Follows with Intent

Hazardverse: Sidetracks

De: Gregory Ashe

Narrado por: Kale Williams

Keeping your eye on the prize isn’t always a good thing.

Nico knows he’s difficult; he has the string of exes to prove it. But staying sharp was the only way to stay safe in the cutthroat world of modeling, and it turns out, graduate school isn’t any gentler. Career first. Boys…later.

Jadon knows he’s burning out; his partner at the Metropolitan Police is more than happy to remind him of that fact. But the last time he let himself get distracted, people died, and he’s not going to let it happen again. And Nico was nothing but a distraction.

When a chance encounter brings them together again, Nico isn’t interested in apologies, and Jadon isn’t interested in Nico—or at least, that’s what he tells himself. But when the stalker Jadon has been trying to catch marks Nico as his next target, they have no choice but to stick together. And the longer they’re together, the more they realize that what they want might not be what they need.

©2024 Gregory Ashe (P)2025 Gregory Ashe

Meh…Just Okay…

So, I over-the-top LOVED everything that I’ve listened to in the HAZARDVERSE. This sidetrack, not so much. Thank goodness for North & Shaw! They brought the entertainment.

I mean…If there were an award for creator of the most annoying character, good or bad, it would go to Gregory Ashe for creating Nico…There were so very many horrible, nefarious, dastardly, annoying characters in all the series…Nico stands out head and shoulders above the rest - for making me want to pull my hair out! He takes the cake, the baker, the oven, the kitchen…you get me? Throughout the entire HAZARDVERSE. Good grief! *GIANT. EYE. ROLL.*

Besides that…the story was okay.

The narration was not great. I always hear a bit too much depression in Kale’s voice…and while it works in most places with a character like Nico (and even Jadon, all things considered), it kind of goes too far…especially for the in-brain chatter…

Like I’ve said…Gregory Ashe is a great writer and storyteller. This one was just a bit disappointing to me.

It’s a full story from the HAZARDVERSE though, so give it a shot!

Enjoy!💖

Loved Nico’s Story 🥰

Awww Mr. Ashe! This was a great story with a very good mystery as well. Nico is excited to attend a seminar which will propel his career. Right from the beginning there is an appearance from Emery and it’s pleasant to see how much he cares for the people around him, albeit in his cranky manner. Upon arrival, we are introduced to several characters, all unique in their own way that sheds light on the mystery as well. As there are a string of occurrences on the campus of the seminar, Jayden is the local detective assigned to the case. Jadon has his own circumstances which makes solving this case all more important. Throw in an appearance from North & Shaw and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to continue to cross characters from other series. This is a nice slow build up to Nico and Jayden’s ‘will they / won’t they’ and it’s worth the listen to see how it plays out.
The narration is top notch and I was pleasantly surprised by how well each voice was distinguishable. Overall, this is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ listen.

SO GOOD! SO GREGORY!

I have to be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect when reading my first Gregory Ashe romance - but of course, it didn’t disappoint AT ALL! There was the same snark, banter, heart wrenching character development, lush anecdotes about the sky, the weather, the trees - I swear Gregory gives trees more personality than people I’ve met in real life! An immediate favorite I’m adding to my list of comfort reads.

Do be mindful, as always, of TW for this - blood, ED, SA, PTSD, trauma, and homophobia.

So Much Fun!! 😍😍

I am loving these side trips in the Hazardverse! 👏👏 Well done, Gregory Ashe! In this one we see Nico and Jayden (Shaw’s ex) give it a second go with a little bit of mystery (someone is following Nico around), a little bit of existentialism, and a little bit of love.

If you’re a fan of Hazard & Somerset, and North & Shaw, this standalone is a must! If you’re new to them, this is a great intro to their world!

A real treat that felt too short

I haven't read this in ebook format, so the audio version was entirely new to me. I love Kale Williams's narrations, although I'll never be able to hear him and not envision Larkin and Doyle (especially Ira). And then I start hearing the supporting characters as if they were the supporting characters from the Memento Mori books, too. Is that just me? At any rate, that was a tiny bit distracting and meant I kept picturing Jadon as much older than he is. C'est la vie.

The story was fun, and it made me want to go back and reread (or listen to) the North and Shaw books to get a better handle on Jadon. I have to admit that my utter favorite parts were Emery's appearances/mentions. That's 24-karat gold right there.

Overall, this was a very solid listen, though definitely not as intense and soul-searing as Greg's series.

My thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

Great story. Great narration.

Kale Williams narrating a story about Nico and Jadon… Sigh. This is my happy place. When I discovered that Kale Williams, one of my favorite narrators, would be reading a book written by Gregory Ashe, one of my favorite authors, I decided to wait for the narration. Kale Williams’ smooth voice and excellent narrative pacing are talents befitting a romantic mystery by Gregory Ashe, who is exceptional at building a captivating plot.

This book follows the connection between Jadon from the Borealis series and Nico from the Hazard and Somerset series. You don’t need to read everything in those series, but this book will have more impact if you are familiar with the backstory of Jadon and Nico, two remarkable side characters. This book turns the tables and makes North and Emery from the aforementioned series the aggravating side characters while Nico and Jadon take center stage. In typical Gregory Ashe plotting fashion, there is a mystery to solve, but now the mystery is more of a background story in the romantic drama between Nico and Jadon. The twists and turns of their building relationship match the erratic path of the case Jadon is trying to solve. Both the relationship and the case result in some breath-stopping moments. This is a romance, so things work out...mostly. Honestly, it’s a Gregory Ashe story. Expect some tense moments, great narration, and a few gasp-inducing scenes in this adventure.

Nico & Jaden"s Book

This is a wonderful stand-alone book based in the Hazard & Somerset AND Shaw & North Universe. This is Nico and Jaden’s book. Although not strictly necessary to have read both series to enjoy this book, it really helps with the emotional context. We recently know Nico as Emery Hazard’s assistant, but before that he was Emery’s boyfriend before John Henry. We know Jaden from the Shaw & North Borealis series. Jaden dated and was “in love” with Shaw when the boys were on a “break.” Both these men finally get their HEA.

We start the book with Emery dropping Nico off at a philosophy seminar at a college in pursuit of his PhD. He has come a LONG way from his underwear model days! Jaden is also there to attend a LGBT+ in law enforcement seminar. Both men have not fully recovered from their respective traumas and pursued a relationship in the intervening years that didn’t work out. Now they are thrust together with a serial rapist on campus. Jaden tries to warn and protect Nico as Jaden pursues the rapist, but Nico is insecure and thinks Jaden is just asserting authority over him. Bad things happen. The mystery is good and the growth in both men is realistic. There are cameos from both series which are hysterical.

Kale Williams does his usual amazing performance that really brings these men to life. Highly recommend if you are a fan of either series.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook in return for an honest review

Nico & Jadon

Nico is in graduate school and goes to a conference related to his graduate studies.

Jadon is a cop on the verge of burnout, and is made to go to a conference.

A chance encounter they meet again, and they start to reconnect. But a stalker Jadon has been after takes an interest in Nico, which leads Jadon and Nico into closer contact where they soon realise they more than care about each other.

I enjoyed this audio/book very much