Guest Reviewed by Morgan
Title: Sinner, Savior
Author: Avril Ashton
Narrated By: Renard Pasquale
Series: Brooklyn Sinners #2
Heroes: Pablo Castillo/Shane Andrew Ruskin (aka Devon McGhee)
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 8 hours and 47 minutes, unabridged
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Release Date: February 18, 2014
Available at: Audible and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Gun runner Pablo Castillo has cemented his reputation in the gun trade as callous and cold-hearted. Personal feelings no longer matter, not with everyone out to make him a sacrifice on their way to the top. He remains untouchable, until a meeting with a rival gang leader and a new deal brings him face-to-face with temptation.
Dev is the right hand to a sadistic bastard out for blood and glory. He hides his true feelings of distaste for his boss, not the least of his many secrets. He could’ve sworn those secrets were safe, but after meeting Pablo he’s not so sure. The two men come together in a heated affair neither can deny, battling themselves, each other and a deadly enemy bent on spilling blood. Pablo and Dev will have to stick together or walk away from a love neither man expected to find. The choice should be simple. It never is.
Reader Advisory: Contains brief scenes of gang-related violence.
Review:
This is book two in the Brooklyn Sinners series, and it is just as awesome as book one. You don’t have to have read book one, but it would really add to your appreciation of this book.
Let me tell you that your heart will ACHE while you read this book. Pablo is such a difficult character to read, he is so broken! We meet him in book one, a fellow gang-member of Angelo Pagan, and (it turns out) someone also in love with Angelo. Poor Pablo doesn’t realize Angelo is ready to commit to a “gay” life, so he never hits on him, and when he does suddenly “come out”, Angelo is gone, left the gang, in love with someone else, out of Pablo’s life.
So, in addition to being heart-broken, Pablo is missing his best friend, suddenly in charge of his own gang, and then what happens? His sister, another of his best friends, is shot. Now he has a score to settle and some ground to protect and a broken heart to mend.
Dev is from the rival gang. He meets Pablo, wants Pablo, knows he can never, never have Pablo, but goes for it anyway.
The Romeo and Juliet theme is well played by Avril Ashton. She guts you with her characters’ love for one another but puts them in a situation that is always so impossible. Her characters are so, so flawed, but then this is balanced by the fact that they love so beautifully.
In Sinner, Savior, we get to revisit Angel and Gabe, which is nice for us, and it helps Pablo gain some perspective and closure. It also helps that Dev/Shane is amazingly giving, warm, loving and supportive. He is the absolute anchor Pablo needs to weather this storm.
Again, we have an insta-attraction that morphs into something more with a lot of very hard work.
If you haven’t read Avril before be prepared for lots of very hot, steamy sex and alpha males with big hearts and big…eyes. 🙂
The audio version: HOT HOT HOT! OMG Renard Pasquale is so amazingly sexy, well, at least his voice is. He is so perfect for this series. He handles all the accents beautifully and it makes you want to weep, he is so tender.
You could easily argue the audio version is as good, or better than, the written book, because he does such an amazing job layering Avril’s words with a drop-dead-sexy voice to make you believe you are right there with these guys.
I highly recommend this book, this series, all the books on audio… you get the idea.
Overall Impression: It was AMAZING!
*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*
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