Zero

By: S.M. West

Narrated by: Lucy Rivers, Aaron Shedlock

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's Summary

From USA Today best-selling author S.M. West comes a steamy enemies to lovers standalone romance about heart wrenching secrets, relentless evil, and new beginnings.

*Contains sensitive and mature topics. Recommended for ages 18 and older.*

©2022 SMW Books (P)2022 SMW Books

Without you I'm numb

I loved this audiobook. The narration was perfect! Zero and Morgan's story is heartbreaking. These two both have hurts from their past that they must overcome to truly give into love. Morgan is a wealthy woman who has survived loss but deals with the guilt. Zero had horrible things happen to him. These two meet cause zero has been following her tragic story. Zero is there to help her through and get closure and she helps him as well. There was some unfortunate twists involving them and people close to Zero. Once resolved these two get their happy ever after. There is plenty of suspense, angst and steamy encounters to keep the pages turning. Another 5 star read for S.M. West.
I was sent a free audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

Great Performance Of A Hero With A Damaged Past

Part of the Scarred Hearts series, though the titles are interconnected, they stand alone. Zero appears in the previous book of the series Griffin, so if you're going to prep with a single story, I would read that one first to get your interest in Zero tickled.

Zero is a keyboard warrior. He's a hacker, and information seeker and tech specialist that works to fight against human trafficking among other crimes. He wants to save the victims, he wants to punish the criminals and he wants to do it in the fastest way possible, which sometimes means working outside the system, but in the end, the officials are given all they need to locate and prosecute the evildoers.

Morgan was the victim of a terrible random act of violence. She is now trying to recover from this trauma and survivors guilt that has changed her life immensely.

Zero is drawn to Morgan, to her need for justice, to the desire to help her heal and become a whole person again. He wants to be near her, to spend time with her and to make sure she is able to move on with her life. But the more time he spends with her, the more he wants to be able to be part of her life.

It took a bit to ramp up on this one, but the suspense and the build was worth it for me. I was very engrossed by the end, needing to find out what was going to happen next and trying to put all the pieces together for myself before the characters.

There are some heavy topics in this one, so beware the trigger warnings: Drug abuse, violence (including death), discussions of Human Trafficking and sexual abuse.

The audiobook was performed by Aaron Shedlock and Lucy Rivers. Aaron was fantastic as Zero, the care and emotion that was given to his backstory and motivations, I really felt for him. I found Lucy to be a bit of a fast talker at first in the baseline narration, but as the story progressed I got used to it and found it to be very genuine to the character in the end and I found myself keeping up with the pace.

I requested and was provided with an advance copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

Zero & Morgan!

I think SM West knows when I need another of her books. They come to me just when I need them! Zero is fabulous and needs to be in everyone's ears. We previously met Zero in Griffin. Partners, Zero is the hacker and does his best work at the keyboard. While deciding on his future, he is looking into a shooting at a convenience store. Taken with the victim, he does what he does best. Learns as much as he can about her. Then he approaches her. Morgan is still jumpy since the shooting at the store, and meeting Zero just creeps her out. But she is still on the look out for the shooter and giving into his advances, gives him a shot. But what happens next is completely unpredictable. SM West knows how to pull me into her stories, and keep me riveted to the earbud. This story is packed with twists and turns, fantastic characters(loved Elvis!) and has a love story that warms the heart. It's a great addition to the Scarred Heart series and I am loved it!

The narration. I don't have to tell you how much I love this team. Two of my favorites together telling me a story! Aaron Shedlock is perfectly cast as Zero. He plays the hacker with giving him that standoffish feel and warmth that only he can give. Rivers comes in as Morgan. A little jumpy, a lot strong and very spunky. Loved every minute of this one and recommend the whole series!

Amazing Story & Narration🎧 Gripping & Intense!

S.M. West pens another amazing romantic suspense set in her “Scarred Hearts” series and I loved everything about it, from her wonderful writing style to the fantastic characters and storylines, to the perfectly cast narrators who bring it all to life from the pages to your ears. Each book in this series features different lead characters and stands on its own, characters from earlier books may appear in each other’s stories, but everything you need to know about them is in the descriptive details so you never feel lost or as if you missed something. This book is Zero and Morgan’s story, Zero was Griffin’s partner in the fourth book and his character intrigued me and I looking forward to learning more about him. Griffin has since moved on, joining a team with more resources, continuing doing what he did with Zero and is hoping Zero will join the same team so they could work together again. Zero, a skilled hacker, was also offered a job with the FBI and is taking some time off to decide what he wants to do. In the meantime, he is looking to help a victim of a horrific crime, a robbery at a convenience store where the perp shot innocent victims. Morgan had been in that convenience store with her date when an armed man held up the place, the perpetrator got spooked and was going to shoot her but her date stepped in front of her taking the bullets intended for her and saving her life. That night changed her, the shooter was never caught, so she lives in fear that he will come after her and she suffers from survivors’ guilt. Something about her draws Zero to her and he wants to help her put her demons to rest, but he has demons of his own to deal with. Morgan is not very trusting and Zero lacks people skills, but he finally gets her to hear him out. It takes time, but she warms to his ideas and just when they get leads on the shooter at large, the case he is working on has a new twist and it is something he was not expecting at all. I loved how everything played out in this book, also loved the complexity and layer of the story, a story that is cleverly plotted with plenty of drama, angst, action, twists and turns, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. S.M. West, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the amazing narration, Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock were the perfect cast to bring these characters and story to life, and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that suited their persona and making them believable in every role they played. Shedlock’s Zero was spot on, cool, calm and collected with an edge that only Zero could have. Rivers grasped every side of Morgan’s personality, from her insecurities to the strong woman she was. Both were fabulous performing the roles of all the secondary characters too. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and projected them into their performance. These entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another fabulous listen.

Enjoyed this book:)

I truly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrators do a great job with the story. The story has just the right amount of mystery, twists and spice😉

Great listen

This book is heavy on emotions. The story is full of conflict, hard topics and second chances. Morgan and Zero both struggle with guilt from their pasts and it's wonderful to watch them together. I did predict a few things but it didn't detract from the story. Overall a great listen.

The narration is on point and really brings the characters to life.

Loved it!

We finally get Zero's story. It was worth the wait.
Standalone with no Cliffhangers.
This has been a great series, I can't believe it's over.
Zero is the awkward hero that I love to read about. This tragic past made him the man he is, but is he the right man for Morgan?
Morgan had a great life until that fateful night that changed her forever. Can Zero really help her?
There is mystery and romance in this great book.
Aaron was the perfect voice for Zero.

Emotional, complex, and captivating!

I read it, and loved it. The audiobook version is excellent. This is the fifth and final book in the Scarred Hearts Series, an interconnected standalone series by S.M. West. Zero and Morgan's story is emotional, complex, and captivating. Zero is enigmatic, handsome, and protective. I loved his determination. Morgan is such a wonderful character, and a strong, and brave. They are two strong survivors, and they a perfect together. The supporting characters are intriguing. I liked Elvis. There is a lot going on in this story, . The storyline is suspenseful, filled with mystery, and twists and turns. Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock did an amazing job with the narration. Looking forward for more in the series. I highly recommend this series. #HomeCookedBooks

The Many Lives of Leo

4.5 stars - Zero has been a side character in this and another series (NY Knights). While I did initially hate him for not interceding with Tommie, he slowly grew on me, and I was elated when Suzanne announced he was going to get his own story. I liked that he redeemed himself over time and that there wasn't a rush to get to where we are with this book.

Enter Morgan. She's a bit of an enigma. A trust fund baby who would rather work for tips at a club / restaurant than touch the family money. At the very beginning, we get to experience the worst moments of her life, when an armed robbery takes the life of another, leaving her broken in ways she barely acknowledges. She's falling apart at the seams when Zero engages with her. I really do love how he acknowledges his weaknesses, most of them anyway, and slowly lets Morgan see that she's not the only one to have experienced the crappy parts of life.

Their chemistry is great, even when Zero won't let her touch him. Of course, once he does... things get very hot, very quickly. Morgan is a bit hot-headed at times (sometimes for justified reasons), and I like how they balance each other when these moments occur.

I did see some of the crazy that was coming their way, but the way it unfolded was terrific. I don't want to give anything away so I will leave it there. 😉

This can definitely be read as a standalone. If you are curious about the earlier books Zero is in, I encourage you to read or listen to them, I know I really liked each of them, but it's not a requirement to enjoy this one.

While this is a bit of a dark book, much of the shadier sides of humanity occur off-screen with snippets here and there of horrible occurrences. Do be aware that human trafficking and some of the things that go along with that are discussed. There are still some violent and other content-sensitive scenes.

I received an author's copy of the audio book. The narrators are Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock. I really like Aaron... mmm... and Lucy's pretty good, too. Duet narration would've made the experience even better, but this is still a good listen.

Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 4 stars
Listening Speed: 1.5x

Scarred Hearts indeed!!

S.M. West grabs your attention from the first sentence and holds you hostage until the very end of Zero’s story. There are twists, turns, suspense and shocking revelations with a good bit of sexy times too!! Morgan is well-liked by all she comes into contact with, wealthy, and chooses to live frugally while dealing with survivors guilt!! On the other hand, Zero, a hacker who stumbles across Morgan’s crime, becomes instantly attracted to her and decides he can help her move forward, preferably with him!! However, Zero is no stranger to horrendous acts and is also recovering from his own tragic event !! Together, they solve an important case still being investigated by law enforcement officials and agencies!!
Aaron Shedlock and Lucy Rivers did a great job narrating. Aaron’s voice shows empathy, honesty and patience, which are all qualities needed to assist others. Lucy’s voice is pleasant but she speaks too quickly at certain times making things run together. Overall, this was a good listening experience!!

I loved it!

Zero (Scarred Hearts #5) by SM West is a riveting tale of heartache and revenge. The suspense is thrilling as Zero vows to keep Morgan safe from a murderer hellbent on retribution. It’s a dangerous and wild ride with plenty of red hot chemistry and shocking twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You certainly won’t want to miss it!

Interconnected stand alone in series

Zero is a stand alone story in SM West's Scarred Hearts series. It's also connected to the New York Knights series. I've listened to a few of the previous books in the two series, but it's not necessary to enjoy this one. I like the mix of action and romance, and the book jumps right into the action with the very first chapter. I had a mixed impression of Zero from the earlier books in the series and wasn't sure how I felt about him as a hero. It was nice to get Zero's perspective on the long-ago events. It made him a more likable character.

The audio version is performed by Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock. They did a great job bringing the story to life. I'm sure that I liked the story more as an audiobook than if I had only read it.

I received a copy of this book at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

protective

Amazing dual narration from Lucy Rivers and Aaron Shedlock. Bring out the suspense, action and heat.

Morgan may come from a wealthy family, but because of her past, she is crippled by survivor's guilt; Zero prefers to work remotely at his keyboard. Best way of describing him he is not a people person. The two of them find that they need each other. Both hiding, both finding strength from their past.

This book is full of emotions and strength. Wonderful characters

Gripping, action-packed & compelling!

After meeting Zero in the previous book in the series, Griffin, I was excited to drive into this book to finally get his story. And, S.M. West did not disappoint.

The book follows Zero, a hacker who works outside of the law to help victims of crime. After he comes across a case that intrigues him, he meets crime victim Morgan. Morgan herself, having gone through a traumatic event, feels both guilt for surviving, but also knows deep down she isn’t completely safe yet. Zero vows to help her stay safe.

This story is both suspenseful and romantic in the best ways. I was rooting for them as a couple, as well as for the mystery to be solved. Both characters were complicated and S.M. West really dove into and explored many hard topics including addiction and trafficking. This book was gripping, addictive, compelling, fast-paced, and action-packed.