Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Disrupted Engagement

SERIES:  Valor and Doyle, Book 6

AUTHOR:  Nicky James

NARRATOR:  Nick J. Russo

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH: 9 hours and 51 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  September 7, 2023

BLURB:

The ring has been bought, and all Aslan has to do is create the perfect setup for a proposal. No problem. Nothing to it. Quaid deserves the best, and he plans to deliver.

After choreographing a romantic evening to officially pop the question, Aslan is ready.

But things don’t go as planned, and the evening is ruined. Quaid’s insecurities rear their ugly head, making him suspicious. He knows Aslan is hiding something, but pessimism insists it isn’t a good thing.

When Aslan gets called out of town to hunt down a long-acting serial killer, there is no time to soothe his over-anxious boyfriend’s worries or make a new attempt to propose.

Torn between a complicated case and figuring out the perfect way to ask Quaid to marry him, Aslan is left scrambling. Every idea falls flat. Every scrambling attempt fails. The more pressure he puts on himself, the more unsuccessful his efforts, and Quaid’s fears grow.

Aslan needs to solve this serial killer case and get home to straighten the mess he’s made.

Disrupted Engagement is the sixth book in the Valor and Doyle mystery series. It is a same-couple series that should be listened to in order. Although each book has a self-contained mystery with no cliffhangers, the romance is overarching.

REVIEW:

Nicky James’ wildly addictive Valor and Doyle series is proving to be one of the best series I’ve read. Aslan and Quaid are irresistible – colorful, complex, flawed men that we absolutely adore. In the latest series installment, Disrupted Engagement, Aslan and Quaid’s relationship deepens and, as the title indicates, there are proposals and (hopefully) an engagement. But nothing is ever straightforward or easy for these two – there’s too much history and, for Quaid in particular, too many emotional scars for the road to their HEA to be smooth and untroubled.  

Disrupted Engagement is a very special book.  We can look back at the road Aslan and Quaid have traveled and visualize the road ahead.  Aslan is right there with us, but Quaid … his head and heart have a fundamental disconnect that he still struggles to overcome.  It’s hard for him to believe in good things, especially if those good things happen to him.  Aslan is the best thing, so, expectedly, Quaid’s traitorous mind steers him down the shadowy paths to everything bad and destructive.

This is a raw, beautiful story with an injection of angst we haven’t experienced in this series before. The highs are high, but the lows are low, and they hurt. Every time Aslan’s carefully crafted proposals fall apart, it’s devastating to experience.  His proposals aren’t the only thing that falls apart, though. Quaid comes undone, and as he does so, we get a powerful, poignant portrayal of a man who is deeply in love with Aslan and truly trusts him, but can’t wrap his traitorous brain around that fact.  In his wildest dreams, he could never contemplate that Aslan would want him forever.

James balances the heartbreak and happiness, and handles it all like the pro she is, giving us a mesmerizing, emotionally impactful, indelible story of Aslan and Quaid’s love.  Pay attention to the details here. James hides some gems in the subtext.  While emotions run high, James adeptly injects several hysterical scenes into the story, as well as plenty of Oscar adorableness.  Oh, there is also an intriguing case involving a serial killer, with some twists and turns, and peril.  It’s well thought out and James executes it with aplomb.  

The hallmark of an exceptional audiobook is that the narrator disappears. The book’s characters come to life and you hear them, not someone playing the part.  A talented vocal actor is behind the scenes making magic, all while working hard to be ignored.  Done right, a narrator takes the author’s story and amplifies it. The highs are higher. The lows are lower.  The joy of falling in love resonates.  Heartbreak becomes a visceral thing that cuts deeply. We feel it all more than on text alone

Disrupted Engagement’s storyline is a tall order for this series’ narrator, Nick J. Russo.  But he’s committed, invested, and right there with our guys, all while fading into the background so all we experience is Aslan and Quaid.  He takes James’ superb story and makes it into an exceptional audiobook. He gives a superb performance, immersing us in James’ riveting, moving story with plenty of feels, as well as great banter and typically superb appearances from Torin and Ruiz. There’s snark, sexy times, tears, and so much swoon, and Russo translates the dynamics perfectly, capturing the nuances through excellent technique and skill. The icing on the cake is the progression of Quaid’s improbable friendship with Ruiz and I love how Russo delivers it. Suddenly, it’s completely obvious – like *facepalm* how did I miss that – that Quaid and Ruiz are the same:  they love deeply, prioritize family, crave and expect respect from colleagues and peers, and hide themselves away behind high walls and a cantankerous attitude.  Quaid may not have many friends, but James has found him the best one.

Disrupted Engagement is the easiest recommendation I’ve given this year. You need this audiobook.  No matter how much you adore Valor and Doyle on text, Quaid and Aslan truly come alive through Russo.  Get it. Listen to it.  Love it.  Rinse. Repeat. I give the Disrupted Engagement audiobook my highest recommendation.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Audible

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