Last Hit

Hitman, Book 1

By: Jessica Clare, Jen Frederick

Narrated by: Iggy Toma, Kasha Kensington

Length: 11 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Nikolai: I have been a contract killer since I was a boy. For years I savored the fear caused by my name, the trembling at the sight of my tattoos. If you saw my eyes, it was the last vision you'd have. With her I am the mark, and I am ready to lie down and let her capture me. Opening my small, scarred heart to her brings out my enemies. I will carry out one last hit, but if they hurt her I will bring the world down around their ears.

Daisy: I've been sheltered from the outside world all my life. Home-schooled and farm-raised, I'm so naive that my best friend calls me Pollyanna. I like to believe the best about people. Nikolai is part of this new life, and he's terrifying to me. Not because his eyes are cold or my friend warns me away from him but because he's the only man who has ever seen the real me beneath the awkwardness. With him my heart is at risk...and also my life.

Contains mature themes.

©2013 Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick (P)2015 Tantor

THANK YOU JC & JF FOR A PERFECT 5 STAR LISTEN

This intense and addictive listen starts off describing the Hell that is Daisy's life because her loving but mentally tortured Father has kept her almost a prisoner for most of her life. Escape is the only way to keep her sanity and, as her nail-biting freedom looms, you can't help but feel sorry for the naive 21 yr old virgin as she slowly claims back her life. But, as Daisy is happy and finally living her life with a new roommate, she is being watched, fantasied about and lusted after by a very dangerous Russian hit man.

While you hate Nikolai's profession you're drawn into his sad beginnings as a very young child on the streets of Russia with little hope of surviving until his mentor saves him and trains him to become the cold blooded feared assassin he is today. However, watching Daisy has brought out Nikolai's caring side and, for the first time, he has dreams, hope and a need for someone else in his life. When they meet for the first time it's so sweet because both of them are ignorant of how to flirt or have a relationship but Nikolai would do anything for his Daisy. They are friends then eventually lovers (nice sex scenes) and are in a bubble of happiness until real life comes crashing in on them in the form of two terrifying vicious Russian mobsters resulting in a pulse-pounding kidnapping, threats, violence, revenge and much much much much more.

This fast paced story flowed so well and took me on a very emotional roller coaster ride that had me smiling with happiness, screaming in terror at the chills and thrills, dizzy with the intrigue and twists, sick with the heartache and shattered dreams and finally giddy with anticipation of a HEA for a couple that were just perfect for each other. Dual POV's, the narration was great, loveable characters and a loving sexy gorgeous Russian bad boy.

Worth a credit? Oh boy YEAH it's got everything I could have wished for..... and delivered more too - so, very creditworthy and I'm eagerly waiting for book 2 which picks up on a couple of loose ends which were left tantalisingly dangling in this listen.

UNUSUAL YET TOUCHING

This book by Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick was well written that drew me in by the rarity of it. Daisy and Nikolai couldn't be larger opposites to one another, outwardly anyway.
One a killer, and the other an extremely sheltered 21 year old by a father burdened by horrid past events that freeze him inside his home. He inflicts this abnormal lifestyle on his daughter and finally at 21 she gathers the confidence and money to leave.
Nikolai was a victim of a lifestyle in the Ukraine that develops him as a paid killer. And, he's a good one, making more money than he even knows how much, and an ability to read the emotions of people in such a way that he offers mercy of a sort.
JC and JF, justify wrong (killing) acceptable and join together these two people who need one another and are the answer each need. Nikolai's love for Daisy is touching, sensual, and giving and the creation of the narrative of the sensual experiences between the two is more touching and arousing than any I have listened to before.
The narration from both narrators is excellent. Iggy is someone who I've never listened to, but his voice is outstanding in the audiobook and one who I long to hear again soon.
Definitely worth a credit or moneys to listen to.

Just ok for me

I was hoping for more. Story was ok. Narrator for Nick was awesome. The narrator for Daisy sounded too old for her 21 yr old innocent voice.
The story was ok. I just expected more

Bizarre & Awkward

What would have made Last Hit better?

This is NOT a romance!

What was most disappointing about Jessica Clare and Jen Frederick ’s story?

Disjointed, unromantic, disgusting

Any additional comments?

This is one of the worst pretend romance books I have read, ever!

story line and characters were not interesting

I wanted to like the story but I lost interest almost immediately. There wasn't much character development; I wasn't invested in any of the characters.

eh

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Someone who just wants a raunchy read and doesn't mind a storyline that is incredibly unrealistic.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I'm looking forward to the release of the new Rachel van Dyken series.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

For the most part, yes. I didn't enjoy the female narration so much and usually I love iggy toma, but his Russian accent slipped from time to time and it hit the ear wrong.

What character would you cut from Last Hit?

The roommate. Basically she had no real part that was crucial to the story.

Any additional comments?

I read some reviews that said this book had no real suspense. That's not totally true, there were bits. But honestly, the story was just lacking all around. Naivete is one thing, but this was just too much to be believable in the slightest.

I Agree With The Good Reviews!

I have become a little jaded over the high number of stars given to so many of the 'romances' I have read lately. This audiobook has unique, intelligent, non-whiney characters, an interesting plot and decent narrators. Wow, it actually deserves 4+ stars.

Great 'Bad-boy' hero with a heart of gold.

Any additional comments?

This is just a really fun book about a Ukrainian hit man who stumbles on to a young girl who, has lived her life with her hermit father. She's recently left and is now discovering the world so she is incredibly native, and he is so NOT. But he is really a nice guy at heart.
Not only is there an excellent love story in there, but the sex scenes are so sweet and hot all at once. I'm only 3/4's done but I can say already this is one of the best erotic-romance novels I've listened to this year. Can't wait to get them all.....I've going take my time and slowly get a new one every few weeks this summer!

Excellently Unique

Wonderfully refreshing to listen to a story line so different from the run of the mill love story. Characters stayed true all the way through and narrator was excellent.

really bad even for a "romance" novel

the Russian accent of nickoli reminds me of Borat. Honestly it felt like the author was trying to cross over from romance to something else. the editing was terrible as well. for some reason they could only settle on like six descriptive words or phrases to describe the human anatomy. the sex scenes felt clinical. suddenly this innocent virgin went from knowing nothing to being very knowledgeable about sex in like a week with zero exposure or instruction. it was magic.