With Us

Amato Series, Book 1

By: Layla Frost

Narrated by: Avery Reid, Iggy Toma

Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Dark shadows hide secrets and lies....

It took Theo Amato one look to know he wanted me.

It took me one glance at his chiseled jaw and dimpled smile to know I was in over my head. My wild love affair was Netflix without the chill. I had no business dating the older man who looked as though he'd stepped out of an expensive advertisement. But he was determined to have me.

Wickedly sweet, Theo gently and strategically pulled me from my rut, handing me the world in the process. Growing up with nothing, I suddenly found myself with everything. More than I'd even known to dream of.

But shadows play tricks on the eyes, and life wasn't always what it seemed.

With us...it was better.

Contains mature themes.

©2016 Layla Frost (P)2021 Tantor

Family loyalty and love.

Loved how Theo was obsessed with Dalhlia; how she overlooked his association with criminality, and focused on how he treated her.

Can’t Get Enough!

I simply cannot get enough of this author! This was the second book by Layla Frost I’ve read and I simply can’t get enough! Her writing style fits perfectly to my preferences for reading material and after having difficulty finding books like that lately, it’s refreshing!
The heat, drama (but not over the top drama), love, romance, sex, humor, mystery, and intensity are really well balanced in my opinion. Someone mentioned something about their not being enough angst in the book for them. For me, it was perfect. I’m sick of books that are so angsty that, by the time you come to the end, you feel like you’ve been cheated from a good read.
Keep doing you Ms. Frost because it’s working! Also, the narrators did a decent job. They may not be my most favorites to choose from, but they still did well.
I do recommend this one. It’s worth the credit and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

A SWEET ROMANCE WITH SCOOPS OF VIOLENCE & SUSPENSE

Dahlia.. a 23 yr old hard-working Barista works two jobs to make ends meet.. she’s on her own and has been an orphan in the system since the age of 4 - passed from home to home but, despite her beginnings, she has the personality of a sweet, friendly and caring woman. Theo.. a handsome, sexy, 35 yr old rich businessman with his own successful company.. and he’s completely obsessed with his little Coffee Shop Manager. Everyone loves Dahlia.. but everyone momentarily stills when they see Theo - then they become very very helpful. The moment Dahlia agreed to a first date with Theo her life very quickly changes.. soon there’s a lost virginity, a family she’s never had (his), large family dynamics and dinners, clothes, people who care.. and feelings of love and being loved for the very first time in her life. Light, easy-going, sweet, sexy fluff. But, when things are going smoothly early on in a book you just know something is going to hit the fan!.. and yup, in part two we see the secrets and the darker components that make up the other side of Theo’s life.. the gray underworld illegal side.

This was an entertaining and enjoyable listen that was far far more sweet than dark and very much romance driven as Theo first wines and dines Dahlia and wins her trust and her heart, has given her a family to call as hers and would give her the world if she asked for it. The chemistry is good, the romance is well-paced and the sex scenes sizzle. And then it spins on its axis to give us the bad-boy Boss.. one who fears he will lose the love of his life.. one that would burn the world to protect and save her. Suspense, intrigue and a shot or two of violence is a given.. and conflicted emotions of the head vs the heart too because life-altering decisions must be made. The romance storyline continues to develop long after the relationship crisis ends and the ‘gray’ side picks up threads and intrigue along the way too. A sweet romance and a sex.. sex.. sexy Cinderella story.. but Dahlia’s Prince has enemies and wears a tarnished crown.

Worth a credit? I would say yes.. but don’t get this if you’re looking for a dark story or a bad boy alpha.. yes, Theo can be bad (very bad) when he needs to be and he can be a deadly alpha too.. but he prefers to keep it 50/50. And sweet little orphan Dahlia?.. well she rises to be the fierce woman who protects her man’s back. The dual POV narration was very good too.

Enjoyed!

Sweet with a bit of danger. Started a bit slow, but hang in there it gets better and has a twist. Enjoyed it very much.

So much better than I expected!

This was my first Layla Frost book, and wow…… it won’t be my last! Many of the reviews say it’s too long or boring, but my experience was the complete opposite! I was drawn in from the very beginning, when Dahlia and Theo have their meet cute. I was captivated and mesmerized by the these well developed characters, their slow burn romance, their relationship growth, all the lovable secondary characters, the action, the plot twists, and the humor. I was glued to my Audible app right through to the awesomely adorable HEA epilogue.

I normally don’t enjoy audiobooks that have a run time longer than 10 hours, especially romances. I find that most authors don’t have enough material to write such a long story without filler. But listened to this one straight through over two consecutive days without increasing the playback speed even once. I expected a formulaic, predictable romance, but this book is the opposite.

Both narrators did a really great job. They’re very talented, and they brought the story alive. I highly recommend this audiobook!

Made me evaluate my morals

I added this book solely because of Iggy Toma. I’m pretty disappointed that this was more like Avery ft. Iggy instead of Avery and Iggy. I love Iggy so That’s my biggest complaint. Otherwise, it was a good book. There are several time where I had to quiet my moral compass and remind myself that it was only fiction. If Dahlia had been a friend in real life, I would have told her to run because Thor’s actions were giant red flags. But it isn’t real life and she isn’t my friend. Just as Dahlia was wondering why she didn’t feel worse knowing what she knew, I was feeling similarly wondering why I was screaming at her to stay with him once the truth was out. I love books that make me evaluate my morals and root for the morally gray character.

Started Out Promising

Loved everything about the book until things got real and Dahlia turned into a brat. A true case of low emotional intelligence.
Theo is a whole vibe😍

With Us - Dahlia and Theo

Although this was a great book, I feel it could have been much shorter than 14.5 hours long. Theo pursued Dahlia as soon as he saw her. He became obsessed with her. He was definitely a book boyfriend. There was a bit of an age gap, which I really like. Dahlia was accepted into Theo's family immediately. They all loved her. It was wonderful how close they were. It was the first time she was with a loving family as she was in foster care as a child. The action and suspense really takes off in the second half of the book. Unfortunately, Theo kept a big secret from her and he ends up in prison for a little while. She was so upset, not for him going to prison but because he did not tell her the truth about his "other" side, the mafia. There is a betrayer in his inner circle that is much too close. Avery Reid did a great job with the narration; however, I felt that Iggy Toma sounded bit too old as Theo. This was a very enjoyable book.

Addictive

This story grabbed me from the start and it only got better. Loved the interaction between Theo and Dahlia. The audible narration was superb and only enhanced the story…highly recommend. Now I have to wait for book2. Can’t wait to get more books in this series. HEA, no cheating, no romantic cliffhanger. So glad I follow this author. Her books just keep getting better and better. I am going to start listening to it again in about 10 minutes. It’s just that good!

I want to be an Amato...Awesome!!!

This is a page turner, and sleep depriving great story. I just couldn't stop listening. Great characters. Strong hero and heroine. Lots of love, sex, loyalty, friends and foes, but never a dull moment. Highly recommended.