Kick

By: Ali Dean

Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski

Length: 5 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Buzzing anticipation. Floating weightless. Adrenaline rush. All the best feelings wrapped into an emotional high that never gets old. I think I might be addicted to falling in love. 

When rising rock star Jack Kingston comes to play on our college campus, I think he’ll be just another fix. Instead, he flips everything around and makes me question who I am, what I want, and why I do what I do. After he leaves, everything changes. 

Pushing myself in the pool, struggling to keep up with my twin sister, it’s what keeps me from losing myself entirely. Swimming isn’t my passion. It’s my source of stability. When I find the courage to finally start pushing my boundaries, I discover success in ways I never imagined, both in and out of the water. 

When Jack resurfaces, I'm forced to decide between facing my fears or letting them spiral out of control as my past catches up with me...threatening to pull me back under. It's time to sink or swim.

©2018 Ali Dean (P)2018 Ali Dean

enjoyed

I enjoyed this audible book and I already read the book but it was even better with the narration. I think the narrator was a good fit this story. I really like kick as a character because she isn't your typical female character she more like a tone boy and a bit of a player. Kick is a twin and her sister has her own book while you don't have to read the other one first it's fun to see the comparison in the stories. If you've read any other books from this author you will enjoy this one too.

This was REAL...

What started out as a story that I thought would be a typical romance, quickly turned into a story about some real issues that could easily occur on college campuses in real life. Ali has a way of addressing these issues and making you understand that some things are just not your fault even when you try to justify it to yourself. I don't want to mention details regarding specifics, but bottom line; LISTEN/READ THIS BOOK! I thoroughly enjoyed it even though evoked some tough emotions and thoughts from me. Well done, Ali!

Another great story from Ali Dean!

I have already read kick and loved it! I was excited to listen to the audio version of this book. Stacey Glemboski did not disappoint! Her performance was spot on portraying the characters emotions and struggles. Her performance made this book even better. I would give it 10 stars if I could! Kick is a girl addicted to falling in love at least for the day. She likes the control and being in control of the situation. She likes the euphoria of meeting someone and deciding when it’s time to leave. These types of arrangements suits her just fine until she meets Jack. Jack is in a band and is smitten with kick he wants more from kick then her normal arrangement. Jack turns her world upside down and makes her rethink what she wants. But something is holding her back, an event from her past. Will kick be able to overcome this to be able to completely fall in love? This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the first book The line Below to get some back stories on some of these characters.

Please Don't Let This Be the End

Once again Ali Dean and Stacey Glemboski hit it out of the park with this sequel, and hopefully not the end of the Spark sisters. While this book overlaps the first just a smidge, I did not feel that it was repetitive in anyway. In fact, it was great to see certain scenes from another prospective. It also gave the reader a great understanding of the timeline without shoving it in their face. Ms. Dean is a talented writer who has mastered the art of drawing a reader in and involving them in the story. This is especially obvious since I’m not usually a big fan of sports stories. Once again, Ms. Glemboski provided a spot-on narration for the book. I loved that she added in accents where they were called for and didn’t ignore the writer’s call. The only negative I would have is if this is the last we see of the Spark sisters or their friends. I would imagine that there is a lot more Ms. Dean could say about these two and I would certainly love to read it. I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.

A Good Follow-Up Book

As someone who really enjoyed The Line Below, having the second story of the series being about Lydia was a good choice. I liked that it portrayed some of the events found in the first book from Lydias perspective before jumping forward into her own storylines. Not going to lie, I enjoyed the relationship development between Lydia and Jack. There were quite a few bumps in the road, but they were able to work through them. Nolan can go to heck, as far as I’m concerned though. I also enjoyed that Shay and Jett and the rest of the good minor characters from the first book made appearances through out this book. Some of the scenes with Lydia were hard to listen to but I think any kinds of scenes that deal with the aftermath of dealing with traumatic events will be hard to listen to. The narration was good, I like the narrator. Overall, this was a pretty good sequel/ follow up to The Line Below. I would rate this 4 out of 5 stars, because there is talking about and dealing with the aftermath of an traumatic event. ————— Disclaimer: I received a free code from Audiobookcrave. All opinions are my own.

Another great sports romance

Ali Dean writes great sports romance. She writes in a way I can picture the athletes and the bands actually performing. It’s best to listen to, and Stacey does a great job in narrating both voices. I recommend this fantastic audiobook.

Completely different to book 1, but just as great.

Shay and Kick are fraternal twins and the heroine of this novel, Kick, first appears in her sister’s book, THE LINE BELOW. I enjoyed listening to this story straight after THE LINE BELOW, as some of the scenes in both books cross over. Each book is a stand-alone, but the events in THE LINE BELOW occur first in time and so I suggest reading the books in order if you can, but it’s not essential. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of a great romance (2 romances if I include THE LINE BELOW) especially because the writing and narration are both excellent. I highly recommend this duo of novels set in college and in the swimming world. I found Ali Dean because I wanted to hear Stacey Glemboski narrate. What a lucky find.

This is so good!!

Ali Dean tackles a subject in this book that isn’t always dealt without as well as she did here. Kick (Lydia) is a swimmer in college, who has lived life in her terms.. getting what she wants with no strings and no regrets... until one night. Jack is in a band that is in the upward track to fame and he’s had enough of no strings and is looking for more. This is an excellent story that deals with someone who doesn’t think they are enough.. good enough, strong enough, worth enough. It takes you through happenings and thought processes and healing! It’s a great listen, and Stacey Glemboski does a wonderful job with the narration and the different characters. I recommend this highly!!! #AudiobookObsession

So good

I absolutely loved this book! The struggles of self esteem, worth, relationship doubt and living up to peoples expectations... made me frustrated at kick but I loved it all.

Loved it

Kick, has problems of her own she gives out the vibe of, live in the moment for excitement, partying, hooking up! But she is really insecure with the plans for herself . She is scared of not knowing what she really wants. Is she swimming for herself or just something to do with her sister. It's the only thing that keeps her grounded. Her life of one night stands change after meeting A musician, Jack Kingston. He has her questioning herself, she doesn't do relationships, but does she feel comfortable with the one night stand? What makes Jack Kingston so different? This is a story of truths, lies, insecurities, hidden secrets, having confidence in self and finding love. its about Kick finally rethinking what matters most in her life. Ali Dean explores the struggles and commitments to become a collegiate athlete! Showing Kick at her strongest, weakest and most vunerable. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. Stacey Glemboski is phenomenal in her narration. Her voices and personalities for each character were spot on! Her ability to transition from one character to the other is flawless. 🎧#audiobookobsessionreviewr.

Loved the characters & their story, fab narration

Stacey Glemboski does a really great job bringing this story to life. I enjoyed her narration and it drew me even further into the story. You know when you just like a character from the start? This happened with Kick. I just like her and the way she is and how she grows throughout the story. Jack seems a little too good to be true, but I love the way he is with her. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I really didn't want it to end when it did!

Second in series

After reading The Line Below I was intrigued to read (or in this case listen to) Kick's story. It runs along the same sort of timeline as TLB so some parts were familiar but the story came into its own. This one seemed more mature than TLB so it wasn't as irritating. All about Kick figuring out where she was going in her life with regard to relationships and her college/swimming. It moved along at a good pace. Jack Kingston, rock star, was the love interest for Kick and he was rather likeable... especially when it came to the sex scenes, smoking! The story was a sports/rock star romance crossover and it had just the right amount of each, blending into each other. (AUDIO) I preferred this to The Line Below, it was definitely easier to listen to - though I wasn't sure on the narrators attempt at a British (I think!) accent!

Excellent narration

I appreciate that Stacey Glemboski actually sang in her performance. I've listened to some other audiobooks where that wasn't the case, and it really helps the story come alive. I enjoyed the narration. After listening to The Line Below, I was really interested in reading Kick's story. It would be best to read the series in order since the same characters feature prominently in both. I suspect anyone who likes The Line Below will also like Kick. Even though they're both sisters who swim, the stories are actually different. #AudiobookObsession

Favorite by the author

Loved this story and Stacey again kicked butt with bringing the emotions of the characters to life. You are taken on a journey of growth and facing what you would rather bury. I will definitely listen to this again and recommend this to others. #AudiobookObesessionReviewer

I love Kick!

I have listened to several Ali Dean books lately and have loved every one of them. This one was no exception. I just finished listening to The Line Below which was Shay's story so I was already familiar with the main characters. I loved Jack and Kick's story. I also loved that we got to catch up with Shay and Jett. Stacey Glemboski, as always, did a great job bringing this story to life. I'm always happy when I see she is narrating the book I'm about to listen to. 🎧AudiobookObsession

great story finding love

Kick meets Jack after a show. she is just interested in a quick hook up. he wants more. this story takes us on a journey of Kick finding herself. Jack is there waiting to love her. loved this narrator, she did great with all the different voices. 🎧audio obsession

Love it!

Ali Dean has easily become one of my favorites! I love everything I have read/listened to by her and Kick is no exception. Kick is a girl scared of commitment. She self sabotages when it comes to many aspects of her life. When she meets Jack, her world is changed forever and she doesn’t know what to do. I love listening to Kick grow and find herself in ways she never has before, she learns to love & believe in herself. Jack is the perfect fit for Kick. I think he’s just what she needs when she needs it. Stacey Glemboski once again killed it! She’s become one of my favorite narrators! 🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Heartwarming

Kick will definitely have you going on the emotional roller coaster, but so worth it as you get to see Kick get her life together and accept what she truly wants. She has some huge self confidence issues, but one man makes her see things differently and begins to focus on more important things. I really enjoyed this story, and the way the author portrayed Kicks feelings and issues over what happened one night is so realistic. I won’t give too much away. The ending is truly a HEA! The narrative was excellent! 🎧AudiobookObessionReviewer

MUST Listen To Novel (5*****+)

"Kick" is book 2 in Ali Dean's Series: The Sparks Sisters Novel. The first novel; "The Line Below," was about the first twin Shay and this novel is about the other twin Lydia, but she went by her nickname Kick. I enjoyed this booked immensely. If I could have given it more than five stars I would have. It was an intense and powerful story. It showed strong love and the links of commitment one person was willing to pledge to another for their relationship. Kick found herself questioning everything about; Who she was?, What direction she was going in?, If she was good enough for the man who wanted so much to be in her life? To be a part of her world, her future, and having a fear that someone took advantage of her and believes she deserved it because of the free & loose lifestyle that she was living prior. Stacey Glemboski was the narrator for both novels and she did an AWESOME job in them both.👏👍 Listen to them both, you won't be disappointed.