Forever Only Once

By: Carrie Ann Ryan

Narrated by: Emma Wilder, Jason Clarke

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

From New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Carrie Ann Ryan comes a sexy new contemporary stand-alone series.

Hazel Noble has survived horrors she wouldn’t inflict on her worst enemy. Since then, she’s healed, found herself, and connected with a group of women she’s proud to call her friends. However, when they make a pact to start looking for love, Hazel finds herself not only up first but also forced to face a past she thought she'd escaped.

Cross Brady has no need for a relationship. As the oldest of five, he’s always been the one his family can rely on. Now, all he wants is to work in peace and live his life. His priorities shift dramatically, though, when Cross finds himself in Hazel's path.

Though the two initially fight their connection, they soon learn that it’s safer to fall for each other than keep running from what’s holding them back - not to mention, who wants them dead.

Includes a bonus epilogue.

©2020 Carrie Ann Ryan (P)2020 Carrie Ann Ryan

Forever Only Once

Carrie Ann Ryan is the Queen of spinoffs that keep on giving. It started with Montgomery Ink, Then we moved on to the Montgomery cousins of Colorado Springs, Then it was the Montgomery cousins of Boulder. From that we get the Promise Me series, all about Arden's brothers (Wrapped In Ink). I have been (not so) patiently waiting for this series from the moment they were introduced helping Arden at the hospital in her and Liam's book, before CAR had even announced them as an actual possibility. Let me say this one thing. CAR did not disappoint (not that she ever does). It was worth every single second of waiting. I loved how the girls decided to set each other up and get the blind dates started, I loved how Hazel & Cross actually meet without meaning to. Such a big start to this branch of the series I know that they will only get better and better.

The Narration by Emma Wilder and Jason Clarke fit perfectly with the book. Amazing job well done.

Accident or fate?

Accident or fate? Find out while you fall in love with Cross and Hazel as they learn to love.

meh

male narrator sometimes seemed monotone but when there was range it was very good. female narrator not at all - i wanted to smack her. the story was the only thing that kept me listening to see what happened. there was a lot of useless info.

Hazel and Cross

This book is the first in a new series but one of the characters isn't new to us, we met Cross previously, he's Arden's oldest protective brother in Wrapped in Ink. He's an artist, who works with wood. He's co-owner of Chris, Cross a furniture-making business with Chris, a friend from school. But lately, things haven't been going well between them and he has serious doubts about keeping the company going. So when Chris cons him into attending a business meeting on his behalf, at a bar of all places, Cross is far from happy. But they say every cloud has a silver lining, and Hazel was his, she's smart, funny, beautiful and not the person he was supposed to meet at all!

Hazel and her three friends have made a pact, they have all agreed to start dating again. Hazel drew the short staw so was first to be matched up. She's supposed to be meeting a friend of a friend but instead, Cross mistakes her for Chris' client and joins her at her table.

Hazel, a math professor at the University of Boulder, has survived being married to a monster, who when she left him became her stalker and then her attacker. She has made a new family for herself in the form of three incredible and strong women, who like her are single.

When they met by mistake both Hazel and Cross felt the connection between them. Their relationship builds slowly and although they both tried hard to fight their connection what they felt was too much to ignore.

Just when they think they have everything sorted, the monster from her past comes back. The consequences of this are wide-reaching and fraught with danger, will their new love survive this latest threat?

This book was one I didn't want to stop listening to the story is beautifully crated and the narration by Emma Wilder and Jason Clarke is so well done enhancing if that is possible this wonderfully moving book.

I was given this audiobook as a gift and am voluntarily writing my review.

Interesting new series

This is going to be an interesting series. Four best girl friends. Four brothers. The girls make a pact to set the others up on a blind date. Hazel draws the short straw so she's up first. Not to regurgitate the story, but Cross is NOT her blind date. But amazingly they click when her blind date and his business meeting both fail to show. He knows something has happened to her, but he doesn't know what. Cross is the first person she has opened up to about some of her past besides her counselor and her besties.

Things are going good for them, until they aren't. And when they aren't, it's a BAD thing. Can they get past what needs to be done and what needs to be said? Can she forgive herself, because in her mind she is at fault for what happens? Will she finally learn to stop running?

This was my first Emma Wilder book and I truly enjoyed listening to her. She has such a smooth and soothing voice. And of course Jason Clarke was exquisite as always. These two work well together.

A cute meet leads to more 🥰

In this spinoff, we find a group of girlfriends helping each other to find their one. Hazel gets the short straw literally but in the end it’s the best one. She has a rough past, that might still follow her but she still wants a chance at love. Bearded and gorgeous, Cross is there to sweep her off her feet. I liked the drama, the suspense, the heat and finally a hea. Great narration from both Wilder and Clark too. Awesome series starter.

Amazing

Omg I loved Hazel and Cross's story. The way their story is laid out and brought to HEA finish was so enjoyable. I love the way Carrie Ann sucks you into her stories and brings you into her characters' relationships it is truly a talent to be able to do that and I truly recommend you take a chance and read her work. Emma Wilder and Jason Clarke did an amazing job narrating this. I couldn't stop listening to this story.

a new series!!!

Forever Only Once is the first in a new spin off series by CAR. I love her audiobooks! I love that these different series have flowed from one into another. You don't need to read any of her other series to enjoy this book but really why wouldn't you dive into her backlist?
Hazel and Cross were such great characters. Hazel's past has closed her off into the security of her world of work and her girlfriends. Little did she know that Cross was what she needed in her life. Cross comes with some problems of his own but he and Hazel meet and it is just what he needed to.
I can always count on Carrie Ann Ryan for a great HEA!

Great blind date!

Hazel and Cross have such a fantastic story. Cross ends up at a bar to meet his partners new client. Hazel is at the same place on a blind date setup. Neither has meet or seen the other that they are meeting and so they end up thinking that each is the person they should be meeting. Quickly is is figured out that they aren’t but have the ‘date’ that isn’t a date. Hazel is dealing with a past that is making it hard for her to open up fully to anyone even with the strong feelings she has for Cross. Cross is having a hard time with his business partner and trying to figure out what that future holds while starting a relationship he wasn’t looking for with Hazel. I just loved these two and the story that they share together. I love Hazel’s friends and of course Cross’s family as well. Some suspenseful moments and plenty of feels. Even though this is a stand alone with a HEA I am looking forward to the next blind date in the series.

Loved that it had two different narrators for the chapters depending on which point of view it was from and the narrators did a fantastic job.

Fantastic start to new spin off series

Book one in new Promise Me series by Carrie Ann Ryan
Cross is Arden (married a Montgomery) oldest brother who co owns a bespoke furniture art shop.
Hazel moved to boulder and after a very traumatic divorce that left her with a lot of baggage but she makes a pack with her friends that she starts to date and in the bargain starts to live her life and be happy.
Hazel gets set up for a blind date and waits to meet him in a bar. Cross is ask by his co owner to meet a client about a commission but is only given a name and brief description.
When Cross get to bar and assumes that Hazel is the client.
I absolutely love the way they meet in beginning of book and how hazel and Cross didn’t contact each other straight away because they didn’t want to ruin a great non date.
Carrie Ann Ryan pulls it out of the bag every time but she also has a great ear and pucks perfect narrators for her books. I do live duel narration between a female and male voice but instead of read chapters at a time it would be lovely if the read to corresponding line to there gender but still beautifully read.