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.

The grumpy one loves the sunshine-y one!

Gah. Claire is right. It's most definitely the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one.

AND OMG EVAN FREAKING BAILEY is everything you want in your sexy, broody man.

He works on cars.
He's quiet.
He has a dog.
He's got his own home--and land.

And he is sexy as sin. Big hands, body to die for. Yep. Evan Bailey. Swoooon.

And Fiona. Oh, that girl is the sweetest thing this side of blackberry cobbler. I could just eat her up. Or hug her. Or be her bestie because that girl needs a bestie.

I love Tilikum. I love the Haven-Bailey feud. I love how the stories and lives and families all come together.
And Gram. I love that strong, uplifting woman.

Wolf found his happy.

The grumpy guy meets a beautifu and happy strange.

Best slow burn series this year!

Evan Bailey and Fiona Gallagher are the most unlikely couple, but you can't help but root for them.

Fiona, has been stuck working for her shady father, who has only taken advantage of her for years. When he finally pushes her over the edge, she packs up her two house plants and her belongings and ends up on Evan's doorstep in need of a garage and some tools to fix her car.

Evan Bailey, is a lone wolf and he prefers it that way.
When Fiona shows up at his door with a proposition that he can't refuse, they end up on a road trip.
He can't explain it, but his desire to protect this, "ray of sunshine", is too strong, but he's been hurt before and has sworn off romance. Fiona, however is worming her way into his heart and she just might be there to stay.

Jason Clarke's voice is absolutely glorious for the voice of grumpy Evan. His in flections our perfect.

Ava Erickson's voice just makes me smile. She just does such a great job showcasing Fiona's voice and getting into character.

Claire Kingsley, knows how to write a story, that will make you get angry, laugh and cry. You will be intrigued from the prologue to the epilogue.
This is such a great series and I can't wait for the next book. ❤

I just can’t get enough of Jason Clarke..

I really enjoyed this book and Jason made it even better and Ava is growing on me pretty fast.. I am really fascinated by Any books or series that include Brothers.. That tells me that hopefully we will get a book and learn about each of them... Now at the end we hear what maybe the start of a Bailey Brothers book 4 and I really hope Jason is narrating cause I will definitely be grabbing it..

LOVE Ethan and Fiona!!

Oh, how I love the Bailey Brothers!!! Claire Kingsley has done it again with Unraveling Him. This story has so much heart and humor with a hint of danger and suspense. Evan and Fiona gave me all the feels and I absolutely loved them.

Evan is the lone wolf. He’s grumpy and growly and closed off from everyone, even his family to a certain extent. When he meets Fiona, he starts to open up his life and he is so hot and swoonworthy. Right now, he’s my favorite Bailey, but I reserve the right to change that with the next book.

Fiona hasn’t had an easy road in life, but she has always made the best of things and she is a breath of fresh air in Evan’s life. She’s color to his grey. She’s bright and happy and sees the best in people. She’s a bit of a chatterbox and it’s hard not to love her. Plus she knows how to fix a car and drive a dirt bike. She’s the perfect fit for Evan.

We also get to catch up with all of the rest of the Baileys plus Cara and the Havens and even an appearance by one of the Miles brothers. Those Bailey boys crack me up. You never know what prank they will come up with next.

Jason Clarke is perfection as Ethan Bailey. His voice is so yummy and he brought lone-wolf Evan to life for me. Ava Erickson was great as Fiona and I could feel all the emotions she felt. Their narration helped me picture the entire story in my head and that's all I can ask of an audio book.

Unraveling Him is an amazing story that will leave you wanting more of the Bailey family. Evan and Fiona are truly soulmates and their journey is beautiful. This is definitely a series that I recommend.

Lived up to the hype

I read this book when it was first released so this was a reread for me. The narration was perfection. Ava Erickson did a great job on the Fiona character. She brought the enthusiasm without over doing it. With that being said, let me say that Jason Clarke’s Evan was EVERYTHING! Well done, sir.

This was one of the most anticipated books I’ve ever waited on. The epilogue of the previous book was wow! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. Boy did it not disappoint. I’m going to try to keep this spoiler free as much as possible. I knew Evan was going to be a great Hero. I love broody, grumpy guys. Hidden inside the gruff exterior was a sense of humor and a big squishy heart, who knew? We get to find out the why.

Fiona was a perfect heroine for him. I loved that her outward appearance and her personality seemed to be so different. She had such a wonderful outlook on life despite everything. Oh, did I mention the steamy sexy times? I loved her houseplants. The squirrels really brought their A game in this one.

Don’t worry the Bailey-Haven feud is still going strong, Gram is still cooking delicious food and dishing out life changing advice, and the mystery behind the feud has yet to be solved. Yet again, another epilogue that left me chomping at the bit.

Mr. Growlypants and Fiona are a perfect listen

Absolutely loved, loved, loved getting to read about a second Bailey Brother falling in love. I'm so happy there are three left for us to get to enjoy! I'm also glad that Claire Kingsley likes to write series because she always crafts characters that we can't get enough of!

Evan Bailey is the grumpiest, burliest, surliest sweetheart around. He's all bluster and gruffness, and Fiona is the bright ray of sunshine that he never thought he wanted. From their very first interaction, Evan is a little bit befuddled because Fiona is so magnetic, so charming and upbeat despite some negativity following her, and he is so used to being the surlypants that he is that he just doesn't know what to make of her. Fiona is an amazingly resourceful and resilient woman, and she crawls her way into Evan's guarded heart and takes up residence, practically rescuing him from the solitary confinement that he created for himself.

Part of what I love about Claire's book sis that her characters are so real! Every woman that has worn tank tops to sleep, tried to sing in the car when they don't know all the lyrics, and talked to their plants can 100% relate to Fiona.

After reading this back when it first came out, I could not wait to listen to the audio, especially when I found out that it was narrated by Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson. Jason Clarke is a favorite of mine, and his narration as grumpy, growly teddybear Evan was spot-on and absolutely perfect casting. He really brought Evan to life in a way that was so true to the character, and he made the experience so enjoyable. Ava Erickson was a great Fiona. She had all of the sweetness and sunshine that you expected from Fiona's character, as well as the determination that you knew she had to keep moving forward and keep herself on a good path despite all of the craziness around her. Loved the audio just as much as the written book.

So Swoony

I licked Evan. He is mine.

This series is meant to be read in order since there is a continuing storyline. So we got to know grumpy recluse Evan in the first two books. And when this lone wolf meets the cricket who soothes his soul, he turns into a big old softy.

Fiona was bubbly and cheerful, everything that Evan is not. But she crashed into his life and there was no turning back. He reluctantly agrees to help her fix her car, and she ends up fixing his broken heart. There is a dangerous situation that arises thanks to Fiona’s criminal dad, but Grace calls in Leo and the Miles family recluse saves the day!

I love the Bailey family. These brothers are hysterical, and I love the bond they have. Gram is a saint. And the Haven/Bailey feud and pranks continue with pranks involving goats and squirrels.

As for the performances, Jason Clarke and Ava Erickson were absolutely brilliant! Jason perfectly captured all of Evan's growly-ness, as well as the softness underneath that gruff exterior once he starts falling for Fiona. I loved hearing Jason Clarke's dirty talk! Meanwhile, Ava gave great depth to all of Fiona's quirks and nuances. From how she spoke to her plants to how she dealt with grumpy Evan and cocky Luke Haven, Ava did it all wonderfully. And they both nailed the collective assortment of side characters in this book; I loved hearing Jason's voices for the others, especially!

Unraveling Him is everything I wanted for Evan and Fiona!

Audio really adds punch to the book!

I love reading the book first and then listening to the audio. The narrators add such a deeper level to the emotions projected in the story. So good!

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.