• Retribution

  • The Protectors, Book 3
  • By: Sloane Kennedy
  • Narrated by: Joel Leslie
  • Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (651 ratings)

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Retribution  By  cover art

Retribution

By: Sloane Kennedy
Narrated by: Joel Leslie
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Publisher's summary

"You're a hero every f--king day, Tate," I said softly. "Don't ever forget that." (Hawke)

Ex-Special Forces soldier Michael "Hawke" Hawkins has spent every day of the last 10 years waiting for the moment he would get to watch the life fade from the eyes of the men who brutally murdered his wife, but when he finally gets the break he's been waiting for, the trail leads him to someone he wasn't expecting.

After nearly two years of running, 24-year-old Tate Travers has become an expert at hiding...until the day a dangerous stranger shows up looking for vengeance and threatens to destroy the fragile life Tate has managed to build for himself and his five-year-old son. Except the life Tate has been struggling to hold on to started unraveling long before Hawke showed up looking for the same men Tate has been running from...his own father and older brother.

Retribution - it's all Hawke has wanted since the day he held his wife's hand as she took her last breath. And he won't give that up for anything or anyone...not even the tormented young man trying to give his little boy a better life. Because Tate is the only one who can lead Hawke to the men he's been searching for. And if it means forcing the young man to confront the past that nearly destroyed him, then so be it.

Only the last thing Hawke expects to feel is something besides the hatred that has driven him. And he definitely never expected to feel it for a man.

But when it comes down to choosing between the unwanted feelings Tate stirs in him and the revenge he's finally close enough to taste, will Hawke be able to give up the one thing that has kept him going for a second chance at a future he gave up on ever having?

©2016, 2017 Sloane Kennedy (P)2017 Sloane Kennedy

What listeners say about Retribution

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Love, love love

Every book I read in this series just seems to get better. Sloane creates a band of brothers that anyone would want at their back.

Tate's survived horrors, Hawke is a man that horrors run from. The chemistry is palpable but so too is the absolute heartache.

Hawke's sole purpose is to find the men who murdered his wife. His search leads him to Tate's front door and what follows is a story of redemption, passion and vindication.

Joel's narration is spot on as usual and he adds so much depth of feeling to the words Sloane writes with skill.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Retribution

I think this has been one of the BEST so far in this series so many ups and downs it keeps You hooked Excellent writting .Thank

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I love....

I have read Retribution as soon as it went live on Amazon. But there is something about a audio book that let's me experience the story in a whole new way. While staying with my dad in hospice I've had lots of time on hand ! Listening to Hawke , Tate and Matty I was able to connect in a whole new way! This is a must buy even if you already own the book because sometimes life gets hard and we all need to unplug , relax and forget for a while. Sloane Kennedy will keep you on the edge of your seat so keep tissues handy!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Yes! Loved it!

Another fabulous story by Sloane Kennedy. Emotionally heartbreaking and funny and caring. Joel Leslie does another wonderful job giving each character their moments.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Sloane and Joel are an amazing team!

Would you listen to Retribution again? Why?

YES! Joel does a wonderful job narrating this story. He is amazing at putting so much emotion behind the words that you are definitely there in the story with them. The feels are there and they grab you and don't let go.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Tate. The world is complete and utter crap for him but yet he does any and everything he can to try and make the world a better place for Matty. Matty is his half brother, but yet he isn't. He's his son all the way. In absolutely every way that counts. Tate is so strong and selfless and such an amazing person.

Which character – as performed by Joel Leslie – was your favorite?

In this book? Tate. Again, the feels. He completely gets it. He gets it with Hawke as well but the range of emotions that Tate goes though is far and wide and Joel nails it. And he made me bawl. A lot. And that was expected because reading the book did as well. But when you hear Joel narrate it? Yeah, it grabs your heart and squeezes.

If you could take any character from Retribution out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Matty. So I could spend the evening talking superheros with him. And because he has gone through so much and has come out not letting any of it get him down. He's a little super hero!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

wow this book!!! It was so emotional! I Loved it!!!! Narration by Joel was amazing as usual!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Performance is lacking

I’m a huge fan of Sloane Kennedy, read through all her books on KU & have purchased nearly all her audiobooks. As always, she delivers angst, drama, & mystery well. These stories are definitely dark and invoke some strong feelings, so they’re not for everyone.

Joel Leslie is hit or miss for me. This one was definitely a miss. Tate has a Southern (supposedly Texan) accent. Unfortunately, it comes and goes during the recording, even in the same chapters. Also, the town Luling should be pronounced “loo-ling” NOT “lull-ling”. Since it’s mentioned 20+ times, it’s quite annoying. Hawke is supposed to be from Wyoming (though, as former military, I could see how his accent could be washed out) yet his accent is all over the place as well. Sometimes it sounds somewhat Boston-esque, sometimes more Midwest, sometimes indistinguishable. Frankly I just wish he hadn’t even attempted an accent if he wasn’t going to stick with one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • AA
  • 12-03-22

My tender heart!

I’ll rate but I don’t usually write and I happened to have started this series somewhere way down the line from an adjacent/ related series? Anyway, on top of listening to almost anything that Joel Leslie reads and this apparently being my year of M/M+ romance, Sloane Kennedy is trying to break my tiny heart with some of these truly painful character histories and traumatic events. It clearly gets you invested in the character but I’ve gotten tears about it on the last few! The steaminess helps to even it out thank goodness because I’m not a sadist, per se, so well done! I’m breezing through them to the detriment of my sleep schedule.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Oh Sloan

Joel, first off, you rock. You bring life to each character. You're voice carries so much emotion that I feel every moment.
Sloan, I'm slowly buying all of your books on audible. I've read them and need them on audio with a fierce desperation. These men and all they go through to get their true love just rocks me to my core. Thank you for sharing your stories, I don't know how I could get through my existence without them.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fell in love!

This series of books really captivated me and kept me on the edge of “what’s going to happen next”??? Now if they’d only come out with a book #4! 👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍

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