I so enjoyed this!

I really loved...
- the family element of this story
- that the character interactions made me laugh out loud
- how Emilio learned from Spencer as much as Spencer learned from Emilio
- seeing Spencer find himself again
Beautiful story.

Anything I didn't like?
On a few occasions I noticed the narrator used his Spencer voice when it should have been Emilio's. It didn't happen very often and only in a couple sex scenes, I think. Nothing worth the deduction of a star.

A really enjoyable story of the growth and strengthening of a family/relationship.

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worth the listen

if nothing else this story teaches you about patience and understanding. It teaches you understanding of someone and their past.

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I love Insta Love!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This was my first experience of an audio book and it took a little while for me to get used to it.

I really enjoyed this story and found Spencer and Emilio’s love story addictive. I wanted to keep listening and found every opportunity to do so.

Emilio is very headstrong and knows what he wants and won’t let anything get in his way. He railroad Spencer a little, but Spencer comes across as being a little bit more reserved.

It was definitely a story that I would recommend to others particularly those who like a bit of insta love.

I was given Strong Enough in exchange for an honest review and I give it 5 pink stars.

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Great series

Ezekiel Robison has made this whole series a delight to listen to. His narration throughout is superb. In this story he clearly characterizes each person and their emotions with a distinctive voice to match the personality. He made Spencer’s voice mature yet cute, Emilio’s hot and sensual, and the slimy ex boyfriend Peter worked really well and provoked the required negative reaction.

I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted tale. It was definitely lust at first sight for this May/December and very opposite couple. The young construction worker moving in straight away with the older professor might seem implausible in real life, but as usual, CC makes it entirely feasible. It’s a sexy and sweet romance of two men rapidly falling in love.

Emilio is such a great character. Handsome and sexy, he knows what he wants and sets out to claim Spencer from the start. For someone who is so young (twenty-two) he possesses amazing confidence and the ability to do what is right. He starts off in the role of the seducer, but when he notices Spencer’s vulnerability, he takes his time to earn Spencer’s trust. He declares his intentions towards him so it doesn’t feel creepy. I adored how caring and protective he is and how he makes Spencer feel comfortable and safe. They get to know each other well as Emilio gradually fixes the house for Spencer. He is patient and gentle, allowing Spencer the time to adapt to their new situation.

Spencer is the sweet and unassuming professor, who’s also lonely and insecure. My heart went out to him as we learn about his past and his insecurities. He’d been hurt before, but was still willing to give love one more chance. His reactions to Emilio loving on him and showing him attention are super.

The "off the charts" passion and connection between Emilio and Spencer made this story wonderful. The interaction and conversations showed a beautiful relationship developing and the smoking hot love scenes helped to make the insta-love believable. Emilio demonstrates his commitment to Spencer, and their love and devotion to each other prove to Spencer that he didn't really have ED but that he’d simply been with the wrong partners before Emilio.

Emilio’s family play a fabulous role in the story. They are all supportive of Emilio and readily welcome Spencer into the fold. Some of the comical scenes involving the brothers are hilarious and had me chuckling away.

This is a favourite series of mine and this story is a well-crafted tale of love that keeps your attention throughout. It draws the reader/listener into the characters’ lives and the blossoming relationship from the start.

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Sweet and soft

This is a story about two men taking care of eachother and shows that age is just a number.
It had potential to get angsty but didn’t go there. They softly found their way to trust and love.

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as good as the ebook

The story is always full stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook. I can't listen to an audiobook without knowing the book, that's not possible for me.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. It took me a little bit, to come into the narrator, but at the end, it worked. I only have to take a few breaks between. I'm just not yet finish with the book, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B

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awesome book with awesome narration!

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When twenty-two-year-old Emilio Sanchez sees handsome Spencer Derdinger walking by his construction site, Emilio makes it his goal to seduce the shy professor. Getting Spencer into bed isn’t difficult, but Emilio soon learns that earning the trust of a man deeply hurt will take time and patience. With a prize like brilliant, sweet Spencer on the line, Emilio decides he is strong enough to face the challenge.

Spencer is surprised when he’s approached by the gorgeous construction worker he’s admired from the safety of his office window. Acting spontaneously for the first time in his thirty-eight years, Spencer takes Emilio home. When the casual hookup turns into the potential for love, Spencer realizes that if he wants to build a life with Emilio, he’ll need to be strong enough to slay his personal demons and learn to trust again.

This has to be my favourite book by Cardeno C, like ever! I have some more to read, but still I loved it!

Emilio caught Spencer's eye whilst working across from his office. Emilio caught Spencer watching, and then, just barged his way into Spencer's home, and his life. I loved how Spencer dealt with it all, Emilio, being younger, brasher, more down to earth than Spencer, totally showing that opposites DO attract!

I loved the way Spencer and Emilio worked through Spence's issues, and how Emilio's brothers took Spencer in, warts and all.

No major fall outs, misunderstandings, or life changing decisions, written in a way only CC knows how, and has mastered in a way others should take note. Its not necessary for the characters to fall out and mess up, sometimes, just getting from A to B is story enough, IF IF IF its told well. Told from both men's point of view, we get an insight into them both, which I really LOVE, mostly, because I like to know whats going on, from everyone.

The best bit for me?? The discussion about rings. Loved that scene and stands at one of my all time favourite for ANY author, EVER!

This is book two in the family series, but can be read as a stand alone and out of order. Indeed, Asher from book one is mentioned in passing and doesn't feature at all. I would like Asher and Daniel to have made more of an appearance, but still.

AUDIO REVIEW

Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my audio copy of this book.

Okay, OKAY. I take it all back! Ezekiel Robison is OUTSTANDING in this book!

I couldn't finish Something In The Way He Needs, and I only liked The Half Of Us, when listening but when asked to review Strong Enough, I knew I had LOVED READING it, so really had to try. Just one more. Just one more time would I give Robison a go.

And he NAILED it!! Absolutely freaking NAILED it!! His voices are perfect. His reading voice, clear and even. There is NO, none at all, of the dipping sound I noticed in the other two books. Granted, I did not hear Emilio speaking with a Spanish-y accent when I was reading, but boy did it ever work here! The brothers voices too, were outstanding, and while similar, still different enough for me to make out who was talking in a multi- person conversation. Peter's voice was perfect too, and very much like the slimey voice I heard in my head when reading.

Robison portrays both men's feelings, emotions and thought processes beautifully. Spencer's fears and issues. Emilio's brashness and bull-in-a-china-shop attitude.

I usually take several days to listen to a book, sometimes several weeks. 6 hours and 43 minutes is a long time, to be totally engrossed in something but, THIS one? I got through in one sitting. One. Single. Sitting. I drove to it, I did laundry to it, I went to bed with it and stayed up til 2 in the morning because I wanted to get to the end. To THAT scene at the end. And it was as glorious listening to it, as it was reading. Still my most favourite scene in any book, EVER.

So, Mr Robison, I apologise for not liking the other two books, I really do. But thank you, for delivering Spencer and Emilio in such an outstanding way.

5 super shiny stars!
5 stars for the narration too!

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Uneventful

It was all right. Very well read. Too much sex. Nice characters but completely forgetable.

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