Mystery Man

By: Kristen Ashley

Narrated by: Kate Russell

Length: 14 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

A headstrong woman and a protective man with an Alpha attitude are sharing passionate nights together . . . but is their relationship beyond physical?

Night time is the right time….

Gwendolyn Kidd has met the man of her dreams. He's hot, he's sexy, and what started as a no-names-exchanged night of passion has blossomed into a year and a half-long pleasure fest. Sure, it's a little strange that he only appears in her bed at night, but Gwen is so sure he's the one, she just can't turn him away….

Hawk Delgado knows more about Gwen than she could ever imagine. She's gorgeous, headstrong, and skittish about relationships. But Hawk is facing his own demons, demons that keep him from connecting with anyone. Yet when Gwen is drawn into Denver's lethal underground scene, Hawk's protective nature comes out full force. The problem is, when Gwen gets a dose of Hawk's Alpha attitude in the daylight, she's not so sure he's the one anymore….

©2012 Kristen Ashley (P)2013 Hachette Audio

Is this paranormal?

No, but it starts off with that same mystery; could the Mystery Man be a vampire? An incubus? It’s such an unusual romance and I loved Russell’s acting of Gwen and all the other characters. It’s perfect for the air of suspense. The story is well written and fits with the other stories from Denver with several characters from other stories.
The only thing I disliked was the lack of emotional surges where appropriate although it took me a while to figure out why those scenes, whether sexual, angry or violent, bugged me a little. That’s not to say the narrative wasn’t emotionally appropriate overall, just not enough change in those scenes.

Night time lover

The narrator was great, the early part of the story was so funny and her voice was perfect for the main character. I liked all the characters and how they interacted, some serious situations, some funny situations. It was never boring, even though the main character was a bit of a ditz.

Interesting story

Any additional comments?

Mostly a hot romance novel. The female lead is not a classy woman. The male lead is a little creepy and overbearing, but I could not stop listening. It was like going by a car crash - have to look! The characters are not the kind of people I would hang out with - but I had to listen! I liked the narrator and don't understand why some reviewers have a problem with her.

Took some time getting into the story

Would you consider the audio edition of Mystery Man to be better than the print version?

Once I stuck with the first few "getting to know you" chapters, the story picked up. The love scenes (or just the ones in her head) - done classy - not lude or rude!

Would you recommend Mystery Man to your friends? Why or why not?

Nah - maybe my Mom :)

What about Kate Russell’s performance did you like?

I liked her voice, sweet, calm (most of the time).

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

At first wasn't sure it would get finished...something about slow beginnings makes me wonder if the next book will be the same!

Alpha males at their best!

While alpha males can be a bit to handle, the character Hawk is so complex that it works. Gwen is amazingly flawed and wonderful! The storyline is unique and not the same old boy meets girl.

Entertaining and aggravating at the same time!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, it was a good way to pass the time. Not the best book I have ever listened to, but certainly not the worst!

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

To me there seemed to be some technical issues with the audio itself. Possibly due to poor editing. Right in the middle of the dialogue, the sound of the narrators voice would change, but only for part of a sentence like one or two words. It didn't sound like it was meant to put emphasis on those particular words, it just sounded off. It would be one thing if it was a whole paragraph or change in character.

Which character – as performed by Kate Russell – was your favorite?

Elvira. She had the most sass and was very entertaining.

Any additional comments?

Along with the technical glitches...some of the writing drove me insane. I don't think it is likely that three very different types of men would all call Gwen "Babe". The use of the word "babe" is extremely excessive. It think its possible that almost every character used the word babe. Gwen even called her best friend's husband babe. Very irritating. Its the writer's "thing" because I just started listening to the second book in the series...and you guessed it...babe this....and babe that....

good story, but predicable and​ cheesy.

good story, but predicable and​ cheesy. wording and alpha males were a little over the top

So Good!

I just finished the Colorado Mountain series and fell in love with Kristen Ashley. All I can say is thank goodness she has the Dream Man series I was going through some serious withdrawal. No one writes a character like Ms. Ashley.

Mystery Man is the first book in the Dream Man series and I confess I was really afraid to read it. I read the premise and immediately thought "are you kidding me?". I mean I love Kristen Ashley, but really a woman allows a man that she doesn't even know his name sneak into her room at night for over a year, has wild (albeit amazing) sex and then he's gone in the morning and it's fine? Very far fetched. But, once I started reading the story I was able to get over that with no problem.

Cabe "Hawk" Delgado is a flawed man, by his own admission. But, he's also everything a man should be. First, he's a "real" guy, not watered down or feminized (which is what I love most about Ms. Ashley's guys), he loves his family, he's protective, he's thoughtful, he's caring, he's a take charge and get things done kind of guy. He has a past that haunts him every day and has pretty much lived the last 8 years of his life making sure he doesn't ever have to relive his nightmare.

"For him to be special, he has to make me feel special."

Gwendolyn Kidd lives in a dream world. She meets a guy at a bar, takes him home with her and has the best sex of her life. That part? Not so uncommon (unfortunately). However, she continues to get visits from this man for the next year and a half. She fantasizes that one day he'll want her for more than a night, here and there. However, her fantasy does not include her very "wrong side of the law" sister dragging her into some very serious trouble where Hawk has to come to her rescue. Once there relationship is forced into the light, so to speak the sparks fly.

"I'm here 'cause when you come, you come hard, you don't hold back but you do hold on and you do it tight. I'm here because when you call me baby in this bed, I feel it in my dick. And I'm here because you don't hesitate throwing attitude when every other woman I know doesn't have the guts to say boo to me. Seein' you scared and wantin' to do something about it was just an extra reason that made me want to be here."

This book is great. It is so good to know that the Colorado Mountain series wasn't a fluke. Kristen Ashley is amazing! I have never read anyone that can consistently write such fanatastic characters and stories. Be prepared to fall in love with everything Kristen Ashley when you read this book. It seriously has it all. I cried, I laughed and I sighed (A Lot).

Favorite Book

Any additional comments?

I bought this book over a year ago and cannot tell you how many times I have gone back and listened to it. I absolutely love Kristen Ashley's books and have listened to this series and the Rock Chick series. Out of all the books in my library I keep coming back to this book, definitely my favorite book!

Awesome book

Loved the book but the narrator was WAY to slow in her speaking speed. I had to listen on a higher speed.