Never Give Up

Birch Harbor: Damaged Heroes, Book 1

By: Rue Lennox

Narrated by: Ash Beverly, Lu Banks

He says there can never be anything between us . . . but I still want him.

Devastation and devotion are two sides to the same coin, and Brian Miller flips the coin to my heart without even trying.

He thinks he's not good enough—that I deserve better than a damaged single father.

But his demons can't be any worse than the one stalking my every move in our small town—the one no one can bring to justice.

Despite the age difference between us, I'm not a little girl, and I know the truth. Brian will never forgive himself for not being there when I needed him most.

But he's the only man who can rescue me now.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Rue Lennox (P)2024 Tantor

There should be trigger warnings

WARNING: There are events and descriptions in this book that can really push it (especially with a 911 call - things are implied but not outright confirmed). There were multiple instances that would be difficult for a sensitive reader. If you're someone who struggles with their own trauma, I don't suggest listening.

The narrators did a good job. Their voices seemed like a good fit for the story.

I took a chance on it, not really knowing what to expect. This story focuses on a 911 operator and an officer. The first chapter was hard to get into. I'm not sure if it was the female narrator's tone, or just how the story started. I almost stopped listening a dozen times throughout the book.

I didn't really like the MMC. I felt that he switched how he felt about the FMC too quickly and it didn't seem genuine. His relationship with his ex wife was awful. He was jumping from relationship to relationship and it didn't seem healthy or realistic.

Things just kept happening to the FMC. It got to the point where I was just expecting every single little thing to go wrong and I realized I was almost bracing for it. It took a lot of enjoyment out of the story.

Another example of the author's questionable choices was related to a scene where the MMC accuses the FMC of withholding a detail about a traumatic event. If you've ever experienced anything like that, you know there are things you forget. Our brains try to process events and sometimes it leads to forgetting certain details unless triggered by another event or people.