Dirty Martini

Miami Nights and Club Lights, Book 1

De: Addison Beck

Narrado por: Oscar Reyes, Logan Anare

Rhys

My life hasn't turned out the way I wanted it to.

Because of one stupid stunt by a kid I used to care about, I'm now slinging cocktails in a Miami club instead of getting my degree. In a split second, Everest Hill ruined my future, and I'm too jaded to ever move past it.

Only Elton—my best friend and his brother—connects us, but thankfully, Everest has made himself irrelevant in the last four years.

Until now.

When Elton heads off on a summer European adventure, I'm forced to babysit his little brother through his first semester in college, but I'd rather eat shattered glass than be a shoulder for him to lean on.

All the things I used to admire about Everest are tainted. He's nothing more than a nuisance, a reminder that I'm going nowhere with my life, and when he starts to push my buttons? I prove that I can bite back.

We become trapped in a twisted game of loathing, always trying to one-up the other, never satisfied until one of us is crowned the winner.

But when I start to see the vulnerabilities that lie underneath his skin, the truth behind the facade, I can't help but cave to the side of me I thought I buried.

Because Everest is not only mine to hate—

He's mine to keep.

Dirty Martini is dual-pov, enemies-to-lovers, best friend's brother romance. With possessive hate, lurking grudges, and passionate feels, Dirty Martini will leave you panting for more.

This is the first in a series of interconnected standalones featuring the workers of Club XO as they try to find their HEAs.

©2024 Addison Beck (P)2025 Podium Audio

I loved this story so much!

Dirty Martini by Addison Beck is an intoxicating listen from start to finish. The narrators capture every ounce of chemistry, heat, and emotion, making the story impossible to pause. Addison’s writing shines in audio, blending passion, humor, and heart perfectly. If you love forbidden attraction, redemption, and a story that keeps you hooked until the last word, this audiobook is a must.

Enemies to lovers

Great enemies to lovers, best friends little brother romance with lots of angst and spice

Buy the Paperback

The story is not bad. One of the MC’s, Everest, does not progress enough for me in the story, as he clearly has issues, but to me it just constantly is the same theme over and over again.

On the performance side, the voice actor for Everest just makes this so much worse. I do not like to trash voice actors, it’s not an easy job, but Logan’s voice just does not work for me at all. Very nasally and with his characters story it just amplifies the MC’s issues. The other audio actor is fantastic, I wished a lot it was just a solo performance.

Again, I think the story is good, but I would recommend buying the book on Amazon over the audio version as the voice acting for half the book is just painful. I just purchased the sequel in paperback when I saw the same voice actor was returning for this series.

Hero to Hate, Obligation to Obsession, Growth to Glowing. A Summer of Heat, Confessions, and Barebacks

Oh babies! I downed this story in two days like a…well, like a drink at our beloved XO.
This cast is a delight. Every one of them is fleshed out and raw, bold with their own personas that makes you attach to them so easily. I want more of the XO family! Even the ‘villain’ characters like Knox have layers that hit your human spirit, But nothing seems forced just for plot and I am so grateful that that. There’s enough conflict to keep things entertaining, but the characters THINK of solutions, talk things out, support each other, etc. They honestly grew in natural, endearing ways, showing true second chances, sympathy, friendship, and communication and it was refreshing. I also liked how they showed panic attacks/anxiety on the effects of one’s self-image and social interactions. As someone who deals with it, I appreciate it being addressed kindly.
The plot in general was gripping from the start and I was invested. I mean, who doesn’t want to hang out with Elton? :) Bless his peppy heart!
Everest and Reece are definitely intense in the beginning when having to move in with each other after the starting conflict. It was understandable, sure, but lots of amuck testosterone. Ha!
I think that’s why their progression was so rewarding. They explored all the faucets and array of feelings passion can take on.
And, you take up all the space and air! Come on! My heart!
The spice on this too… ❤️‍🔥 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
The voice actors did a phenomenal job. Logan Anare brought out the bratty/precious youth that anxious Everest was, having to dive into several intense emotions. And Oscar has a smooth tone that I felt fit our smart, stoic hero Reece.
Come down to join the fellas at XO and be prepared to win, always win, with the Superman of a listen.

I really wanted to like this, but…

Everest is unlikable. Even if he's struggling, it seems like he's struggling was brought on by his own behavior. The fact that he feels justified in saying some of the things he says, even if out of anger or hurt is unacceptable he should've been contrite. He set the ball in motion when it came to Rhys losing the life he knew he could've done something to help Reese and he chose not to and the way he treated his brother. He was unlikable as a brother as a friend and as a human. I think Elton acted appropriately and the fact that Reese was so willing to defend Everest. Bad behavior made me dislike Rhys. I understand that Everest was 14 but he had years to make it right and he chose not to which speaks to his character. It made it hard for me to root for them as a couple. The fact that Everest chose Knox a number of times who was also a part of the problem. The justification of him dealing drugs to 14-year-old gross. I don't think the author thought it out I really wanted to like the story. The characters were just too hard to like. As for the performance, the voices were OK the over annunciation was unnatural and took the reader or listener out of the moment.