Hero (Hero, #1) in Audiobook Junkies

Jan 03, 2015 Bj rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 4-and-a-half-stars, 2015, audiobooks, arc, romantic-suspense, new-adult

4.5 "Believe in Yourself" Stars! Hero is an emotional tale about two individuals who are damaged in their own ways by an intersecting past. The emotional angst, and hidden secrets, are what make this read so special. But be forewarned, the "hero"'s actions at times can tear you apart, and just when you think this couple is making huge strides forward, be prepared for the inevitable setback, as the deep emotional scars inflicted by the past take their toll.

This was my first book by Samantha Youn 4.5 "Believe in Yourself" Stars! Hero is an emotional tale about two individuals who are damaged in their own ways by an intersecting past. The emotional angst, and hidden secrets, are what make this read so special. But be forewarned, the "hero"'s actions at times can tear you apart, and just when you think this couple is making huge strides forward, be prepared for the inevitable setback, as the deep emotional scars inflicted by the past take their toll.

This was my first book by Samantha Young, and I guarantee it will not be my last! I love her style which combines a mix of all my favorite romantic elements. From her deep introspection into the key motivators that shape a character's personality, to the suspense garnered by a well played mysterious connection, to, of course, her plenty of well written, steamy, erotic scenes! I loved it all!

Alexa Holland’s dreams were dashed at a young age when she came to the revolutionary revelation that her father, the man she once viewed as her hero, was anything but. Instead, her and her mother, were her socialite father's dirty little secret. Overwhelmed and destroyed, Alexa promised herself that she would become her own success story. Alexa was well on her way to forging her own future, when she meets the one man, who perhaps, has been even more negatively affected by the selfish actions of her father.

Caine Carraway, however, is not a forgiving man. Cold, hard and ruthless, it is his self determination that has raised him from nothing, to the rich entrepreneur that he is today. As one of Boston's richest men, he is used to getting his way. And when it comes to Alexa, what he believes he wants from her is to make her pay. Notwithstanding this shroud of indifference, however, there is a chemistry that connects Alexa and Caine. So much so, that--whenever she is able to crack through his facade--it is pure heat and passion that overtakes them.

Soon the pair is wrapped up in a clandestine affair. Knowing he could never be the hero that Alexa deserves, Caine forewarns her that their relationship will never last. But as their interconnected past rears its ugly head, and danger is ever near, Caine's convictions will be challenged, and his desire to protect Alexa at all costs may potentially lead to life altering consequences. Can there possible be a HEA in store for a couple with such an auspicious start?

I was fortunate enough to be able to experience this book, both in its written form and in audio. I absolutely love the heightened effect that experiencing a story in both formats can develop. Sometime it's good to curl up with a book and just read, while letting your imagination conjure up the related images. At other times, listening even for a short while, can greatly aid set the tone, background and feeling of a story, particularly when the story is read by a talented narrator, like Angelica Lee.

Although a quick search reveals that Ms. Lee has only produced a handful of titles, Ms. Lee's dynamic performance in Hero is a great start! Ms. Lee produces both genuine male and female voices, an essential hallmark of a good romance audiobook narrator. Moreover, she also does a good job of providing slightly differentiated voices, even among characters of a similar age and gender, so that each character can be easily distinguished.

Ms. Lee's acting style is also well suited to communicating the multitude of emotions conveyed in Hero. Additionally, her sensitivity to pacing her delivery to match the mood of the scene, greatly enhanced the overall effect of this already poignant story for me.

Perhaps my favorite part of Ms. Lee's rendition is her portrayal of Alexa. She uses just the right mix in her intonation to bring to life Alexa's emotional turmoil over her feelings for Caine. Moreover, she also convincingly brings to light both Alexa's strong will and determination at remaining independent, while at the same time longing for the love that her unfortunate past failed to provide her.

I absolutely adored the character development in this emotional romance. Caine's evolution from the stark, cold man he was in the beginning of this novel, to the man he allows himself to open up to become at the end, was remarkable! Moreover, Alexa's strength in the face of so many obstacles is admirable. Ms. Young knew how to time the development of this couple's feelings just right, so that by the time the inevitable comes, its completely believable and, in fact, an incredible relief that I had been pining for from the edge of my seat! Clearly Ms. Young is an incredibly talented writer and now I must go back and read some of her backlist!

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 23, 2015 Dianne rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc-read, contemporary-romance, adult-fiction

Addicting reading, chemistry and oh, the conflict! Samantha Young has done it, again with Hero, the story of a secrets, lies, over-the-top egos, and that final moment of realization, did I mention the passionate heat?

Alexa’s world was shattered the day she found that her hero, her father, was not the man she imagined he was. Her goal was to separate herself from the lies she had lived and carve out her own place in the world. That place is threatened when a client adamantly refuses to work with ...more

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Nov 13, 2014 ☕️Kimberly (Caffeinated Reviewer) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My ride with Hero found me hooked from the start. We have Alex Holland a successful PA, who is just coming back to work after suffering a loss. Her first day back she comes face to face with Caine Carraway. Alexa sees a chance at redemption and a kindred spirit. Caine wants nothing to do with the past or Alex. Right away, I could feel the character’s raw emotions and admired their success and tenacious personalities.

Alexa is stubborn but so is Caine and thus beings their delicious banter and wic My ride with Hero found me hooked from the start. We have Alex Holland a successful PA, who is just coming back to work after suffering a loss. Her first day back she comes face to face with Caine Carraway. Alexa sees a chance at redemption and a kindred spirit. Caine wants nothing to do with the past or Alex. Right away, I could feel the character’s raw emotions and admired their success and tenacious personalities.

Alexa is stubborn but so is Caine and thus beings their delicious banter and wicked game of advance and retreat. I laughed at their tango and was in awe of Alexa’s strength and patience. Caine did an excellent job of hiding his own emotions and seeing Alexa chip away at his carefully crafted façade had me fully engaged. Their interaction was a joy to observe and something everyone in the room could feel. Alex matched him step for step and caught him off guard. I love a strong woman and she does not take crap from anyone while still being sensitive and observant. An ornery, meddling old woman who I would like to be when I grow up added to the mix and stirred the pot, as did Caine’s best friend. These two had me giggling aloud. We get a little side romance and it is one I would have liked a full book of. *hint I am thinking companion book with overlapping timeline *

Young weaved some angst into Hero with some clever twists and a dash of danger to keep me singing the “just one more chapter” mantra. I love how she makes me fully connect to her characters. I experienced all the feels from wanting to hold them and just flat out wanting to slap them in the back of the head. It was perfectly orchestrated and skillfully pulled at my heartstrings. I was chasing my HEA, and although I felt certain it was just around the corner, Young did not make it easy. Sometimes a story can be so overwrought with angst that I do not enjoy it but such was not the case with Hero. It felt genuine and raw. Gads I fell in love with Caine Carraway. The man made me swoon one moment and want to hug him the next. The romance brings heat and passion. It was sinfully delicious from raw primal need to earth shattering sweetness.

Copy provided by publisher This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer ...more

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Oct 13, 2014 Darcy rated it liked it

Shelves: romance, 2015, e-book

I think I would have liked this one better had Caine not been an ass through out most of the book. I found that it really colored how I felt about the book.

I liked Alexa from the start, she was fun, good and didn't let her past get her down. While she had a bad connection to Caine, she genuinely wanted good things for him and most of the time he threw that back in her face. As the two of them got closer I hated the hot/cold of Caine. When he was sweet, he was sweet, but when he was cold it was ...more

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Jan 26, 2016 Kimberly rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, read-in-2016

Wow! This book was a wonderful surprise! I've read a Samantha Young book or three (from the On Dublin Street series and the In The Deep series) and thoroughly liked her characters from those books. I "wanted" to read this book not as much for the book blurb, but because it is another Samantha Young adult contemporary romance novel (I have realized I am, more often than not, too "old" for new adult romance, but give me twenty- and thirty-somethings and I'm in romance novel heaven.)

Hero has the t ...more

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