Wicked Impulse

Narration is better for a comedy

Older couple Contemporary Romance. Standalone, 3rd in a series of related standalones.

Since I like to read books in order, I fell so behind on the Men of Inked Series by Chelle Bliss that I never read anything after because I always intended on catching up. But being someone who is about to stare 50 right in the face, I really enjoy novels with older couples. I was assured Wicked Impulse stood alone, so I listened to the audiobook.

I have hair that is half purple down to my waist and I act like a child myself. My husband is 8 years older than me, but we still don’t think of ourselves as “old”. We have an 11 year old, maybe that’s why, but even my sisters, who are in their mid-fifties with grown kids are totally cool and not “old” at all. So I will say that Fran, especially at first, seemed way too old for her age, especially making a few “senior” jokes. If anyone called me a freaking senior I’d kick their butts.

The narration didn’t help. The female narrator would be AMAZING in a full-on comedy, but I had a little trouble thinking of her as basically someone my age. She just seemed totally like an older Italian from the Bronx, yet she was from Florida. Think of the Nanny, Marge Simpson and Linda (the mom from Bob’s Burgers) mixed and you have Fran DeLuca. She is funny as he!!, but maybe a little over the top. She actually sounded a bit like my Italian Mother-in-Law from the Bronx.

But she was a lot of fun to listen to. I think if I read it rather than listened, I would have found it sexier, but for me it was more fun because of the narration.

Bear works at Alfa Pi Security and he is a total manwhore. He has two grown kids who he loves, but only from afar. He basically gave them up when they were young because he was in a bad place, which was no place for kids. One of his best friends is his co-worker, Morgan whose mom, Fran, has just been robbed of $50,000 from a guy she was dating. The boys at Alfa Pi are investigating and trying to track the thief down.

Fran wears track suits all the time and doesn’t really care about her appearance, but when she starts working with Bear, she decides it’s time for a change and goes out shopping with her friends.

“We have to get you a new bra.”
“Why?”…
“Your boobs shouldn’t be near your elbows.”

When Fran and Bear saw each other again with Fran's hot new look, it was clear. There was no way Bear could hide his need for her.

"It was written all over his face. His attraction. His need. The want he felt for me was almost electric. Why hadn’t I seen it before?”

Bear is a tough biker who has had a rough life, the love of his life died, he is estranged from his kids, and has no real connections outside work. He’s never been in a relationship that anyone can remember, so it’s no wonder Morgan warns him away from his mother.

“He was my buddy and coworker, but Fran…She was a real woman who made me feel something for the first time in as long as I could remember.”

They were actually pretty hot together, but the semi-comedic narration stopped me from really feeling a lot of that heat. When I re-read some of the scenes in the print version when I was pulling quotes, I found them a lot hotter. Even so, I loved the couple together. I love that they have hot sex in their fifties and Bear is a total dirty talker. But they needed to keep the relationship a secret for a while.

"There’s only one thing worse than dating a friend’s sister—sleeping with his mother."

Fran was tough. She didn’t put up with ANY crap and had no problems expressing that.
I honestly totally loved Fran. She meddled with no apologies and was a great mom, but was also tough and never a weak pushover. Bear was just a completely sexy alpha, and I loved how much he appreciated all of Fran’s qualities. They were great together, and the book had me smiling the entire time.

Likes:

•I love a book with older couples!
•Even though they are in their fifties they're totally hot.
•Fran was funny as he!! and tough as nails.
•Fran was a great mom even though she totally meddled (Italian moms, it's what they are made for).
•Even though I hadn't read the prior books, I didn't feel lost.
•The narration was great for comedy, Fran was totally funny. I loved the male narrator who was completely sexy.

Dislikes:
•I was torn on the female narrator. While I thought she was funny, her strong older Italian/New York vibe overpowered the story sometimes.
•Her narration stopped the sexy scenes from being sexy.
•Fran seemed way older than early fifties, but I admit, I know one or two women my age that just seem way older.
•Not a fan of the way it ended.

The Down & Dirty:
I am torn on Wicked Impulse. I love the story, but where I'm torn is whether the audio made it better or worse. I think it made the story a comedy, where if I read on kindle I think I would have found it a much sexier read with some funny moments. Fran seemed a bit older than the age she's supposed to be, because she seemed old to me even though I'm about the same age. But I love Chelle Bliss for writing an older couple as still very sexual and HOT and including it in a series for all ages. It's funny, the story that first made me fall for Chelle's writing was The Gallos which is no longer on Kindle, but it was about the parents of the characters in Men of Inked who were married a long time, older, and still cool and sexy.

All in all I totally recommend Wicked Impulse. If you are looking for more of a comedy with a unique and fun narrator, get the audible. If you are looking for a hot read with an older couple, get the print version. Either way, it's a great story, and I'm ready for more, because this doesn't quite stand completely alone, you will want the next.

Rating: 4.25 Stars, 4.25 Heat, 4 Narration

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Bear & Fran

What made the experience of listening to Wicked Impulse the most enjoyable?

Chelle is a wonderful writer and it makes listening to her audiobook a pleasure. For me this was one of the best in the Alpha PI series, and that says a lot because I enjoyed all them. Bear is a silverfox and Franny is a women with bigger balls than Bear, LOL

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Love those Alpha males!!

I like this series. Lots of testosterone in each book but when you have hot alphas as the primary characters nothing less should be expected. I am so.Glad Bear found his lady love and kids. I always liked his character and knew he had a deeper story. He really had some demons in his head making him all gruffly on the outside but really a badass teddy bear.

If you like foul language, dirty men, etc. then you'll like this series. It was worth my credits!! Different and becoming an even bigger fan of Lee Samuel's. I was already a fan of Chelle Bliss which is why I gave this series a try. I'd never heard of the narrator for Fran but I liked her. She sounded appropriate for the character.

Pretty good - great characters

3/5 stars: pretty good. Interesting cast of characters. Unusual to have a couple in their 50s as the protagonists (but nice for a change).

I’m not sure if the characters were always consistent with the previous books, but sometimes it was intriguing to see the difference between how children view their parents and how the parents actually are, i.e. just older versions of the kids.

The plot dragged a bit for me.

The narration was okay. Sexy male voice actor!

The best of this spin-off series, but there’s a damn cliffhanger

This book stirred me, emotionally, more than all of the other books. I was able to commit to the H/h, in this book. I was totally pleased until the
Abrupt ending of the book during an important crisis. Cliffhangers make me want to ________________ the author. I’m totally frustrated.
-V from Kansas

Why did I wait?

I'm so glad I listened to this book. I've never had a book where the two main characters are older but I lived it so much. Bear and Fran are amazing and I absolutely loved the narrators. I can't was it to listen to more!

Bear!!!

All I can say is Bear. You thought he was just a jerk but there is more to him.
He lost his woman and couldn't cope and went into a downward spiral. It takes a brash outspoken woman to make him want to change.
Love the narrators, would not have been good without those amazing voices.

Love Bear

I love me some silver head fox Bear. this story is amazing. so much going on I couldn't put it down. the narrators were amazing. Chelle Bliss is phenomenal. I would give this story 10 stars if I could.

3 stars only because I liked the fact the characters were older.

I chose this book because the H /h were more mature. I just never connected with Fran. She was a little to trashy for my taste and the Snookie accent did not help. On her first real interaction with Bear, Fran offered him a drink and immediately asked him to have sex, yuck ! Then she tells him she's to old to touch her toes but is a 50 year old size 6 that plays tennis, no way. I thought it had such potential and then fell flat. Male narration was excellent much better than the female. Maybe I'll try another in the series before I give up completely.

Loved Bear and Fran!

This was my first audio for a Chelle Bliss novel, and my first book in the Alpha Pi series. I thinking reading the other books in the series would be helpful but not necessary. I loved this story about Bear and Fran finding each other through an investigation at Bear's work. They are both older than the typical age of characters but are still just as funny and sexy as any character in any book. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their story and banter in this dual narration audio.