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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Refreshing second chance story with 40 yr old MCs
Chloe and Gus are reunited 20 years after their brief marriage ends. In the spirit of a good revenge story, Chloe has bought Gus’ family company. When the shock wears off, they start to realize their feelings did not die with their divorce. I enjoyed these two from the very beginning. There is plenty of banter, sexual tension and mixed emotions between these two. Chloe is a true boss babe. She’s highly successful, fair but tough. She’s protective of the ones she loves and when she loves, she loves hard. Gus refuses to let this second chance with Chloe get away from him. He’s thoughtful, funny and truly listens and wants nothing but success for her and embraces her help in saving the company.
While dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, working through their own history and trust issues, there are threats to Chloe and the company. There’s an underlying mystery element that weaves through the story leaving glimpses of what’s coming.
Duet narration and cast perfectly with Aaron Shedlock and CJ Bloom. CJ was all facets of Chloe, from her no-nonsense boss in the boardroom, the mama bear protecting her loved ones and facing down a moose to the insecure woman dealing with the fact that she’s not 20 anymore. Aaron had a wonderful delivery portraying Gus’ humorous side but brought out the emotion as he worked through his own feelings to win back his girl. These two were a delight to listen to.
If you’re looking for a great characters, witty banter, strong family bonds with suspense and plenty of heart, and maybe a moose or two, then you need this book. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the series.
I absolutely enjoyed this story. The ex husband revenge was exquisite. I was entertained and I enjoyed it from start to end. I listened to this story as a standalone. Even though I did this, i had no issues. I do highly recommend to start with book one. Only because I really liked the author’s writing and starting this series from the start will be a great advice treat from me to you. Aaron Shedlock and CJ Bloom did an amazing job narrating this story.
These two!!!
Gus is the sweetest man, and the way he had heart eyes for her the whole book was so special. Chloe really resisted, but com on... how could she really?
Both narrators truly nailed their performances, even my husband was listening for a while and he loved how they sounded. Both actors really captured the tension and push-pull of the two characters fighting their attraction and feelings.
I am so excited for the next one!
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Story Vibes:
Second chance romance + sexy lumberjack love!? Yes please! Beautiful Maine settings? Absolutely! This story vibed allllll the vibes for me!
Audiobook Vibes:
𝐴𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘 nailed it made Gus absolutely come to life! He nailed the flirty grump of a lumberjack with perfection. I swooned over Gus and his soft side so many times! 𝐶𝐽 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑚 was the perfect voice for Chloe! She was sassy, flirty and absolute perfection. These two narrators nailed all beautiful chemistry that was Gus & Chloe, bringing the banter, the heated moments and all the fun!
Overall Vibes:
I didn't know I would end up in my lumberjack era, but thanks to 𝙳𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚗𝚎 𝙴𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚝, I am now in that exact era. This book was so good! I laughed, I swooned, I had the best time! I adored Gus & Chloe. Their romance is second chance for them. She is sassy and flirty and oh so fun! Gus, my man, is a grump and will do anything to save his family business....including putting up with all the sass his ex wife throws his way. Throw in a surprise pregnancy & Clive the moose and this story is one for the keeper shelf!
If you love spice, lumberjacks that steal your heart and the women that bring them to their knees for them, then do not miss this one! The entire story will captivate you completely and make you ready for the next one!
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Story Vibes:
Second chance romance + sexy lumberjack love!? Yes please! Beautiful Maine settings? Absolutely! This story vibed allllll the vibes for me!
Audiobook Vibes:
𝐴𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑆ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘 nailed it made Gus absolutely come to life! He nailed the flirty grump of a lumberjack with perfection. I swooned over Gus and his soft side so many times! 𝐶𝐽 𝐵𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑚 was the perfect voice for Chloe! She was sassy, flirty and absolute perfection. These two narrators nailed all beautiful chemistry that was Gus & Chloe, bringing the banter, the heated moments and all the fun!
Overall Vibes:
I didn't know I would end up in my lumberjack era, but thanks to 𝙳𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚗𝚎 𝙴𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚝, I am now in that exact era. This book was so good! I laughed, I swooned, I had the best time! I adored Gus & Chloe. Their romance is second chance for them. She is sassy and flirty and oh so fun! Gus, my man, is a grump and will do anything to save his family business....including putting up with all the sass his ex wife throws his way. Throw in a surprise pregnancy & Clive the moose and this story is one for the keeper shelf!
If you love spice, lumberjacks that steal your heart and the women that bring them to their knees for them, then do not miss this one! The entire story will captivate you completely and make you ready for the next one!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
📚⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎙️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🌶️🌶️
Duet narration by CJ Bloom & Aaron Shedlock
Second Chance - Divorced Exes - Workplace - Forced Proximity - Accidental Pregnancy - Blue Collar - Grumpy/Grumpy
This one was fun! I loved the banter and tension between the two MCs. Because of how things ended 20 years ago, neither have really gotten over the other and it manifests as a bit of grumpy/grumpy and her buying his family business out from under him. But the attraction is still there all these years later and an one night stand turned into accidental pregnancy is the final puzzle piece to bring them back together to admit their true feelings.
It's steamy, it's sweet, it's a little unexpected.
CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock were perfect for these two characters. CJ captures the snarky, quick wit of Chloe and Aaron really brings out the growly, simping lumberjack that is Gus.
🎙️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🌶️🌶️
Duet narration by CJ Bloom & Aaron Shedlock
Second Chance - Divorced Exes - Workplace - Forced Proximity - Accidental Pregnancy - Blue Collar - Grumpy/Grumpy
This one was fun! I loved the banter and tension between the two MCs. Because of how things ended 20 years ago, neither have really gotten over the other and it manifests as a bit of grumpy/grumpy and her buying his family business out from under him. But the attraction is still there all these years later and an one night stand turned into accidental pregnancy is the final puzzle piece to bring them back together to admit their true feelings.
It's steamy, it's sweet, it's a little unexpected.
CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock were perfect for these two characters. CJ captures the snarky, quick wit of Chloe and Aaron really brings out the growly, simping lumberjack that is Gus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy
🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Pain in the Axe by Daphne Elliot
🎤 Duet narration by Aaron Shedlock and
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Performance: 🎤🎤🎤🎤 🎤
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
👀POV: Dual, first person, past tense
📖 What to expect: Small town, grumpy x grumpy, second chance, enemies-to-lovers, accidental pregnancy
I’d been looking forward to this book since finishing the previous book (I love when authors tease the next book in the epilogue) and I really enjoyed it. This was a fun listen full of humour, heartfelt moments, and a bit of suspense.
I loved the small town vibes and the closeness of the Hebbert family. Chloe and Gus had fantastic banter and sizzling chemistry. The divorced exes dynamic combined with grumpy x grumpy and enemies-to-lovers vibes made for an entertaining listen. I loved that Chloe is a strong female character that goes after what she wants. I love an MMC who is down bad for the FMC and Gus is certainly that. He decides early on that he wants he back and will do anything to make that happen.
Watching Chloe and Gus find their way back to each other again was heartwarming. The accidental pregnancy speeds up the rekindling of their relationship, rather than being the driving force and I really appreciated that. They had real, complicated feelings that they needed to work through and pregnancy just caused them to spend more time together and work on their issues. There are some facts about their break up that don’t get revealed until about 80% and the revelation really floored me. It made their reconciliation even sweeter.
CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock delivered a fantastic duet performance. They’re both narrators whose work I’ve enjoyed, and this was no exception. They brought the characters to life with an engaging performance that captured both the humour and light-hearted moments, as well as the deeper, more emotional aspects of the story.
If you enjoy second chance romance with great banter, small town charm, and a bit of emotional depth, you should give this a listen.
*I received an advance copy from Homecooked Books. These opinions are entirely my own.
🪓𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧
🪓𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🪓𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲 𝐱 𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲
🪓𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐬
✨𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈✨
"𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐱𝐞" is the second book in the Maine Lumberjacks series, following Gus and Chloe who have been divorced for some time. However, when Chloe returns to town with vengeance in mind, things are about to heat up.
𝐈’𝐦 a sucker for second chance romances, and this one hit all the right notes for me! Gus and Chloe's chemistry was off the charts, and their witty banter kept me entertained. The unresolved tension from their past added depth to their story, and when a surprise pregnancy brings them back together, they must navigate their new roles as parents while confronting their issues. It's clear that these two are meant to be together, and their love story was satisfying to witness.
🎧The narration by 𝐂𝐉 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐦 and 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 was outstanding. Their voices suited the characters perfectly, and the duet narration style was just the cherry on top!
𝐈𝐟 you're a fan of second chance romances featuring a gruff yet lovable lumberjack, you’ll love this audiobook. Thank you to the author and Home Cooked Books for providing this audio copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟓⭐️ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥:𝟑🔥 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:𝟓🎧
🎧 I seem to crave stories with small town vibes especially mountains because it gives me the feel of autumn if not winter, and it's my way of trying to escape the heat that is rising in my country during most of the year.
🎧 Back to this small town now, with the oldest of the brothers. He is planning on leaving but his ex-wife comes back, buys his company and forces him to stay for a year and work with her. Love it when there is revenge in the story.
🎧 Characters that are over 35, yes please.
🎧 I was a bit skeptical about her wanting to avenge him 20 years later. It does seem like a long time. She struggles a lot with her feelings and the reasons for their split all those years ago did take a while to be mentioned. I love the banter between them, and the way he takes it. After all he is not most guys. I feel like if you like Noah from Notebook you will like Gus as well.
🎧 The story with what happened with their father is slowly unfolding book by book and I am here for that.
🎧 Narration-wise. CJ Bloom nails the frustration gal amazingly. The doubts about how to go on with her life. I can actually feel it. It could have been the voice over in my head when I was pregnant for sure. Aaron Shedlock was superb in this. There is an earthiness in the way that he did Gus that instantly made me like the character. His voice was like the comfort you get from a big fluffy blanket. From the gentle soothing way to the spicy commanding one. Perfect for Gus. Both of them perfect for the roles.
❗️ Disclaimer : My rants, ramblings, and incoherent thoughts below might be considered spoilers by some. Also, often, I do not read trigger warnings or blurbs.
🎧 I did need for the realization of what is happening between them not to have taken so long. It did feel a bit rushed at the end.
🎧 Thank you Home Cooked Books for the chance to listen to this early on.
🎧 Back to this small town now, with the oldest of the brothers. He is planning on leaving but his ex-wife comes back, buys his company and forces him to stay for a year and work with her. Love it when there is revenge in the story.
🎧 Characters that are over 35, yes please.
🎧 I was a bit skeptical about her wanting to avenge him 20 years later. It does seem like a long time. She struggles a lot with her feelings and the reasons for their split all those years ago did take a while to be mentioned. I love the banter between them, and the way he takes it. After all he is not most guys. I feel like if you like Noah from Notebook you will like Gus as well.
🎧 The story with what happened with their father is slowly unfolding book by book and I am here for that.
🎧 Narration-wise. CJ Bloom nails the frustration gal amazingly. The doubts about how to go on with her life. I can actually feel it. It could have been the voice over in my head when I was pregnant for sure. Aaron Shedlock was superb in this. There is an earthiness in the way that he did Gus that instantly made me like the character. His voice was like the comfort you get from a big fluffy blanket. From the gentle soothing way to the spicy commanding one. Perfect for Gus. Both of them perfect for the roles.
❗️ Disclaimer : My rants, ramblings, and incoherent thoughts below might be considered spoilers by some. Also, often, I do not read trigger warnings or blurbs.
🎧 I did need for the realization of what is happening between them not to have taken so long. It did feel a bit rushed at the end.
🎧 Thank you Home Cooked Books for the chance to listen to this early on.
funny
Chloe is a strong, successful woman in her forties who takes the ultimate revenge by buying her ex-husband’s family lumber company. Gus, her grumpy ex with a soft side, is unexpectedly charming and impossible to resist.
Their chemistry is off the charts, the banter had me smiling the whole way through, and I really liked that both characters are in their forties. It felt refreshing and real, with just the right mix of spice and sweetness.
The narrators were excellent. CJ Bloom gives Chloe all the sass and strength she needs, and Aaron Shedlock brings Gus to life with a perfect mix of gruff and warm. They made it so easy to get pulled into the story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.