Look, I started this audiobook thinking it would be a quick little romance to get me through school drop-offs for a week. Twenty-five hours later, I'm still sitting in my car in the garage, and my husband is probably wondering if I've left him.
I haven't. I just needed to know what happened with Tate and Lauren.
When the Alpha Male Actually Works
Okay, so Tate Jackson is basically every romance trope I should be tired of by now. The brooding bartender. The motorcycle. The "I'm gonna claim you" attitude that would make me roll my eyes in real life. But Kristen Ashley does something sneaky here—she makes Lauren smart enough to call him on his nonsense. When Tate does something Lauren doesn't like early on (and honestly, he deserved to be put in his place), she doesn't just melt into a puddle of forgiveness. She makes him work for it.
This is the stuff I live for. Give me a heroine who has enough self-respect to walk away from a hot guy being a jerk, even when that hot guy owns the bar where she works. Lauren's fresh off a divorce from a cheating husband, starting over in this tiny Colorado town, and she's not about to let another man mess with her peace. I respect that. I also respect that the slow burn here is genuinely slow—not "we hate each other for two chapters then fall into bed" slow, but actual "this is going to take a while" slow.
The romance builds through real conversations and small moments. Through Tate showing up when it matters. Through Lauren letting her guard down inch by inch. It's satisfying in a way that made me forget I was supposed to be going inside to start dinner.
Emma Taylor Made Me a Believer
Here's the thing about the narration—I almost gave up after the first hour. Emma Taylor's voice didn't immediately click for me, and with a 25-hour commitment, that's a problem. But I kept going (mostly because I was trapped in the pickup line), and somewhere around hour three, something shifted. Her voice just... settled in.
By the time we hit the middle of the book, I couldn't imagine anyone else reading it. She gives Lauren this warmth that's also a little guarded, which is exactly right for someone rebuilding after betrayal. And Tate? She doesn't try to do some deep growly voice that sounds ridiculous—she just changes the energy. He sounds like a guy who's used to being in charge but isn't a cartoon about it.
The emotional scenes hit hard. There's this moment (I won't spoil it) where the tension between them finally breaks, and Taylor's delivery made me tear up at a red light. The mom in the minivan next to me definitely saw. I pretended I was yawning.
The Mystery Element I Wasn't Expecting
So I went in thinking pure romance, but there's actually a thriller subplot woven through this thing. That mystery element reminded me of Murder in an Irish Village, where the romance also shares space with genuine danger. Violence threatens the women in Carnal, and suddenly Tate's protective streak has actual stakes beyond just being hot. It gives the book weight that pure romance sometimes lacks.
Does it add to the 25-hour runtime? Absolutely. Was I mad about it? Not really, because it meant more car time with these characters. The pacing does drag in spots—there are some conversations that could've been trimmed—but Ashley's writing is so readable (listenable?) that I mostly didn't mind. It's comfort food. You're not eating comfort food to be efficient.
The Reality of a 25-Hour Listen
Let's be honest: this is a commitment. I listened at 1.25x and it still took me almost three weeks to finish. There were days Sophie didn't nap and I genuinely mourned my lost listening time. There were moments I forgot what happened two days ago because toddler brain is real.
But here's my highest praise—I always remembered where I was emotionally. Even after 47 pauses (I'm not exaggerating), I could drop back in and feel the story. That's the mark of good narration and good writing working together.
The ending is satisfying. Not groundbreaking, not surprising, but exactly what you want after investing this much time. Happy endings aren't a weakness. Sometimes they're the whole point.
Who Should Hit Play (And Who Should Keep Scrolling)
If you've got long commutes, road trips, or a sacred car-sitting-in-garage ritual like me, this is perfect. If you love alpha heroes who earn their redemption and heroines who make them work for it, you're home. But if you need something short and snappy, or if "brooding bartender with a motorcycle" makes you want to throw your phone out the window—keep scrolling.
Now If You'll Excuse Me
I'm already eyeing the next book in the Colorado Mountain series. My family may never see me again.
