Reviewed by Morgan
Title: Against the Grain
Author: Charlie Cochet
Narrator: Mark Westfield
Series: THIRDS #5
Heroes: Ash Keeler/Cael Maddock
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 7 hours, 58 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: October 22, 2015
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: As the fiercest Defense Agent at the THIRDS, Destructive Delta’s Ash Keeler is foul-mouthed and foul-tempered. But his hard-lined approach always yields results, evident by his recent infiltration of the Coalition. Thanks to Ash’s skills and the help of his team, they finally put an end to the murdering extremist group for good, though not before Ash takes a bullet to save teammate Cael Maddock. As a result, Ash’s secrets start to surface, and he can no longer ignore what’s in his heart.
Cael Maddock is no stranger to heartache. As a Recon Agent for Destructive Delta, he has successfully maneuvered through the urban jungle that is New York City, picking up his own scars along the way. Yet nothing he’s ever faced has been more of a challenge than the heart of Ash Keeler, his supposedly straight teammate. Being in love isn’t the only danger he and Ash face as wounds reopen and new secrets emerge, forcing them to question old loyalties.
Review – Book: Susan did a great job with her summary and review of the book here: Against the Grain
For me, the best part of the THIRDS universe is how fully formed and multi-dimensional the characters are. You feel like you KNOW these guys (gals, too) and their families. I loved the back-stories we get in this book – including the baby stories! It adds another layer to our understanding and commitment with these guys.
I definitely got frustrated by the back and forth between Ash and Cael: Ash’s reluctance to do anything “gay” in public while having absolutely no qualms about getting involved with Cael in private; Cael’s inability to tell Ash NO – even when Ash treats him like a dick. But that made their coming together – FINALLY – so rewarding.
I also loved seeing Dex and Sloan deepen their relationship and be happy for a bit.
I absolutely cannot wait for Calvin and Hobbs’ story. I love those two so much!
Review – Audio: Mark Westfield has done all the narrations for this series. What I love about his narrations is his ability to modulate his voice to demonstrate different settings – i.e. a phone, the hallway, muffled, etc. He also handles female voices really well. His voice is easy to listen to and he absolutely adds to the overall enjoyment of the book/audio.
I highly recommend this book, author, and narration!
Overall Impression: It was amazing
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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