Stronghold

Vino & Veritas Series

De: Ana Ashley

Narrado por: John Solo

Duración: 4 h y 57 m

Resumen del Editor

A second chance at love? Or a second chance to ruin everything?

When Skyler spots the new bartender at Vino and Veritas, his body responds before the guy even turns around. But when he does, it takes only a heartbeat for recognition to set in and for sparks to fly. Judson's been gone for ten years, but he's the man Skyler never forgot. Or forgave.

The last place Judson wants to be is back home in Burlington, living with family. Not so long ago he was a world-class chef with the lifestyle to prove it. Now he's serving drinks and flying under the radar until he can get the hell out again. But when his childhood best friend reenters his life, looking finer than any entree at a five-star restaurant, he wonders if it's time to update his menu of life choices.

Working through past wounds with Skyler won't be easy, though, especially with family obligations-and the occasional dairy cow-interfering. When their loyalty is tested, will their newly built stronghold be sturdy enough to withstand the storm?

Contains mature themes.

©2021 Ana Ashley (P)2022 Tantor

Better Than Expected

I’m not sure why, but it took me several starts until I actually listened to the whole book. Although the narration was just ok for me, the story was better than expected.

Sweet

Sweet, low anxiety, and well written. And the scenes with the creative use of maple syrup don't hurt. I'm actually surprised that it took this many books in the series to get to that since maple syrup is literally discussed in every book.

Sweet second chance romance.

3.5*

Stronghold was a sweet childhood friends to enemies/lost touch second chance romance. Judson and Skyler had been friends since birth, but one misunderstanding blew their friendship apart, until 10 years later when they're both back home.
This is another one of those books that makes me sad for the characters, having been separated for so long due to a lack of communication. But thankfully they got their second chance and were able to clear the air, even if it took too long.

I enjoyed the narrator, although there were times it was difficult to differentiate the two characters.

Decent story. Good narration.

The story was entertaining, and the the narration was pleasant. However, I am not a fan of the misunderstandings trope. In this case, the trope was particularly frustrating when you consider the connection between the two main characters. For most of the book, I wanted to knock their heads together. Sigh. I still enjoyed listening, and a few plot points were particularly interesting. I would have liked parts of the story to be fleshed out a bit more. I think Judson's life before he returned to Burlington would make for an engaging read. I may have to check out Ana Ashley's backlist.