Review of Audiobook Cronin's Key by NR Walker, narrated by Joel Leslie

 

Review of Audiobook Cronin's Key by NR Walker, narrated by Joel Leslie

5 stars

NYPD Detective Alec MacAidan has always been good with weird. After all, his life has been a string of the unexplainable. But when an injured man gives him cryptic clues, then turns to dust in front of him, Alec's view on weird is changed forever.

Cronin, a vampire Elder, has spent the last thousand years waiting for Alec. He'd been told his fated one would be a man wielding a shield, but he didn't expect him to be human, and he certainly didn't expect that shield to be a police badge.

Both men, strong-willed and stubborn, are still learning how to cope with the push and pull of being fated, when fate throws them another curveball.

Rumors have spread quickly of turmoil in Egypt. Covens are fleeing with news of a vampire who has a talent like no other, hell-bent on unleashing the wrath of Death.

Alec and Cronin are thrown into a world of weird Alec cannot imagine. What he learned in school of ancient pharaohs and Egyptian gods was far from the truth. Instead, he finds out firsthand that history isn't always what it seems.

We don’t need to start by saying how much we love anything and everything but NR Walker, and the Cronin’s Key series is right up there.  But, there is something that Joel Leslie creates, that brings this fantastic book to life.  One of the best audio narrations we have heard in a while, so much we are downloading everything else Joel has recorded!

Cronin is a thousand year old vampire who has been waiting for his fated one, his mate, who shows up in the form of Alec, a NYPD detective that has always attracted the weird.  There is other vampires, and a newly born one wanted to take over the world, and happiness of finding each other and the sad thoughts that they might not have forever together. 

But, we love this story, so let’s talk about the narration.  Joel has this husky quality to his voice that creates each individual voice for the characters.  And his accents are out of this world.  Reading this book, you feel the sexual tension between Cronin and Alec, but hearing it voices brings the tension, but the sweet heat they are both feeling for finding each other.  Joel finds that caring between these two strong men, and their whispered words of love are so endearing.  Our favourite scene in when Cronin first takes Alec to the Scottish fields, we could feel he love and tenderness between them.

So much good, but one sad thing, we have to wait for the other 2 installments in the Cronin’s Key series!!!  But really, it is a great book, and a fantastic narration, we will patiently wait if the rest are a good as this one.

Review of Devour by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott

by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott

4 Stars

Ian Pierce is the chef and part owner of the hottest restaurant in Cincinnati, his chosen family is full of happy relationships, and the scruffy, snarky cop who has been haunting his dreams is one step closer to being in his bed. But everything comes crashing down when the past he narrowly escaped nine years ago comes to a deadly head.

Hollis Banner was enamored of Ian at first sight. He’s kept his distance, knowing the gorgeous, self-confident man is out of his league. Yet there’s no standing aside when Boris Jagger escapes a raid. Jagger's world has been nearly destroyed and this time, the crime boss is coming after Ian and his friends personally.

Hollis will do whatever it takes to keep Ian safe as they escape to a safe house with a couple of Ian's overprotective friends. And Ian finds himself in a race to unlock painful memories—memories containing information that could take down the very last of Jagger's illegal operations forever.

This is the book 4 in the Unbreakable Bonds series, and much anticipated!  The Unbreakable Bonds Series follow a group, a family of sorts, of 4 men through their journeys to love, all tied up in an action mystery. Being a series, you really do need to read the 3 previous books to actually understand what is happening.

This last installment is about Ian, a young chef, with a tragic past that has come back to hurt him.  Ian was sold by his parents at a young age into sex-slavery, and although years later, and a free man, Boris Jagger his captor still have an axe to grind him and his friends. Hollis Banner is a cop who is seriously attracted to Ian, and has put himself in an undercover position is Jaffer’s employment.  

This was a great read, and a great tie up for the series.  We loved re-visiting the other characters, wish there was more Snow-Jude loving, and seeing where they are after a year of relationships.  The bond between Lucas, Ian, Snow and Rowe really make this book special.  They are such individual characters that you feel like you know them all and their reactions. 

But Devour focuses around Ian and Hollis and man, it is sweet like you know it should be.  Hollis is a blue-collar cop, who likes casseroles and beer and Ian optimizes a pretty-boy.  And they work together.  Ian need that strong man, and Hollis finds himself playing nurturer and really needing that.  But the sweetness doesn’t overwhelm the steam.  Whoo boy, the steam is fantastic, and the building relationship, after a year of flirting, is just what we need as a reader.  We love Ian and really hoped he would get that happy ending and thank goodness Devour delivers.