Desperate

Cunningham Security Series, Book 3

By: A.K. Evans

Narrated by: Troy Duran, Maxine Mitchell

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

If it weren’t for bad luck, she’d have no luck at all.

Ekko Rose is no stranger to struggle. Born to a single, addicted mother, she’s experienced more than her fair share of hardship. Ekko has dreams she’s desperate to fulfill, but when another stroke of bad luck leaves her homeless, her only option is to focus on survival.

Dominick "Dom" Moore has had his eyes on Ekko ever since he saved her life several months ago. He kept his distance then because she was attached to another man. Now, seeing her living out of her car, Dom resolves to help her get back on her feet.

When Dom approaches Ekko, she wrestles with knowing her rightful place in the world and wanting to latch onto something better.

Just as the pair fall hard for one another, Ekko’s streak of misfortune delivers one more blow. With their relationship thrown into a pit of despair and hopeless desire, Dom must crack the case he’s been trying to solve for weeks.

Because if he can’t, Ekko might be lost to him forever.

©2018 A.K. Evans (P)2023 A.K. Evans

The book is amazing; the audio is EXTRAORDINARY!

"Desperate," Book 3 in the Cunningham Security series of romantic suspense by A.K. Evans, is one of my favorite books. There is just something about Ekko and Dom's story - far from a fairy tale and yet still conjures up all the feels - that speaks to me on a personal level. Not only is Evans a gifted storyteller, but the talent she chose for the audio narration is fantastic. The performances of Troy Duran and Maxine Mitchell make this already gorgeous piece of work into something that is absolutely extraordinary. I've read this book multiple times, so it's safe to say that I know it well. However, hearing Mitchell's performance in a particular scene was so devastatingly beautiful and emotional that I was crying by the end of it. Just stunning. Words simply can't do this justice in my opinion.

Still my favorite Evan's book and couple EVER!

Dom & Ekko have had my heart since I read Desperate a year or so ago. Even after reading all of Evans currently published books, they are still my favorite couple. Listening to their story on Audio melted my heart even more.

Ekko has had a rough life since childhood & doesn't think she deserved to have good things. Dom comes to know her through circumstance in a previous book, but Ekko was in a relationship then. Dom is not the type to interfere with a relationship, but when things prove to have gone south he is quick to jump in and help her out of a horrible situation. Ekko fights his ever attempt to show her how deserving and worthy she is, but Dom doesn't give up. He is the perfect example of loving someone at their worst and building them up to their potential.

I could read and/or listen to this book a million times and never grow tired of it. Narrators were outstanding, too! I can't wait to listen to the next book by Evans.

an emotional journey for these two

Who knew Dom was such a catch? Such a sweetheart underneath that gruff seeming exterior. All that love and heart melting affection exists for one woman, if he can just convince Ekko of it. Ekko has been through so much insanity in her life, and now she has a guardian angel in Dom, if she will just believe in it. An emotional journey for these two, with heart wrenching moments, action, danger, twists and turns, and suspense as they take the bumpy road to their HEA. Troy Duran and Maxine Mitchell do a great job bringing the characters to life with their narration.

A must listen

I originally read this book as part of a box set. It was absolutely wonderful. I only discovered this author recently in 2021 and I couldn’t read her books fast enough. This series is fantastic. Loved the romance and sense of family. I now have also listened to Desperate. As always Troy Duran did a fabulous job. Maxine Mitchell is a newer narrator to me but she did ok.

This series in audio is fire! Ekko & Dom are everything!

Whew! This series in audio is even better than the books if that’s even possible. AK Evans has me jealous of a fictional character…Ekko needs to share some of that hot alpha male Dom. We got a brief glimpse of Dom and Ekko meeting in book 2, Overcome and it was clear even then that they had a connection. Ekko had a very sad and lonely life until Dom swooped in. She didn’t think she deserved the devotion and attention Dom gave her but there was no denying their connection. Dom refuses to let Ekko get away even if she thinks that’s what’s best for him. Doms case has his stumped and worried so Ekko running from him has him all out of sorts. Her stubbornness almost cost her her life but once again Dom saves her and she finally accepts that she does deserve his love. Their surprise at the hospital was so beautiful and amazing and I can’t think of another book couple that deserved an HEA then Dom and Ekko. The narrators were phenomenal!

Ekko & Dom Are an Awesome Couple

Ekko has lived through many desperate situations and has managed to survive. Finding her ex boyfriend dealing drugs, she would rather sleep in her car than stay in his apartment while she tried to make the last few hundred dollars for her own apartment. Dom rescued her from an attempted kidnapping into human trafficking months ago and was watching her to make sure she was safe, thinking she was still with her ex. When he knew she left the ex, he began to worm his way into her heart by helping her stay safe. Beautiful story of finding just how worthy you are of good things in spite of your upbringing.

Troy Duran and Maxine Mitchell did an excellent job of bringing this amazing couple to life through their narration.

Wonderful story of survival

We are back with another great audiobook in this series. This time the story belongs to Ekko Rose and Dom/Dominick Moore.
Ekko’s life has been on struggle after another. She seems to not get a break evident now when she ends up homeless.
Dom, a member of the Cunningham Security group, has been watching Ekko from afar. Especially after he saved her from possible death. While he’s determined to help her, Ekko’s struggles with the assistance.
But that doesn’t stop the attraction.
What happens when another blow comes their way?
Another winner in the series. Thanks to the narrators Troy Duran and Maxine MItchell, the story comes to life.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

So good!

When you have it rough all your life, you don't feel deserving of good. It's useless to hope when there are many obstacles in your way. And when something goes right, you are forever waiting for something to go wrong. That's how it was for Ekko Rose. For every forward step, it seemed that life threw her back several steps. So when Dominick Moore comes into her life offering nothing but a roof over her head and friendship, Ekko is wary. Because why would anyone want to help her? Their close proximity eventually led to more. For someone so jaded, I would have though Ekko would have been less trusting. She when she gets abducted, I was shocked to find out who the culprit was! Maxine Mitchell and Troy Duran as the narrators kept me hooked into story and brought the characters to life. I don't think I could have picked a better duo to be Ekko and Dom.

I received a complimentary copy of this book at my request and voluntarily left this review.

The Bodyguard Dom and Homeless Waitress Ekko

Desperate (Cunningham Security Series Book 3) by A K Evans is an exciting suspense romance. A. K. Evans can write protector romance unlike any other. The audiobook is a must-listen, with the narrators Maxine Mitchell and Troy Duran bringing an emotional edge and sexiness to their telling of the story.
Ekko is a woman who lived through unimaginable hard times with a drug-addicted mother, losing her apartment, moving in with her ex-boyfriend, ending up homeless, and sleeping in the car. All that and finding herself rescued from being abducted by human traffickers by a guy named Dom and his team on a sting operation. Dom feels drawn to Ekko and decides to observe her without her knowledge to ensure she is okay. When he realizes she is homeless, he offers her to stay with him in an extra bedroom in his home. Living together is the tipping point moment for Ekko and Dom’s lives to change and never be the same again. Living together develops into a friendship that each hopes grows into more, but both carry emotional scars from their past. Desperate keeps the reader on edge until the last chapters, containing surprises with a twisty, unexpected turn of events that brings the book to an OMG spectacular HEA ending!

AK Evans did an incredible job with Dom and Ekko!

Troy Duran as Dom, yes!!! I don’t think any other narrator could pull of being Dom but Troy! Troy has a demanding and commanding voice and when you listen to this, it brings the story to life!
Maxine does an incredible job as Ekko! Both of these narrators have worked together in the past on books I have listened to and not once have I been disappointed in the outcome!

Dom is such a powerful strong man and to see him fall so easily for a little pixie, was incredible!!
We met Ekko in Overcome, book 2 very briefly but Dom didn’t stop looking after her! Finding her sleeping in her car he offered her refuge at his home with no expectations but a safe place to sleep and a way to get her life back on track.
Ekko has known nothing but heartache all her life but she never stopped believing in reaching a future to be proud of!
Ekko and Dom find themselves and the relationship they are working on building, teetering on the edge. Ekko gets some devasting news and decides her bad luck in life should not touch Dom so she leaves him. Dom is heartbroken because he really thought she was his one and only but he couldn’t worry about that right now, he needed to know what she is hiding but right now he had a major case at work that he had to concentrate on so that he could get back to helping Ekko have a life she so desperately deserves!
Little did Dom know that his case would have an impact on the future he wanted with Ekko!