Tag: Ezekiel Robison – Narrator

More than Everything by Cardeno C. ~ Audiobook

51iziolNwpL._AA300_Title: More than Everything

Series: Family, #3

Author: Cardeno C

Narrator: Ezekiel Robison

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 7 hours and 46 minutes

Publisher: The Romance Authors LLC (02-23-16)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts

Blurb: Time might not heal all wounds, but with two motivated and strong-willed men on a campaign to win him back, Charlie will get more than he ever thought possible.

As a teenager, Charlie “Chase” Rhodes meets Scott Boone and falls head over heels in love with the popular, athletic boy next door. Charlie thinks he’s living the dream when Scott says he feels the same way. But his dreams are dashed when Scott unexpectedly moves away.

Years later, Charlie meets brash and confident Adan Navarro, who claims all he wants is a round between the sheets. After eight months together, Charlie is convinced Adan returns his love. But when the opportunity comes to be open about their relationship, Adan walks away.

Time passes and life moves on, but when Charlie learns the only two men he’s ever loved are now in love with each other, his heart breaks all over again. Scott and Adan tell Charlie they want him back, but Charlie doesn’t know if he can trust two people who have hurt him so deeply. Time might not heal all wounds, but with two motivated and strong-willed men on a campaign to win him back, Charlie will get more than he ever thought possible.

Product Link: http://amzn.to/1MiywRi

Reviewer: Tams

Review: Charlie Rhodes is in his thirties, going through the motions in life. Work, sleep, eat… he loves to dance, always has, but his love of dancing is the only love that has stayed with him through life. Charlie has loved two men, his high school sweetheart Scott, and a college lover Adan. When push came to shove, both men walked out of Charlie’s life without as much as a backwards glance. When his sister is killed, Charlie becomes the sole guardian for his young niece and nephew. In a strange twist of fate, it’s this traumatic time in his life when love reappears.

Scott Boone realized he was in love with his best friend and neighbor, Charlie Rhodes, the night of prom when instead of wanting to kiss his date; he wanted to rush home and kiss Charlie. The two make promises to each other that can only be broken at such a young, tender age. And that is exactly what happens when Scott moves to Nevada to be a closer to his little sister.

Adan Navarro is a player. He meets them, beds them, then gets up and walks away. Something is different about Chase Rhodes from the start though. Adan finds himself watching, admiring, wanting more for the first time. But when push comes to shove and Chase needs Adan to voice his feelings, he too walks out of Chase’s life.

The three points converge when Charlie moves to Nevada to care for his sister’s children after her death. The only two men he ever loved, the men that left him alone and killed Charlie’s need to be loved, roll back into his life like a tornado, threatening to destroy Charlie emotionally. It really is a small world after all when the two loves of one man’s life wind up together.

The story is told mainly through Charlie Chase Rhodes POV as he puts together a scrapbook of his life. The good, the bad, the ugly and the happy ever after Charlie feared he would never have. From the first day he looked out his bedroom window and fell hard for Scott, to the day Scott left him alone and broken-hearted. Meeting Adan and going from skeptical to happy that his heart was big enough to love another man, only to be broken in half again when he too walks away.

The death of his sister, one of the hardest times in Charlie’s life, a time that morphs into so much more when Scott and Adan walk through his front door and stake their claim, refuse to let Charlie go ever again. Oh he fights them, every step of the way, makes them prove that they love him and won’t ever hurt him again. What Scott and Adan give him is love, commitment, security and a family… it is more than everything.

Narrated by Ezekiel Robison and I really enjoy his style of storytelling. It took me a few minutes to get used to the voice he gave Charlie. He is flamboyant, full of life and energy, the kind of person you want to be around because his joy just spreads over everything.

The twist on that, what really sold me on the choice of tone for Charlie was how Robison really brought Charlie’s pain to life after losing both men. Having the ability to convey that pain and hurt by literally bringing down Charlie’s voice much in the way CC brought the character down for a while there. Adan is the most accretive character so it made sense that Robison gave him a deeper, more commanding voice. Scott is the glue that holds them together, his tone was more neutral, and again fitting the way the character was written.

There is a good deal of angst and drama in this story; heartache and pain. But the balance is the happy times Charlie has with Scott, the two of them learning about and exploring their sexuality, together. Adan charging into Charlie’s life like a bull in a china shop, only to find temperance through Charlie.

My favorite aspect of the story was the semantics of their relationship toward the end. Scott and Adan are very successful with their law firm, could afford any of the riches life has to offer. But what they want, what makes them happy is to support Charlie and the kids, create a safe place for them, become a family and build a home.

Definitely a must listen story, I’m certain it would read just as well. But the narration really brought each character to life and gave them a distinct voice.

Either way, I highly recommend.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Something in the Way He Needs by Cardeno C. ~ Audiobook

513X5lrVmSL._AA300_Title: Something in the Way He Needs
Series: Family, #1
Author: Cardeno C
Narrator: Ezekiel Robison
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 7 hours and 6 minutes
Publisher: The Romance Authors LLC (01/14/2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts
Blurb: Controlled Asher didn’t expect to fall for free-spirited Daniel, but they’ll find what they desperately need in one another.

Police captain Asher Penaz’s staunch professionalism bleeds into his home life, down to his neatly pressed attire and spartan apartment. He enjoys being in charge and in control, so his sudden and powerful attraction to the lighthearted, free-spirited Daniel Tover throws him for a loop.

In his entire life, Daniel has never gotten what he needs, so he moves to the next place, the next job, the next attempt to find something worth staying for, always landing at the top of his game, but never feeling like he belongs.

The chemistry between Asher and Daniel sizzles, but with all that fire comes the risk of getting burned. As both men struggle to learn themselves while getting to know each other, the lines of desire and control blur.

If Daniel and Asher can walk through the flames together, they might find what they desperately need.

Product Link: http://amzn.to/23Jx8Nj

Reviewer: Tams

Review: Asher Penaz commands complete control in every aspect of his life. He is a no-nonsense police captain when he’s on the job and a brash, sharp, meticulous DOM when he plays. He doesn’t do relationships, kisses, romance, and boyfriends. No. Asher is confident in his life, until he meets an adorable blonde that blushes, has freckles and trips over his own feet in the middle of an empty room.

Daniel Tover stumbles into Asher’s life and neither of them will ever be the same. But when push comes to shove, can the cute guy that is most comfortable in his baggy jeans and flip-flops, soften the rough edges that constantly surround Asher Penaz?

I was drawn into this book from the first stumble in the hotel lobby in Vegas, and pretty much listening intently with bated breath from that point on. Asher is the proverbial alpha male type. Large, brooding, commands compliance as well as your undivided attention.

Daniel couldn’t be more opposite, polar, in fact; the very definition of twink to an extent… short, slender, beautiful, blonde and clumsy. Asher has these rules he lives by and one by one, Daniel has him breaking them all. The rude, crude and usually socially unacceptable Ash begins unknowingly readjusting his life to accommodate Daniel. Cuddling, kissing, dating… and shock of all shocks, he isn’t tying anyone up and inflicting sweet torturous pain on them.

It was an absolute pleasure to sit back and listen as Asher went on this journey of self-awareness he didn’t even know he was on. There was an almost constant monologue of Ash’s inner thoughts as his relationship with Daniel continually grew and evolved. But with the sweets, come the sours. About six months in, a small lack of communication causes a rift and Asher does something Daniel may not be able to forgive him for.

At first glance, you might think this is going to be either an insta-love story since Asher commands Daniel come home with him after only 48 hours of knowing one another, but it is far from. They fall into a comfortable existence, yes, but with each passing day they learn more about each other, grow closer and start to depend on each other.

The whole of this book really is the relationship between Ash and Daniel in great detail. I think my favorite aspect of this story was how Daniel had this kind of calming influence on Ash. A man can’t go from one extreme to the other overnight though, so there were understandably some speed bumps along the way.

The story was narrated by Ezekiel Robison and as I’ve said before, what he lacks in dialect, he makes up for with emotion. He had this big, loud, brash tone for Ash that was absolutely spot on. Daniel was never able to hide anything from Ash, even from the start; he is very much an open book. Robison was able to clearly express Daniel’s moods with differing tones and inflections.

I will say, Asher does something toward the end of the story. It’s a compilation of a bad week at work and that slight lack of communication I spoke of earlier combined with Ash’s jealous streak the size of Texas when it comes to Daniel. This is probably the worst mistake I have ever seen a fictional character that I liked make.

Up until this point, I had been so engrossed in this book that hours would fly by and it felt like 5 minutes. This really pulled me out of the story and had me thinking, what if that had gone the other way, and would Ash have put a stop to it? That is the only reason I knocked off a notch on my review. Sorry, I can’t say, that would be a spoiler.

Overall, this was such a fun read. I was so engaged from start to finish, riding along as Asher learned the meaning of the word Love.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *