AUDIO REVIEW: 'Breaking Bonds' by Ari McKay
Title: Breaking Bonds
Series: The Walker Boys #2
Author: Ari McKay
Narrator: Dorian Bane
Published: June 1, 2017
Audio: June 15, 2017
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Bree Archer/Bree Archer Designs
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 190 Pages/5 Hours 26 Minutes
Tags: Gay; M/M; HFN; Standalone; Audiobook
About Breaking Bonds
From the frying pan into the fire.
After a critic’s review attacks both Chef Liam Walker’s culinary skills and his personal life, Liam can no longer take the heat of the cutthroat New York City restaurant scene. He needs to get out of the kitchen—at least long enough to cool down and regroup.
At the Overlook Resort in North Carolina, Liam meets owner Carter Galloway. Carter has a passion for the hospitality business to rival Liam’s own, and it’s not hard to see where their shared interests—and attraction—could lead. But Carter has no interest in a fling, and Liam has no intention of walking away from the career he fought so hard for. If they want a taste of happiness together, they’ll have to find the courage to break the bonds threatening to pull them apart.
REVIEW:
The writing duo known as Ari McKay is new to me, so Breaking Bonds was the first chance I’ve had to enjoy their work. The second in their The Walker Boys series this is easily read as a standalone.
Initially drawn to this one because it was narrated by Dorian Bane, and he’s never let me down, I found this book to be much more than I expected.
The story is full of wonderful surprises: The characters are creative, the relationships are interesting, and there is an original story with a great message as well.
When big city chef Liam Walker has a complete meltdown he decides a little R&R might be in order. He escapes to a struggling little resort in the mountains of North Carolina, where there is a serious need for some help in the kitchen. Liam’s attraction to the resort’s owner, Carter Galloway, is immediate (and mutual). Carter helps Liam reexamine his priorities and see there’s more to life than fame and fortune.
Carter is a strong character, sticking true to his values against all the odds. Facing prejudice, insufficient finances, and an inexperienced staff, Carter sets out to do his best. When an unexpected visit from his parents shows Carter he will never live up to his family’s expectations, he summons the strength to overcome this devastation and remain true to himself and hold fast to his goals.
There is an entertaining group of secondary characters which make this story so enjoyable.
Dorian Bane always excels at providing a wide variety of voices and this is the best I’ve heard from him to date.
The staff at the lodge are adorable, and I particularly enjoy the voice Bane uses for Marco, the restaurant owner and Liam’s boss, from New York City.
There’s a lovely message in this book about being true to oneself, prioritizing goals, and finding happiness in life. The authors paint a beautiful picture of the mountains of North Carolina which adds to the tale and comes across nicely with Bane’s expressive voice.
There was a smile on my face through this entire narration and I highly recommend Breaking Bonds to anyone who just wants a pick-me-up.
It is a really fun, sweet story.
An audibook of Breaking Bonds was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
Meet the Author(s)
Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who have been writing together for over a decade. Their collaborations encompass a wide variety of romance genres, including contemporary, fantasy, science fiction, gothic, and action/adventure. Their work includes the Blood Bathory series of paranormal novels, the Herc’s Mercs series, as well as two historical Westerns: Heart of Stone and Finding Forgiveness. When not writing, they can often be found scheming over costume designs or binge watching TV shows together.
Arionrhod is a systems engineer by day who is eagerly looking forward to (hopefully) becoming a full time writer in the not-too-distant future. Now that she is an empty-nester, she has turned her attentions to finding the perfect piece of land to build a fortress in preparation for the zombie apocalypse, and baking (and eating) far too many cakes.
McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.
For more from Ari McKay visit their website.
