their guard long enough to find each other, or will they let their pasts determine their future?

Trigger warning: Triggers for this audiobook can be seen ahead of purchase by utilizing the “Look Inside” feature or downloading the sample and scrolling to the specified page.

Can be listened to as a stand-alone story – no cliffhangers.

The Protectors series crosses over with some of my other series, so for the most enjoyment, they should be read/listened to in order, but it is not required. You can find the correct reading/listening order at the beginning of each book. I’ve also bundled all my series in the correct reading/listening 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 features strong Alpha Male characters who have gone through life-changing situations in their lives. It might have happened to them or to those they loved, but it changed them forever. They are not only strong, very capable men but also men who are not afraid to show their vulnerability especially when it comes to the people they love.

This group of Protectors is led by Dr. Ronan Grisham whose life was forever changed due to the tragic circumstances that involved the death of his boyfriend. What happened paved the way for the creation of this underground vigilante group that metes out justice to those who have somehow escaped the hands of it.  He has found all these men due to the help of men who have helped him too. These men helped him find a purpose again. Cain is one of those men he found. Cain has lost so much in his past that ultimately led him to Ronan’s group.

When Cain was called by Ronan to help him trace the whereabouts of one co-worker, he never thought that it would lead him to someone who has been running for his life due to abuse. Dr. Ethan Rhodes has had to give up his previous life and is on the run from an ex-boyfriend who was not who he thought he was. What he thought was the beginning of a loving relationship when he met him turned out to be a nightmare, one that he would not wish on anyone else.

Abuse can take any form, it can be physical, mental or psychological. What Ethan went through was all of these and more. For a while, he had to hide the abuse because he felt ashamed of what he allowed to happen, but ultimately he had to fight back, he found a way to escape. It was a huge first step. But more so now that he needed to protect someone, someone who trusted him enough to escape with him.

When Cain found them, they were wary because of what they just escaped from. But Cain proved to them otherwise. The attraction that Cain felt for Ethan was something new to him, he was never attracted to a man before but with Ethan he seemed to be, more and more each day. When it was time for them to confront the ex-boyfriend who just kept coming for Ethan, they have to finally accept who they are to each other and trust again.

Mr. Michael Dean has one of the best voices in the industry, and I adore every narration he has done. But especially for Ms. Sloane Kennedy’s The Protectors series. There is just that quality in his voice that will make you feel all the emotions that goes with each line he utters.  This book is no exception. It makes me feel all the vulnerability, anger, determination and liberation after going through so much pain. It makes me want to curl up in one corner and just go through all the feelings that I felt. I adore you Mr. Dean for giving more life into the words of Ms. Sloane Kennedy. Thank you both, this is an epic journey that I would not want to miss.

RATING:

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