Unraveling Him: A Small Town Family Romance

The Bailey Brothers, Book 3

By: Claire Kingsley

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Ava Erickson

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

She’s the sunshine to his storm cloud 

Stoic, growly Evan Bailey has enough on his plate. A growing business, a pack of brothers who drive him crazy, a gossip-loving small town, and a rivalry that runs deeper than any family feud. Love? That’s a hard pass. He already learned the hard way that he’s better off alone. 

Fiona Gallagher has a problem. Or more like 10, but who’s counting? The trouble with her car is just the cherry on top of the crap sundae, but she won’t let that get her down. 

Besides, she has a plan. Evan Bailey - that brooding custom car builder who happens to hate her father - is going to help her. He just doesn’t know it yet. 

The last thing Evan needs is the overly cheery Fiona crashing into his solitary life. But her offer is too compelling to ignore. 

Fiona isn’t there to pick through the wreckage of Evan’s heart. If he has one, he won’t let her anywhere near it. But the tension between them is hot enough to combust. And when she starts to see the cracks in his stony façade, she realizes she’s getting more than she bargained for - a lot more - in that big surly man. 

Author’s note: A grouchy, broody loner meets an adorable badass (who talks to her houseplants). It’s the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one with some engine-revving twists.  

The Bailey Brothers series is meant to be read in order. Start with book one, Protecting You!

©2020 Claire Kingsley (P)2020 Claire Kingsley

Cricket and Wolf

I LOVE the grump + sunshine trope and Unraveling Him is a fantastic example of this trope done right! Evan and Fiona were so wonderfully mismatched, but also the perfect complement to each other. They might be my favorite Claire Kingsley couple ever! These two pushed and supported each other, but also let the other just be themselves. Fiona was such a badass and I appreciated that even though she didn't have all the answers, she never lost her optimism. I also thought her love of houseplants was awesome (plant mama here!) and how she fit so seamlessly into the Bailey family.

Evan, Evan, EVAN. I love a hero who is all in and Evan Bailey was the quintessential alpha caveman with an ooey gooey heart for his girl. His jaded attitude about love was a little anticlimactic once the history was revealed, but nothing a growly declaration of "mine" can't solve. Jason Clarke nearly made me combust with his performance as Evan and when I say that this book and hero did things to me, I really mean it. It worked for me on every level. LOL This was such a fantastic audiobook and the narrators were perfectly cast. Ava Erickson paired wonderfully with Jason Clarke and I could have listened to them forever.

The secondary characters were fantastic again, especially Grams, Gavin, and Cara. They were just the right amount of comic relief and the voice of reason when the story and characters needed it. I didn't really need the drama with Fiona's dad, but the Miles family cameo/tie in was great and the epilogue has me excited for the next book! I was hoping Chief Stanley's daughter, Skylar, would make an appearance and I can't wait for the sparks to fly with Gavin!

Overall 5 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 4.5 stars

Evan and Fiona in audio....music to my ears!!

This is the first time I have heard Jason Clarke narrate and O.M.G....he is AMAZING! I couldn't stop giggling any time he went from deep voiced growly Evan to happy go lucky Fiona in a heartbeat plus throw in Gram and his brothers....he nailed it. Ave Erickson was the perfect Fiona. Whenever Fiona was having an inner monologue it was so realistic. I look forward to hearing more from those two.

Evan is the grumpy hero that all ladies love and he just wants to be left alone and then the whirlwind that is Fiona Gallagher blows into his life and from that moment on his life is changed. He is a recluse that is happy to be left alone and she is a woman who not only talks to her plants....but names them too. There could not be a more perfect woman for Evan Bailey.

If you have read Evan's story you know the greatness that it is and audio is obviously the way to experience it again. You will not be disappointed.

Such a fun story

The narration was really great. Both narrators bring the story to life in such a way that I forget I am listening to a narration. Plus Jason Clarke’s deep, growl-y voice is just amazing!

Fiona is fun and quirky. Her upbeat, positive attitude is the perfect compliment to Evan. Love and family and even some action and intrigue. Highly recommend!

Rooting for Evan and Fiona!

This story captures your attention on page 1. Evan, whose growly rasp is perfectly captured by Jason Clarke's deep timber, had something happen to him that turned him off relationships. He lives off the beaten path with his best bud, Sasquatch. It is adorable how he talks to his dog and looks to him for advice.

Fiona, our plant-loving, animal-whisperer heroine, is ready to spread her wings and get away from the toxic relationship with her dad and best friend. Ava Erickson portrays Fiona's sunny disposition in her tone during the narration. Reading about her taking control back in her life and leaving behind the people that use her had me rooting for Fiona.

"Bravery isn’t the absence of fear,” I said, surprising myself with my reply. “It’s feeling fear and doing it anyway.”

I also love her interactions with the different animals throughout the book! Seeing Grace, Cara, and the Bailey brothers welcome Fiona into their circle and befriend her is heartwarming. This story has steamy hot sex scenes, new friendships, happiness, sadness, love, Fiona finding her self-worth, and Evan struggling with his feelings and slowly lowering his walls. And, of course, some Bailey/Haven pranks and crazy Bailey pranks on each other. Gavin is hilarious and tends to "steal the show" when he is in a scene! It's great how Gram welcomes Fiona in with open arms and gave her a nickname of her own. And, as always, shares her wisdom on the nickname "Cricket is who she is. She’s the evening song that soothes the spirit of the restless wolf."

Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson seamlessly transition their voices between characters and perform this narration flawlessly.

Another stellar book by Claire Kingsley!

"Wow. Women of the world, get yourself a man who looks at you like Asher Bailey gazes at his girl."

A perfect pairing - a grumpy loner and his bubbly sunshine girl

I love a book that includes a happy, sunshine girl and a grumpy, tortured hero! And the narrators, Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson, add wonderful dimension to the story. This book has a little bit of everything - sweet, fan your face sexy, hilarity, a continuing mystery, a long standing feud, epic pranks, and a little bit of danger. Fiona and Evan’s love story has all the feels. They appear to be opposites on the surface. Evan is the growly, live out in the middle of nowhere, stay on the periphery of his family and the town type of hero and Grace is the happy, talk to her plants who have names, sing along even if you do not know the words type of heroine. Fiona sort of crash lands uninvited in Evan’s solitary life and manages to push her way in and stay there long enough to work her way into his heart permanently. On the way to their HEA, Fiona and Evan have to both come to terms with their pasts - to let go of the hurt and the past in order to embrace a life they thought was not possible for them. Like the first two books in this series, Unraveling Him includes a number of secondary characters, some we’ve met before and others are new. Rather than being overwhelming or detracting from the main love story, these characters are central to the main love story and to the heart of what makes small town Tilikum so wonderful and so hilarious. I am excited to hear what happens next for the Bailey brothers and rest of the town. With Unraveling Him, Claire Kingsley once again proves she’s a fantastic storyteller.

Another amazing Bailey brother!

If you love a big, broody, broken-hearted hero and a spunky, smart, and quirky heroine in need, then this book is perfect for you. The third book in the Bailey Brothers series, Unraveling Him, gives you the the swoony love story of Evan and Fiona along with all the Bailey family pranks, banter, love and excitement that you have come to expect from a Claire Kingsley novel. I adore these books as they are low angst with plenty of steam and laugh-out-loud small-town antics and characters. It is charming and heartwarming, but with all the heat you want and expect in a romance novel with a side of action and drama thrown in to make it exciting. Heading right now to the next in the series. Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson were absolutely perfectly cast for these two characters and their performance made this a five-star listen for me.

Oh my gosh!!!

This audio book is perfect!!! I loved this book. It’s my favorite in the series!!! I’d never heard these two narrators before. Jason Clarke was amazing. There were parts that I knew were funny but Jason had me laughing out loud. He was perfect as the broody lone wolf Evan Bailey! And Ava Erickson … we’ll oh my goodness. She really brought Fiona to life. I believe Ava could be my spirit animal. The way she narrated this was exactly how I think in my head. It was absolutely perfect!!

Great Story

Evan grumpy and ruined by what he thought was love, and isolated himself from everyone, keeping family at a distance, until Fiona, a breat of fresh air and enthusiasm he wasn't sure to do with. She showed him love is still possible and her presence helped the lone wolf find his way to his pack. Love, heartbreak, danger and a spot of a continuing story of past transgressions by ancestors ages this a great story and the narrators made it come alive.

🐺❤️🦗

The Audio for this story does not disappoint. The narration is perfect. Seamlessly brings the story to life! Jason Clarke 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Quirky, lovable, bad a$$, 1/2 glass full heroine who talks to plants! Grumpy, growly, loyal, lone wolf hero! Everyone deserves to find their person!

Add in the Bailey family and shenanigans!! This book is alll the wins! Some Miles family cameos!!! Pranks, awesome cars, plenty of Gram wisdom!


“She tilted her head and smiled at me, like I was a child who didn’t understand a basic concept. “Cricket is who she is. She’s the evening song that soothes the spirit of the restless wolf.” I gaped at her as she patted my arm, then turned and walked to her car. The evening song that soothes the spirit of the restless wolf. Holy shit. That’s exactly what she was.

“Cricket is who she is. She’s the evening song that soothes the spirit of the restless wolf.” I gaped at her as she patted my arm, then turned and walked to her car. The evening song that soothes the spirit of the restless wolf. H@ly $h$t. That’s exactly what she was.”

Scorching hot

I love opposites attract and grumpy men and this has both. It was sweet where it needed to be and dirty in others and I didn’t want it to end!

Totally brilliant book

5*
Evan is the lone wolf of the Bailey family always in the background. Working on restoration cars he makes a good living.
Fiona has just had her eyes opened to how much her father and best friend have been using her.
When an idea enters her head Fiona hopes Evan will be open to her offer.
I totally loved this story lots of laughs and watching Fiona flourish, and Evan who knew the man he was.