Searching for Risk

Redwood Coast Rescue, Book 2

De: Tonya Burrows

Narrado por: Stephen Borne, Auri Alden

She woke up with the wrong man. Sasha LeBlanc had her life all planned out. Become a veterinarian? Check. Build a thriving practice? Check. Settle down with a nice guy? Not yet, but she has her heart set on the local sheriff, and Redwood Coast Rescue’s charity masquerade ball is the perfect opportunity to seduce him. So why does she wake up with a sexy, heavily tattooed former Marine in her bed instead? But he's the only man who has ever made her feel alive.

Donovan Scott has always been a risk-taker, but after a traumatic brain injury ended his military career, he lost everything. His only solace is his K9 partner, Spirit, who understands him in a way that no human ever could. But that all changes after his night with Sasha. She’s beautiful, smart, and his opposite in every way. She makes him want to be a better man. Is she willing to risk everything to be with him–even her life? When a serial arsonist starts targeting everyone Donovan loves, he knows his murky past has finally caught up to him. He can't protect Sasha without revealing his secrets, but will she still want him when she discovers the truth?

Searching for Risk is the second book in the Redwood Coast Rescue romantic suspense series, but it can be listened to as a standalone. If you love protective bad boys, curvy heroines, and steamy romance with a side of danger, then you won't be able to put down this thrilling adventure by Tonya Burrows!

©2023 Tonya Burrows (P)2023 Tonya Burrows

Thrilling, Sexy Story!!

Another thrilling story from Tonya Burrows! This story is compelling and intriguing and I had trouble putting it down! The book begins with a bang and gets better from there. Sasha and Donovan are wonderfully maligned characters who grow so nicely together. Donovan's demons have followed him for his entire life and only got worst after this time in the military. He's the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks and everyone's always treated him like that. It only gets worse when there's a cold case podcast airing episodes about a missing girl from his high school days, where he was the main suspect. Sasha has a plan and she plans to stick to it. She does not count on an encounter with the local bad boy.
I enjoyed the character growth from everyone and how first impressions can be wrong and that people can grow and change. Donovan and Sasha were fantastic! I liked how each played of the other and their interactions. The dogs were wonderful and I liked the inclusion of the characters from the previous book. I thought the beginning of the park scene was a nice inclusion!

This book has (lots! of) steam (more than some of Burrow's stories), violence, fire, PTSD, TBI, and SA (off page).

The podcast episodes were well done and nicely narrated. I liked the inclusion because it helped set the suspense of the story, because it offered a real life look at how cases like that are handled, especially from a true crime podcast narration. Because, most of the time, someone's partner did it, so of course police and arm chair detectives would suspect the boyfriend with a criminal past!

This is the second book in the series. It can be read as a standalone as the story is self-contained, but I recommend enjoying the first book before this one for maximum enjoyment!

The narrators were wonderful! I quite like Stephen Borne's narration style and I'm glad the author keeps using him for her books! While the story is told in dual POV, Auri Alden only narrated the podcast episodes, not the chapters/sections from Sasha's perspective. I listened at 1.15x speed. That speed fit the male narrator's voice, but was a little too fast for the female's voice.

Stand alone in series

I've also listened to the first book in the series and while the characters do overlap between the books, Searching for Risk could be read as a stand alone. There is not a relationship cliffhanger at the end, but there is some setup for the next book in the series (which I'm excited to listen to when it comes out). I would caution that there could be a lot of triggers in the book related to PTSD and/or violent crime.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Stephen Borne and Auri Alden. They both did a great job and I would listen to them again.

I received a copy of the audiobook at my request (and read in KU), and the opinions here are my own.

Spirit

Great story with lots of action and steamy encounters. Love all of these wounded heroes and their dogs. This is second in series and we get more of all the characters in the first one. The narrators are great just wish the female and males speakers would read all of their lines. If you like intense and suspenseful with romance thrown in this series is for you.

This story really had it all.

This story really had it all. The former Marine with a bad reputation and a local vet that cares for the rescue dog he works with started with a really hot encounter. The story flowed well with lots of questions, thrills, and romance. The narrators did a great job, and the female narrator performing the podcast was a nice touch. At one point I even forgot I was listening to a book, not a real podcast. I highly recommend if you like a good romantic suspense. I look forward to more in the series.

Great Audio

NOTE: This book is not for my clean reads followers. There is lots of language and on-page scenes.

I've enjoyed several of Tonya Burrows' books because she does a great job of having tension and conflict outside of the romance, which makes for a more exciting and enjoyable read. This particular story wasn't my favorite, but it was still good. I'll try and explain.
First, while well-written and narrated, the podcast sections always threw me out of the story. From the beginning, I wondered how those sections would work out since they are obviously setting up our hero (Donovan) as a troubled murderer.
Second, Sasha goes to the masquerade with the intention of seducing the sheriff and working toward the last of her goals--marry a nice guy. Instead, she gives in to the intense attraction she feels for someone else. The way the story was written, she didn't know who it was, but I guess she did? It wasn't clear, but they spent the night together anyway, and she tried to sneak away the next morning. The rest of the story is her swinging between liking him and wondering if he killed his girlfriend 15 years earlier. It was kind of annoying.
For the most part, they were just together but I didn't feel like I knew why other than they were attracted to each other. Donovan was strong/tough, but he deserved someone who believed in him and supported him better than Sasha did.
The narrators were good and made for an enjoyable listen. In the end, I think the issues I had with the story were personal and not related to the actual writing. :)

I give this 4 stars and an R rating.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure

Movie Ratings in relation to my review:
Clean--Hallmark movies, some kissing, no nudity, no intimacy on or off "screen"
PG--Some innuendo but nothing kids don't hear every day, intimacy is all closed door
PG-13--some language (swear words not related to intimacy), more talk about intimacy, heavy petting, removal of clothing on screen, but intimacy is closed door.
PG-14—somewhere between PG-13 and R. Not erotica, but at least a paragraph of on-screen intimacy
R--swearing (F-bomb, on “screen” intimacy, sometimes feels like the whole story is about the intimacy and not the relationship or some other plot, but not always

Fantastic story!💜

I love these kinds of stories that tell about broken people trying to find themselves with the help of good friends and rescue dogs.
With the hint of true love brewing in the back of this suspenseful story, this book has everything.
The narration was fantastic and Stephen Borne has the perfect sexy gruff voice for this genre.
This is book 2 with an HEA and can be read as a standalone.
I recommend this book/series.

Sisters Spotlight 💜

Fantastic romantic suspense!

This is the kind of book I adore! The kind that gets your blood pumping and your heart thumping! Tonya Burrows continues her Redwood Coast Rescue series and this book features Donovan and Sasha. Sasha is ready to make her move. With some liquid courage, she goes into the masked party, ready to seduce Ash, but finds herself in bed with the devil himself. But is her really? Donovan has had a tough life. An abusive childhood, a heartbreak, and a tour in the military has lead him back home only to have his past come back to haunt him. But his heart is true, and it is with Sasha. Will she see through the lies and help fight for his innocence? Will the danger that is lurking ever dissipate? And why is it back? Burrows weaves a fabulous tale with an original feel adding a true crime podcast to the mix. It's refreshing, suspenseful and romantic. Cannot get better than that!

Stephen Borne continues his narration of this fabulous series, and a better voice could not bring this story alive. His rasp and tone are perfect as the broken Donovan, and he easily finds his way to Sasha giving her an amazing female voice. Add in Auri Alden giving the true crime podcast and the suspense builds against Borne's storytelling. It's a phenomenal listen.

Excellent Story & Narration🎧Thrilling & Emotional!

Tonya Burrows created something very special when she created the “Redwood Coast Rescue” world. The characters and storylines are intriguing and they pull you right into the story, captivating your attention from start to end. Sasha LeBlac is a planner, and she is at the time in her life to find a nice guy to settle down with. She had her eye on one, Ash, the local sheriff. What she had not planned on was Donovan Scott, the former marine with the bad reputation or the connection she felt with him. The chemistry between them was electric and unlike anything she felt with another. Donovan served his county suffered a traumatic brain injury and has PTSD, but is not the only bad thing in his life, the people in his community look down on him and blame him for the disappearance of Darcy, fifteen years earlier. And when a body turns up outside of town, possibly Darcy’s, he is the prime suspect. Sasha believes in Donovan, knows he is innocent, but that does not stop the rest of the town, even the sheriff from scrutinizing him. No one wants the case solved more than Donovan does, not only to prove his innocence but to get justice for her since he felt he did not prevent something bad from happening to her. I loved how everything played out in this book, the writing and plotting is fantastic and there are a lot of layers to the story. The drama is non-stop, the mystery keeps you thinking, the twists and turns keep you on your toes, the suspense takes you to the edge of your seat, the heartfelt emotions tug at your heartstrings and the romance is steamy. I also loved the podcast episodes, a clever addition to the story. Tonya Borrows, thank you for another fantastic story and emotional rollercoaster ride. I loved that ending too!

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, Stephen Borne continues to do an amazing job bringing these characters to life. His portrayal of each character is spot on, giving each their own voice and personality. I love how he takes each role, runs with it and makes it his own, and is convincing in every role he plays. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures all the characters’ emotions and has you feeling every single one. Audi Alden pops in as the podcaster and does a fantastic job delivering them, sounding authentic and just as a podcaster does. These entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another wonderful listen.

Captivating!!

This is the second book in the Redwood Coast Rescue series, a romantic suspense. I love this interconnected series! The episodes before each chapter are such a great addition to the story! The first episode/introduction is grippingly intriguing! Sasha and Donovan's story is brilliantly written, passionate, and engaging. They are both interesting characters. The storyline is intriguing, entertaining, fast-paced, and captivating, filled with danger and twists and turns. The world building is enthralling. The supporting characters are great, and I loved to see again the characters from the first book. I liked the friendship in the story. Stephen Borne and Auri Alden did an excellent job bringing these characters and this story to life. I enjoyed it. If you like romantic suspense, this series is for you! Looking forward to listening to Searching for Justice, Ash's story, the next book to life. #StoryOrigin

Love these characters!

I LOVED this second installment in this series! The story filled my head and I could not wait for this to conclude. On the other hand I did not want it to end because it is so amazing. This crew of old/new friends are all intermingled from the past to the present. I love their attitudes towards each other. They make me laugh/chuckle and actually *feel* empathy for them. I could have cried in here easily a time or two. Mr Scott really had has a tough time and I really felt for him for his past and issues with the town. The therapy group peeps really pull on the heart strings.

This could be listened to as a stand alone but I highly recommend grabbing book 1 for two reasons. Firstly because it is just as good as this one. Secondly because there is a bit of an interconnecting story that pulls together a few different parts. Lastly this has all the adorable dogs that are helpful and personalities in their own right.

I can not say enough good things about this audio. The narration is SWEET! Stephen Borne and Auri Alden do an amazing job. If anything just grab this to listen to Stephen Borne’s gruff and sexy voice! He is perfect voice for the these military baddies.

I can’t wait for more in this series!