Forbidden and dark! Loved it!

I love going into a book cold. I love Andrea Smith and will enjoy any book she writes. This one is taboo, and dark, exciting and cringe worthy. It holds all the different feelings, and it's impossible to put it down. Sunny lives with her mother and stepfather. The preacher in town, he is a man to look up to. But at home it's nothing like his congregation. Sunny can't understand why her mother has fallen for the man. There is something just not right. With her best friend, they begin to delve into the workings of the man that seems to have all the women fawning around him and what they find is life changing. But he's not the only man Sunny is interested in. She is working on finding her father to get some answers about her mom and their lives. Secrets and lies all intertwined in this action filled, forbidden story. It's captivating and will make you think. Loved it.

Amanda Stribling and David Black narrate in duet with a variety of characters, but their main characters are phenomenal. Stribling plays Sunny perfectly. Inquisitive, disgusted, distraught, happy, she pulls out all the stops and creates a fantastic personality. Black has that hint of strictness and evil in his tone as Avery, making him seem like a very devout and realistic. These two made the listen amazing.

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Brilliant

This was a wild ride from start to finish, I found the book to have so much suspense and twists and turns. It was incredibly engaging and I couldn’t put it down. This was not an easy listen as the storyline was darker but it was oh so enjoyable because of it and left me wanting more books of this theme and calibre.

Bravo this is a brilliant story.

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Preacher

Brilliant dual narration of Amanda Stribling and David Black

A story full of twists and turns, secrets and lies. Avery Dawson is the town minister and a sexual predator. All believe him to be trustworthy Sunny Gardner is his step daughter who is hell bent on bringing him to justice. Amazing story , your heart will be in beating fast and you will find you shouting out. Brilliant.

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Holy Moly!!!

Wow! This story definitely packs a punch. Touching on a touchy subject - sexual predators within the church. A man who is supposed to be trustworthy is the exact opposite, preying on vulnerable couples in the name of God. The funny thing is - he truly believes he’s doing God’s work. Sunny Gardner is the unlikely young lady who is hell bent on bringing him to justice. Oh, and she’s also his step daughter (not that they have a relationship, they dislike each other immensely). A story full of twists and turns, secrets and lies. Some I saw coming, some came straight out of left field. Great characters. I absolutely adored Sunny, she was so strong and such a straight shooter. She had so many heartaches in her life, let down by those who she should be able to rely on, yet she persevered, not letting anything get in her way. The story is told in multiple POVs, the audio version, narrated by David Black and Amanda Stribling is testament to their fantastic Southern drawls, they express all the emotions perfectly.

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Thought Provoking & Twisted! Great Story & Listen🎧

Wow, just wow, this book blew me away, the story drew me in like a moth to a flame, grabbing my attention and captivating it straight to the end. This is an original, well written and well-told story, a story that will get you thinking and wondering not only to figure out the mysterious element of the story but how could someone be the way they are. Some may be sensitive to parts of this story and it may take them out of their comfort zone and question how could something like this happen and how could it have gone so far. Secrets, lies and deceit and a person who is evil and narcissist, one who people look up to and is in a position of power or control and knows how to control. Sure this is fiction, or is it really? Sunny Gardener is trying to enjoy her teenage years with her friends, but it is difficult when her stepfather is a preacher in the local church and has her mother in his grips who does everything he says to do. It looks like they have a happy marriage but not everything is what it appears, but since she is like his puppet, she only sees what she wants to see. Sunny knows better and with her bestie, they look into what the preacher is really up to. She is also wondering what happened with her father, who, years ago, disappeared from her life without a word. There is never a dull moment in this book, the story is cleverly plotted with plenty of drama, angst, mystery, twists and turns, psychological thrill & suspense. It is a wild ride, I was losing my faith in people and my heart went out to Sunny who was wise beyond her years but the Sun shone in the end. Andrea Smith, thank you for this mysterious and thought-provoking story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the amazing narration, Andrea Smith could not have chosen a better cast to bring her story and characters to life. Amanda Stribling and David Black are superbly talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They had a complete understanding of the characters they portrayed, giving each a voice that suited their character’s persona to a tee, sounding believable in every role they played and just as I pictured the character to sound. Amanda Stribling took Sunny’s role, ran with it and made it her own, capturing every side of her personality, as well as her convictions and vulnerabilities. David Black nailed it as Avery, grasping his alpha tendencies and narcissistic conceitedness with perfection. Both were great at performing the roles of the secondary characters as well. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and projected them into their performance and had you feeling every single one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their narration enhances this great story to another level. Thank you for another exceptional listen.

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