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Hudson
by Samantha Skye
ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I originally ARC read this book back in January 2025. My overall opinions and thoughts on the story are the same and can be found below. This review will focus on the audiobook itself.
Lacey and Hudson's story didn't really work for me, as I didn't connect with them the way I did with Tanner and Victoria in book one.
However, my overall enjoyment of this book did improve because of listening to it. Not every couple an author writes will resonate with every reader, and that is the case with this book for me. I absolutely think the story is worth giving a go, especially in audiobook format, as both narrators did a fantastic job, and because of their performances, I found myself feeling more invested in the romance this time around because of the emotion and life they put into the characters. There are some great small-town vibes and spice sprinkled throughout, and some of the extra little noises Patrick gifts the listener with in those scenes were much appreciated. π₯
Audiobook releases on July 25th.
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Original ARC Review β¬οΈ
Book 2 in the Billionaires of Whispers series follows Lacy & Hudson. Lacy is still mentally recovering after the events of book one that she was caught up in, while also burning the candle at both ends with her job and taking care of her sick mother. Hudson is moving back to town to take over as the town doctor with his son Harvey in tow. Both he and Lacy feel a pull towards the other and have for a while, so now that he is back in town, can they navigate her reluctance to get involved when her life is already busy, as well as the significant age gap, among other things, to find their HEA?
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I did book one. I didn't connect with either Lacy or Hudson individually or as a couple. Frankly, Lacy's reasons for not getting involved with Hunter were ridiculous. I understand her mother is sick and Lacy has had to be her caregiver for the majority of her life, but the way Lacy refused to even go out anywhere unless her mom had someone with her seemed excessive, especially as, from what I could gather, her mom is actually in remission throughout this book and not actively in the throes of her illness. It was like Lacy was infantilizing her mom to a degree and just came across very weird to me. And her internal monologue was nothing but pining for and lamenting about wanting Hudson whilst actively rejecting his attempts to date her; it just made no sense to me.
Hudson was okay... except that as a single dad, he sure did seem to forget he had a son. There are hardly any scenes of him actively being a parent; his son is constantly palmed off on others for sleepovers, etc., in order for the story between the main couple to progress, so Lacy's "connection" with the kid felt very forced and surface level at best. The drama surrounding Lacy also did nothing for me, and how she chose to handle it and how it played out in the end was eye-roll-inducing and very telenovela-ish. There was some decent spice, but a book needs more than that for it to work for me. I'm just left underwhelmed, which is such a shame, as I remember really enjoying book one.π€·ββοΈ πΆπΆ
" I slowed my feverish kiss, wanting to take it all in. Her little sounds hit my lips like torture, and there's no way I can stay away from her anymore. This is just another moment to solidify that fact. No more going slow. No more dancing around each other. She is my girl, and now I want the world to know."
I originally ARC read this book back in January 2025. My overall opinions and thoughts on the story are the same and can be found below. This review will focus on the audiobook itself.
Lacey and Hudson's story didn't really work for me, as I didn't connect with them the way I did with Tanner and Victoria in book one.
However, my overall enjoyment of this book did improve because of listening to it. Not every couple an author writes will resonate with every reader, and that is the case with this book for me. I absolutely think the story is worth giving a go, especially in audiobook format, as both narrators did a fantastic job, and because of their performances, I found myself feeling more invested in the romance this time around because of the emotion and life they put into the characters. There are some great small-town vibes and spice sprinkled throughout, and some of the extra little noises Patrick gifts the listener with in those scenes were much appreciated. π₯
Audiobook releases on July 25th.
******************************************
Original ARC Review β¬οΈ
Book 2 in the Billionaires of Whispers series follows Lacy & Hudson. Lacy is still mentally recovering after the events of book one that she was caught up in, while also burning the candle at both ends with her job and taking care of her sick mother. Hudson is moving back to town to take over as the town doctor with his son Harvey in tow. Both he and Lacy feel a pull towards the other and have for a while, so now that he is back in town, can they navigate her reluctance to get involved when her life is already busy, as well as the significant age gap, among other things, to find their HEA?
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this as much as I did book one. I didn't connect with either Lacy or Hudson individually or as a couple. Frankly, Lacy's reasons for not getting involved with Hunter were ridiculous. I understand her mother is sick and Lacy has had to be her caregiver for the majority of her life, but the way Lacy refused to even go out anywhere unless her mom had someone with her seemed excessive, especially as, from what I could gather, her mom is actually in remission throughout this book and not actively in the throes of her illness. It was like Lacy was infantilizing her mom to a degree and just came across very weird to me. And her internal monologue was nothing but pining for and lamenting about wanting Hudson whilst actively rejecting his attempts to date her; it just made no sense to me.
Hudson was okay... except that as a single dad, he sure did seem to forget he had a son. There are hardly any scenes of him actively being a parent; his son is constantly palmed off on others for sleepovers, etc., in order for the story between the main couple to progress, so Lacy's "connection" with the kid felt very forced and surface level at best. The drama surrounding Lacy also did nothing for me, and how she chose to handle it and how it played out in the end was eye-roll-inducing and very telenovela-ish. There was some decent spice, but a book needs more than that for it to work for me. I'm just left underwhelmed, which is such a shame, as I remember really enjoying book one.π€·ββοΈ πΆπΆ
" I slowed my feverish kiss, wanting to take it all in. Her little sounds hit my lips like torture, and there's no way I can stay away from her anymore. This is just another moment to solidify that fact. No more going slow. No more dancing around each other. She is my girl, and now I want the world to know."