Body and Soul

Vanguard Towers, Book 3

By: Aiden Bates

Narrated by: Guillaume Dubois

Brax is too young. Too vulnerable. Too perfect. My dominant nature craves someone to care for. Someone to command. Brax could be that guy, if the circumstances weren’t all wrong.

His brothers would kill me if I hurt him. So would my FBI partner. That doesn’t mean I can stay away. The young artist is everything I want in a partner. And when danger comes for him, I need to keep him safe. But how can I keep him forever?

I’ll never be good enough. My brothers got me off the streets, but Ry doesn’t know the truth. I’m dirty. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. Things none of my former boyfriends could see past. Why would Ry be any different?

He sees the world in black and white. I know where I stand. But he looks at me with a heat I can’t ignore. And when I’m in danger, he keeps me safe. Will he accept me when he learns the truth?

©2020 Special Fiction Books (P)2021 Special Fiction Books

Such a great story

I was given a free arc copy from the author and the GRR arc team for review.

M/M
Brothers friend/friends brother
Hurt/comfort
Opposites attract

I really enjoyed book 2 but this was even better. RY and Brax made a perfect couple.

Looking forward to reading the firemen in the next book. I like that the last chapter was a preview of it and they seem like a great couple as well.

The narrator was ok. He kept good pace and expreased the emotions well. I just found his voice was not as pleasing compared to other narrators I love. Also, his variations in the different characters voices was barely noticeable. Alot of the time they all tended to blend and sound the same especially the 2 MCs

Great adventure

This was a great addition to the series I enjoyed Brax and Ry and all there action filled adventures. The storyline was great and interesting and the characters are all interesting. Love the twists and turns in the story. The narration was great.

Sweet and steamy

I absolutely love this series.

Brax and Ry make a great team and an amazing couple.

This book was action packed from the get go.

The characters were likeable and well fleshed out and the writing style was engaging.

The narrator did a great job on the audio delivery and narration

Longing fulfilled

The Vanguard Tower is probably my favorite series from this author and this particular story is my favorite from it so far. Braxton and Ry have been interested from afar almost from the moment Brax’s brother (and Ry’s FBI work partner) introduced them. When Brax turns to Ry for a rescue, it’s game-on for their fast forward relationship. I really like all the interaction with the rest of the brothers and their partners. The narrator has been growing on me, but I would still prefer more distinct voices between the characters.

Submission Isn't Weakness

I went into this book unsure about what to think...just needed a good MM book to listen to because that's how I deal with the stress of grad school. I was very surprised. I am very sex positive but don't have a lot of exposure to dom/sub literature.

What I learned in this book is this: dominance and submission relationships are not about weakness or abuse. They don't involve releasing your identity to the other person. Neither person is any less a "man" (or "woman")...but that gets into discussions about sexism and society's view that weakness equals femininity. Both Brax and Ry are complex characters...and while one is the dom, both are resilient, strong, and powerful. This is just expressed in different ways. It is just as powerful for someone to leave an abusive relationship as it is for someone to devote themselves to fighting crime. They learn from each other and give each other room to be human. The brothers surrounding Brax was comedic but I also appreciated Aiden Bates' decision to have the brothers empower Brax in his decisions.

I love this book...really. Guillaume Dubois was fantastic at narrating. He didn't overact...his performance was relatable and easily distinguishable. Two thumbs up on this one!