Audio Review ~ A Stone in the Sea ~ A.L. Jackson

Posted 22 August, 2022 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 1 Comment

Audio Review ~ A Stone in the Sea ~ A.L. JacksonA Stone in the Sea by A. L. Jackson
Narrator: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York
Series: Bleeding Stars #1
Published by Audible Studios on February 21, 2015
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Length: 9 hrs, 33 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible Purchase
3.5 Stars

He wanted nothing at all...until he found she had everything to give.... Sunder lead singer and guitarist Sebastian Stone has everything - fans, fame, and fortune. He also has a heart full of bitterness and a reputation for a short-fused temper. But an outward reputation rarely reveals the true man inside.

Facing assault charges after trying to protect his younger brother, Sebastian is sent to Savannah, Georgia, to lie low until the dust settles in LA. Shea Bentley is beautiful, kind, and hiding from the very lifestyle Sebastian has always embraced. When the mysterious, tattooed stranger begins hanging out at the bar where she works, Shea is quick to recognize he is nothing but trouble, but she's helpless to the way her body lights up every time his intense gray eyes tangle with hers. They both soon find themselves drowning in a sea of desire and passion that won't let them up for air.

Sebastian knows firsthand secrets never die, and he's not the only one who's hiding them. Loving someone always comes with a price. But will it be Shea's past that costs them everything?

Adult - (un)Conventional Bookviews Contemporary - (un)Conventional Bookviews Hot, hot, hot - (un)Conventional Bookviews

I read A Stone in the Sea as part of Brandee & Linda’s Excellent Reading Challenge Adventure challenge – Monthly Keyword Reading Challenge. It’s been a sec since I read ALJackson and while I’d forgotten that her books lean toward melodrama, I did enjoy meeting Shea, Callie, and Sebastian “Baz”.

Shea is a young woman doing her best to raise her young daughter on her own. She’s living in Savannah, a place that’ll always be home due to her fondest childhood memories being wrapped up in this city. Her grandma and her grandma’s home, which she inherited, offer her comfort and safety. Shea is kind and loving but not really living life fully – not as a young woman should. She believes that living her life for and sheltering her daughter are enough. Then Baz comes into her bar, making her dream of having more.

Baz has lived life on the edge, never shying away from breaking the rules. Unfortunately, being the lead singer of Sunder means everything he does is splashed across a tabloid page. He’s come to Savannah to lie low after his latest media debacle. Meeting Shea, who has no idea who he is and therefore knows nothing of his past, is a godsend. She makes him want more, want to be a better man.

Watching as these two build a foundation that, although a bit shaky, might withstand the repercussions of both their pasts, was a joy. I enjoyed seeing them get acquainted and the way in which ALJackson incorporated Callie. I did worry about Baz’s temper, especially with Callie being involved but he controlled himself around her. The supporting cast – Shea’s uncle and her best friend, Baz’s band and younger brother, as well as his manager – all contributed to the story, adding texture and depth. It also, of course, sets the stage for the subsequent books in this series.

There’s one point of conflict that I knew was coming but didn’t know how it would be resolved so close to the end of the book, not realizing this was a two-part story. So there’s a cliffhanger – you’ve been warned. It’s also a place where some of the melodrama came in, although not the only spot.

Andi Arndt and Sebastian York did a fabulous job with the narration. They were able to breathe life into all the characters, keep the pacing just right, and make the drama livable. They also made for easy decision-making when choosing whether or not to dive directly into the next book. I chose YES!

 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

About Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Brandee is a mom of 3 and a soon-to-be empty nester. She is also an avid reader, a genre omnivore, and a compulsive one-clicker - but she's in recovery. Besides being a reader, she's also a writer and hopes to divide the vast quantities of spare time she'll soon have between reading and finally publishing her first book.

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