Antagonist, Dads of Stillwater, Book 2

De: Ana Ashley

Narrado por: John Solo

One artist. One attorney. Two single dads.

Meeting at a bachelor auction for charity had trouble written all over it as far as I was concerned, especially when the guy that won the bid for me seemed to be after only one thing...a good time between the sheets.

Refusing Fletcher’s advances was easy the first time round. After all, we weren’t meant to see each other again.

Except I’ve just moved to Stillwater where Fletcher lives.

Except both our kids are in the same class.

Now the kids are fighting and I’m ready to throw my own punches.

If only Fletcher wasn’t as goddamn irresistible as he is irritating.

When the fight moves from the playground to the bedroom, who will come out on top?

Antagonist is book one in Ana Ashley’s new series, Dads of Stillwater.

Single dads, sassy kids, Ana’s usual cast of intriguing secondary characters, Stillwater has it all.

©2022 Ana Ashley (P)2023 Ana Ashley

Very Enjoyable

Antagonist is Book 1 in the Dads of Stillwater series. This is a wonderfully written story about Fletcher and Harrison, two single dads who just want what's best for their kids. I really enjoyed this book and the kids are just adorable. This book has a bit of a twist that I didn't see coming and am glad the right decisions were made in the end. Fletcher and Harrison are wonderful together and I'm glad they were able to work everything out and see that they could be happy together. I recommend this book and can't wait for the next one.
Narrator John Solo does a marvelous job and continues to be a joy to listen to.

Single Dads with Chemistry in Small-Town Romance

The "single dads" trope isn't a go-to of mine, but I gave this audio book a go because of the author and narrator, and enjoyed it. As with the author's delightful (and tangentially related) Chester Falls series, this story is set in a largely inclusive small town with some colorful characters.

Attorney Harrison and artist Fletcher have a brief encounter that leaves a bad impression for both, only to meet up again months later after Harrison moves to small-town Stillwater. The nearly instant buildup of animosity between them was a bit too much too soon to be wholly believable, but their gradually coming around into a relationship felt natural. The two single dads do have chemistry in and out of the bedroom, and share some genuinely sweet moments.

Much of the drama revolves around Fletcher's young son possibly moving to London with his flighty mother, and the emotional upheaval it causes Fletcher and, by extension, Harrison. This may be from not being all-in with the single dad trope but I found Fletcher's initial reasoning for not seeking sole custody - not wanting to upset his son's mother aka former best friend Fran - a bit baffling, particularly since he'd single-handedly raised his son up till now. Still, it is all believably resolved for a satisfying family-centric HEA.

I appreciated how the MCs aren't just dads in name only, meaning their kids don't take a backseat to the budding romance. Having Flethers's son and Harrison's daughter be integral and active participants in the story without dominating the storyline was nicely balanced. The same goes for how Harrison's ex/still friend Stella was a supportive and understanding counterpoint to Fletcher's somewhat conniving ex Fran (who, in the end, is not without redemption).

Narrator John Solo does a nice job here, and I especially liked his subtle Southern accent for Harrison. His performance made for a pleasant listen, and I look forward to hearing Ellis's HEA story next. I received a free review copy of this audio book and have left this honest review voluntarily.

Awesome MM Romance Story

I've read this author before. I listened to the audio book. Set in small town USA the main characters are Harrison a lawyer formally from Boston and Fletcher an artist. Both are single dad and their kids go to the same school but they meet at a Bachelor auction. Great story and I'll read more of this series.

A lovely start to Ana Ashley’s new series...

...with a few threads linking it to the Chester Falls one… Stillwater, the new fictional town in Connecticut, is just a few towns away from Chester Falls, and so some of the previous MCs show up as side-characters. The book can absolutely be read as a standalone and no previous knowledge is needed to enjoy it!
This new series focuses on single dads, and in this first book we have not one but two, both single, both focused on their kids and not really looking for a relationship, they meet at a bachelor auction where Harrison is the bachelor and Fletcher, instantly attracted, buys him. But they get off to a rocky start, so when, after a few months, Harrison moves to Stillwater and they meet again, this time called in by the teacher because there’s been a problem between their kids, the premises are really not good. Attraction seems to war with dislike, or at least wariness, until they get to know each other better and cannot fight their attraction anymore.
Engaging, well-written and low-angst, this book has the usual delightful mix of sweetness and spice that is what I’ve come to expect from Ana Ashley’s storytelling.

Amazing new start to a series

These two characters have an awkward meet cute but the sparks really fly when they run into each other again in the town of Stillwater. This chemistry is ❤️‍🔥🔥 and John Solo does such an amazing job on this audio. It was fabulous and you have to listen to this one. Small town romance, found family, single dads, and scorching heat.