Passing His Guard

Against the Cage, Book 2

By: Melynda Price

Narrated by: Alejandro Navarro, Maya Beechwood

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Aiden "Disco Stick" Kruze walked away from it all - money, family, friends, and a successful career as a lawyer in Manhattan - to pursue his dream of being an MMA fighter. When a sexy private investigator shows up at Aiden's gym, he mistakenly assumes she's a cage-banging groupie.

Ryann is determined to haul Aiden back home. She's desperate to claim the reward money that will pay off her father's creditors before the man who killed her father comes to collect from her.

Aiden is done living his life under the microscope of being a senator's son. He's not going back to New York - ever - and there's nothing this tenacious redhead can do about it. Or is there?

When the demons of Aiden's past catch up with him, he realizes the lies, deception, and betrayal run deeper than he ever imagined. Aiden must put his career and his life on the line to save the woman who's stolen his heart.

©2015 Melynda Price (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved

An okay story..

Good narration and enjoyed it. Story wise it's a little unreal.. How the story flows, just a little everywhere.. Always doubting and all, a little too much which sometimes confuses me..

Book two as good as book one!

Stayed up all night listening to this one. The second one was just as good as the first. Looking forward to the next in this series. Definitely worth a credit!

4.5 Star, this series must keep going!

I really like this series. It's hard to find a MMA series that has a good storyline/plot. The only reason I am giving it a 4.5 star instead of a 5 star is because I am tired of the MMA heros always have to be a manwhore, It's getting old. I did not like Disco our hero's MMA tile/alter personality. Which he thought he had to be, but I loved the real man inside Aiden. I am not a reader that likes to read all sex and no story. Melynda Price is a great writer that give us a story with some action. I cannot wait until Nikko's story. I think I am going to like him the most. Keep up the good work Melynda!

romantic and intriguing

loved it, full of intriguing moments, also steamy situations, also includes what a real friend is willing to do for a friend.

Very good story/addition to the series :D

4 stars

This was a very good story. I liked Ryann and Aiden and enjoyed their story.

Ryann is a PI that specializes in finding missing persons. Her mother died 7 years before and her father didn't take it well. He ended up in a bad place and died with a lot of gambling debt to the local mobster. Unfortunately, after his death, the mobster then decided Ryann had to pay off the debt, threatening that if she doesn't pay he'll get his money out of her in other ways.

Aiden is a CFA fighter that's doing well and heading towards a championship. Aiden seems like a typical MMA fighter but what most don't know is that he's the son of a Senator and used to be an excellent lawyer. He hated his life though and walked away from it all around 14 months before this story begins.

Ryann owes the mob $75K for her father's debts and is about $10k short with only 2 weeks left on her time. She's desperate so when a woman comes in asking Ryann to find her son, it might have been a good thing except for the fact that the son is a grown man and the woman insists that to get paid, Ryann has to "deliver" her son to New York. Ryann only takes the job because the mob makes it quite clear that she's in for horribleness if she doesn't deliver what's owed. She finds Aiden and goes to see him in Vegas but he just thinks she's a "cage banger" (which is a pet name for all the women that hang around the fighters looking for sex). Aiden is really attracted to Ryann and thinks (hopes?) there might be something different about her. Ryann is very attracted to Aiden in return and has trouble keeping her mind on her job when she's around Aiden. Unfortunately, when Ryann does confront Aiden about why she's actually there, he loses it and isn't willing to talk to her at all.

Ryann is in a desperate situation so she does something she really shouldn't have and it leads Ryann and Aiden to spend time together. It doesn't take long before it comes out that Aiden has very good reasons for wanting to stay away from his parents and that Ryann is stuck in a really bad position that leaves her with little choice about getting Aiden to New York. Aiden and Ryann are at odds frequently while together...they're majorly attracted to each other and there's a connection but they both tend to assume the worst about each other and their situations which makes it hard for them to be completely in sync. They do have some good times though and it allows them to come to care for each other. Thankfully, although they have to deal with plenty of drama and some danger, things do turn out well and end with Aiden and Ryann getting a HEA together.

This was a very enjoyable story. I liked both Ryann and Aiden but they both had the same fault...they assumed things and didn't use their communication skills. I'll admit that they were in a weird situation but there was a point where it seemed a bit overdone. None the less, I did like them both and was happy once they got past their issues and came together. The story wasn't perfect but it was pretty good overall and it kept me well engaged so I'd recommend this story. :)

.....I wanna take a ride on your "Disco Stick" !

Book 2 in the Against the Cage series and boy, does Alejandro Navarro has a sweet a** voice as Aiden "Disco Stick" Kruze! Wow okay lemme start this review before I go back and re-listen to Passing His Guard.

So, we're introduced to our PI, Ryann, who is actually a female and she specializes in finding missing persons. Also, her mama died 7 years before and since her father didn't take it so well he ended up in a very dark place with some shady folks. - lets just say his gambling debt to a local mobster doesn't really help Ryann. Unfortunately, after his death, the mobster decides that Ryann needs to pay off her daddy's debt, and he threatens her that if she doesn't pay he'll get his money out of her in other ways. Ew.

Ryann now owes the mob $75K but she's about $10k short with only 2 weeks left before dooms day. She's desperate enough to take a job from a very high class woman who let's just say is married to a politician, to find her son, Aiden, who happens to be a grown ass man and also a trained CFA fighter. I said Ryann is desperate right, so she agrees to "deliver" Aiden to New York in a week.

When she finds him on Vegas, it doesn't really work out as she'd hope because see here, Aiden is instantly attracted to her BUT he's kinda bummed that she might be a "cage banger" (which is a nickname for all the women that hang around the fighters looking for sex). Aiden obviously doesn't like the fact that Ryann is only using him for sexy but he's so drawn to her that risks the one night but before things get hot and heavy, Ryann reveals the true nature of her visit and Aiden about loses his shit.

Aiden "Disco Stick" Kruze is a CFA fighter, sex God and future champion. He's your average CFA star, sex on a stick and the son of a Senator...wait what? Exactly! His father is a Senator, but you wouldn't think that because Aiden wants nothing more that to remove that part of himself and make his own way and he does with his CFA family. Oh by the way, he's a powerful fuckin' lawyer but ssshhhh, he doesn't practice it anymore (for reasons you'll find out). He left his old life over a year ago and hasn't looked back since.

You take Ryann's desperation and Aiden's curiosity, and you watch the heated sparks fly! It's a story of your past coming to bite you in the ass and having to rewrite the present to hopefully right the future but with these two, their hot as hell chemistry just might be a very WANTED distraction. By all means, their story wasn't perfect but it was pretty good overall.

I enjoyed listening to Alejandro as Aiden and Maya Bachwood as Ryann, they did a wonderful job.

Loved very much

First time buying from this author loved this story so much , I will look for more good audiobooks from her 💜💜💜💜

Great Cover For an Equally Great Book 🕵️

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book to friends who like MMA with their romance. If one does not want to hear about men beating the crap out of each other in a cage, this is not for them.

What did you like best about this story?

I really enjoyed the dilemma that brings Aiden (male) and Ryann (female) together from the beginning. Ryann is a PI, in this case it feels more like a bounty hunter, ready to talk Aiden To go back to his political family and follow through on the commitments his parents have made on his behalf. The big payoff for returning him to his family is a lot of money that will help her deceased fathers debts- some very BAD people.

What does Alejandro Navarro and Maya Beechwood bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am a big fan of dual narration when done properly. Alejandro Navarro and Maya Beechwood Get it done! They have each gained a fan.

Any additional comments?

Descriptions of sex, violence, and strong language.

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A POWERFUL SUSPENSE & A BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY

Ryann had buried her Father a month ago and she is being hounded by the Mob Boss that she has to take over her Father's $75,000 debts and the ultimatum came to either pay up or start 'working' the debt off. Just as she starts to panic in walks a lifeline..... bring back Aiden Kruze, a long-lost son, so he and his Fiancée can be married - easy right? Wrong.

Aiden (aka Disco Stick) is a successful sexy MMA Fighter, he's very handsome, pierced, tattooed, has a great body and is very happily enjoying a 'one and done' mentality towards women..... until a green eyed redheaded beauty walks into his Gym. Mistaken identity, instant lust and sizzling chemistry, insecurities, a roofie, kidnapping, sex, awkward silences, soul-soul connection and a harrowing pit stop are just some of the things that follow as Ryann brings an unwilling Aiden back to NYC. And he leaves behind his 'Disco' persona to become the clever, charismatic and challenging Aiden..... or so he thought.

But everything was not as it seems as Ryann's life has been manipulated and is unknowingly closely interwoven with Aiden's and, just as they learn to trust each other, people interfere, secrets are kept back, plans aren't shared and guilt steps in to create heartache and mischief. Well, guilt, a Mob Boss, his Mother and his corrupt Father and Aiden himself all have a hand in potentially destroying their very passionate but tentative love story and the results end up being bloody, brutal, frightening and, quite literally, life changing.

The story flows well, sucks you right in, both Ryann and Aiden are strong likeable characters and you can't help but empathise with both sides of the story as, despite numerous hurdles, they are two people who are trying to hold on to their love. Aiden also has a loveable and dark best friend Nikko and hopefully his book will be next. Dual POV's, the narrators were good and the plot was full of emotional highs and lows, humor, suspense, a twist or two and an up/down romance that had plenty of sex and sizzle. Could easily be a stand-alone listen.

Worth a credit? Unbelievably you get an entertaining and enjoyable listen that lasts for over 12 hours for only $7.34 so I just bought it and saved my credit for a more expensive (but maybe not as enjoyable) a listen. But YES, I'd of happily used a credit on this.

Enjoyable

Really enjoyed this one. Even more than the first. Good adventure. Looking forward to Del Toro's story.