Karen

I started reading this series in paperback. Not only does Gavin perfectly nail each character ... Every time.. Harrison also brings us full circle by allowing the reader to spend some much needed time catching up with our old friends. Another exquisite read from the Hollows brought to life by Gavin. Another pleaser is this book costs ONE CREDIT. Thank you; I was starting to resent the two-credit pricing structure. All in all: HOORAY!

Such a disappointment! Each of the main characters harbors a "secret" too horrible to confide in the other. His is explained early in the book; hers is kept a mystery. Normally this could be an okay premise, as far as steamy-sex-laden romance plots go (heck yeah, I love those scenes, too!) but rather than empathizing with the main character, I could only roll my eyes and think, really?!

SPOILER ALERT:

He gets her pregnant, and she marries the fella to give her unborn child a two-parent home, hoping love will follow with time. When she thinks he's more interested in being a father than a husband, she leaves him. Huh? That's a big part of her reasoning to marry him in the first place! She endlessly agonizes over her undying love for him, which, due to her secret. is why she "can't" be with him. Even after her secret is revealed, she continues to agonize and "rationalizes" she cannot stay with him because she loves him so much, and loving him gives him the ability to potentially hurt her feeling IF things don't work out. Again, huh?!

The sex scenes were pretty good -- not hot or sizzling. All sex is strictly vanilla, which would have been fine, but the so-called "plot" was awful. Ms. Black is capable of much better work. This one is an embarrassment and needs a complete rewrite.

SAVE YOUR MONEY -- SKIP THIS ONE!!

Okay, I get the new and exciting mainstream introduction of Ds to soccer-mom "mainstream," but really, what a crock with kazillionaire 30-year-olds who have no idea... Nor care or concern about the old-school lifestyle that built trust based on far more important principles sans millions of dollars of disposable income and more available time than even money. These are, much like trophy wives, merely trophy subs. The "Masters" are beneath my contempt. Their uses of money in exchange for time, sex, belonging to, protected by... Rings very unflattering bells that so many ha e tried for so long to shed.

I finished this book a week ago, and I cannot stop thinking about it. The story is so moving. This is a must-listen book--far better listened to than read because the author is the narrator and reads it with the inflections and emotions he feels. At the end of the book, I was delighted to hear some of the actual recordings of Morrie and Mitch's dialogue. The book transcends time and generations. Anyone who has ever had a good teacher, coach, mentor, advocate while growing up will love this book. Awesome listen.

Roberts does not disappoint in this final installment of the trilogy. If you're credit-frugal, you could purchase books one and three only, without losing anything pertinent; however, if you are in the mood for a bit more "indulgence"...

She just writes so well. Story is a bit predictable, but between the fantastic narration and Roberts' masterful skill, I couldn't put it down and am now downloading the last in the series. In retrospect, my frugal nature tells me I should have purchased the first and then the last...but the fun is in experiencing the journey, in its entirety.

Slow start. Give it at least a little more than an hour to be completely sucked in. Well worth a credit. I think I purchased this book on sale, and I'm more than happy to spend a credit on book two.

Okay, all women have sexual fantasies; many enjoy reading erotica with a believable storyline and, of course, hot, steamy sex scenes. Kindle, Audible.com, etc. make it possible for people to read/listen to erotica in public without others seeing the title or suggestive book cover. I believe this, along with the average person's curiosity about BDSM and D/s, is the only reason Fifty Shades went viral.

The book reads like an author's first attempt (and it is a good attempt) at writing. She does a good job with character development and does have better-than-average writing skills. I appreciate the author's verbiage and seemingly wide-ranging knowledge of American and British literature as well as eclectic taste in music. The way she wrote about literature, music, and especially BDSM, however, felt stilted and studied...not natural. On the flip side, she was obviously more comfortable writing about the dynamics of relationships, friendships, sexual tension, buildup, and release, and her writing style was smooth and flowing. (she just needs a good editor for some of the redundancies!)

If -- If this book were properly and professionally edited, it might be better visually read than listened to.

In my opiion, this particular narrator completely missed the mark. This book may have been better read by a man who can credibly perform women's roles. I almost put the book down a few times due completely to the narration. Maybe I'm being too harsh; audible has me spoiled with some of their brilliant narration performances.

Knowing what I know now, would I spend the credit again? Yes, but with much lower expectations. Looking for well-read sizzling BDSM D/s fiction? Try "A Good Student" by Elliot Mabeuse--after completing the Grey series. Student is slightly more realistic with very, very sexually explicit content.

I am in no way bashing this book. It just does not belong on NYTimes or Audible's top 100 list, much less top 10. So, lower your expectations and have fun listening!

A must-have in your library! Excellent performance for an awesome book. I tried to pace my listening time to make the book last longer. I never re-read novels, but after a while, I will listen to this again. I'm already looking forward to it.

Yes, he is a fine narrator--just not for this series.

Please take your customers' reviews seriously. I purchased this book despite the warnings in the reviews because I prefer to judge for myself. I should have heeded the advice of the other reviewers.

I think Audible should seriously consider re-recording this book with James Marsters and re-issue/replace the book at no charge to those who were so sorely disappointed.