IT DELIVERED SO MUCH MORE THAN I'D HOPED FOR

Jude was a Cop who got a call that would change his career and his future.. because that call led him to an out of control house fire and a frantic woman trapped on an upstairs balcony. It should never be advised but the roof was her only option so Jude told her to climb.. and she did - but then she fell and Jude's life was forever changed. In the years that followed horrific nightmares were a constant reminder of his mistake, of his butterfly - the woman who survived the fire and the fall despite his bad advice.

Rhion is a survivor and she shows her tattooed over scarred arms with pride.. but she lives in fear of her brother - because he's the violent person who started the fire, wants her fortune and her death. Rhion never ventures out, is protected by various members of Guardian Security and their offices are only a couple of floors away from her apartment. So Rhion feels safe as she writes her romance books which are fuelled by her passionate thoughts of Jude.. the stranger who saved her life all those years ago. And then Guardian take on a new Bodyguard and Rhion comes face to face with her dream man.. and Jude comes face to face with the woman from his nightmares.. his butterfly.

These two characters are instantly drawn to one another and when Alpha hottie Jude becomes aware that Rhion is in danger it brings out his possessive and protective side too. There's drama, emotional turmoil, sexy times, passion, some angst, good secondary characters and a tension-filled twist that puts Rhion's life in danger as the addictive well-written storyline plays out. But perception is the shocker here because Rhion's vivid recollections of that fateful night and what subsequently followed don't match Jude's guilty ones. Dual POV and great narration.

Worth a credit? Yes.. and it's a good start to a new Bodyguard series as you are introduced to some of the team.

21 people found this helpful

Suspense, Secrets And Surprising Twists!

This is one of those stories, the more I listened the more I was drawn in. While I felt the story had a slow start, Aly did an amazing job weaving the secrets, the plot twists, and keeping the listener in suspense throughout the whole story, by the end I was totally captivated, and listened almost non stop.

Jude (hero) and Ryan (heroine) first meet when he arrives at a house fire, and sees her standing on the ledge. With no one else around, he attempts to save her from the fire. Four years later, they both have scars, and deal with the horrors from that night in their own way. Jude has nightmares, blames himself, and lives with guilt. Ryan throws herself into writing, and romanticizes that night and being rescued.

Ryan's a complex character with secrets, and her story is more complicated. After surviving the fire, her brother tried to attack her, and told her he was the one responsible for setting the fire that almost killed her. He's angry their father left his entire fortune to Ryan and blames her. For several years, Ryan lived in fear of her brother, who stalked and terrorized her, so she hired the Guardian security agency to help protect her.

The Guardian's have become her second family, and they do what it takes to protect her. When the Guardians hire a new member, she comes face to face with the man who saved her the night of the fire. There's a connection, attraction, and chemistry between them, and they are drawn together like a moth to a flame. When they become romantically involved, Jude realizes quickly nothing is easy or black and white when it comes to Ryan. Protecting her will be a challenge, but getting her to open up, and tell him her secrets maybe the most challenging of all.

The character, and relationships building was great! I felt like I was right there with the characters listening to their banter. Not to mention, Jason and Andi did an awesome job portraying the characters, and bringing them to life. Definitely credit worthy.

8 people found this helpful

Guilt Trip

In order to enjoy Singe, the reader/listener has to buy into Jude's never-ending guilt trip over an tragic incident. As a young cop in a small town, Jude was called (while off-duty after having a few drinks) to respond to an alarm at an empty mansion.

Of course, the burning house was NOT empty and there was a terrified young woman (Rhion) out on a ledge with no good options. Needless to say, Jude attempted to help but both were injured, with Rhion almost dead and traumatized for life.

Although their shared past was heart-breaking, when Jude and Rhion met again 4 or 5 years later, neither had gone for professional counseling. No, Jude was still wallowing in guilt and regret while Rhion had retreated from the world into a high security apartment.

If wallowing in self-pity was an Olympic sport, both Jude and the wealthy Rhion would have been gold medal winners. I was hoping that Rhion would have used some of her daddy's millions to help other burn victims but no she was too busy feeling sorry for herself.

4 people found this helpful

Perfectly Flawed

I didn't even read the blurb before diving into this one so I had to no idea what to expect but I am so glad I picked this one up. It was so very good.

There is romance, suspense and humor all mixed up with familial drama and some hot, hot loving. All my boxes are checked.

Jason Carpenter and Andi Arndt were perfection. They always are. I don't even need to review their audio because if you look up the definition of good audio, their faces are plastered there.

My only issue is that this book travelled from past to present and there were no clear markings of which time period the chapter started with, so I would constantly be pulled out of the book not knowing where we were.

6 people found this helpful

This love doesn't make sense

This romance isn't for me. Rion says it best, I don't know what I do for Jude but he loves me. She's too weird for a normal guy like Jude and I also don't understand Jude's attraction to Rion except that they have the same trauma in common but even that doesn't make sense to me. I wish I had it in me to stop reading a book once I realize I don't like it but hope springs eternal and I'm always hoping that the ending will make the story better or at least that the story will make sense. Not this one, LOL! Read but be warned.

2 people found this helpful

Not as dark as some of her other books!

This book is a story about two damaged souls that shared a life altering tragic event. There is guilt by both parties and serious misunderstandings all around. There is also a secret conspiracy and a lot of misdirection. There are sweet moments and sad moments and even a few lol moments. In addition, this book is not as dark as some of Aly Martinez’s other books.

This was definitely a credit worthy listen but....double bonus, it was included in the Escape Package so I was able to use my monthly credit on another book.
-V from Kansas

2 people found this helpful

My first Aly Martinez . . .

So, I bought Thrive and I started to read it but I never got all in. I now know I am going to have to go back and actually read it since Guardian Protection is a part of the mix. Aly did a great job of weaving the story. So much so now I am hooked and trying to download as many Aly Martinez books as I can get. I would totally recommend this book. Well done!

1 person found this helpful

Heartbreakingly beautiful

At first Jude was such an idiot, Rhion was so naive, yet you can't help but love them. They are instantly drawn to each other. In the beginning I was tempted more than once to give up, I'm glad I didn't. Emotional turmoil, drama, secrets, and suspense is some of what to expect from this novel. So many twist and turns. Despite cursing Jude for some of the stupid things that comes out of his mouth in the beginning It was an enjoyable experience being in their world. Singe is a forgiveness, finding love and overcoming obstacles hot read. The plot twist at the end was a complete surprise and I thank Aly Martinez for that she managed to bring out so many emotions for me in this one. Looking forward to next Guardian Protection book love those guys and I hope they all get their HEA. Andi and Jason did an awesome job bringing the different characters to life.

1 person found this helpful

Wonderful story

A first time with this author and definitely not disappointed. Very hard having to put this book down, but had to get some sleep. Loved the story and all the characters. Jude and Ryan are amazing, but just want to hear more of the guardian men. Great read and always love when Andi is one of the narrators. Jason was awesome. O

1 person found this helpful

Smokin'!!!

Any additional comments?

Holy hotness! SINGE was intensely emotional, sexy and brimming with testosterone!!! I loved this unique storyline where both the hero and heroine (as strangers) had shared an extremely traumatic experience together and then cross paths years later!! My heart broke for both Rhion and Jude as they both struggled with the guilt and trauma of their past. They are both so perfectly flawed and yet have an intense soul searing connection. This book was perfectly balanced with an unpredictable storyline, witty banter and a company full of HOT alphalicious bodyguards!! I cannot wait for the other books in this series! Aly Martinez's addictive narrative kept me glued to this book and it was unputadownable!!! A great listen with Andi Arndt and Jason Carpenter delivering stellar performances! 4 "butterfly" stars!!

1 person found this helpful