Dana reviews Hard Edit (Sequel to Black Balled) by Andrea Smith and Eva LeNoir (Self Published September 4, 2016. 312 pages. Released on audio January 3, 2017. 8 hrs 54 mins. Narrated by Joel Leslie.) A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
To read my review of Black Balled click here.
Blurb:
It’s all fun and games until egos get hurt.
After a year of a seemingly happily-ever-after, Troy Babilonia throws a curve ball that smacks Larson Blackburn right in the head. When Troy’s debut novel, Bridge to Lonely, threatens to overshadow Larson’s own success, inviting a past shadow into the light of their present, the two alphas must learn to adjust.
Bridge to Lonely has garnered an unexpected success both in the literary world and in the film industry, forcing Larson to accept that he is not the only successful author in the building. But as Troy’s old flame decides to make an appearance, the two alphas are forced to test the strength of their love. Let the battle of the egos recommence, where sarcasm is the preferred weapon and the testosterone levels go beyond the boiling point.
Because Black Balled just wasn’t enough…Smith & LeNoir bring you Hard Edit.
A M/M romance with adult content.
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*****
The narration – This is the twenty-first book by Joel Leslie that I have listened to, but only the fourth that I have reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews. I’d have to say I’m a fan of his narration. His range of voices is beyond most narrators. It seems that every character, main and secondary, have their own sound and can be distinguished from one another. He does well with emoting and inflecting the right amount of sexiness when needed. I definitely recommend audiobooks with his narrations.
The story – In the first book of this series, there was some controversy over it and I had been uneasy about listening to it. It proved to be better than I thought, but I was excited to listen and review the sequel without that dark cloud hanging over it.
Troy and Larson were two characters that I can’t love completely. They are different from each other in a lot of ways, but both of them have inflated egos that make them unattractive to me. They are both stubborn, too, and they butt heads often. Sometimes they come off a bit misogynistic. Yes, I find myself frustrated at them as individual characters. But. As a couple, I actually do love them. I think their argumentative natures and ability to jump to the wrong conclusions and act like children attract them to each other. Even as they fight in this book with each other, both are willing to defend the other from hurtful outside forces. They won me over as a duo for sure.
In this book, Larson and Troy do go through some changes. A past love shakes up their confidence a bit. A successful book release leads to bigger opportunities for one of them. Troy’s reviews play less of a role in this story which doesn’t have a clear cut sub-plot. It’s more just a story about their lives after their big confrontation in the first book. I loved the secondary character of Ida who is caring, sometimes interfering, and really funny. Another neighbor Thelma also provides some comedy. Ida’s cat and Thelma’s dog have short extras at the end of the story that are hilarious. Larson’s mom and her companion really round out the story creating a family and support system for Larson and Troy along with their neighbors.
Although my review is on the shorter side, it doesn’t reflect on my feelings for the book. I enjoyed this book more than the first one, and my insides melted as Troy and Larson grew closer. There are sweet moments and sexy, smokin’ times in this book. I would definitely recommend this book and this series.
9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars
USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author Andrea Smith has a wicked sense of humor. No matter the genre, she is able to infuse laughter throughout.
She is an open book to her friends and family. She celebrates her successes and reflects on her failures with those she holds dear.
Andrea is an Ohio native, currently residing in southern Ohio. She is the mother of two grown sons, and through the years has always held on to her dream of publishing fiction.
Having previously been employed as an executive for a global corporation, she decided to leave the corporate world in June of 2012 to pursue her life-long dream of writing romantic fiction.
Andrea Smith is the author of Past Tense Present Perfect (formerly published as the Baby series), The G-Man series, These Men (Novella that was part of an 8-author Erotica Consortium compilation entitled Bend) and she is due to self-publish her first Paranormal novel, Silent Whisper, August 2014. This is Book #1 in the ‘Limbo Series.’
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*****
Eva LeNoir grew up travelling with her parents to various countries in the world. Reading was her constant companion during her travels and her ability to adapt to different cultures fed her mind with endless possibilities. The characters swimming in her head are always from various horizons with a multitude of dreams and aspirations. However, all of these voices always have one thing in common: The women are strong and independent. A true believer in the female cause, Eva’s wish is to portray the women in her books as the leaders. She sees them walking hand in hand with their partners and not be the sheepish followers of the male gender. But most of all, Eva LeNoir wants to offer her readers a moment of pleasure as they dive into the world of her mind’s creation.
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