Everything I Didn't Know

By: Nicky James

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

It was supposed to be an escape. A new life living off the land. It was supposed to be a peaceful community. A family. But it was a lie.

Six months after he arrived, Bowie learned the hard truth about Oasis. There are rules, and they are made to be followed. The consequence of disobedience is deadly.

Once you’re in Oasis, you’re never getting out. And its cultish founder has eyes everywhere.

One year into his survival, with a plan to escape slowly simmering to life, Bowie is faced with a problem. New members have joined the community, among them a man who catches Bowie’s eye. Foster is attractive, older, and as far as Bowie is concerned, completely unavailable. This doesn’t stop Foster from flirting or poking his nose where it doesn’t belong. His reckless behavior will get him in trouble, but Foster doesn’t seem to realize he’s playing with fire.

One wrong step and history will repeat itself.

Bowie can’t allow that to happen, and telling Foster the truth about Oasis comes with risks. A fragile alliance forms. A budding romance develops. And more secrets are unveiled.

When their plans fall apart, Bowie and Foster find themselves in a tangled race to escape Oasis and expose the commune before it’s too late.

©2023 Nicky James (P)2023 Nicky James

compelling standalone romantic suspense

THE WRITING:
It's been a while, but Nicky James has given us another compelling standalone romantic suspense.

Bowie has been at Oasis for eighteen months. In those eighteen months, he has realised that Oasis is not what he first thought it would be. What Bowie was looking for, was an escape. What he found instead was a cult. Slowly, secretly, he is planning an escape.
In enters Foster. Foster is a distraction. Foster is a mistake. Foster could be his way out.

Everything I Didn't Know is a slow burn romance, however the storyline had me intrigued.
What Nicky takes us on, is a rollercoaster ride. The twists and turns in this story had me engaged from the start.

This book is a must read if you enjoy a good romantic suspense!

THE NARRATION:
Nick J. Russo has done it again.
The emotions that the vocalised brought another great book to life for me. 

Everything I Didn't know is another great collaboration between author and narrator. 

When all is not as it seems

I always start my Nicky James reviews by saying how much I love Nicky James books. Well, this review won’t be any different. Nicky has an ability to write a fantastic novel on a completely different topic each time she sets out. She does series really well, but her stand-alone books are often outstanding. Everything I Didn’t Know is one of those books.

From the prologue, I was pulled in and mesmerized by the story. My heart went out to Bowie as he was obviously in way over his head. He’d thought he was joining a commune of sorts. Where people lived off the land and didn’t have a carbon footprint. Where their dedication to Mother Earth was the most important thing. He quickly learned the first lesson of Oasis – no one ever leaves alive. Now he’s been biding his time, working his way up, trying to find a way to escape.

Enter Foster and Paxton. From the outside, they look like most wide-eyed newcomers to Oasis – a little overwhelmed. A little lost. Bowie’s job is to help them settle but, soon, he realizes not is as it seems. Now, I had an inkling of this plot twist so wasn’t totally surprised but the rest of the book had me guessing. How exactly were Bowie and Foster going to escape? Was that even possible? And what about the sinister elements within the commune? What was their fate?

Another edge-of-my-seat suspense novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. With a satisfying and appropriate outcome that just worked.

Finally, tip of the hat to Nick J. Russo. He and Nicky make a great team and I always love his narrations. Can’t wait for the next listen to see where Nicky’s going to take me next.

Amazing read!

Absolutely loved this book start to finish.
I'm so happy that Nicky is embracing this genre because she's doing amazingly.

Loved the characters, the plot, and the romance. The setting gave more depth to the plot as well and the *cult* dynamic was fascinating.

As for the audiobook: Nick Russo owned the narration as usual he breathed life into these characters and made it that much more enjoyable.

LOVED IT!

Nick J. Russo does an outstanding job of bringing this story to life.
I know I should expect nothing less than a great read when I start a new book by Nicky James but Everything I Didn't Know still amazed me. The story was fascinating, learning all about life at the Oasis compound as we try to figure out what's true and what's a lie.

Full of surprises and intrigue Foster and Bowie are in for the fight of their lives. Amidst the danger these two manage to find each other and fall for each other. They are in the race of their lives to escape this seemingly perfect Oasis.

This is a wonderful mystery suspense book, with a great slow burn romance, excellent side characters, and a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat to a fantastic conclusion!

who keeps letting these two make dangerous things!

beacuse they are not good for my health! then again I might be a masochist beacuse I keep getting these books...
Nick continues to blow my brains off with his performance and Nicky keeps blowing me away with her writing. just when I think I got all the things down and can predict where the red Harring is or where things are going BAM. left hook. then when I think it's over. Kachow! right hook. predicable is not a word I would use to describe this book and I love it
bowter for life mother fucker
(Bowie and Foster)

minor spoiler.
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***THERE IS NO CHEATING THANK THE LORDS! ***

great listen

I loved this audio! The story was so engaging and the narrator did an amazing job!

I Didn't Want To Stop Listening

From the opening scene, this story captured my attention and I was fully absorbed in the plot and the characters. I found the cult setting fascinating and a well-built insular universe. This romantic suspense story had ample twists and turns to amp up the tension. I was kept guessing on the trustworthiness of some of the characters but as always, there is strong character development so that you care about what's happening to Bowie and Foster. Nick J Russo provides an excellent performance and elevates the listener experience. He and Nicky James make great narrator/author pairing. Fantastic!

Immediately fascinating, unique, eerie… brilliant!

Just when I think Nicky James can’t surprise me with a different subject, she does it again! In this book she leads us into a fascinating, albeit chilling world, brought to life through masterful, descriptive writing.

Bowie joined Oasis to get away from his old life and start a better, new one. What he found unfortunately was much worse, and this time there was no leaving… alive. Not unless he escaped. But after a year of planning his dangerous getaway, Bowie has to reconsider everything when eye-catching Foster joins the commune. Foster makes Bowie feel he has an ally, and maybe more. Can Bowie break out now and leave him behind? Can he tell Foster the truth? Because Oasis is not just a community devoted to loving Mother Earth, and the members all have you wondering who you can trust.

An intelligent suspense-filled plot, with unexpected twists and well developed characters, is always a joy to read or hear. Everything I Didn’t Know is all that and more. Bowie and Foster’s slow burn story had me eager to go into each new chapter and find out how escaping the scary hell they found in Oasis could be possible. Their story made me care about and root for them, and I loved being that invested.

Nick J. Russo’s narration made this story breathe and live with an extra layer of brilliance. He brought distinct voices for each character. I felt the positively creepy, controlling nature of Father Wilder, the gentle almost innocent spirit of Bowie, and the rebellious, headstrong nature of Foster. Even side characters had strong presence with Russo’s convincing and top-notch narrating.

Everything I Didn't Know is a memorable experience. Nicky James has blown me away again with a unique storyline, and Nick J. Russo delivered a truly compelling performance. Bottom line : this audiobook should not be missed!

So good!!!

Nicky James has done it again. I have always been fascinated by cults, so when I realized what the premise of this book was, I couldn’t wait to start it. Welp I probably shouldn’t have started it before bedtime on a work night! Stayed up super late because I just could not stop Listening. Everything I Didn’t Know is the perfect blend of romance and suspense.
Narration by Nick J Russo was great!

Thrilling Story, Enjoyed it a Lot

Loved It. This was a very captivating story full of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. I liked both Foster and Bowie and really enjoyed their dynamic, it was interesting and unusual for stories with age gap couples to have younger MC be the mature and wise one in the relationship. Narrator did a great job, his voice and talent made this book a perfect listening experience.

Beyond intense

I’m not sure I even know how to start a review for this story. Again, this unique author has come out of who knows where with a story and characters so original. This author never follows the cookie cutter path to the stories she writes and each time she blows me away not only with the originality of the story but the uniqueness of the personalities and locations.
This is a cult story. Some people are easily swayed by promises of a better future, lifestyle and wellbeing for themselves and others. The environment is what the draw is for Bowie and Collin. A place called Oasis with a founder and leader that is completely memorizing. Only after a short time they find out things are not as expected. One main issue is the rules. Disobedience is not handled well. Bowie reconsiders his options and has decided his next moves when a couple join the group and Bowie is in charge of introducing them into the lifestyle and rules.
Foster and Paxton are not the normal group members. They are newly engaged and Foster has a problem with being independently opinionated. This story takes a number of twists and turns. People are not exactly who they appear to be. Things do go as planned. At one point I got almost afraid who might get killed. I’m amazed how this author can take a story and give me such a well described location, events and people that I feel like I’m actually reading a true story being reported. I enjoyed the story and the way the author puts together all the pieces at the end. Nick as usual did an excellent job. I love his narrations.

Truly Outstanding 💙

OH .... WOW....... Absolutely Brilliant love love the book and audio is simply amazing Nicky James and Nick J Russo what a team the narration is truly superb love the way he brings Bowie & Foster to life and takes on this thriller of a ride full of fear, danger intrigue and romance was hooked from start to finish fantastic recommend so much.

A thrilling, cult-themed suspense story

I have so many feelings about this story that I hardly know where to begin. I loved the storyline, creepy cult vibes and scary suspense and all. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat listening to Foster, Paxton, and Bowie sneak around and try to collect evidence to expose Oasis, and some of the risks they took made my heart skip a beat. The reason for Bowie's desperate need to escape was gut-wrenching, and there was something especially sinister knowing that over three hundred people had been coerced into believing Father Wilder's words. I got hooked on the mission so quickly, and I could barely tear myself away from the story to refuel. But I also developed an intense dislike of Foster as I kept reading. I have no issues with the way Nicky James wrote him as a character, and he was absolutely portrayed in a believable way, I just got so incredibly frustrated with his impulsiveness throughout this book. It's definitely a personal issue--I've been so spoiled with Nicky's other detective books where Valor and Doyle are amazing, and I suspect I have a thing about competency in people--but it was hard to get attached to his romance with Bowie when I was so dang mad at him more often than not. If anything, I have to applaud Nicky James for really sticking to her characterization of Foster, even when it would have been much easier if he hadn't made some of the decisions he did, and it added an extra layer of tension to the whole storyline. There's something especially scary about being in a life or death situation and genuinely not knowing if the main characters will react in a good way, and man did that get to me towards the end of the book. Bowie ended up shouldering so much of the mission, and while I was thrilled to see him stepping up, I can't say the same about Foster's character development. That's a very long-winded way of saying that I loved the suspense aspect of the story but couldn't get as engaged in the romance as I wanted to, but honestly the suspense was more than enough to keep me invested in the characters as they raced to find a way out of their situation. I feel like I'm still processing the way things went down--shocking reveals, unexpected allies, devastating losses, and all. Foster and Bowie didn't have much time for closure, but I was satisfied with the little glimpse into their future I got in the epilogue.

**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions.

Perfect suspense and mood

Story: Such a moody book! Nicky James did a great job setting the stage for this book and putting the reader in the right mood! I was riveted from the start and loved how the plot umfolded. The pacing was spot on!
On top of that, the MCs were great creations and lovable from the start. As usual for this author, we get to meet two complex people with all the perfect imperfections that make them genuine and perfectly fitting for the story.
Narration: Flawless performance as always!

just wow emotional and fantastic narration

everything I didn't know was performed perfectly by nick j russo

I felt every emotion ,feeling, heart pounding heartbreaking and heart warming moment

the words and storyline was just perfection