Shadow of Shame

The Shadow Series, Book 1

By: Barbara Goss

Narrated by: Tom Jordan

Ivy Jeffries falls hopelessly in love with Jonas Armstrong, a man who has forced himself into a somewhat reclusive lifestyle owing to his sordid past. Ivy is elated when he finally lets his guard down and kisses her. She thinks they are now moving forward into a relationship, until he tells her it meant nothing to him. How could a kiss like they shared mean nothing to him, when it meant the world to her? Then she discovers he is pulling away for a reason, to protect her. Is the love they share enough to withstand his past and the child he is protecting?

©2016 Barbara Goss (P)2017 Barbara Goss

Surprisingly good, a fast read, hooked in for more

At only four and a half hours long, lots of ground is covered, yet you don't feel rushed. I can appreciate this as occasionally books really only have this much material but stretch it out into much longer. That said, this is part 1 of a series, so more is coming, but I feel like I went on a journey with the characters just in this initial book. Initially I wondered if I would keep up and catch the plot, but the story quickly settles in and you're not letting go. There were only a couple free moments to catch your breath, but otherwise the story is a great way to commute or binge in your free time.

Some stories make a mental image so clear and original in your head that I think it's better than any movie Hollywood could hope to string together, with all the necessary sexiness or action to keep some men or short attention spans interested.

This story was not something I would've sought out on my own, but was offered a copy in exchange for an honest review, and now I'm very glad I did. I blasted through the story in a day and am looking forward to seeing more of Tom's work. The story does well on its own, but the diction, seamless transitions between accents for characters, and pace were excellent. This is important when it's not explicitly pointed out who's talking in the story. Hard to believe this is Tom's first major work here on Audible. He already just released Book 2, so I look forward to hearing more.

I feel like others who've already written reviews have done a fine job of summarizing the story so I'll refrain from that redundancy, other than to say this was a more tasteful and moving experience than I knew to expect.

I received a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Well now...

Would you listen to Shadow of Shame again? Why?

Maybe, The narrator wasn't exactly great.

What did you like best about this story?

The lesson it taught.

What aspect of Tom Jordan’s performance would you have changed?

Kept the characters straight, sometimes the voices changed.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I sighed a lot.

Any additional comments?

The story is great, but the performance wasn't great. I didn't really enjoy the narrator at all. The cover is quite misleading as well. I was expecting one thing and got another. I thought it was a contemporary piece when in fact it really wasn't. Still not a bad listen.

A Christian Romance..

Any additional comments?

A clean romance about Ivy, the female lead, and Jonas, the male lead.

Overall, an interesting read with a few twists.

Tom Jordan did well with the narration.

Note:
"This audio book was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review."

Great start to the series

Great start to the series. I loved the characters that I could relate to. The book is filled with morals and values that everyone can use. The story flowed nicely. It never stalled or was too much. The audio reader of this book did very well.

Recommended for readers of American West stories

Would you consider the audio edition of Shadow of Shame to be better than the print version?

Yes

What about Tom Jordan’s performance did you like?

Very smooth and easy to understand

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I was moved by the hero's decision to take care of the baby.

Any additional comments?

I recommend this book. An exciting western romance with great characters
and plot. It has so many loves: the love for a man and a woman, the love
for a child and love for God. In my opinion, this is one of Ms. Goss' best.
I must add that listening to Tom Jordan's narration is like watching hot fudge
pouring over a dish of ice cream. So smooth!