Turn Me Loose

Paradise, Idaho, Book 3

By: Rosalind James

Narrated by: Claire Bocking

Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Rochelle Marks is working hard to build a name for herself that has nothing to do with her pinup-girl curves. She's made mistakes in the past, and now she's trying to stop her little sister, Stacy, from making worse ones. Rochelle's done with being nothing more than someone's good time. Even if that someone is the one-night stand who turned her life upside down before vanishing - and who's just arrived in Paradise, Idaho, looking to pick up where they left off.

Tech mogul Travis Cochran's hard-won new priorities have brought him to town as a university lecturer, but he's come for something else, too: the smart, sassy, gorgeous woman who's been in his head for months. When Stacy's choices draw her big sister into a web of down-home crime and cold-blooded murder, Travis's mission gets a whole lot more urgent. Now convincing Rochelle to trust him isn't just about winning her back. It may be the only way to keep her alive....

©2016 Rosalind James (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Excited by Her Bruises

In the first 2 books, I liked Zoe's best friend Rochelle - smart, sassy and independent. She didn't seem like the pathetic type who would allow a man to slap her around and not kick him to the curb. It's so annoying when an engaging female character becomes stupid the moment she meets an attractive man.

It was disturbing when Travis got excited by seeing the bruises he'd left on Rochelle's body during "rough sex". What kind of man enjoys knowing that he caused a lover pain? Travis was portrayed as a devoted son and brother, yet he casually hit the woman he claimed to love. Travis even lied to her father, swearing that he would never hurt her.

Except for several incidents of physical violence, the plot was an interesting mix of romance, family drama and suspense. Unfortunately, the happy ending was contrived and unrealistic, since Travis's actions didn't match his supposed character. Perhaps Rochelle should have asked Kayla (book 2) about the dangers of domestic abuse.

Narration not as good as the first two

I loved how the first two in this series were narrated. I really like this book but the narration wasn’t my favorite.
As a sibling of someone who abused prescription drugs I thought the author handled the topic well.

Great summer listening!

I could listen to Claire Bocking narrate a cookbook. She is seriously one of the best narrators out there. This book has a very feisty lead heroine who has worked hard to make a good life for herself and her sister. Enter a hunky tech guy, and you have a recipe for....murder? This is a suspenseful romance that will keep you on your toes. Enjoy!

Turn Me Loose

This was a very enjoyable book, right up until Rochelle did the "Too Stupid To Live" stunt that she had been warned not to do, in so many words. It all turned out ok in the end, but I was rolling my eyes hard through that whole section.

The narrator was good, although she didn't make much effort at character voices & I couldn't always tell who was speaking. But otherwise she was pretty good. Overall, I give it a thumbs up!

True Love Sparks From the Ashes of a Broken Life

What made the experience of listening to Turn Me Loose the most enjoyable?

Stacy's had a rough life as the oldest child of a large family in a farming community. It was interesting to read (hear) about Rochelle's undying loyalty to her family and how powerful an advocate she was for her sister Stacy. The theme carries its way into her love interest part of the story as she learns to trust, and falls in love with, the romantic hero, Travis.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rochelle is my favorite character, and not just because she's the heroine in the story. She shows such strong character and courage to face her obstacles head-on. I admired her tenacity and strength very much.

Have you listened to any of Claire Bocking’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes I have and this one is up there near the top of my favorite performances so far. I might be a little biased though. I've heard all the books she's done for Rosalind James and I love her performance style and diversity of voices and characters she can act out. She's very talented!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Travis tells Rochelle for the first time how much he loves her and will "die trying" to convince her. That was such a beautiful scene.

Any additional comments?

This is the third installment of Rosalind James' romantic suspense series – in Paradise, Idaho. At this point I think Ms.James is coming into her own with her books in the romantic-suspense genre. We met Rochelle in her first story, Carry Me Home, and after a strong start in this new genre (to her), her stories keep getting stronger and more compelling, and the characters are richer with more depth.

Rochelle and Travis initially met in a bar 9 months earlier and had a chance encounter that neither expected nor understood the impact until later on. Fast forward 9 months. Upon meeting in the Dean's office at the University, Travis is happily surprised to find Rochelle as he had wanted to build something with her, but Rochelle wasn't having any part of that. At first. Together they learn to trust each other and overcome issues together as they bond over situations revolving around Stacy, Rochelle's youngest sister who is the secondary plotline in this book. There are some dangerous situations, plenty of suspense, lots of twists and turns and some great chemistry going on between Rochelle and Travis. All in all this is still a romance, and this story will not disappoint. Well done, Ms.James!

NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

I'd Love to Be Turned Loose in Paradise, Idaho

Any additional comments?

In Turn Me Loose, Rosalind James has once again written an engrossing book that tells the story of a sweet and hot romance while at the same time delivering a serious message. In this case, Ms. James deftly weaves a story line involving the dangerous increase in abuse of prescription drugs into her book. The book also explores the hopeful message that youthful mistakes don't have to permanently ruin one's life. The importance of honesty is frequently repeated throughout the novel, as are the themes of flexibility when it comes to facing life's challenges (Plan A, Plan B, etc.), and facing challenges head-on. Ms. James is quite adept at bringing depth to her books that ratchet them above a typical romance novel and such is the case in this engrossing read, which I great enjoyed.

Rochelle and Travis are likable lead characters and share a palpable chemistry. Stacy, Rochelle's younger sister, is well written and her character adds necessary depth to Rochelle and the book. Paradise, Idaho and its surrounding area bring so much to the book as to almost be another character. I can picture the area in my mind and would love to visit there. 

Claire Bocking does good job with the narration, though I did hear her Australian accent come through now and then, especially with lesser, male characters, and her mispronunciation of Spokane, was a bit distracting.

I read this book in written form before listening to it and, as usual, I found that listening to a book after reading it gave me new insights and also highlighted things I may have buzzed by during my first read. 

I recommend this book for lovers of romance, romantic suspense and for fans of Rosalind James. It is a very good book. Four and a half stars.

I was given a free copy of the audio book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions stated are solely my own.

Great read.

I loved this read and I really enjoy all work from this author. Rosalind James has again treated me to a great romance read with steam, some nail biting suspense that had me on the very edge of my seat. Throw in a really hot and likeable guy along with a sassy, hell yeah kind of woman and what's not to like!
I also enjoyed the narration by Claire, she slips from one character to another without a hitch, making the characters easy to distinguish.
Hoping there's more to come in this series.
Cheers Michelle in Australia

wow what a ride

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Wow, after used to hearing Claire on the escape to NZ series it was different hearing her in the Paradise series

Rochelle is a real strong no nonsense person but then she needed to be to get were she has so far but when she meets up with Travis again she has met her match

but sometimes she does not think properly

this one has an interesting mystery sailing thru the middle of the story that you did not really have in the others and when you think you have the bad guy pegged you find out you are wrong

it is definitely worth adding to your library, but then in my opinion all of Rosalind's books are

Horrible narrator! Good story.

This narrator. Paused. At every. Comma. And every period. On every. Freaking. Sentence!!! Who talks like that? No one! So why would you read a book like that? Maybe she was paid by the hour and was trying to get as much money out of the deal. As much as I love Rosalind James and the dozen books I've read by her, I will never buy another book read by Claire Bocking again. I was so distracted by her reading, I had a hard time following the story. Totally ruined it for me. Do yourself a favor and buy the Kindle version and save yourself being tortured by Ms Bocking.

Strength and Love

What does Claire Bocking bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Claire Bocking is by far, the best narrator that I've ever listened to. She brings such emotion to every character. It simply amazes me how she has different voices for each person. I've listened to her narrate the New Zealand series of books for Rosalind, so this was a bit different for her. She was wonderful as always!!

Any additional comments?

Rochelle met Travis in a bar. She never meets men in a bar, let alone, come home with one. However, she felt it was the best night of her life, only to find out, she would never hear from him again.

Enter Travis, or Wayne as she was corresponding to him for his upcoming job at the college. She nearly falls over when he shows up in her office. He is very persistent in getting to know her better and picking up where they left off that night. They do begin seeing each other more and more and eventually, begin dating. Their relationship is tested with a series of problems with Rochelle's sister, Stacy. She is in college and studying for medical school when she starts hanging out with the wrong guy, only to find herself in trouble with almost OD'ing not once but twice. Travis stands by Rochelle throughout the whole situation. Even when Rochelle faces her ex-husband..

It's a story of strength in testing the boundaries of family and also of love and keeping it together. Rochelle is such a strong and witty character and Travis gives it right back to her. It was great to hear Rochelle's story as she was such an integral character in the other 2 books.

"I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.”