Storm Season

Accidental Roots, Book 1

By: Elle Keaton

Narrated by: Nick Gallagher

Death brought him home, will love keep him there?

Agent Adam Klay is home to bury his father, not to fall in love. Improbably, it fell into his lap.

Micah Ryan's been running on remote since his family died; the arrival of Adam Klay brings to life feelings Micah never thought he'd feel again.

A series of ominous events force Adam to face his feelings, can he protect Micah from a killer's crosshairs without losing his heart?

Storm Season is a dual POV about a terminally grouchy Federal Agent who discovers his softer side and a sweet man who thought he had nothing to live for. The Accidental Roots series follows a different couple in each book as they try to stop killers and unravel a human trafficking ring.

©2017 Elle Keaton (P)2020 Elle Keaton

A good story ruined!

I read this book a while ago and enjoyed it, so I was happy to see it come out in audio. Unfortunately, the audio was poorly done. The narrator was very monotonous and the recording quality was poor. Do not waste your money or credit on this one.

I loved this book; narration needs a little work.

I originally read Storm Season back in February 2018 and I absolutely loved it. Excerpts of my review from back then will be below my comments on the narration.

This is the first book I've listened to narrated by Nick Gallagher and he did a decent job. His voice is easy to listen to but there's not a lot of differentiation in voices for each character; for some reason this didn't really bother me with this particular story.

My biggest issue with the audio is that there were background noises that shouldn't be there. I suspect that this narrator doesn't have a lot of experience and maybe his recording environment needs some work. He doesn't have a lot of books on Audible so maybe he's just getting started. I know that quality recording equipment – microphone, booth, etc. – isn't cheap but some of the background noise (humming) could probably have been eliminated with software. I thought his pacing and vocal inflections were really quite good and I would be very willing to listen to more books that he performs.

Below are my comments on the story itself from when I read it two years ago.

The MCs (main characters) are Adam and Micah. Both of these men are somewhat broken but manage to find happiness with each other. Adam is a federal investigator who returns to Skagit to settle up things after his estranged father's death. Micah stayed in Skagit after his mother, father and sister were killed in a car accident. After the accident he became somewhat of a recluse. When he meets Adam at a local coffee shop, he feels something that he hasn't felt in a very long time – alive. Mystery and suspense are plentiful in this story.

The romance for the main characters in this book is resolved but not the mystery that much of the story is about; that will conclude in book 2.

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

Enjoyable story!

Storm Season is right up my alley! A fantastic mm crime romance, I enjoyed it so much. The story is well paced and interesting, the characters believable and likeable. Narration is good if a little “far away” however I really enjoyed the tone of his voice and his story pacing.

Great start to a different series but somewhat tied to existing stories with the characters being familiar.

My only grip would be sometimes I felt there were pages skipped during the reading. It just felt like Nick was starting in a middle of a sentence. Over all I did enjoy the narration. Good story line but I kind need to know now how these stories fall in line with the other series with the characters that are here that are in other stories. I need a timeline.

All time favorite!

Excellent story, characters and narration. Read the print version first and accidentally purchased the narrated version... what a wonderful accident.

had this book for a long time

as ive said ive had this book for a long time. finally got to it in my reading list. really wish i had moved out forward. so good! love everything about this story buying the next one right nowand starting it immediately!

Loved Adam and Micah

Both characters had a lot of internal angst going on, but worked out their issues and found happiness. Micah was surviving but not really living until Adam entered his life and helped him begin to live again. Loved the small town characters and their interactions with the couple. Nick Gallagher brought the MC's to life with his narration. Overall a good story and enjoyed listening to this book.

Season of Storms

I live near the Skagit region in in the Pacific Northwest, so I can attest to the storms (even if the town is made up). Torrential rain alternating with occasional bursts of quick sunshine that you revel in because it’s not going to last. Sometimes that rain can go on for days and you wonder if it’s ever going to stop.

Micah Ryan has lived there his entire life – except a stint away at university. While he was gone, his parents and beloved sister died. He returned to the family home and has lived it in ever since, struggling to survive while mired in grief, anxiety, and a clumsiness that brings unwanted attention whenever he goes out.

Adam Klay is the opposite of Micah. The Federal Agent is confident, competent, and nimble. He’s also one of the best investigators in the bureau who never takes a day off. When his father’s estate needs to be settled, his mentor and boss sends him north from California to dreary Washington State with the mission of settling ghosts to rest once and for all. In that way, he is very like Micah – having unresolved issues with his parents. Adam grew up with a father who was an artistic genius and a terrible parent. The stories of what Adam endured growing up were harrowing – the emotional abuse rather than anything physical. Was it any wonder he ran from town as soon as he was able to join an organization that thrives on order, hierarchy, and continuity? A steady force. The exact opposite of the chaos he endured as a child.

So when Adam sees the clumsy Micah over and over again at the local coffee shop, something clicks. He feels empathy for the man and, eventually, they speak. It’s the night they meet at the only gay bar in town that things take a turn. In the arms of another man, Micah isn’t awkward. He isn’t clumsy. He comes apart in a way that takes Adam’s breath away.

But all is not as it seems. Bodies of young women are turning up. A local charity that is supposed to protect teenagers is coming into question. People are dying. Fires are being set. Life is turning chaotic for everyone involved. And suddenly Micah’s past – the past he’d believed long left behind – comes roaring back. Suddenly there are bad people at every turn and all is not as it seems.

Okay, so plenty of mystery. And most of it was logical and made sense. Except Micah did one thing that made me want to pull my hair out. Okay, it moved the plot forward, but I was like, really? He’s that, uh, stupid? A minor point but it did niggle. (In case you couldn’t guess.) Aside from that, I enjoyed the book. From the emotional struggle Adam goes through sorting through his father’s belongings, to Micah’s necessity to finally deal with his parents and sister’s passing, there was plenty to sink my teeth into.

This is book 1 in the Accidental Roots series and I can’t wait for the next one. On to narration – I enjoy Nick Gallagher’s narration but there were technical problems and if you use high volume, they are apparent. Not enough to detract from the enjoyment, but there nonetheless. Overall I enjoyed the book and I look forward to more.

STORM SEASON

Very enjoyable audio with a good narrator. This will definitely be a relisten for me!

good story

I greatly enjoyed the mystery and the romance, it heard a great plot and interesting cast of characters. The narrator's voice was wonderful as well. knee thing that did bother me just a bit was the quality of the sound production; at times I could hear some background machinery running type noise.