On Davis Row

By: N.R. Walker

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Nearing the end of a suspended jail sentence should unlock a brighter future for CJ Davis, only the chip on his shoulder is as hard to shift as his bad reputation. Born into a family of career criminals who live down Davis Road, an address the cops have dubbed Davis Row, his name alone is like a rap sheet that makes optimism impossible.

Brand-new parole officer Noah Huxley is determined to see the good in men like CJ. After all, he knows firsthand that bad things can happen to good people. His colleagues mock his doe-eyed optimism, but Noah soon sees CJ's bad attitude and bravado are weapons he uses to keep people at a distance.

Both men know one simple mistake can change a life forever. At first glance, they might seem to be polar opposites. Yet underneath, they're not that different at all.

Contains mature themes.

©2017 N. R. Walker (P)2018 Tantor

Another interesting departure for NR Walker!

Just when I stop expecting each NR Walker world to be a departure from her past worlds, she writes yet another book that distinguishes itself from her others. I enjoyed this one at least as much as her others.

As far as narration goes, meaning and emotion were well conveyed, but the two main characters didn’t sound that different from each other, especially when it came to class and region. I expected them to have different accents. Rather than using one non-Australian narrator, why couldn’t they have used two different Australian actors? It’s more common to have two different actors for dual POV narration, and for an Australian book I think they both should be Australian.

Sweet story of overcoming difficulties

The story was sweet and delightful. The characters were engaging and they made you care about them. I appreciated the moral integrity that the PO MC showed in wanting to wait until the MC interest wasn't under his care. I was a bit hesitant with him being his parole officer and the ethical dilemma that would cause, but they handled it well enough. The voice acting was well done and overall, I enjoyed the book. Good for a lazy afternoon.

Adorable

The connection between CJ and Noah is adorable and so sweet. Yes, there is some mild angst, but nothing that’s dragged out unnecessarily. Joel Leslie is great as always (I wouldn’t call his accents Australian, but I don’t mind. He always has a unique accent he tends to use anyways)

A perfect "second chance" read

Joel Leslie was great, as usual, giving each character a personality while moving the story along nicely.
The story itself was great. Though it did a bit of mature context, it was minimal and towards the end. This story isn't a smut fest. The tension and heat build up to a beautiful happy ending. The characters didn't just fall into bed at first sight.

This one absolutely wrecked me!

I don’t think I can truly put into words how much I loved this book and these characters! This is one of those stories that will stay with me long after I finish, and will revisit again in the future!
CJ’s story is so heartbreaking that I found myself reaching for the tissue box a few times. Noah’s has his own tragic past, but it was CJ’s that wrecked me.
I have to mention Pops and what a great character he was!
The narration was fantastic and truly brought Noah and CJ to life!