The Duets: A Contemporary Romance Box Set

By: Meghan Quinn

Narrated by: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell

Length: 31 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's Summary

Gripping, heart-stopping, and an incredibly epic journey with a twist you'll never see coming. USA Today best-selling author Meghan Quinn brings you a modern take on an old-fashioned romance that will leave you breathless and wanting more. 

This isn’t a story about a love triangle. There is no triangle involved. 

This isn’t a story about an accidental pregnancy. Although having a baby with her...I would. 

This isn’t a story about lies and deception, even though at times I’ve lied to myself. 

No, this is my story. 

A story about sacrifice. 

A story about a man who fell in love with the wrong girl. 

A story I wish I never had to tell. 

I learned a long damn time ago, the only way to achieve my dreams was to avoid distractions - at any cost. 

But all it took was one single night. One night and my entire life...changed. 

One night had me colliding head first with the biggest distraction of my life: Rory Oaks. Smart. Charming. Beautiful. Rory changed everything. 

Quickly, my one-track mind, my goals started to bend. 

Each kiss faded decade-long dreams. 

And with one single interaction, I flew off course. 

Box set of four books

The Upside of Falling

The Downside of Love

The Left Side of Perfect

The Right Side of Forever

©2020 Meghan Quinn (P)2020 Meghan Quinn

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

I have to start this review off by saying I am so glad I listened to these books as a set. I would have gone crazy with the cliffhangers and the waiting. This was my first Meghan Quinn and If I am honest when book 1 ended I was unsure if there would be any more in my future but man she really did a great job and pulling me in, making me fall in love, breaking my heart, twisting up everything I thought I wanted and starting all over again. In the end she seriously did a great job pulling this all together. I loved that it felt like we got to really watch these characters grow so much over the years and become great people with beautiful lives ahead of them even if the road was hard won. With the twists in these stories this could have been very high drama and honestly it wasn't as much as I thought it would be. Yes there is some but the characters genuinely reacted and then stopped to think, then they acted like adults and handled everything with maturity and I seriously loved that. In the end I really liked these stories and will be listening to more books by Meghan Quinn!

The narration was good. When book 1 started I wasn't sure if the casting really fit for 20-ish characters but before book 1 was over I forgot all about that or who was even narrating which is great narration to me because they became the characters.

At the end of this Duet Series we also get a bonus, Mr. Klein is Fine which is part of the Stories of September Anthology. It was a sweet teaser novella narrated by Connor Crais & Maxine Mitchell. A nice break after the emotional roller coaster of the Duets.

❤️ I’M EMOTIONALLY WRECKED.. & ALL LOVED UP ❤️

Oh Meghan Meghan Meghan, you've really outdone yourself with these two stunning, unique and emotionally charged Duets and they instantly drew me in and didn’t let go until the very end. An oh boy did you pack a meaty emotional punch with these books as four people were taken on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery, character growth, tough choices.. and eventually realizing the difference between love, stepping-stones and soul-mate forever love. The tenderness, romance, sigh-worthy hero imagery, steamy sexcapades, sizzling chemistry, character strength, message and sentimental slow build was intense. The touching tenderness.. the love.. the dilemmas and the emotional angst were all perfectly balanced and absolutely awesome. Joe and Maxine did a phenomenal job with the narration and made the characters, and their relationship delicious highs and heartbreaking devastating lows, come to life. Plus there’s a sweet little 1 hr bonus novella at the end too.

WORTH A CREDIT? A great big read it in bold YES 💕

Emotional journey

Wow! Ok, so I had previously avoided these duets when they were released in ebook form because I'm not a big fan of cliffhangers. I'm SO glad I waited to listen to the books presented this way-talk about a journey! When I finished book one I NEEDED book two. I felt invested in these characters and their story. There were moments here that made me cry, moments that made me smile. This wasn't my first Meghan Quinn book and it won't be my last.

The narrators here really brought the books to life. I think they played off each other incredibly well and just embodied these characters to a T. I absolutely loved them.

I would absolutely recommend this audio!

WOW!

WOW I don't even know where to begin. These books did not end the way I thought when I started, but they did end the way they were meant to! Colby, Rory, Stryder and Ryan all have been through so much in their lives that make each one of these books so individual, really telling the story of each. I am so glad I read these books as a binge listen though as The Duets because I was screaming at the cliffhangers of each book, freaking out in the middle of the books, crying with the characters and just feeling everything. I honestly can't say much about the story cause anything I say really would be a spoiler but these books are gut wrenching in everyway but Meghan did an amazing job healing all hearts involved. Loved this story! And don't forget the bonus book at the end!

Fantastic books!

The Duets by Meghan Quinn contains the following books: The Upside of Falling and The Downside of Love (Blue Line); and The Left Side of Perfect and The Right Side of Forever (Perfect). The four books (which can be read as standalones but why do that do yourself??) in this compilation chronicle the lives of four individuals-Rory, Ryan, Colby, and Strider. I feel like I should separate my review for each book, but somehow I cannot. This foursome was so intertwined with each other that it has become hard to separate them all. One story bled into the next and so on. At the end of it all, it was one epic love story...not only romantic love but friend love as well. The love these characters felt for each other as friends was just as powerful as the HEA they got in the end. There isn't an emotion that I didn't feel. But the one thing that I didn't expect to do as I listened was CRY. I cried both tears of sadness and joy and can tell you for certain that I will feel the loss of having finished listening to their stories. Can we say major book hangover?? Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell did a magnificent job bringing these characters to life! A more perfect pair couldn't have been chosen. I received an advance copy of this audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this review.

Definitely worth the purchase❣️

I loved the books when they came out and the audio books add so much more to their stories! Joe & Maxine bring Colby, Stryder, Rory, Ryan & Sage to life. It takes them a while to end up with their true soulmates but their journeys to get their are epic! #pieceofcakereviewer

Wonderful!

The stories that evolved through these books wove a beautiful story that illustrated the pain and beauty of love. I was thankful this was a box set so that I could listen to one book after the other so the story could continue without a cliffhanger. The box set made the purchase with a credit an extreme bargain and one well worth the purchase! Narrators were wonderful! I do have to say I am team Colby all the way though!

Loved it

This series is one of the best I've heard: all the feels, all of them. I laughed and cried. I couldn't stop listening. Well worth the credit.

Captivating and Breathtaking!

This 4 book box set is a captivating and emotional journey that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. These breathtaking stories will make you laugh, cry, and swoon as you become invested in these characters and cheer for their HEA.

~The Upside of Falling
We meet Colby Brooks who has dreamed and worked hard to become a fighter pilot. Colby had a tragic past, and his best friend, Stryder, helped him find a family. When Colby meets Rory Oaks, they are instantly attracted to each other. Colby tries to keep his distance so he isn't distracted from his goals. But Rory is persistent, trying to help this closed off man open up to love. Rory is kind, and loving, and her family life is complicated making it hard to keep a relationship alive. When she and Colby's relationship grows more passionate, can it survive the distance that flight school creates?

~The Downside of Love
This story took me totally by surprise and I was stunned with the direction it took. But it was a heartbreaking journey with a twist that will make you feel many emotions as you realize that love can be found in the most unlikely ways.

~The Left Side of Perfect
Colby and Ryan are back in this gripping and emotional, friends to lovers romance. They were acquaintances in the other 2 books but connect at the beginning of this story. Ryan has a heartbreaking past that makes her hide behind her carefully made up exterior and carefree attitude. She and Colby are total opposites but Colby grounds Ryan and she makes him take chances in his careful life. They have fun together and Colby is very protective of her. But Colby is still holding on to his carefully planned out life, and soon his choices will break Ryan's heart.

~The Right Side of Forever
This is a beautiful and perfect conclusion to this series. Colby and Ryan are such complex characters, and I loved their growth throughout. I was totally captivated by the way they faced their painful pasts, worked hard to overcome it and became stronger. Their journey was heartbreaking, and emotional, but also filled with so much hope, joy, and love.

This was narrated so beautifully by Joe Arden, and Maxine Mitchell. They both brought out the range of emotions these characters went through as they discovered and made peace with their trauma, allowing us to see them with empathy and understanding. Arden and Mitchell compliment each other so perfectly, bringing this raw and poignant story to life and making it even better.

Great Book

This was one roller coaster ride of emotions!! Great read!!This was a very well written book it brought me to feel every emotion. Every character in the book had an emotional trauma and great chemistry between each other . It had a beautiful HEA!! And the novella at the end was a nice treat!! All the narrators did an outstanding job!!

Intensely emotional and steamy

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

Holy moly!

Okay, so there's hot and then there's hot! 

This was one emotional rollercoaster of a book and it had me hooked from the very first word out of Joe's (male narrator) mouth.

Remember me saying I wanted to find a narrator that 'worked' for me? Well, here he is!

Now I'm gonna warn you...this one was full of pain.

Like utterly heartbreaking, snot running over your top lip, ugly cry, pain.

ANGST!! Och, in the name o' the wee man!

Lol, but seriously these books are so well written.

I'm not going to say too much about the storyline other than the fact that it's a love triangle (two women, one hot dude) and best friends to lovers with a military factor and a twist you will not see coming.


Final Thoughts on THE DUETS by Meghan Quinn

I really enjoyed these books. They were emotional and hot AF and considering you get all 4 books in one boxset, meaning it only takes 1 Audible credit it's an awesome deal.

The narration was also very good!

I will definitely be reading more from this author.

4 Stars

Narrated perfectly but found the story lacking

*****Maybe some spoilers******

I was really looking forward to listening to this reading other reviews, however, I found Rory very self centred where everything revolved around her. The fact that she thought her parents couldn't cope without her and she wouldn't be able to go with Colby was a very selfish way of looking at her life. After Colby left and she moved onto Strider within a few months left me speechless. I could never imagine a world where this would happen and I fully understand Striders feelings of guilt. I got to the end of the second book and when the third book started and Colby saw Ryan across the bar, that did it for me, couldn't go any further.

Emotional roller coaster

It was full of angst and so freakin messy. The end of the first duet left me unsatisfied, the author just left their HEA up in the air (they got it in the next duet but that wasn’t enough imo). Even though the duets wrecked my heart and gave me emotional whiplash, they made a mark on me. The first duet gets a 4⭐️ but I loved the second one which is definitely a 5⭐️ for me.

Meghan Quinn is a fine storyteller.

A good love story with dark parts, well supported by the marvelous Joe Arden only spoiled (in my personal opinion) by M Mitchell's God awful warbling voice and equally painful high male voice.

She always sounds so tortured, it really is off putting.

At chapter 15 with 29hrs and 43 mins left I have given up, I just cannot enjoy with Warbling Wilma's female narration.

Just incredible!

The story line is so addictive and OMG the ups and downs are something like no other. In fact, I had to stop listening during book 3 because I was so involved with the characters that I found it difficult to manage my feelings . The narrators are fantastic. The value for money is good as you get 4 books for 1 credit. Seriously just take the plunge you will love it!

5 Truly romantic and highly emotional stars

Four books in one boxset
The Upside of Falling
The Downside of Love
The Left Side of Perfect
The Right Side of Forever
Do you know what that means? You get four audiobooks for only one credit. Two duets back to back. It’s a complete and utter bargain. One warning though. You’ll need to purchase plenty of tissues. The boxset follows Colby Brooks, a fighter pilot wannabe (gonna be), along with his best friend Strider and the girls that rock their world and turn it upside down, Rory and Ryan. It would appear that they all have emotional baggage, they all need each other in one way or another. Nothing though is straightforward, and if they’re going to get a happy ever after they’re going to have to work for it. My heart was ripped in two throughout, and just when I thought things were looking up. Obstacles left, right and centre. Bam! Something else happened to throw me off the loop. Lots of emotional drama and lots of tears shed. So sexy, so romantic, and oh what a love story. Fantastic characters, a wonderful story, I was riveted from the get-go. Add in Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell narrating and I was in audio heaven.

oh wow!!

Outstanding!! ... I absolutely love this box set, I cried, laughed, I got annoyed, every emotion you can show! Joe and Maxine were amazing, brought these characters to life. I will be listening again very soon

4 books in 1 box set = gr8 add to the library

Contains spoilers...Meghan has picked the perfect narrators. Joe and Maxine have done her books proud bring them to life in the best possible way that’s draws you all the way in.
Book 1 -The upside if falling. Colby Brooks is plane crazy. ✈️All he’s ever wanted is to work hard and focus on fulfilling his dream of becoming a pilot. The pain and heartache from his childhood has pushed him to be to the best he can be to achieve his dream, even if it means pushing everyone away. Studying and staying focused on becoming a pilot is all Colby wants to do, there’s no room for distractions until he goes to a party with his best friend Stryder . Then he meets Rory who’s at the same party with her best friend Ryan (very confusing names I know) who refuses to take no for an answer. It’s a very slow burner and my least favourite of the 4 books because Rory was so pushy and as it was one sided for a long time I felt a lack of passion between them. It felt forced with no push and pull but that being said her hard work pays off as she eventually begins to brake down Colby’s walls and pulls him out of his shell, and be falls, hard. However, will she allow Colby to sacrifice his dream for her? Is there someone else who saw her 1st waiting in the side lines?
Book 2 - The downside of love. Stryder wanted her from the moment he 1st saw her but he loved his friend and knew she would be good for him, even if means watching his best friend falling in love with the girl he wants. Stryder's dreams are shattered when he doesn’t make it into flight school but with every down side there’s an upside and eventually Stryder's path and dreams takes a different turn.
I enjoyed his book from Stryder’s point if view. It was emotional, raw, full of passion and it’s a natural mutual relationship that evolves.
Book 3 &4 The left side of perfect/ The right side of forever.
These two books where the most frustrating and yet my favourite of the series for me. Colby begins to pick up the pieces of his broken heart and move on with his life until he sees Ryan again at a wedding. When they meet again months later a friendship quickly forms, which I adore. The banter and connection between these two has you swooning. I absolutely loved Ryan’s character and I was in stitches of laughter. She’s playful, has a dirty mind and no filter which is so refreshing and great to read. Colby and Ryan are in new relationships but as they get closer the lines between friendship get blurred.... 6 people but which 2 couples make it? I recommend you read and find out😂❤️

Emotional, Passionate, Intense

Meghan Quinn has outdone herself with The Duets. This book is actually 4 stories in one. The Upside of Falling, The Downside of Love, The Left Side of Perfect, and The Right Side of Forever. Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell are remarkable bringing the characters to life with their voices. They have the perfect chemistry that convey's the life issues of angst, hope, heartache, healing and love. I loved the little details that the author included the book from the setting of Colorado Springs to letters with perfume that added such layers to the story. The friendships were amazing. The imagery really added to my enjoyment. There were some surprises I wasn't expecting either. This is an awesome listen that spans time and relationships. I loved the ALC of this book and did not let it influence my opinion,

Great Collection!

The Upside of Falling/The Downside of Love - Colby is focused on his dream of becoming a fighter pilot and Rory is one of the few people that he has allowed to come close. They know that it is only a matter of time until Colby has to leave but even that can’t stop their hearts from becoming involved. After he leaves life goes on, decisions are made, feelings change, and a different life begins. You make the best choices that you can all the while knowing that the consequences could be painful for some or all.

The Left Side of Perfect/The Right Side of Forever – Our hero was dreading that he would be attending the wedding of his ex but when he sees “Her” she helps him get through the painful evening but never expected to see her again however fate throws them together and they became great friends. She comes into his life when he least expects it but when he needs her the most, however will she derail the plans he already had for the future?

I have enjoyed both these duets and it is great to have them in one collection. I listed to the audiocopy of this book and thought that the narrators were the perfect choice for the characters and angst of the story.