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

Defiant Review

I enjoyed this book very much. The narration was very good. I never had trouble understanding the narrator and she bright life to the characters. The story was also very good. It was a great suspense thriller with a lot of story behind it, making it very enjoyable. I would definitely listen to it again and recommend to anybody. There is something for everyone in this book.

Multi-layered Suspense with a dash of romance

I enjoyed this audiobook. The story has the twisted turns of a good suspense along with the romance, which plays second fiddle in the storyline. The characters are multidimensional, strong yet vulnerable. The narrator did a wonderful job bringing the book to life and giving depth to the various characters. While this book is the second book in a trilogy, you don't need to have read the previous book to enjoy this one.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com.

Good Book!

ok this one came dang close to a 5........not quite that memorable but darn close!

This was one of those books that grabbed me from paragraph one and I pretty much stayed attached till it was over. I have't listened to book 1, but am planning to now. The book is ok as a standalone.

This had a good story, well-developed characters, believable premise (that's one that a lot don't get right!).......long enough to enjoy, not toooooo long.

There was one hitch in the middle........where we suddenly jumped forward in time, and I felt like I got dropped and sucked up into a different book. Took me a few mins while I struggled to get my ipod out of my pocket to see what went wrong........good thing that took me a minute lol........and then it was fine.......and that needed to be there, but it could have been done a little more smoothly.

One thing I don't like is when normal people suddenly turn into devious monsters. It's not realistic. And there are people in the world who def are monsters, but they don't typically reveal themselves so completely. Maybe I just haven't been held at gunpoint often enough in my life to be used to it :O)

Sorry you don't get any more spoilers from me..........Just head directly to go and download this one. No $200 for passing go, but the book itself is your reward. It's def worth a credit and a listen!

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.

Hard start but worth the effort

Would you consider the audio edition of Defiant to be better than the print version?

I wouldn't know as I didn't read it I just listened to it.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The beginning was hard to get into because it started so abruptly. As well when it changed and she moved to a new town. I didn't know what was happening at first. if it was a new character or the same one with a new name?

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

I really liked some of the sarcasm I heard in her voice. It made it so much more believable. Her voices were excellent!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did laugh several times!

Any additional comments?

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com.

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.

Suspensefully masterful story

What did you love best about Defiant?

I really loved the various turns and twist in the story. The suspense was masterfully well done and kept me hooked all the way through. The characters were well developed with a few exceptions and the author managed to give you mini cliffhangers between parts of the book.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kate/Charlie was amazingly complex and I loved her. She had the ability to morph in a completely believable and normal way through the book. While she changes based on her circumstances between the first and second parts of the story you are able to see characteristics of the same person throughout and it smoothed the transition from Kate into Charlie easier.

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

Tara acted the parts so well. I say acted because there are some narrations that feel more like just a story reader, but Tara was a vocal actress hands down. She played the part and made the characters alive in a way that reading can't. Though there wasn't much difference between the inflections of voice used for male and female characters, you never not know who is talking, and it doesn't take away from the story at all.

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

Yes. I listened to the bulk of the book in one sitting because I was hooked, but had a few minor life interruptions by the end.

Any additional comments?

I love the characters and story line of this book, the only thing that I wish was slightly more improved upon was the romantic storyline and the transitions between scenes. There were a few times that the scene jumps to a different day or later on and I was left trying to puzzle out what was happening for 5-10 seconds because there was no clear transition or transitional language like "the next day Charlie was... Or She started the new day by..." Lead in sentances would help to smooth those scene cuts and make it less choppy in those few parts. The other thing is the first part of the book that dealt with Kate was masterful, but when we finally get to see Charlie have a love interest it felt rushed and a bit jumpy. With in a matter of days they loved each other and I wish there would have been a more deliberate and longer build up than what was given. The mystery parts had such an incredible build that when the romance lacked the same build or simmering to a strongly fermented love match it took away from my experience . Had the romance been drawn out more it would have made a 5 start read. As is it feels a little rush, a but instance love, and lacks the feeling of a life long connection formed as you are shown in later chapters. It made their love story harder to believe but it was still sweet and I still routed for them. I feel the author Is suited for writing mystery/suspense slightly better than romance, but that with a more elaborated romance it will be seamless to combine the genres all together into a mystery romance. I obtained this audiobook free from audiobook boom for my unbiased review.

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.

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.

Excellent!

If you could sum up Defiant in three words, what would they be?

Interesting, captivating and inspirational

What about Tara Radcliffe’s performance did you like?

Loved the soothing tone to her voice. She kept me, as a listener, engaged with the story. Her portrayal of the different characters was perfect.

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to listening to more audiobooks that P.J. O'Dwyer writes Tara Radcliffe reads!