Bio-Mechanical

Irons and Works, Book 4

By: E. M. Lindsey

Narrated by: Scott D. Alford

Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

Having grown up the son of a Southern Baptist preacher, James Gossett was expected to be one thing, and one thing only - a God-fearing, straight, Christian man. It didn’t help that from a young age, James knew he was different. He hid the truth about who he was from himself, and from his family, until a freak accident during a routine simulation right after basic training cost him both legs, and nearly his life. Knowing what he almost lost, James decided to come out - and with that, lost the rest of the blood kin he had left alive. Settling in Fairfield, James rediscovered what it meant to be part of a family who loved him for who he was - but he still had one big secret kept close to his heart. In spite of his promiscuous reputation, James was a virgin, in every sense of the word, and he wasn’t sure that would ever change.

Rowan Balk was dedicated to one thing, and one thing alone - ensuring that no child would ever suffer what he did at the hands of a prejudiced system. Having been torn from his disabled adoptive mother shortly after her MS diagnosis, Rowan grew up with a fire in him to make sure no one ever felt his pain. But his determination came at the expense of ever finding love, and until he set foot in Fairfield, he was okay with that. Then, he set eyes on the quiet, Southern tattoo artist with secrets in his eyes and a mouth he could get lost in for days. But Rowan wasn’t the sort of person who was willing to turn his life upside-down for one man, even if he knew deep down, James Gossett was probably the one. When it’s obvious James wants Rowan just as much, Rowan realizes he can’t say no. So, he makes James a proposition - he’ll help James discover himself in the bedroom, no strings attached, until Rowan leaves the state.

But will that be enough for both lonely men? Or will they somehow find a way to come together, in spite of the distance between them?

Bio-Mechanical is the fourth book in the Irons and Works series. It contains no cheating and an HEA.

©2019 E. M. Lindsey (P)2019 E. M. Lindsey

The only difference between the Saint

and the Sinner is that every Saint has a past, and every Sinner has a future. ~Oscar Wilde~
This time I'm going to start with the narration, Scott has been amazing throughout this series but when it came to Rowan I had to take off a star. To me he made Rowan sound like the grandpa (John Herbert) from the family guy. I was giggling in some parts that should have probably been a bit more serious but Rowan sounded so old. James narration was spot on though and when Scott was just telling the story it was really good!
Rowan & James book ended up being my favourite of this series! I listened to the book back to back. I love the sexual inexperience of James and how caring/kind Rowan was. Also, I really enjoyed how upfront they were with each other regarding expectations. The story itself was so good too, between Rowan's mom, family and the extra character (don't want to give a spoiler). It was unexpected and interesting! Really love this book and can't wait to read the rest of the series through KU until they make it to audible.

I love it!

I know I probably sound like a broken record but I love this series by this author. I always enjoy listening or re-reading everything from Ms. Lindsey. I don't have a way with words nor do I write the best reviews, however I am honest and I think she is a great storyteller and the narrator does a superb job bringing the characters to life.

Tearing down shame and exposing beauty

James is a big, beautiful, sexy man who has his fire and brimstone father screaming in his head every time he thinks about sex. Rowan is an overworked special abilities lawyer from the big city who has never had time for himself. The two come to a special arrangement to benefit both, and it starts turning to more. The story, as with all the books in this series, deals with uncovering and digging out the trauma of the past, allowing someone get close, and healing. There is a ton of plot points in this book, so the story keeps moving at a decent pace and you never get bored. The story is solid and beautiful. One note about the narration: I was particularly annoyed with the two men’s voices. The southern twang James has is fine, but instead of making it sound sexy, James sounds wimpy. When reading the book, Rowan is a confident, powerful man. When listening to it, his power just isn’t there in the narration. Although Alford narrates the whole series, this book is my least favorite to listen to.

Love the stories, frustrated by narration!

I really love each story within Irons and Works. Each love story is very different, from each other and other romance novels. The exploration of varied disabilities and how love triumphs was so heart warming. I read through each book in a quick pace...but the narration was poor. Very poor. I couldn't listen to the audible version and went back to only reading. The narrator's inexperience and lack if passion was ruining the characters and the story line for me.

Love the story not the narrator

I had some issues with the narrator- I just could not get used to his voice/the voice he chose for the main characters. It felt flat to me, lacking in emotion (and this is a very emotional story/series).
It really prevented me from connecting with the characters as I would have liked, I feel like reading it in E-book would have been better.
James and Rowan share a great connection from the start, they have a rather steamy time together but also create a safe space for each of them to be themselves.
I love how the author makes sure to portray healthy sexuality and physical relationships in a realistic way. In particular because this series portrays characters with physical and neurological disabilities, the care taken to make sure it is accurate and respectful is admirable. There is no hiding of less then ideal details, these are human beings and they are far from perfect.
I also like how this story is intertwined in the other books- the plot is not linear, events overlap.

James and Rowan will melt your heart!

I love James and Rowan SO MUCH, and this audiobook brought them to life in the best way. James's accent is exactly how I imagined it, and it added a whole new level to every interaction he has with Rowan.

Elaine's writing really shines through in this audio. I could feel the depth of James's and Rowan's feelings as life tried to separate them and they fought to stay close to each other. Rowan's a bit of a workaholic and doesn't think he has time for romance, especially not with someone as special as James. James, on the other hand, is ready for a serious relationship and wants to find love. I don't exactly consider this a second-chance romance, but James does date while Rowan is unavailable. I like how Rowan is so supportive of James and truly wants him to be happy, even if that means he's with someone else. It made the moment they reconnected even more heartwarming. As an added bonus, the sex these two have is absolutely wonderful to listen to.   

The only thing I really did not like about this audio is Wyatt. I don't like the choices the narrator made for his voice. If Wyatt was just a side character, I probably could have lived with it, but I know his book is next. I can't listen to an entire book with that voice, and I think it does him a disservice.

In summary, this book has first times, a lovely southern man who experiences sex in a visceral way, heartbreaking loss, and a strong emotional bond between the MCs. Elaine shows us with every word, every scene, and every interaction that the connection James and Rowan share is lasting and full of love, trust, and acceptance.

James stole my heart

this book was amazing. the narration was wonderful and the characters came to life. I can't wait for the next book!

so so

The stories are good and the narrator is good as well, but he shouldn't be reading for these characters. It just doesn't sound right.

Good book

I really enjoyed the story. The characters had depth and I enjoyed finding out about their backgrounds. My only complaint is the narrator. I didn't feel that his voice was right for some of the characters, mainly Rowan. The accents were fine but the voices themselves didn't fit. I wasn't bothered much in the previous books but it was more noticeable in this book. I found it harder to focus on the story line when Rowan spoke than at any other time. Overall, still enjoyed the book.

So touching!

Story: I loved all the difficult emotions this book touched! Both the MCs have heaps of feelings that were incredibly portrayed and as usual for this series, totally gut wrenching. As all the other titles, it left the best type of hangover.

Narration: I am sorry to say, that the strong accents of MCs got a bit too much for me after a bit. Not enough to make me give it up, but enough to be annoying. That’s probably my personal preference, but tru nonetheless.