Gaele Hi
AudioBook Review Stars: Overall: 5 Narration: 5 Story: 5 So, Nate and Aubrey had a ‘thing’, and it ended with plenty of miscommunication, incorrect assumptions, and plenty of self-sacrifice. But, while Nate was convinced that Aubrey threw him away because of her connections to her mother and the “commander”, Aubrey was content to push him away to save him (and his brothers), and continue with her own plan to stop the madness. But here it is, years later, and all of the anger, the frustration at what was lost, and the knowledge that the clock is ticking has returned to Nate in a rush, and he’s not a happy camper. For her part, Aubrey never expected to see Nate again, and he’s everything that she remembered, with an edge of anger and hurt shimmering in his eyes. It’s not just a second chance at romance for these two – it’s a real chance to repair a relationship that was shattered when a choice made to keep Nate safe turned into a betrayal. Aubrey’s family history, and her apparent ‘cluelessness’ to the horrors committed by her circle to HIS family are truly hard to get over. But Aubrey isn’t clueless, nor is she unaware of the ways that Nate and his family have been hurt – and the danger they are in. She does, however, have some answers and more clues that will help Nate find the keys to save himself and his brothers. Perfectly playing a ‘dual persona’, Aubrey is a determined, smart and cunning woman hiding behind the mask of biddable innocent, and that provides them both with the information and upper hand that will be needed to solve everything. Danger, twists, turns and an undeniable connection between them are highlights here – and Nate’s slow recognition of the woman behind the ‘clueless’ is not only on his side but can help him navigate the what’s next, if only they can stay safe. And the only way to do that is to work together- Aubrey isn’t without skills or bravery, and it doesn’t hurt that she believes in Nate, even when he can’t wholly believe in himself. Edge of your seat listening with a second chance at love, life and forever makes this a hard to put down story in the series – with answers, more questions and plenty of heat to entertain and intrigue. Narration for this book is again provided by Karen White, and her ability to transition from tense to emotion, keeping each character voice unique while carrying voices of recurring characters forward without misstep have listeners able to follow the story and know who is speaking, even before they are introduced. Malice, mistrust, determination, love and even the rather ‘bubbleheaded’ persona that Aubrey uses to dissemble and hide in plain sight as she gathers more information are clear to hear and follow. It’s a wonderful performance that allows the sense of tension to ebb and flow, leaving an underlying thread that still pushes forward to find the solution, the conclusion and to see the Dean brothers safe and happy once and for all. I received an AudioBook copy of the title from Hachette Audio for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.