From the Bookshelf of Audiobook Junkies…

Under Control (Boston Fire, #5)

Shannon Stacey

Start date: September 3, 2018

Finish date: September 5, 2018

Discussion: 2018 Tracking for Challenge

Discussion leader: Jonetta

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2018 Tracking for Challenge

* 2018 Individual Tracking Lists
By Jennifer · 1 post · 36 views

last updated Dec 15, 2017 09:41AM

* 2018 Blog Challenge Details
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What Members Thought

Aug 18, 2018 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, contemporary, boston-fire-series

In a total meet-cute moment, Olivia and Derek are introduced to one another while stuck in an elevator. Although it’s not for a long time, it’s long enough to feel the pull of sexual attraction. On paper, these two are complete opposites, but you know what they say about opposites… Olivia is driven: an only child and product of a nasty divorce, she lives a well-structured life according to her own plan. She’s started her own highly successful business and lives in the nicer end of town. She isn’ In a total meet-cute moment, Olivia and Derek are introduced to one another while stuck in an elevator. Although it’s not for a long time, it’s long enough to feel the pull of sexual attraction. On paper, these two are complete opposites, but you know what they say about opposites… Olivia is driven: an only child and product of a nasty divorce, she lives a well-structured life according to her own plan. She’s started her own highly successful business and lives in the nicer end of town. She isn’t rigid, and doesn’t freeze up if there are changes, but instead she deals with changes by planning more. On the other hand, Derek, firefighter and divorced father of two young kids, knows life is messy and plans are fluid. He is working class, and lives near his kids and the firehouse. He’s convinced that Olivia is “out of his league.”

I really like how Under Control plays out. It’s an HEA-romance that feels gritty and real without being overly dramatic. There is attraction followed by action between the pair, and then once they realize how good they are together, they individually consider how their lives will change if things keep moving forward.

Derek spends a lot of time contemplating what a future together would look like and what it means to his world. Normally I don’t care for the “what ifs,” as the characters play out scenarios in their heads rather than being decisive and taking action. But the fears and concerns that play out in Derek’s mind are genuine, and they add value to the story. Derek doesn’t know what will happen so he questions the paths his future may take.

Spending time together, the pair fall in love, and they truly want to make things work. The problem is each has only considered their own perspective on a future together. So when Derek and Olivia finally talk about their future - it’s painful because they both go into thinking it has to be a certain way. The conflict is emotional and genuine, leaving everyone involved, including myself, heartbroken. But this is a romance… so don’t worry too much!

Under Control is a sweet romance, filled with sexy times and authentic emotions. Falling for one another after an immediate attraction, Olivia and Derek go the distance to make it work, and I enjoyed following them on their journey.

My Rating: B, Liked It
Review copy provided by NetGalley
Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About ...more

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Sep 02, 2018 Anne - Books of My Heart rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 7arcs, audio, 2018

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I've been loving this Boston Fire series on audio . Some friend was reading or listening to them and they sounded great. I was happy to find them available on audio at the library. I've really enjoyed all the couples. The characters are likeable, relatively normal, believable people so I can relate to them. Of course, This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I've been loving this Boston Fire series on audio . Some friend was reading or listening to them and they sounded great. I was happy to find them available on audio at the library. I've really enjoyed all the couples. The characters are likeable, relatively normal, believable people so I can relate to them. Of course, there is the added benefit of knowing the others in the circle of friends as the stories continue.

Olivia and Derek are both lovely people with good hearts and a few quirks. Their meeting was cute and they are attracted so they start to spend some time together to get to know each other. But quickly, they are having sex. I didn't feel the attraction with so little time with dialogue so the sex felt too fast. Even though they were honest with each other, the first half of the book felt like too much sex, not enough relationship development. I think this might be because we are told they talk on the phone almost every night but we don't get many of those conversations where they forge more of their connection.

But then they started to want a more long-term relationship and they started working on their differences and issues. Other friends and family were introduced to their couple-ness. So the second half of the book was great and I really enjoyed it as they grew to adjust their lives together.

The next book Flare Up was set up near the end of Under Control and it sounds awesome. I can't wait for it to release in January.

Narration:
I have listened on audio to the series and so I am comfortable with the narrator. I am able to use my normal 1.25x speed. The male voices are fine except they all seem to have a heavy Boston accent. Most of the women don't seem to have it. It's a little odd. But the performance is the world I know and enjoy.

Listen to a clip:https://soundcloud.com/harperaudio_us...
...more

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Sep 10, 2018 Lynn Reynolds rated it really liked it

Shelves: finished-reading

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Derek Gilman must do training in order to keep up to date on procedures. Olivia McGovern has one of those jobs that have a big title but most of us wouldn’t understand what it means – thankfully she lets us in on that. Our author did a great job creating a secondary character that knows Olivia very well and her name is Kelsey. She helps Olivia just a little by not taking everything in life so seriously. Plus she may get you to chuckle a time or two.

As I get to know our main char ...more

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