Vertical

Gilded Love, Book 3

By: Kilby Blades

Narrated by: Jacob Morgan, Nicole Small

Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

From USA Today best-selling author Kilby Blades, the next installment in the Gilded Love series....

Jasmine isn't supposed to be in Pahrump. She’s not supposed to be posing as an exotic dancer. And she’s sure as hell not supposed to be solo on an undercover job. She’d have paid any price to avoid the emergency call to her ex-fiancé, Avi. But she’s in so far over her head, it’s come to that.

The last place Avi saw Jasmine was at the altar six months ago, right before she walked out of his life. Well...almost. They still work on opposite ends of the same vigilante crime-fighting organization. She’s the last person he expects to hear from while half a world away on a pleasure trip to Sydney. Can he get to Nevada in time to save her from a human-trafficking bust gone wrong?

©2019 Kilby Blades (P)2021 Kilby Blades

Mixed bag

I have mixed feeling about this one. I loved Snapdragon, and Chrysalis was pretty good. Vertical was intriguing on some levels but fell flat. I thought the narration was good, which helped.

The plot was a little confusing, even after reading the first two books. The book was short and I felt that so many details were missing: i wanted more back story about Jasmine and Avi; I didn’t experience much character growth; and there was very little resolution after such a build up.

Second chance novella

An action packed addition to this series. This is Avi and Jasmines story. Finally! Avi is still broken hearted when he receive a code word from Jasmine. He is drawn into action to find and rescue her and her mission of taking down a human trafficking ring and saving the women involved. He is hoping she doesn’t further destroy what is left of his heart while saving her and those around her. He jumps into action. It’s filled with suspense, is somewhat of a thriller with some romance thrown in. Short great listen that ended too soon. Await the next in the series.

Yes!!!

I love a hot steamy suspenseful romance. This book is truly fantastic and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I cannot wait for the next book!

Entertaining

This may have been a short listen but Kilby Blades certainly packed a lot into it. Although the third book in the series, our hero and and heroine are not from the first two books. This is Avi and Jasmine’s story and one I quickly became invested in.
The narration by Jacob Morgan and Nicole Small was good. Their voices were easy to listen to and they brought the characters to life for me. Avi and Jasmine have history and the last time he saw her was when she left him at the altar six months ago.
Now after an undercover operation has gone wrong, she turns to Avi the one man she trusts to help her. The question is will he be able to arrive and save her in time?
Jasmine is such a feisty and sassy heroine that you cannot help but admire her. There was plenty of suspense and intrigue which made for a good listen.

Absolutely Magical!!

Vertical by Kilby Blades is absolutely phenomenal. I Really enjoyed listening to the Aufiobook and I have read ebook as well.

Highly Recommend it to all readers.

Such a Tease

So much is on the line in Vertical. Loosely picking up where books one and two leave off in the Gilded Love Series, this novella follows Avi and Jasmine, the woman who broke his heart.

This story was about far more than jilted love. Its focus was on the fierce heroine who was determined to stop a human trafficking ring.

I enjoyed Blades’ previous works in this series, but I felt like this book could have been made even better had it been longer. If some sections were expanded it would have been dynamite!

Morgan and Small's narration did not disappoint. If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable listen or read, look no further.

As Always, Happy Reading!

“4/5 Beaming Brains!” – Lit-Up My Mind

Good Novella

I enjoyed listening to Vertical but would have liked a longer story as there is a glimpse of a back story provided. The story has more suspense and action than romance and has the makings of an excellent military/espionage-type storyline. I loved the narration by Jacob Morgan and Nicole Small.

A second chance Novella

This isn't a continuation of the first two books in this series because this book doesn't have the same characters in it but Michael from the first two books & his situation is mentioned. Jasmine wants to take down a human trafficking group but gets in over her head. She calla the only person she thinks might help her, her ex-fiance, Avi, who she left at the alter. Will Avi come to rescue her? Will they get a second chance for their love? Jacob Morgan and Nicole Small really bring Avi and Jasmine to life.

Suspenseful novella

"Vertical" is a novella set in the Gilded Love world. It's different set up from the first two and I loved it. It was more on the suspenseful side and I could not stop listening to find out what happened.

I loved how passionate Jasmine was about her job. She was giving everything she had to save the girls that were endangered. And even calling in her ex, Avi, to help when things went sideways. The tension and attraction they felt was super hot. This was a great story and I hope we get more from them in her future books.

Jacob Morgan was amazing, per the norm. He was great as Avi. Nicole Small was the perfect choice for Jasmine. She brought Jasmine's personality and determination to life.

Story with a lot of potential

Vertical is a second-chance suspense romance told in dual, alternating first-person POV. It is the third book in the Gilded Love series, but could be enjoyed without reading the previous two installments.

I definitely enjoyed this audiobook, but it left me feeling unfulfilled. I loved the characters, and I had been looking forward to exploring Avi's life and history with Jasmine after becoming acquainted in Snapdragon and Chrysalis. Jasmine was the epitome of a badass heroine and a survivor; she was my favorite part about this book! The plot was also very interesting and exactly the kind of high-intensity, adrenaline-fueled story that I love in romantic suspense. Unfortunately, it felt this exciting story was not utilized to its full potential. It started off strong, and I liked the concept; I think it may have been better suited for a full-length novel rather than the novella it is. It almost felt like this began with the intention of being a full length novel and then was be rushed to finish before it was ready. There are many aspects of the story and world-building that I would have loved to see explored in more depth (including the steam which consisted of only one scene at the very end).

Ultimately, this was a very interesting concept that just didn't get developed to its full potential. I firmly believe that this would have been a five-star read if only there was more of it.