More contrasting flashbacks needed

This trilogy has been about three survivors of trauma and the law enforcement officers who fall in love with them. This time we follow Mannie was physically and emotionally abused by a partner and left with horrific injuries. His relationship with Blair helps him heal. I liked the concept of this book but didn’t find this as engaging as the first two. First, this is pure hurt / comfort territory, whereas the previous books had more action and danger. I think a good hurt / comfort story is a delicate balance - too much ‘hurt’ feels relentlessly oppressive; too much comfort feels schmaltzy. We were told a lot of things rather than experiencing them through the narrative and I think the author missed an opportunity to give this story more depth by letting us experience more flashback scenes of the abusive relationship. It would have offset all the comfort and given us more insight into how broken Mannie was. I only know how bad the abuse and violence was because some of it was detailed in the last book. Second, Blair was given lots of flowery dialogue as he expressed his love and concern for Mannie. I don’t want to stereotype but it felt at odds with him being an FBI agent and a male, and it jarred each time I heard it. On the plus side, I thought the pace of Mannie’s recovery and symptoms he experienced were well-written. 🎧 Nick J Russo gave the characters life and he paced the story well.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

as great as the ebook

The story is always full stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. Nick J Russo is one of the top 5 narrators for me, I can listen without break and have no problems to follow.
I'm just not yet finish with the book, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Trilogy ending

This is a continuation from Survivor, we meet new characters, and some of the previous characters crop up.

Mannie, we have met in the previous two books, but we haven't heard his side of the abuse and destruction at the hands of those monsters, but we get to hear everything.

Blair and Mannie's relationship has been hinted at, but we get to live it with them, full of angst, love and we get a wonderful conclusion to the whole series. So worth the read. Pick up a copy now.

If you want a book that has no hurt and past, this book isn't for you, but if you want characters with flaws pasts and are basically in need of love and nurture, then pick this book and enjoy the whole series.

Nick J Russo did a great job of the audio as usual. However, I did listen to it at 1.25 on audible.

Fighter
Survivor, Book 3
By: T.M. Smith
Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
Series: Survivor, Book 3
Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins

❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚 📚 Story
Read at 1.25 speed on Audible

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Interesting story and great narration

This was my first book by T.M. Smith and thus my first book in the "Survivor" series. Unfortunately, I don't know the other two books, but I loved this one and it's quite listenable without knowing the previous volumes.
The author has an engaging writing style that reads well. Manny has fallen on hard times and when it comes to getting his rabble rouser behind bars, Manny finally pulls himself together to give a statement to the FBI. There he meets Blair, to whom work means a lot and who therefore has no time for a love life.

When the two meet, you can feel the sparks fly between them. I liked the story, it was sometimes more and sometimes less exciting, but emotional and absolutely sweet. You learn a lot about the background of the two and I could put myself well into the protagonists. I also liked the development of the relationship they both grow into. It was told authentically and with feeling. And I was really angry at both Manny's family and the man who had a relationship with him that doomed Manny.
I liked the sympathetic and loving Blair immensely and I loved the way he handled Manny.

Nick J. Russo reads the audiobook really great. I've only listened to a few audiobooks with Nick as narrator, but I love the way he reads. He has a sexy voice and gives each character a distinctive voice. He also does a great job of reflecting emotions and it was a pleasure to listen to him tell this story.

From me there's an absolute listening recommendation!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

Lovely!

Fighter - Survivor Series Book 3 by TM Smith and Nick J Russo (Narrator)

Reviewed by Shee Reader for Boy Meets Boy Reviews

Find us on the web at www.boymeetsboyreviews.com

Rating 4 hearts

Blurb:

Fighter - A Survivor Story
 
Dedication and smarts have given Blair Cummings a leg up in the Bureau. His job is all-consuming but rewarding. It doesn't leave much time for a love life though, not that Blair believes in love. In his early 30s, he's only ever been in one long-term relationship due to his inability to commit to anything other than his job and his family.
 
Born into a family that's as successful as they are hateful, Howard Manning Tullor Junior ran so far away from his last name that he wound up in the arms of Satan himself. Freedom comes at a high price but it's one Mannie is willing to pay, setting him on a path that leads him to a quiet, laid-back FBI agent.
 
Their attraction is unexpected, and yet, welcomed. Blair seems to have finally found something worth fighting for, but Mannie, still haunted by ghosts of the past, wonders if he'll ever be able to move on. The two are working toward their future, but can a budding romance survive when past and present collide?

I really enjoyed the first two books in this series and couldn’t wait for the audio version of this one to land. I was already invested in Blaire and Mannie’s relationship as they crop up in the first two books, and couldn’t wait for their full story. The tale crosses over with the other books in the survivor series and I really like that in a series, that events intertwine as they do in real life, rather than being based on relationships that develop in a consecutive way. Of course, some events follow in sequence, but more than one relationship can develop at once, and I really enjoy the concurrent nature of life replicated in a series of books.

Blair and Mannie have the complications of how they met with Mannie as a victim and Blair the investigator, the fact that they live in different states, and the horrific experiences Mannie has had and can he learn to trust Blair? There is lots of challenge for a new relationship in the story, but much less of the exterior threat that is included in the first two books since one of the villains is in jail and one is dead. The only added threat came from Mannie’s grandfather who turns up near the end of the story.

This is an emotional tale with the struggle for the relationship coming from the characters themselves and whether they can work out their issues, and I found this to be very engaging and I really was rooting for the guys from the outset. My only complaint, If I’m going to be picky, was that Blair seemed a little to good to be true! He had no real character flaws to speak of and as such, this made him a tiny bit one dimensional, but that really is a tiny niggle!

The audio is beautifully performed by Nick J Russo (as with earlier book in the series) and he does an awesome job again with this book. His characterisation is almost tangible and I love having a good book read to me on my commute to work. Nick does another super job with this lovely emotional book.

Highly recommended.

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Happy Endings For All

Happy endings for everyone.

The first two books in this series are really well done - the author builds this whole dark story, and the characters are complex and even the bad guys are super interesting.

Fighter didn't work for me. The way the story jumps from time period to time period is confusing and it was tough to keep my focus.

In the end I'm happy to get everything wrapped up, and Blair and Mannie's story is really nice.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

A great happy end!

Story: A great book! While missing some of the excitement other books were filled with, it’s a sweet and emotional tale, with a smidge of angst for good measure. I love how this series provides an extended background on the characters and how it shows the progression of both their own emotions and the relationship.
It was difficult to tear myself away from the story!
Narration: a great clear voice with easy to follow cadence and characters differentiation. I loved the audio!

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!