Deacon Reid was born bad to the bone with no intention of changing. A lifetime of law-bending and living on the edge suits him just fine—until his baby sister dies and he finds himself raising her little girl.
Staring down a family history of bad decisions and reaped consequences, Deacon cashes in everything he owns, purchases an auto shop in Half Moon Bay, and takes his niece, Zig, far away from the drug dens and murderous streets they grew up on. Zig deserves a better life than what he had, and Deacon is determined to give it to her.
Lang Harris is stunned when Zig, a little girl in combat boots and a purple tutu, blows into his bookstore, and then he’s left speechless when her uncle, Deacon Reid, walks in hot on her heels. Lang always played it safe, but Deacon tempts him to step over the line… just a little bit.
More than a little bit. And Lang is willing to be tempted.
Unfortunately, Zig isn’t the only bit of chaos dropped into Half Moon Bay. Violence and death strike, leaving Deacon scrambling to fight off a killer before he loses not only Zig but Lang too.
Listening Length: 6 hrs 58 mins
Narrator: Spencer Goss
The narrator, Spencer Goss was a good choice for this audiobook. Great vocal range, and convincing performance as all the characters. Lang’s voice was a little on the high side for what I imagined, but the rest of the characters were spot on.
This was not my favourite Rhys Ford, but it was entertaining. I enjoyed the banter between Deacon and Zig, and the relationship between Deacon and Lang. I thought the story was well balanced where it revolved around Zig. Zig and her uncle seemed to come from a pretty tough background, and the rough edges of that lifestyle poked through; fairly obviously with Zig, and a little less obvious with Deacon.
I wouldn’t call Deacon a reformed criminal mastermind. Maybe a petty criminal, or victim of poverty and circumstance. I wouldn’t call him bad, nor edgy, nor dangerous. I found him to be just another normal guy, whose past was one thing, but is now doing what he needs to ensure he provides for Zig. As such, I found the blurb to be misleading. While I enjoyed Deacon, I was expecting someone a lot rougher. He was not as damaged as I was expecting him to be.
I liked both characters, and thought their courtship was sweet. I liked that Lang was open and was willing to turn to Deacon when he needed him. He seemed to be doing okay, and that was important. Deacon only just getting on his feet really didn’t need an emotionally broken man in his life, but Lang was mostly patched up, and handled himself well.
The mystery-suspense portion of this story was meh. It seemed that there was a lot going on for a small town situation. I wasn’t wholly convinced by that part of the story, and in this case, less would have been more.
I am glad I read it. This story was a comfort. Rhys Ford is one of my favourite authors, and while this wasn’t exceptional, it was still Rhys Ford’s style. Like a warm blanket, or a familiar friend. I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys Romance and Suspense.
Trigger warning: Mention of off-page spousal abuse and attempted murder.
I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
See our review for the eBook here!
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