Friction in 2015 Snagged @ The Library Challenge

Jun 24, 2015 Bj rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, arc, romantic-suspense, 4-and-a-half-stars, 2015, forbidden-love

4.5 "Who Done It?" Stars for the story and narration.

Every year I eagerly await Sandra Brown's romantic suspense release. Over the years Ms. Brown has proved again and again what a dominant force she is in the romantic suspense arena. And I am happy to report that once again Ms. Brown has managed to come up with a completely new and original set of circumstances where she takes her readers and listeners on an adventurous ride of action/suspense and passion/love amidst the most dangerous, threat 4.5 "Who Done It?" Stars for the story and narration.

Every year I eagerly await Sandra Brown's romantic suspense release. Over the years Ms. Brown has proved again and again what a dominant force she is in the romantic suspense arena. And I am happy to report that once again Ms. Brown has managed to come up with a completely new and original set of circumstances where she takes her readers and listeners on an adventurous ride of action/suspense and passion/love amidst the most dangerous, threatening of circumstances. In that regard, Ms. Brown has a knack, shared by few writers, for putting together characters, who at first blush you might think would never attract, but then has them go through a uniquely, dangerous and bond building, adrenaline filled journey where the two characters come together to survive and find an indestructible, love bond in the process.

Moreover in Friction, as is the case with many of Ms. Brown's other romantic suspense titles, Ms. Brown manages to weave several smaller sub-plots together to keep her audience entertained along the way. And just when you think everything is unrelated, Ms. Brown always manages to find a way to wrap it all together in the end. I will add one caution of note though for the die-hard romance fans, who like their suspense secondary to the romance, this is definitely a book that leads with the suspense, so if that is not your cup of tea, then please be forewarned.

Crawford Hunt, a Texas Ranger, is ready to take back custody of his five-year old daughter. After the death of his wife, he relinquished custody to his in-laws, while he coped with the bitter loss, a loss for which he still blames himself. However, now that he is ready to assume his role as a father, his in-laws have decided to oppose his petition.

It is during a hearing to determine Crawford's daughter's custody, in the chambers of the Honorable, Judge Holly Spencer, that he is forced to put his possible future with his daughter on hold again as his Texas Ranger instincts kick in and he pursues a masked gunman who breaks into the courtroom. Crawford may be convinced that a woman like Judge Spencer would never give a man like him back custody of his daughter, but he can't just watch her be gunned down.

But nothing is what it seems, and soon the investigation turns on him. With Judge Spencer possibly being the key to identifying the true gunman, Crawford can't seem to stay away from her, even when the heat of the moment leads to an awkward reunion. But the more Judge Spencer gets to know Crawford, the more she realizes she just may be the safest in his arms. However, with a reelection campaign underway, following her gut may just cost her what she has been planning in her future. Will this unlikely duo of allies be able to work together long enough to apprehend the gunman and, if they do, will they be able to do the "right thing" once its time go their separate ways to pursue their future goals?

This was my first time listening to Stephan Lang. Interestingly, while Mr. Lang might not be the obvious choice to narrate a romance (with his deep, action drama styled voice), he fit the bill perfectly for this title. A more believable Crawford, I could not imagine. He sounded exactly how I would expect an independent, shoot from the hip, Texas ranger to sound. Moreover, Mr. Lang nailed the alpha nature of Crawford.

Mr. Lang also delivered a believable female voice for Judge Spencer. Heightening the tone of his voice just enough, to convincingly portray Judge Spencer as a confident, mediator, who has a talent for diffusing charged situations by brokering compromises.

Furthermore, Mr. Lang also did a great job of pacing his delivery to match the mood of the scene. From the action-packed sequences, to the slower more suspense-filled ones, and then of course the explosive passionate ones, I highly enjoyed Mr. Lang's rendition of this addictive story.

All in all, Friction is another hit for Sandra Brown. I will once again wait on pins and needles for her next release, and now I also have a new narrator to look forward to listening more of in the future!

Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.
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