Love's Trials

Revolutionary Heart, Book 2

By: Janice Jarrell

Narrated by: Walker Williams

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Colin and Joshua faced the most harrowing ordeal of their lives with love and courage. Believing they'd survived their trial, they looked forward to a future filled with happiness, only to discover that the worst was yet to come. Sometimes, surviving is the toughest trial of all.

When you face the worst that can be faced and emerge from your ordeal with your life and love still intact, it's natural to breathe a sigh of relief and thank god that your suffering is behind you. But the aftermath of Colin and Joshua’s ordeal presented them with challenges deadlier to their relationship than death itself.

For a powerful, athletic alpha male, being unable to even go to the bathroom without help is a crushing blow. Pride and ego combine to do what a bullet could not - destroy the relationship that Colin and Joshua share and that they both cherish.

For a trained psychologist like Joshua, dealing with the emotional aftermath of his partner’s injuries should have been second nature. But memories of his own abused and neglected childhood rose to the surface with frightening force, shattering his ability to confront their issues in a healthy manner.

They didn't want it to be that way. Both of them knew they were wrong in how they were handling the pain of Colin's recovery. Colin hid behind his colossal pride. Humiliated by his infirmity and too proud to admit that he needed help and comfort, he hid his feelings behind a mask. While fearful of Colin’s rejection and ultimate abandonment, Joshua hid in his room, unable to confront his partner and demand that they both get the help they needed.

The toughest trials are those that pit you against yourself. Colin and Josh must find their best, truest selves if they are to save the love they cherish and find the healing they seek in each other’s arms.

This is a story of love’s trials and its ultimate triumphs.

This is the second book in the Revolutionary Heart series. In the first, Love’s Magic, Colin and Joshua meet and find the magic that binds their souls together. But the magic that bound their hearts together couldn't save them from the trial that shattered their world. This book will break your heart, then mend it again. The passion is hot, and the love is unquenchable. Walk with Colin and Joshua as they journey through their dark night of the soul to their ultimate happily ever after.

Please note: This book can be listened to as a stand-alone, but it will have more meaning if you've also read or listened to Love's Magic, which is where their relationship begins.

©2018 Janice Jarrell (P)2020 Janice Jarrell

BEAUTIFUL HARD FOUGHT LOVE STORY

This is the follow up to Love's Magic. It begins right where Book #1 left off. Colin, the Irish proud campus Police Officer has fallen hard for Josh. Josh is working hard as a Psychologist and loves his work. These two men are smart, hard working, honest and dedicated to making a difference in their corner of the world. They love each other to a fault. This story tests this relationship to its core. When life takes them down a path most people couldn't endure. When true tragedy strikes your life it's hard to truly know if you have the strength to survive. Janice Jarrell writes with heart and public awareness. She doesn't shy away from controversial subjects but puts things in perspective. She puts you smack in the middle, with all the emotions and feelings of her characters. Devoted friends David and Nate also play pivotal roles in this story. This MAGNIFICENT Author paired with the UNFORGETTABLE voice of Walker Williams makes this an audible experience you will never forget. The emotion and feeling Walker Williams gives to these characters is PRICELESS!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!

Excellent!

Well, the first book definitively wasn't a fluke, because this one is as good as that one.

When the book begins, Nate and David are happily married, and they had become very good friends with Joshua and Colin.

But, of course, troubles are brewing: a white supremacists' rally at the college left them all unsettled. Add to that that there is a project going in which students are being used as bait to catch drug dealers in exchange of dropping charges of possession and/or distribution of drugs and avoid being expelled, and well... things are messy enough. And then, Colin gets shoot during one of the ops set to bust a big dealer...

From then on, the story is an absolute emotional wreck: raw, honest and painful. We are witness to the consequences of the shooting, the way in which trauma affects Josuha and Colin, how they deal (or don't deal) with it, and it's a fantastic but truly distressing ride.

I find the writer's style compelling, and beautiful. I like that there aren't easy solutions in their stories, and that love isn't a magic cure to everything that's wrong. I love how she constructs characters who are complex and human, with weaknesses and strengths. I love how their cultural heritage are interwoven in the stories and how they are part of who they are.

And I loved this book. Very much! Janice Jarrel has become a new favourite author, that's for sure.

Walker Williams did a really good job here, too.

Great story, wonderful audio performance

I kind of feel like I've been waiting for this audiobook forever. 😊 It's really only been seven months or so but after listening to Love's Magic back in June 2019 I couldn't wait to listen to Love's Trials. I own all of the books in this series but I haven't read them simply because I am in love with Walker Williams performance of the stories and I knew this audiobook was in the works.

I was totally enthralled by this story and the dulcet timber of Walker Williams voice. To best understand Colin and Joshua's love story I encourage you to either read or listen to Love's Magic first. The blurb is excellent and from it I'm sure you can tell that hard times lie ahead for Collin and Joshua. There are many harrowing moments in this book and I shed more than a few tears. But all of those tears were worth it in the end because Joshua and Colin get their HEA.

Love's Trials isn't as complex of a story as Love's Magic was because it pretty much focuses on only one couple but we do get to visit with Nate and David from Love's Magic quite a bit. I sincerely hope that more of the books from the Revolutionary Hearts series will be coming out as audiobooks – especially if Walker Williams will be performing them.

A copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

Heartwrenching and amazing!

Story:I literally just finished the story and it left me reeling! There are so many emotions I went through along the way that it's hard to put it together, The story the author presented is an amazingly brutal and beautifully honest journey through trauma and recovery. There are no punches held, but they are delivered with great finesse and beautiful writing. Just WOW!

Narration: it was the first book by this narrator for me and I really liked his voice. There was great characters differentiation and it was very easy to follow the story. Just what I expect from a good narrator!

A Weill Written & Emotional Story

This is the second book in The Revolutionary Heart Series. An emotional and compelling book. The plot was entertaining and it was steady throughout the book. I found the story and characters good. The characters were developed and thought out. Nate & David were secondary characters and Colin & Joshua are the MC’s of this book. Communication is even more important than ever in this book. The narration was good and enjoyable. I can recommend this book as a good read/listen. I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book for an honest review.

Heartbreaking but wonderful meeting old friends

I was very happy to get more time with Joshua, Colin, Nate and David. Just as the author had clearly done her homework in the first book of the series to get the university life right, Jarrell has clearly done the homework here to get the details right about the emotional upheavals that occur after a devastating injury. Colin's and Josua's reactions are complicated, understandable, irritating and hearbreaking all at once. You will at various times love and hate both of them because just as in book one, you completely buy them as real people and what they are dealing with is never black and white, but always shades of grey. I was so happy at the ending! This HEA is extremely deserved and very hard earned. I also loved seeing Nate and David again, learning how their relationship has developed and watching them support and love Colin and Joshua. The narrator is still rather problematic for me. He requires my sustained attention to catch all the words and I would have like more variation in tone and affect than I got here.

Absolutely perfect!

Holy Mother of Audiobooks. This was fantastic!

First, I'd like to gush about Walker Williams, who not only narrated this gem of a story but performed it so well, Joshua and Colin were alive and well, telling me their story. I loved his take on Colin's voice. It was magical and he made this already fantastic book even better with his contribution of talent.

I fell hard for the couple in the first book, but this was the continuation of their story, post-trauma from book one. And just when we thought it was smooth sailing for this couple, Colin's job takes him into a situation he's lucky to survive. But he's still got his Irish ego to deal with.

Overall, I think this might have been my favorite book in the series. It gutted me in parts. The way Joshua talks about how he feels and then it's Colin's turn to lay it on the line. Truly exceptional.

I loved every moment, every word. I laughed, I mourned, and I rejoiced. So well done!

Even more beautiful than the first

I do love seeing David and Nate in this one but really loved that it focused solely on Colin and Josh. It's such a heartbreaking but very real story and again so beautifully written. Definitely an emotional roller coaster. Aside from the love story, the underlying friendships and support characters were what really made this shine for me. Williams does a great job with the narration getting all those feels in.

a wonderful story of Love

Janice Jarrell's novel Love's Trials is the second book in the Revolutionary Heart series. It continues the story of Colin and Josh as they face dangers, challengers, and fears. Emotional, passionate, suspenseful.... this book is amazing.

Walker William's narrates this story with passion and feeling... adding a higher level to the book's enjoyment value. Clear recording and fantastic voicework. Definitely recommend.

4.5 stars for this emotional and gripping story.

I don't even know where to begin. This book hit me hard. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to slap someone, and this time it wasn't the characters...well, maybe them a little. LOL. Ten years ago, I became sick and disabled, so this one hits close to home. I could relate to Colin on a level I couldn't in book one, and while it was an emotional read, I absolutely loved it. Let's get into the review.

STORY: 4.5 STARS
Colin, Josh, Nate, and David are back, but this time the story solely focuses on Colin and Josh, and I will tell you now, I liked that a lot more than I did the first book, Love's Magic. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed book one, but it wasn't my fave. This one...blew me away. Maybe because we only have to keep up with the one, which I'm going to tell you now, there was enough drama, nothing needed to be added to it. LOL. The raw emotion that is written into this story when Colin is hurt and the way he deals with it came through loud and clear. Not everyone can do that. Like I said, it hits close to home for me and pressed certain buttons. I'm not saying it has triggers, but if you have ever had a disease or injury that basically put on the breaks and changed your life, you will be able to understand Colin very well. Still a great cast of characters - I love the physical therapist - and a plot that will touch you emotionally.

NARRATION: 4.5 STARS
Once again Walker Williams brought these characters to life. With a steady pace, the book is easy to follow, and he gave different voices to the various characters, which means you won't get lost trying to figure out who said what.

OVERALL: 4.5 STARS
I loved this book, and while there were still a couple of times when I yelled at my audible app and told the characters to pull their heads out of their...you know, the story pulled me in. For some of you, this will be very emotional, and I'll recommend tissue to those of you that warning applies to. I needed them a few times. Great story, great plot, fantastic characters, and good narration. Overall, I'm giving this book 4.5 stars and recommend you one-click today!