Defiant

Fallon Sisters Trilogy, Book 2

By: P. J. O'Dwyer

Narrated by: Tara Radcliffe

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Intrigue, romance, suspense....

Defiant supports horse rescues around the world. With every purchase, a donation will be sent on your behalf to help with their mission of rescue, rehabilitation, and education. Together we can end horse slaughter for good.

When love turns deadly, the beloved play dead.

Western Maryland farm girl Kate Fallon wanted more than horse pastures. Now a trial lawyer in the affluent Annapolis law arena and married to multi-millionaire Jack Reynolds, also the US Attorney of Maryland, she's got it all - at least everyone thinks so.

Behind closed doors, Jack is as cruel as he is intelligent, as controlling as he is handsome. When his tirades turn physical, Kate must fight for her life. But her efforts to leave him will take her down a rabbit hole to secrets she doesn't fully understand, and that Jack will kill to suppress.

Two years later, Kate's keeping secrets of her own. Living as Charlie Robertson, a take-no-lip general contractor, she's secure most days knowing her nightmare is right where she left him - 2,000 miles due east under FBI scrutiny. Wielding a nail gun instead of a briefcase suits her, as does the small mining town of Creede, Colorado. With its scenic views and open spaces, life is simple and so are her rules: lock all doors, check for signs she's been followed, and don't get involved romantically ever again.

Unfortunately, retired Navy SEAL and tourist Nick Foster didn't get the memo. Mysterious, sexy, and powerfully attracted to Charlie, Nick typically likes things easy. Only easy isn't in Charlie's vocabulary, and neither is trust. Worst part is, she's right not to trust him, and yet he can't help falling for her. But love won't save either one of them if she discovers his true identity or doesn't give him what he came for. His boss won't tolerate failure.

©2013 P. J. O'Dwyer (P)2016 P. J. O'Dwyer

Don't Miss This One!!

Defiant is primarily a mystery/suspense with a romance component, rather than a romance with a bit of mystery/suspense thrown in. In any case, it is a very good audiobook. Another reviewer mentioned Sleeping with the Enemy, and this has a bit of that feel, but it's in no way a rip-off of that story, and I liked this one much better. P.J. O'Dwyer pulled me right into this well-written story with its many layers and compelling characters. I felt the connections Kate/Charlie made with her friends, family and coworkers. I really liked that our heroine was a strong, independent woman and not a total wuss, though there were moments where I felt she was doing some pretty dumb things for a smart, capable lawyer, but then, if all the characters went about their lives doing the right and smart things, there would be no story, so it was understandable. All in all, this was 10 hours of time well spent, and this is absolutely worth the member price or a credit. I am interested in reading book 1 because I really liked this, and am glad to put this author's work in my list of what to auto-click to my wish list. I also very much enjoyed the free preview of book 3 and look forward to that one too.

Tara Radcliffe does a great job with the various characters' voices and has the right inflection and emotion for every scene. She did a particularly good job on expressing Nick's emotions through "his" tone of voice in various different situations- concern, exasperation, lust, confusion, tenderness, etc. Her Irish accent is pretty good too. I hope to see her doing more audiobooks soon.

I received this audiobook for free in exchange for an unbiased review. The number of stars I award in the 5-star rating system is based on where I believe this audiobook rates with other audiobooks of the same type, length and general feel-- not where it rates in comparison to all audiobooks of all time.

Incredible romantic suspense!

--I was given this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This is my my first P J O'Dwyer book, and I was a little concerned that it was book 2 of the series. Let me tell you, it stands alone and keeps you interested the entire 10 hours! If romantic suspense is what you like to listen to, this book is for you. Kate, married to an abusive powerful husand, fakes her own death to get away from him. For 3 years, she is able to escape her past, but as life has it, things always catch up with you. She creates a new persona, comes into her own, has a new life when Nick walks into it. The first man she has let in...can she trust him? What will she do when she finds out who he really is and who he is working for? Will her husband find her? This story kept me going the whole time.

Tara Radcliffe does an amazing job narrating this book. A narrator can make a book, and her performance definitely kept the earbuds in. She created the emotion, fear and happiness throughout the story as well as able to differentiate her characters. Loved this and will be watching for the others in the series.

Ended up loving this book!

Any additional comments?

To be honest I had a lot of trouble listening to the first few chapters I was really confused for some reason.. unsure if it was because I was multitasking I was really hesitant about finishing the book and put it off… I LOVED this book… I am so glad I gave this another chance… It could have been I wasn’t paying attention at first but I ended up loving this book… The narrator did a great job giving each character their own voice…. I felt I was in each location with the excellent descriptors the author used… I am excited to read the other books in the series.
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobookboom”

I really enjoyed this

Where does Defiant rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top 20

What did you like best about this story?

I liked that a woman could be strong and capable without requiring a man to 'complete' her. It took her a while, but she found her inner strength. The man was a bonus.

Which character – as performed by Tara Radcliffe – was your favorite?

I liked Charlie the best. Her self-confidence and fast thinking kept things very interesting, even if she was a little clumsy.

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was given in exchange for an honest review.

Incredible!!!!

Would you listen to Defiant again? Why?

This book was so amazing. It is not on my re-read/listen to list, but very few books make it on that list for me. However, it was so enjoyable that I found myself looking for more books from this author before I even finished this book. I'm so glad I took a chance on it. The other reviews were spot on. Its a great book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There were quite a few characters in this book, but it was easy to follow along. I didn't feel like I needed to make a list of who's who. I enjoyed how strong and resourceful Kate was. No one in the book came across as weak and that is very important to me. I hate when women seem needed or incapable of taking care of themselves. Kate was smart, creative and a force to be reckoned with.

Which character – as performed by Tara Radcliffe – was your favorite?

Again all characters were well developed.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

No idea.

Any additional comments?

I typically like ROMANCE books, historical, highlander or chicklit. However every once in a while I am in the mood for something a bit different. In the past I have enjoyed books by Lisa Scottoline. I would compare this book with her. Mystery, intrigue with a bit of romance mixed in. Get this book. It is worth it! The author and narrator were incredible.This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, &/or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.

Off to get the rest of the series

Defiant was the first book I’d read (listened to actually) by P J O’Dwyer. A lucky find! It’s a very suspenseful thriller that kept me listening until I reached the conclusion. Between an abusive husband, a criminal investigation, and murder, the reader will find themselves waiting for the next frightening event to happen.

Ms. O’Dwyer writes a concise, packed story, without a lot of wandering. Just right descriptions, well developed characters, whether likable or un-likable, and a twisting plot that offers plenty of surprises. I will definitely be reading the rest of this award winning trilogy.

You can read my full review at Mystery Suspense Reviews. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.

Entertaining

Would you try another book from P. J. O'Dwyer and/or Tara Radcliffe?

Yes for both.

If you’ve listened to books by P. J. O'Dwyer before, how does this one compare?

This is my first

What does Tara Radcliffe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She gives the characters individuality.

Was Defiant worth the listening time?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed it. It is not a mater piece, but good,light entertainment. With a bit of every thing. Romance, action, courtroom, relationships and murder. "This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

Lawyer turned Construction Boss, my kind of Gal!

What did you love best about Defiant?

I loved how the story flowed and kept my interest. I also loved the secondary characters and I am a sucker for small town folks. I really like stories that have a smart and strong female character and this book had that! I did not notice any repetition, which is a pet peeve of mine.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Defiant?

The scene at the cave was very intense.

Have you listened to any of Tara Radcliffe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was the first time I have listened to Tara Radcliffe narrate and I thought she was excellent. I will definitely be on the look out for more books with her as the narrator.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! I could not stop listening. I stayed up late and got up early to continue listening.

Any additional comments?

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Edge of Your Seat Suspense

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No, the narration was a bit jarring. Not enough pauses to let me catch up with what was happening. Especially at the very beginning of the production.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the various parts (back story, main story, resolution and beyond)

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I thought Ms. Radcliffe did a great job giving characters emotion, but I couldn't really enjoy her performance because it all moved so fast. Almost like the post processing of the production reduced her natural pauses to almost nothing, if that makes sense.

3.5 stars only due to the jarring rhythm of the narration in the first handful of chapters. The narration got better, but Ms. Radcliffe could have received 4.5 stars from me. She added lots to the piece, but I really needed the pauses in between scenes, narration/dialog and dialog/dialog

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. Lots of action and suspense. Author PJ O'Dwyer created a suspenseful thriller. I could have done without the detailed description of the couple of sex scenes, but they didn't distract from the overall story.

Any additional comments?

Epilogue 1: seemed like it should have been the prologue. It was just thrown in at the end and didn't make sense (because the character talking was no longer a part of the story). Epilogue 2: was more of a 'note from the author'.

Thanks for the teaser for book 3.

I received a copy via audiobook boom in exchange for an unbiased review.

what a great story

I was extremely surprised with this story. It was well written n good plot. The narrator was great. Would recommend this story. I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.