Lover

Survivor, Book 2

By: T.M. Smith

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Life has not always been kind to Shannon Dupree. On the outside, he's carefree and fun loving, but when it comes to his past, he's evasive and secretive. Running away from emotionally bereft parents at just 15, Shannon escapes life with them but steps into the waiting arms of the devil.

Rory Landers is a rising star at the Bureau. His personal life, however, is nothing to write home about. He hopes to take his limited relationship with Frank Moore to the next level when they finally solve the Langford murder case, but that doesn't turn out as planned. On the plus side, he meets free-spirited college senior Shannon Dupree.

Rand Davis finds himself 40-something and single when his partner of more than a decade is unfaithful. Taking over the Cold Case Squad frees up some of his time, and Rand welcomes newfound friendships within the Langford-Moore family circle. He thinks relationships are not in the cards for him until he meets an agent with an attitude and a vivacious blond that make him want so much more. 

Past, present, pain, and suffering collide, ushering in the possibility of a life and love worth fighting for. Although their personalities couldn't be more different, their three hearts beat the same. Shannon, Rory, and Rand learn the definition of love, commitment, and strength, and if they allow themselves, the trio will find all that and more - in each other.  

NOTE: This is the sequel to Survivor. The stories should be heard in order.

©2018 TM Smith (P)2018 TM Smith

A great second book in the series I want more!

At fifteen Shannon ran away from home into what seemed to be a loving perfect relationship to turn into a nightmarish hell he barely escapes. He and Taylor become best friends and like a second family.

Rory thought he and Frank would step up their relationship once the Landers case was solved but when it became obvious Frank and Taylor were in love it left him out. But he met Shannon and things began looking up for both of them.

Rand is fortysomething and single when he finds his longtime lover cheating, he takes on the Cold case unit and begins working with Rory and his team. But some old cases may come to backfire and bring the devil back to Shannon's doorstep.

I am loving this series, It is the second book in the survivor line. I really think you do need to read the books in order since we meet all of the characters in the first book plus we get more of Frank and Taylor as well. I am a character-driven reader and I love every single character in this book. There are lots of them too! The mystery of Shannon's past is sad and there are a few twists that are bone chilling. The heat between the three men is amazing.
If you like ménage, May/December, hot Detectives, mystery/suspense, twists, and some hot man-love this is for you!
I really liked this book a lot and Nick J Russo really brought the characters I already loved to life. I enjoyed his voice and the way he added so much character to the story. I will definitely listen again.

Lover

~ 5 Stars Book & Narration ~

I really enjoy reading the stories that T.M Smith puts out, no matter how many main characters we get, whether it’s MM or MMM. They are all just fabulous, well rounded, thought out stories. With this one, I really do believe you need to read book one Survivor first or you will be a little lost and confused as to who the characters are and how they came to be at this point in the story and series. But, this book is a great addition and second installment to this full storyline. There are a few parts that had me a little confused at times and a few twists that I didn’t fully understand until the storyline was laid out completely. But this book was really interesting and it will definitely keep you guessing as to what will happen next. I think this author did a great job with the suspense and mystery aspect of this book, and was happy that it wasn’t just a sappy romance with no substance. This book had a really solid premise and plot especially with it being an MMM book and giving us three main characters instead of just two.

Shannon, you can’t help but completely fall in love with him. His background and what he had to deal with after he came out to his parents was horrible and will make you feel all kinds of emotions while reading it. Even though he still has fears to conquer and deal with daily, surviving that ordeal just made him so much stronger as a person. Shannon is someone you just want to hug and keep safe and close to you. He is totally adorable and I love that Rory and Rand totally dote on him, they all have a great connection and chemistry with each other.

Rory, I loved that Rory fell in love with Shannon first. He gave his all in their relationship right from the start, even knowing that Shannon had parts of his past he was holding closed off from everyone, he made sure not to push, knowing that Shannon would tell him when the time was right. Rory is the one who brings these men together and I thinks he’s the glue that will keep them together long term. I was really impressed with how his character was written. He’s sweet towards Shannon, but still has a rougher, snarky edge when it comes to his time with Rand.

Rand, his character was fun to watch. He feels an instant connection to both men, but being the standup honorable guy he is, he is very hesitant to act on any of his desires with either of the other men. I really liked seeing how all three guys fell in lust and love with each other, being so different but loving each other in their own ways. I really liked that even though Rand has a more dominant and strong type personality, he didn't push any of that onto Shannon and just became really sweet and a teddy bear when it came to him.

Audio – Nick J Russo, Another outstanding narration. I really enjoyed his voices for the first installment of this series and was really looking forward to seeing what he would give us with this one. He really made Shannon and Rory and Rand come to life. I really think he did a great job keeping all their voices different and making sure that they were on point with each characters personality and traits. He did a really solid job with his vocal performance on this book, and would highly recommend Lover, as well as book one Survivor in audio format.

Fantastic narration!

Story: 4 Stars
Narration: 5 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars!

First of all, I can't stress enough that you need to read Survivor before reading Lover. Not only are there recurring characters that we met in book 1, but the series follows a certain line and you'll be lost otherwise.

Lover is told from Rory, Shannon and Rand's perspectives, and spans over several years, showing us some of the experiences that made them who they are in the present. The book focuses mostly on the case both Rand and Rory are working on and that ends up being connected with Shannon, so the MMM portion isn't explored until the last 30% of the story. That doesn't mean there aren't some very sexy scenes between Rory and Shannon, who are in a relationship, or that we aren't privy of the sparks flying between Rory and Rand, or the attraction blooming between Shannon and Rand. It was good seeing it come to fruition, I just would've liked it to be a bit more developed. Still, I think the three of them fit well together and each brought something the others needed into their relationship.

The case was interesting and I loved all the detail in the investigation. I kind of figured who the other bad guy was almost from the start, but it was still nice to have it confirmed.

I liked most of the characters, both main and secondary, some of which we already met in book 1 like Taylor and Frank, who I loved catching up with. I adored Connie and I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing more of her and Rory, Shannon and Rand in Blair and Manny's book.

The narration was amazing, just about as good as Mr. Nick J. Russo has me used to. Each character had its own distinctive voice and they were all great! He managed to imprint the different scenes with the right amount of emotion, without going overboard and his tone is pleasant and easy to listen to.

All in all, definitely an audiobook (and series) you don't want to miss!

WOW!!!

T.M. Smith and Nick J. Russo have teamed up to bring this fantastic, pulse pounding, grab-you-by-the-feels, intense, gritty, raw, and smoking hot tale to brilliant life.

triad

Glad to see Taylor and Frank are going stronger than ever together. I am loving the triad that developed. What a close call that could have ended the happiness of all three in a blink!! Yay to the bad guys getting karma. Heat level is muy caliente!! I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest review. The narrator did a great job with voices and expressions.

A Intense Sequel

This book dives into tough situations just like the first novel . I repeatedly listened to the chapter that Shannon visits Rory at the office . The support that Shannon has received from his friends and lovers is heart warming and we'll deserved . I loved the relationship between Rory and Shannon the most . I felt there was a lot of attraction between all three main characters . This book is full of romance , action , and suspense . I can't wait to jump into the final book with Manny and Blaire .

I also had to double check the number of narrators because Russo is a little too good with those accents .

Loved the mystery included in this story.

Rounding up from 4.5 stars.

I listened to the first book of this series and I definitely was intrigued by the secondary characters. I was happy that they got their own books and that they made it to audio. I wish I had had time to read it before, but alas time is short.

I love a good story between a committed threesome. Of course it doesn't quite start that way. Rory and Shannon had found themselves in a relationship after meeting each other through the main characters of book 1. Their relationship did feel pretty strong, but through both of their thoughts we could see that there was some interest in Rand for both of them. Neither of them were ready to confess those feelings for fear that it would hurt their own relationship. Rand started crushing on Rory, but Shannon soon became included for these feelings.

I would have preferred it if all three characters could have discussed what they wanted before an illicit kiss took place between Rory and Rand, but all things did work out. I liked the throuple, but I felt like their coming together didn't feel as natural as I would have liked. The big thrill of this book for me was the mystery and the action that took place as a result of Shannon's past. I might have liked it a little more than the romance itself.

The narration was great as always. Nick J Russo is one of my favorites.

MMM, a nasty past put behind and HEA.

The more I read this series, the more I get books i didn't even know I needed. I really like this author's style, and the characters are so well rounded that they coime to life perfectly on page and in my mind!
I loved this sweet, beautiful MMM story.
The story starts with Rory and Shannon as a couple, but both of them, despite deeply in love with the other, feel an inexplicable pull towards Rand; and Rand, after being cheated on and sworn off love, is equally drawn to the two men.
Working together on a case that turns out to be linked to Shannon's difficult past will bring the three men together.
I love how in T.M. Smith's words the ultimate union of the three men is a foregone conclusion, something that the various chapter lead to, but is ultimately unavoidable (it was the same in book 1, too; waiting for Taylor and Frank to get together was just a matter of time!).

Great story & Great Narration

I felt this was a well written story about three guys coming together into one relationship. I also felt that Nick Russo did a fantastic job narrating this story. I was nervous going into this because this was my first thruple book. I just could not wrap my mind around how a relationship like that could work but TM Smith sold me on it. This was not an immediate thing and time was spent building the interpersonal relationships with each guy. Of course the sexy times were very good as well. I had no problem imagining that part : )

I love thruples

Narration: Another spot-on narration by Nick J. Russo. He’s wonderful to listen to, and he makes the rhythm of the book come alive. The quality is perfect, and I think he’s one of my new favorites!

Story: This is a series, and you need to read book one first!
I had to listen to book two after hearing book one. I normally stick to audiobooks at work so I don’t go through them too fast, but I had to listen to this over the weekend at home as I unpacked…I just couldn’t wait!

We meet all three characters in book one—Shannon, Rory, and Rand. I wasn’t so sure about Rory in book one. He broke FBI rules he shouldn’t have and hurt Frank’s feelings. But I think he redeemed himself here. Again, T.M. wrote the story following a long time-period showing the love building over time. I’m a big fan!

Here we have a new bad guy, but we know Shannon is running from the start. The underlying story tore at my feelings, pulling me back and forth. At one point, I was even wondering if Shannon was his real name!

Shannon seems like a lively kind of guy on the outside, but on the inside, he’s a hurt guy who just wants a normal life that has someone love him without hurting him. The story starts with him leaving the abuse that caught him at 15, three years before. Then we skip some time and Shannon goes off the rails a little, having fun and enjoying men for a bit. We learn that he’s gotten serious about life and focuses on his future with the support of his best friend Taylor (MC from Survivor 1). And that’s when he meets Rory, and finally Rand.

Rory is an FBI that we met in Survivor 1. He’s working a missing person’s case that turns out to be a lot more sinister. He met Shannon through Taylor and Frank and starts a relationship with him. There’s a slow burn from the two figuring things out. Shannon is still love-shy, and Rory is getting over his feelings for Frank. But it’s a sweet romance with a twist because they both meet Rand and start having feelings for him as well.

Rand is a local cop that was a part of the case in book one and he’s brought onto the task force for the backstory in book two with Rory. The travel and close quarters brought Rand and Rory closer to start, but Shannon is never far from both of their thoughts.

There is no real cheating in this…the thruple evolves over time and in an organic way that’s sweet and believable. The case is intriguing and keeps the reader interested in that part as well as the romance parts.

I have two weeks until my audible credit renews…yeah, book three will be what I use that for!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Another good romantic thriller!

Shannon has turned his life around after escaping an abusive relationship, but a bunch of other guys who look very similar to him are missing or dead. FBI Agents investigating the case, Rory and Rand, love to hate each other, but they have feelings for each other and for Shannon. I’m always fascinated by how thruples form and work out their relationship, but I felt this story took a few shortcuts. Most people would assume that they shouldn’t try to get between a couple so Rand’s actions were highly unusual and could be seen as encouraging Rory to cheat on Shannon - at the very least it was sexual harassment of a workplace subordinate. Shannon appeared to fall in instalove with Rand when he saw where the cards were falling, it seemed too neat. The timeline of this second book was a little confusing because it started midway through the first book rather than picking up the tale at the end of book one. Aside from all that, TM Smith has produced another good romantic thriller: the serial killer / hurt / comfort story was engaging, creepy, and unfolded well, especially Shannon’s backstory. 🎧 Nick J Russo narrated well although his character voicing didn’t always make it clear who was speaking. Authors should avoid character names starting with the same letter or sounding similar for audiobook listeners.

Great Menage Romance & Mystery - NJR is Fantastic!

I'm so glad I got back into this series. I loved Survivor and if you haven't listened to that one, you'll be okay doing this as a standalone. Though I do recommend it, that's a wonderful story.

TM Smith writes a great menage story in Lover. It's a very compelling romance, with a heart-breaking hurt/comfort tale and a very happy ending.

Nick J. Russo gives one of his best performances ever in this series - I highly recommend doing this one in audio!

better than book one

A very economicaly written novel, with every thought and feeling that could be missed, skipped. When the plot thickens even the spoken sentences exclude every word thats not needed to tell the story.
Fastly getting from point a to b, results ins a lot of coincidences and plot holes.
This is made worse by the narration. The chosen voices are ok, but quickly and lightly the narrator glosses over a lot of necessary pauses and emotions.

as great as the ebook

The story is always full stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. Nick J Russo is one of the top 5 narrators for me, I can listen without break and have no problems to follow.
I'm just not yet finish with the book, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B

Murder/Mystery and Romance

An enjoyable story that follows on from Book 1 and includes characters introduced there. The author balances the murder mystery/serial killer plot with the romance and weaves them skilfully together. I liked how the threesome develops steadily and how the guys gradually work things out.

On the whole, the author’s writing style makes the story easy to follow. Nick’s narration and character portrayal are spot-on as always.

Brilliant continuation

Story: Wow! Survivor set the target for this series at a very high level and I was anxious to see if Lover holds up. Any donuts were totally unnecessary! This story is equally good, if not better! Both the romantic and criminal plot very well executed and brilliantly told! Loved it and couldn’t tear myself away from it. Can’t wait to see what’s next!
Narration: As always with Nick J. Russo, the narration was brilliant and all the voices easily discernible. An awesome audiobook for an awesome story.

MMM

Shannon came to Texas a young and broken boy escaping an abusive older lover. Years later he falls for FBI agent Rory and a happy couple they make. A case with the Detective working a Cold case throws Rand into the mix. He is falling for both men. The Cold case turns out to be related to Shannons ex lover and the past and present entwine, bringing these 3 men to realise that 3 can love just the same as 2. Wonderfully written and performed. Highly recommend

very good

sweet. sassy and sexy... fun characters.. interesting story and i enjoyed the narrator.. overall a very good series and good narrator for this series.. and the author did an amazing job with this story!