Waking Up Cuffed

Highland County Heroes, Book 1

By: Melissa Stevens

Narrated by: Bump Turgeson

Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Warren wanted her, bad. Hayley had her career on her mind. Could they figure things out and make it work?

Officer Warren Hathaway has the hots for his new supervisor. He asked her out once, before she was his boss, and she turned him down. But damn, she's fine and he just can't keep her off his mind.

Sergeant Hayley Moreno is tempted by the tall, lean hunk of man, but her career is more important than any man, and sleeping with one of her officers, even if he's not directly under her supervision, will undermine her authority.

But can they figure it out?

Welcome to Highland County, New Mexico. Where we take our heroes seriously.

Get your copy now to find out if Warren and Hayley can figure out the intricacies of dating on the police force.

©2019 Melissa Stevens (P)2019 Melissa Stevens

Mixed feelings about this one

This one didn’t do anything for me. I liked the characters but the story was similar to everyday life. I was thinking something more exciting would happen and a few things did. This is filled with a lot of suspense, drama and just a bit of romance. The characters seem to have little interaction until late in the book. It’s mostly admiring from afar.

Of the characters we meet I did like Warren the best. He seemed to be very thoughtful and kind. He was respectful towards Haley and had a good attitude.

This isn’t my first story by this author so I was kinda expecting something different. I like the idea of the book but it just didn’t interest me. I did listen to this on audio. This is my for audio by Bump Turgeson. He did a very nice job.

Not my cup of tea

First I am not a fan of this narrator. He stops at odd places and there is no real voice change for female characters.

As for the book itself I found it slow, overly descriptive and the most anticlimactic book I have ever read.

Don’t go in thinking that this title leads to anything exciting, it doesn’t!

I don’t see the point of the handcuffing or using this title when the scene is over before it even begins (3/4 though the book).

I will not continue with this series or follow this narrator.

I received this audiobook free for an honest review.

A fun, engaging romance

One thing that drew me to this book, was the title. I wasn’t sure where it was going to go, but when a scene that happened sort of using the title in it happened, it became very fun. I really enjoyed the relationship that bloomed between Hayley and Warren.


One thing that I wasn’t really a fan of was hearing some of the details of Warrens case. I think if had been a different crime, it would have been better with the story and I would have felt different about that little plot point. Also I sort of feel that the scene at the end, came a little too soon for my taste.


Overall, I give this 4 stars. I liked the relationship development over time between Hayley and Warren, and I enjoyed the narrators voice.

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

Sweet story!

Waking Up Cuffed is a really sweet romance that starts off with Officer Warren Hathaway crushing big time on his Sergeant Hayley Moreno. Warren hasn’t a clue that Hayley’s actually feeling the same way! Neither acts on the feelings for professional reasons until he gets promoted to detective and that’s when the story take a delicious turn. If they could have had more time together as a couple and less of a build up getting together it would definitely have made the story better. I did enjoy listening to this audiobook and the only other thing that I think could have made it better would have been dual narrators to include a female voice. That being said, I truly did enjoy the narration and how Bump Turgeson’s deep voice brought feeling and life into this audiobook!

Good

This is my first time with this author and narrator. Story was good but for me it was slow. Same with the narration. I like faster paced stories so I did struggle a bit to finish this. But I did want to see how it ended!

Easy listening Police Officer Romance

A easy minimal drama and suspense novel about two careeer Law Enforcement Officers avoiding romantic involvement because of their positions despite their attraction to one another. While I could see the story going in different directions, I was pleasantly surprised when it didn't follow the drama and suspense lines I imagined. Warren's dedication to seeking something more with Haley despite being turned down and keeping things professional until the situation changed was endearing.

Bump Turgeson did a great job narrating and has an incredibly sexy deep voice. However, I would have liked it better as a duet as his female character voice wasn't much different than the males and at times it took me a moment to figure out who was speaking.

I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a slow burn, easy going co-worker romance.

I received a free audible code through a Facebook group giveaway and am providing my honest review voluntarily.

Police Action

I like a strong female lead that knows how to hold her own. In real life I hate that us females have to work so hard to prove ourselves, but I appreciate a kick-ass gal! A bit of mystery trying to figure out the case and the love story with a good build-up rounds out this story.

The audio quality wasn’t the greatest. Everything sounded “tinny” and the background noise was a little distracting in places but overall I enjoyed the story.

Very enjoyable!!

Waking Up Cuffed is a great story, about two police officers falling in love, Officer Warren Hathaway and Sergeant Hayley Moreno. Due to fraternization policy, both try their best to deny their attraction, given that Hayley is Warren's superior officer. When Warren is promoted to the detective, both are free to pursue their connection.

I really liked the main characters, they are genuine and engaging. Hayley is a sensible, confident, and independent woman. Warren is an intelligent, loyal, and supportive man. Together they are great; their connection is one of passion and mutual desire. It takes more than the first half of the book for the Warran and Haily to act on their feelings, but when they do, it's spectacular.

Overall, the story is very lifelike and realistic. There is no real drama, neither conflict nor suspense. However, it is wonderfully written and very enjoyable. Melissa Stevens is a brilliant author; I enjoy that her books are not overdramatized and are realistic. Bump Turgeson does an excellent job with the narration. I will listen to more of his audiobooks.

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

Sizzling Chemistry with a whole lot of romance!

Ooo la la! The sexy thoughts whirling around the heads of Hayley and Warren about each other sets the bar high for the chemistry between them. And the story does not disappoint! I love how professional the two are but also how honest they are about their attraction once they give it a chance. These two work hard, play hard and love hard!

I am looking forward to the other books in the series. I had only one issue with the story. Hayley was being targeted by a bully right from the beginning. This person was stealing her lunch, messing with her paperwork, and so on. This issue wasn't really resolved, as far as I could tell. To be honest, it seemed less important in light of what the protagonists deal with through the story. Perhaps the issue will carry through the series though it did seem personal to Hayley.

Overall, sexy and romantic!

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Cuffed

I enjoyed listening to Bump Turgeson, a great narrator. Brought the characters to life and this a great listen.

A great start to this series.

Two police officers, female boss, both hot for each other. Loved the characters. This is Hayley and Warren's story.
Drama, suspense, romance and mystery.
Just right. Brilliant

Great start to the series!

Waking Up Cuffed, the title says it all! This is the first book of Melissa Steven’s Highland County Heroes that I listened to and I was hooked on the series. Warren has been attracted to his boss, Hayley for a while, but working together stops them from being together. Once Warren is promoted, he takes the leap and their relationship begins. It’s a slow burn, and we get to meet some characters, like Hayley’s best friend Denni who we see in later books. Add in a murderer on the loose, the difficulty of a woman in a powerful position and grief from work, and you will enjoy this hot, romance. Narrated by Bump Turgeson, his voice is this county and he makes the characters alive and his own.