Defiance Falls

Defiance Falls, Book 1

By: Ali Dean

Narrated by: Sarah Puckett

Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

All I wanted was a little trouble. Okay, so, maybe, choosing Cruz Donovan’s 18th birthday party wasn’t the way to go about it. Three years ago, I fell for him. I thought he fell for me, too. But when he broke it off, he took my heart, and as if that wasn’t enough, he took my best friends, too. 

They aren’t the same boys I knew before high school started. They’ve got all kinds of secrets they’re keeping from me. If I want back in, I’ve got to be ready to play their game. I might be a killer soccer player, but I’m not real eager to join a team when they won’t tell me who the opponent is, how to score a goal, or what rules I’m supposed to be following. 

I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time - a pawn in games I don’t understand. Maybe, I never should have gone looking for trouble in the first place. Is it too late to change my mind?

©2019 Ali Dean (P)2020 Ali Dean

Great Beginning to this YA Series

I received this audiobook free for an honest review as a member of the Pink Flamingo Productions Review Team. I have never listened to an audiobook by Ali Dean. She writes a quality, in-depth story. She grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let me go, even at the end. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. Hazel is focused on her sport and her future college experience. She doesn't appear to be interested in her old boyfriend, Cruz. However, she knows that he is special to her. There is a secret that her friend Cruz and her family won't tell her. However, when this book comes to an end, she must learn the secret of Defiance Falls. The narrator did an excellent job with all the characters and their personality. She brings this story to life. Great Job!!!

Intrigue and Romance

Title: Defiance Falls Author: Ali Dean Format: audio Narrator: Sarah Puckett Genre: Romance, YA, NA, Sports (soccer), second chance, suspense Standalone: nope - ends on a cliffhanger Part of a Series: Defiance Falls book 1 POV: Hazel Steam Level: minimal but with some dark sexual elements 5/6 I’ve listened to/read many books by Ali Dean and am always enthralled with the stories. Defiance Falls continues this pattern. The suspense keeps growing and you don’t know who you can trust or why anything is happening. I desperately need answers to what is going on and why. I love the suspense in this story which adds another element to Ali Dean’s masterful storytelling. I received this audiobook for free from Audiobook Obsession. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Fantastic Start to the Series...

Defiance Falls was my first book by this author. I was intriqued by the blurb and pleasantly surprised as I was hooked in to the story line early on. Hazel is a senior in high school and while she gets great grades and is an amazing soccer player, she is looking to have some more adventure and fun and maybe get in a little more trouble.

Cruz is a bit of a bad boy and the guy all the girls want. He seems to be always around Hazel's cousins, which means that he seems to be around her a lot more. They had previously dated, though it is not ever really clear why they broke up, though it seems they are both pining for each other.

The book is chock full of drama, and there are lots of moments that raise a lot of questions. Defiance Falls is book one in a series, so be prepared it ends in a cliffhanger and it is a bit of a doozy. I really enjoyed Cruz and Hazel together and am looking forward to reading more of their story and seeing how all of this unfolds with all of these characters. There is definitely a lot going on to keep the reader interested.

Sarah Puckett is seriously awesome to listen to. I discovered her only within the last several months but she has become one of my favorite female narrators to listen to. She makes audiobooks so enjoyable to listen to. I think she did a fantastic job with Defiance Falls and would highly recommend this book and her work in general. #AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Great Book/Series 💜

This is book 1 in a Trilogy series.
I enjoyed this storyline very much. Due to the ages of most of the characters it was quite intriguing. Real life drama mixed in with a little mafia style angst and the perfect amount of romance.
The narration was very good.
I recommend this book/series.

#audiobookobsession
Sisters Spotlight 💜

I loved it!

This was a great story. I love Hazel and Cruz as characters. They have an interesting dynamic. The narrator does a great job telling the story. Sarah Puckett is one of my favorite narrators. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
#audiobookobsessionreviewer

love it

What a wonderful start to this amazing series. Why does Hazel feel that she is a pawn in this game of secrets and lies? Why is her father and Cruz keeping her out in the dark? If she really knew what is going on could it harm her, or worse yet, kill her? Who can she really trust, and why is Cruz, her cousins, and his crew always there to protect her? Ali Dean has written an intriguing story about lies, betrayal, secrets, murder, jealousy, drugs, fights and a lot of teenage angst. I couldnt stop listening! Oh and there's a WTF just happened cliffhanger at the end!
Sarah Puckett, as usual, is a phenomenal narrator. Showing Hazel at her strongest, weakest and most vulnerable moments. Her voices and personalities for each character made this story come alive! Her ability to transition from one character to the other is flawless.
🎧audiobookobsessionreviewer.🎧

Defiance falls!

Enjoyed the start to this new series, interested to see where the story goes in book 2! So many questions left unanswered with the cliffhanger. Huge fan of Sarah Puckett's narration as always!
#audiobookobsessionreviewer

Great new series

This is a story about Hazel and Cruz. They had a summer fling 3 years ago but Cruz ended things and Hazel stopped hanging out with the crew. Hazel is a star soccer player with dreams of going to Harvard. Hazel crashed Cruz's 18th bday party and the group reconnects. Hazel very quickly realizes that Cruz and her cousins are keeping secrets from her. She also starts to reconnect with Cruz. The secrets eventually put Hazel in a dangerous position. This books also ends on a cliffhanger so I don't want to spoil it. This is a bit slow moving at first but stay with it because it gets better. I freakin' love Sarah and will read anything she narrates. Ali is so good at writing angst filled new adult dramas. #Audio Obsession Reviewer.

An amazing Narrator for a bad story

Literally. The story is really boring, confusing and poorly written. This ain't a romance book, the author trying to write a mystery (?) that didn't work.
However, the performance was fantastic!

I received this for free in exchange for an honest review.

Angsty YA

There’s more going here then just high school shenanigans and this was an amazing start to the Defiance Falls series. Ali Dean writes amazingly detailed young adult books and this is my second series of hers.

Sarah Puckett is amazing with all the characters. I really enjoy her voices and the feeling and expression she puts into her work.

Can’t wait for the next book.

Audiobook Obsession Reviewer 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

Twisty turny topsy turvy goodness!!

Cruz Donovan, the popular guy in school.. he's more than just a party boy, more than just a jock, and much more than you could ever expect.

Hazel Ross decides she is tired of being the good girl, she is tired of being strict and doing nothing but playing soccer and working on her straight A's. She wants to find a little bit of trouble, a little bit of fun, and figure out where she belongs. And boy does she find all of that and more!

Hazel and Cruz have a magnetic connection that can't be denied that everyone can feel. There is an electric energy pulsing between the two of them. Hazel is drawn to Cruz despite their past, and vice versa. Little does she know.

This book was so good. It's a cross between new adult and young adult with a hint of mystery. I loved it and was surprised by the events that take place. I didn't expect it. I am a fan of Ali Dean's book and the sweet chemistry between the lead characters but this is a different story line than her normal writing and she nailed it!!

Sarah Puckett is spot on with her emotions throughout this book and really knew how to get you to understand her feelings during the events that took place!

Cliffhanger, but listen anyway

I rarely rate a story with a cliffhanger 5 stars, but Defiance Falls is a really interesting start to the trilogy. It's one of those terrible cliffhangers where it breaks right at a big event, so plan to listen to Defiance Falls Revolution right away. That one ends in a better place (otherwise I'd be more hesitant with my recommendation). Defiance Falls is part new adult, part second chance and it seems to be heading toward suspense/action as Hazel gets caught in the middle.

Sarah Puckett is one of my favorite narrators. She does a great job bringing the story to life, and I highly recommend listening to the audio version.

#AudiobookObsession

Fantastic start!

I love authors who are versatile and this first book in Ali Dean's new series proves how versatile she can be. While it is young adult sports, Defiance Falls has mystery and intrigue that has caught my attention. Hazel has always been wrapped up in soccer, but now her senior year, she is looking to change things up a little. Going to Cruz's 18th birthday party may just be the start of something new for her, but it's much different than she expects. She and Cruz have a history, and now he is coming back again. With Cruz comes the group of friends who are ready to let her in, but she can tell there is something she doesn't know. Secrets are kept, passion is high and Hazel is about to find out what is going on. I love this kind of story. It invests me in the couple, but it also is keeping me on the edge of my seat as I try and figure out what all the families are hiding. Left on a cliffhanger, I am queuing up book 2 right away!

Sarah Puckett narrates this story and I loved it! She is very good at getting to know her characters and I love how she portrays their personalities. Just the right amount of angst and suspense in her voice, she too has left me hanging! Can't wait for more!

This is so much more than a teen love story

This is so much more than a teen love story. There’s a lot going on. Lots of action and adventure. Well written characters that you will fall for. Excellent performance from Sarah.
#audiobookobsessionreviewer

Defiance Falls

I have loved every Ali Dean book I have listened to and this one is no exception. It's a great beginning to what seems like will be an amazing series. The story centers around Hazel and Cruz who are both seniors in high school and both are star soccer players at their school. It has a captivating storyline that includes secrets and lies, danger, bad guys and the start of a sweet romance. It does end in a cliffhanger but it is a trilogy so it's to be expected. I can't wait to continue on with this series to see what happens next. Sarah Puckett did a wonderful job, as always, bringing this story to life.
🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer