Without Sanction by Don Bentley, narrated by Jack Armstrong

Story 5 of 5 stars

Heat – n/a

Series – Matt Drake

Main Character – Matt Drake

Listened to audio narrated by Jack Armstrong. He delivers a no-nonsense narration that fit the Matt Drake character well, but I hated the voice he gave Frodo. It didn’t feel or sound right for the character.

Matt Drake is a former Army Ranger and former Defense Intelligence Agent who’s struggling after losing an asset and being injured, along with his partner Frodo while they were trying to get to his asset in Syria. He keep’s seeing their ghosts and worries that he may be a danger to his wife. While he’s trying to sort out his PTSD and medical problems, he’s suddenly recalled back to Syria. A chemical weapon making scientist he’d been trying to recruit says he has information on a military captive and demands Matt Drake to take him in.

This book grabs you from the start with alphabet agencies intrigue, political shenanigans and covert military action. There are no dull moments as Drake goes above and beyond to retrieve Shaw under impossible circumstances, with Frodo’s help. There are powerful moments as he falls back on his Ranger training to get him through the darkest moments of this mission and makes me want to que up ‘Black Hawk Down’ and watch it again.

This is Don Bentley’s debut thriller and I loved it from start to finish. You’ll want to grab ‘The Outside Man’ to continue Drake’s story.

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A Terrible Fall of Angels by Laurell K. Hamilton, narrated by Holter Graham

Story 4 of 5 stars

Heat 3 of 5 stars

Series – Zaniel Havelock

Main characters – Zaniel ‘Havoc’ Havelock

“Listened to audio narrated well by Holter Graham.
Detective Zaniel ‘Havoc’ Havelock was raised in the City of Angels to be trained as an Angel Speaker. But not all is as it seems in the City of Angels and Havoc left his training after a betrayal. He chose to enter the military and then become a detective for the Metaphysical Coordination Unit, aka the Heaven and Hell unit.
He’s separated from his wife and stresses how much he wants to go back home but seems to appreciate and be tempted by every attractive woman he sees. He still uses his gifts and they will become necessary as he confronts a demon never seen before, bent on raping and murdering women.
City of Angels actively seeks children with angel gifts, convincing parents to turn them over to their care, to train and educate, but things may not be as altruistic as they seem.
Hamilton brings us a world with a multitude of worship, magic and life styles that seems to be generally accepted if not always agreed upon. This series promises us a future of paranormal mysteries and murders, while uncovering the secrets of the City of Angels. I can’t wait to read more.
In saying all of that there are still spots that, there were weird, contradictory and side stories that seemed irrelevant or went nowhere, events that seemed to have significance but then pettered out into nothing. It’s possible all of those things will be addressed in future books but they may set off more than a few nigglies in your mind if you are like me.”

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The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill, narrated by Danielle Cohen

Story 4 of 5 stars

Heat 2 of 5 stars

Series – Captain Kit Brightling

Main characters – Captain Kit Brightling, Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe

Listened to audio narrated by Danielle Cohen. Very easy to listen and follow along.

Kit Brightling was an orphan raised in a Foundling home that became a close knit family of enterprising young women. Now she is Captain of a small but fast ship working undercover for the Queen. She has an affinity for the sea that aides her and her crew on their missions.

When one of the Queen’s men is taken, the Queen orders her and Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe to retrieve him. Leading to a series of deadly missions that will lead to traitors, magic and a unique partnership.

Rian Grant, Viscount Queenscliffe is a veteran of the Continental war. When he returned from the war, not only did he suffer from the ravages of war, he found his family almost in financial ruin and a brother with gambling problems. To save his family he will do the Queen’s bidding, no matter how distasteful it might be.

Neither Kit nor Rian want to be on this mission together but they must work together if they are going to succeed. He distrusts her abilities and her magic and she thinks he’s a stodgy Peer. They both learn otherwise as each mission completed ends up sending them out on another more dangerous one.

An interesting start to a new series, with a Steampunk feel, but probably isn’t technically Steampunk. Navel battles, magic, gadgets made by her foundling sister and an empowered female lead for you to enjoy.

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Quiet in her Bones by Nalini Singh, narrated by Raj Varma

Story 2 of 5 stars

Heat 1 of 5 stars

Series – n/a

Main characters – Aarav Rai

Listened to audio narrated by Raj Varma. I had a hard time warming up to this narrator. I kept finding myself listening to the narrator rather than listening to the story. The story is set in New Zealand but the accent sounded Australian. I know a lot of Australians live in New Zealand but given the descriptions in the book, I’d expected to hear more New Zealand accents. He gave Aarav an edgy, confrontational tone that I’m not sure was intended by the author.

Aarav Rai grew up in a wealthy home, with an abusive father and an alcoholic, manipulative, narcissistic mother. At sixteen the night his mother disappeared he heard her scream drive off. It has haunted him ever since.

Ten years later he’s back home recovering from severe injuries from a car accident when his mother’s body is found. It ignites his drive to find out what happened to his mother. The only problem is he seems to have many gaps in his memory.

Everyone in the cul-de-sac seems to be viable suspects including Aarav. The book keeps you just as off balance as Aarav, as we follow him chasing clues and leads to uncover who killed his mother and what is going on with him.

While I normally love all the Singh writes, I found this book difficult to finish. None of the main characters were likeable. I found Aarav just as rude, self-absorbed, manipulative and entitled as his parents. While it was a tragedy his mother was killed, she was a terrible mother.

Is it an ok book yes, did I like it? no. Your mileage may vary.

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Leopard’s Rage by Christine Feehan, narrated by James McAdams

Story 3 of 5 stars

Heat 5 of 5 stars

Series – Leopard

Main characters – Sevastyan Amurov, Flambe Carver

Listened to audio narrated well by James McAdams. The narration flowed well.

Sevastyan Amurov and his Amur leopard were raised and abused in a lair known for it’s cruelty and terror. Growing up in a lair that killed female children, and forced their sons to help kill their mothers. He and his cousins may have escaped but they didn’t leave unscarred. He was raised to be an enforcer and bodyguard for the vor. He and his cousins all have death sentences on their heads. He now protects his cousin, Mitya. Sevastyan and his leopard are very dominant and he works out his dominant needs at underground BDSM clubs and struggles to keep his leopard in check.

Flambé Carver is a rare strawberry leopard who runs and operates a renowned landscaping company. She’s also carrying on her father’s legacy of saving leopard women from abusive leopard mates. She grew up believing most leopard males were abusive and made it one of her life missions to rescue abused leopard women from them. When Flambé acquires a stalker she must come to terms with the fact that not only does she need help but she must meet the demands of her body and her leopard.

The beginning felt like déja vu listening to the opener, it sounded so much like the other book in the series that I went back to make sure I hadn’t already read this book. The book starts off with an angry Sevastyan struggling with his equally angry leopard and an abused and hurt Flambé showing up late for her appointment with him. She’s both scared and determined to keep Savastyan at a distance while allowing him to protect her. But to protect her he and his leopard must claim her and keep her safe while waiting for her leopard to emerge for the first time.

The majority of this book Flambé treats Savastyan like crap, while he does his best to give her what she needs. It’s difficult to discuss without giving too much of the story away. The heat and steam is all you expect from one of Feehan’s books but the relationship just didn’t seem to develop or grow. There’s a lot of explaining and telling in the story but I found it hard to connect with them.

I loved Flambé’s mission but too often she made too stupid to live mistakes that didn’t fit with the strong, smart person I saw on other pages. The waffling from scared and wishy washy, to smart, strong and resourceful made it felt like I was reading about two different people.

Just an okay read for me. The story felt too choppy and the BDSM scenes didn’t feel like they blended well with other elements of the book.

This story includes scenes that may be difficult for some readers due to violence, abuse and sexual practices.

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