Salvation

The Protectors, Book 2

By: Sloane Kennedy

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

"I lifted my gaze to tell Seth no but then I saw it. The thing I'd feared I'd lost. It wasn't hero worship or the wayward emotions of an innocent child. And it wasn't some distorted reflection of a man who no longer existed. All I saw was me...the way he saw me." (Ronan)

Trauma surgeon Ronan Grisham lost everything the day the man he loved was stolen from him in a brutal attack. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, he turns his hatred into building an underground group that can do what he couldn't that fateful day...take the lives of the guilty to save the lives of the innocent. But years later, he's forced to confront the one link to his past that he can't sever.

Seven years after the loss of his parents in a violent home invasion that left him permanently scarred both inside and out, 21-year-old Seth Nichols is trying to put his life back together so he can take over the reins of his father's global shipping empire. But the last person he expects to come back into his life is the man he drove away with one innocent, stolen kiss.

With one brush of his lips, Seth managed to do to Ronan what no other had since the day Ronan watched the light in his fiancé's eyes go out forever. He made him need again. But Ronan can't need anyone, least of all his dead fiancé's younger brother. Because even one touch from Seth could shatter Ronan's carefully constructed world and Ronan knows there's no coming back from that a second time.

But when a series of escalating attacks against Seth forces Ronan back into his life, Seth knows it's his last chance to show Ronan he can be the man the broken surgeon needs. Only the Ronan who returns isn't the Ronan Seth fell in love with so long ago....

Can Seth be Ronan's salvation or will he end up destroying them both?

©2016 Sloane Kennedy (P)2017 Sloane Kennedy

His Salvation

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

I would consider this audio to be just as good as the book in print form! I loved hearing the characters come to life for me as I listened to their story unfolding.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Ronan's character! His character is one that carries the weight of the world on his shoulders but loves so hard and will die to protect those around him at any cost! He just needs the love of the right man to help with all his burdens!

Have you listened to any of Joel Leslie’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not that I am aware of!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Sexy, strong and will powered men will always win their love in the end!

Any additional comments?

I love this series and can not wait until the books are made available on audio!!

Hot, hot, hot!

Story: 4.5 Stars
Narration: 4 Stars
Overall: 4.5 Stars

Story:

I have been meaning to read Sloane Kennedy’s books for a while. I actually have 4 on my Kindle, but my reading schedule can get really crazy, so I had been unable to get to it even if Jaymie, my co-blogger, and Rita, one of our reviewers, have told me over and over to try her books out. I got the chance to review this audiobook, so of course, I grabbed it with both hands and I was blown away by Sloane’s storytelling skills!

It wasn’t an easy read, it was dark and angsty and gritty, it was very intense in some parts and really, mind the warnings, there are some scenes that are difficult to go through. There were a couple of scenes that were almost a bit too much for me, especially one at the start of the book, but I persevered and I’m quite glad I did, I would’ve hated to miss out on a fantastic book, because of something that in the end didn’t turn out to be as bad as it looked like. (Vague much? LOL)

Narration:

Joel Leslie did a fantastic job bringing Seth to life, I could feel his anguish, his pain, his love for Ronin coming through in the narration. Unfortunately, Ronin’s voice didn’t quite work for me. It was too hoarse, too uneven. It didn’t feel as natural as with Seth and that diminished my enjoyment of the audiobook a bit.

Still, I have to give the narrator props for his great job with the hotter than hot scenes that Sloane Kennedy wrote, because, damn, if I wasn’t afraid that my Kindle was about to catch on fire. *fans self*

Overall, the narration was engrossing and I was captivated by both the story between Ronin and Seth and everything else happening in the background. There were more than enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and at the edge of my seat wondering how it would all play out. It’s undeniable that Ms. Kennedy is a fantastic writer and I, for one, will be reading the other books in the series ASAP.

Highly recommendable!

LOVE IT!!!!

What made the experience of listening to Salvation the most enjoyable?

The narrator, Joel Leslie, did an amazing job of bringing Ronan and Seth to life.

What did you like best about this story?

I love the strength Ronan and Seth gave to each other. Even when they struggled with their own issues they were there for each other.

Which character – as performed by Joel Leslie – was your favorite?

I couldn't pick just one. Joel did an amazing job with both Ronan and Seth.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I am a huge fan of Sloane Kennedy's and read everything she writes as soon as it is published. After reading this book I really looked forward to listening to the audio and once I started I didn't want to stop.

Any additional comments?

Sloane Kennedy is an amazing author who writes beautiful books. Joel Did a great job bringing this book to life.

Ronan and Seth brought to life

Where does Salvation rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I absolutely LOVED it. I have only listened to just a few audiobooks but this one ranks way at the top.

What other book might you compare Salvation to and why?

Any of the Unbreakable Bods books by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott. The guys are so similar and want the same things. Love and friendship and all persevere no matter the crap that life has thrown at them.

Which scene was your favorite?

Chapter 10 When Ronan took Seth's virginity is definitely one of my favorite scenes in this book. There are so many that it's hard to pick an absolute favorite but this is one of them. Seth has always had feelings for Ronan since he was a teenager and Ronan was brought home as Trace's boyfriend. But when Ronan finally joins with Seth, sigh.

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

The same scene. How Ronan wouldn't let Seth touch him but yet he still had sex with him. Then the next morning when Seth wakes up alone not surprised that Ronan was gone. My heart broke for Seth. I felt so bad for him that Ronan treated him like that. And then Hawke and Ronan afterward, I just laughed. Ronan totally got what he deserved when he tried to get in and after so many years Seth finally had had enough of Ronan leaving him like he was nothing over and over again. I felt both sad for Seth but happy for him because he had finally sent a message to Ronan. You can't keep treating me like this.

Fantastic narration, angst-fest!

This is hard to review. On the one hand, as the many, many reviewers before me have stated, this is a powerful book with two very broken MCs and if you enjoyed book one, it’s style and it’s characters are replicated here, so the continuation is nice.

However, the one big difference between one and two is how the “salvation” comes about. Ronan has some pretty serious trust/intimacy issues and it takes him awhile to work them through. While he’s working through them he is a DICK to Seth. It was painful to watch Seth throw himself at Ronan over and over and see Ronan treat him like dirt. It made both men hard to like/respect.

But… with time and patience both men do make significant changes in how the approach/are treated by the other. I had to bite the bullet and keep reading because I was tempted to bail after the initial sex scene between the two – but it does get much better.

The mystery element is there, as is the reveal of our next MC – Hawke, and a re-visit with our triad from book one.

All in all it was a gripping story that kept my interest – while I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as book one – I am really enjoying the continuation of the saga and can’t wait to dive into book 3.

4 of 5 stars

Audio

I loved the way Joel interpreted these characters. He’s just so good with the emotion and giving each character a truly unique voice. This absolutely is the best way to enjoy this story and I LOVED his interpretation of Ronan’s voice as well as Hawke’s. Fantastic! Highly Recommended!

5 of 5 stars for the audio

4.5 of 5 stars for the audiobook