Rise and Fall

Vanguard Towers, Book 5

By: Aiden Bates

Narrated by: Guillaume Dubois

Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

One night will never be enough.

I'm never letting a shrink in my head again. My pants, though? Dr. Scott Howard has been there, done that, and left an imprint on my soul.

It was supposed to be a one-night stand, but I can't get Howie out of my mind. He's my brother's shrink. Nothing else can happen between us. So why can't I stop kissing him?

Howie's not like any shrink I've ever met. One kiss leads to another and before I know it, he doesn't just know my mind...he has my heart.

But will he want to stick around when he finds out just how messed up I really am?

©2021 Special Fiction Books (P)2021 Special Fiction Books

loved owen and howie!!

This is the story of Owen and Howie. We've meet Owen in the other stories in the series. Owen is a paramedic and has seen a lot. He has animosity towards Howie's profession. But there is a lot of chemistry between Owen and Howie. Guillaume Dubois did a really great job with the narrative, voice were clear. Really helped to make the story come to life!

Title should have been Push & Pull

I can’t get enough of this series. I want to live in the Vanguard towers too!! These brothers are so unique and worthy of love. I have to say this one wasn’t my favorite but it was still a good story. I love hearing about the other brothers and how their lives are progressing. There is a wedding at the end!!! 😁

Owen & Howie

Owen and Howie are just perfect for each other if only Owen can get over his past traumas. It definitely takes lots of patience and loving not to mention some intervention from the Vanguard brothers for these two to get their HEA. The narrator did a great job with the characters and the story. I voluntarily reviewed a gifted copy of this audio book.

Owen and Howie's Love Story

Owen and Howie are the men who find love in the 5th book of Aiden Bates’ ‘Vanguard Towers’ series. There were hints in prior books that something was going to happen between these two, but you don’t need to have read those to understand this one. I think it stands on its own nicely.

Owen and Howie get the story up and running with a hook-up that afterward each man thinks was probably a bad idea. Their attraction for one another brings them back together, but they keep it casual. The more time they spend together, the more they’re starting to realize it’s more than casual. Howie is ready to jump into commitment with both feet. Owen, however, is much more cautious. The trauma he’s suffered and not properly dealt with is holding him back.

One of Bates’ best themes is 'found family'. He adds scenes that include all the Vanguard Towers brothers (and significant others) interacting with both Howie and Owen. These are some of my favorite scenes. Bates also keeps things low-angst and sweet. If you’ve read and liked previous books of this series; you’ll enjoy ‘Rise and Fall’ too.

I wasn’t sure if the epilogue was the set-up for the next book or whether it was a finale for the series. I think it can be interpreted either way. I’m not sure that Bates has more planned for the series, but I’m interested to see where an additional installment will go.

The narration by Guillaume Dubois is great. His voice has a nice tone. The differentiation of the character voices is very well done.

I requested this audiobook as a review copy and am now leaving a voluntary opinion.

Recommended.

Love it!!

If you haven't started listening to this series, you need to. I love these guys completely and I want to move into the Vanguard Towers. This was an excellent book and the narration is superb!

One of the Best of the series

Like every brother in the Vanguard Towers, Owen has issues and his issues make Howie the worst choice for him. There isn't much lead in to their romance, though part if it is at the end of a preceding book in the series. Despite the lack of build up, the story was enjoyable and Howie and Owen were both enjoyable characters, especially Howie. He seems so lonely but he's also secure in who he is and is so patient with Owen. The narrator did a good job overall, which is hard with this many characters. There were a few points that it was hard to tell if Howie or Owen was talking, but it wasn't often. Looking forward to the next book.

A fabulous story and a pretty good performance

I was given a free audio copy from the author and the GRR arc team for review.

* warning * brief mention of past sexual abuse but not in detail

I was waiting for this couples book and it did not disappoint. This book is my favorite. Though I did really love books 3 and 4 almost as much.

The narrators voice was ok. Not the best but not the worst. He kept a good pace and expressed the emotions well. He differentiated the 2 MCs voices a bit but it wasn't a overly obvious difference. Still an enjoyable listen though.

Conquering old demons

Owen has faced some serious trauma which stops him from pursuing a relationship with psychiatrist Howie, but he can't quite make himself stay away. His resistance to any discussion of his problems naturally wear on Howies patience, as 'talking about it' is his profession. I have been in a similar situation, and really felt for them both. I enjoyed the resolution, even if I think the car accident was a tiny sell out. I enjoyed myself through the whole book.

Love this series!

Rise and Fall is Book 5 in the Vanguard Towers series. I love this series and this book was a wonderful addition. Owen and Howie are so great for each other but there's one problem, Owen had some childhood abuse and the fact that Howie is psychiatrist is triggering to him. I love how Howie does everything he can to help Owen. I also love how the brothers come together and are always there for each other. Though this book can be enjoyed on its own, it's better when read/listened to in order. The end could be confusing if you're not familiar with the other books. I recommend this wonderful series of found family. They all have come a long way to find their happy endings.
Narrator Guillaume Dubois does an amazing job in bringing these characters to life. You can really tell he enjoys what he does.

Can't wait for the next

Loving Guillaume Dubois's narration for these two guys. This story hits a few emotional and serious situations and the voice flowed perfectly to fit each one. Definitely one of my favorites!