Narrated by Sebastian York
Emma Chase does it yet again! Tied is a hilarious, sexy, witty, suspenseful, and romantic listen. I fell in love with Drew Evans in Tangled, so I just knew I couldn’t miss another opportunity to hear the world from his always-interesting point of view. Tied has a slightly different feel than Tangled, primarily due to the now more mature stage in Drew’s and Kate’s relationship. Ms. Chase, nonetheless, still manages to infuse her unique and extremely addicting “tell it like it is without sugar coating” style to situations that every new parent and young professional in a committed relationship can relate to. Moreover, Sebastian York’s sexy baritone delivery perfectly nails Drew Evans’ personality to render a nearly flawless narration which is the icing on this already delectable listen.
Tied takes place several years after Tangled. Twisted, the second book in the Tangled series, details Drew’s and Kate’s life events in between. If you, like me, however, have not had a chance to read or listen to Twisted, then don’t let that stop you from enjoying Tied. Even without listening to their escapades in between, I was easily able to follow Tied. All that said, if your plan is to listen to the entire series, then consider listening to it in order to avoid spoilers from the prior books. This advice also applies to Book 3, Tamed. Even though Tamed primarily features the romance between another couple, Drew’s best friend Matthew, and Kate’s best friend Dee, both play integral roles in Tied. So if you don’t want the beginning of Matthew’s and Dee’s relationship to be revealed, listen to Tamed first.
Drew Evans, the once playboy young investment banker, has now been snared by his dream woman, Kate Brooks. They have survived what Drew believes to be the last of their trials and tribulations, and even have a beautiful two-year-old boy to show for it, and are now ready to completely seal the deal with marriage. But of course, even so close to the finish line, no story of Drew and Kate could be complete, without further complications, misunderstandings, and misadventures. No surprise then that what is planned as a fun-filled, pre-wedding weekend in Vegas with the whole gang of Tangled friends turns into a giant final test.
Among the numerous things that I enjoyed about this book, was getting to hear about the many friends that Drew and Kate have brought into our lives via the prior books. Not only do we get to see how their relationship has evolved, now that Drew and Kate have slowed down their careers to share part-time parenting and working roles, but we also get to see the evolution of the lives of the whole gang. From Alexandra and Steven – Drew’s sister and brother-in-law who are managing a mid-life marriage crisis while raising children, to the still crazy relationship between the never dull Dee and Matthew, to the learning-how-to-date adventures of Warren (Kate’s ex-fiance and Dee’s cousin), there is no lack of material to amuse and captivate your attention.
Ah Sebastian York! I have come to love his voice as the perfect sexy, alpha male who just oozes confidence. Given that this tale is told entirely from Drew’s point of view, there really could be no better narrator. Now when I hear Sebastian York in other titles, I instantly think of Drew.
Mr. York’s comedic timing is also impeccable. Nearly ever chapter is chock full of laugh-out-loud moments, and Mr. York greatly aids in delivering this effect. Likewise other emotions are easily gleaned from his performance. From the sexier scenes to the suspense filled ones where you are left wondering just how it is possible that Drew will get himself out of yet another mess, Mr. York’s narration does a fantastic job of bringing it all to life.
Mr. York even creates slightly distinguishable intonations for each one of the plentiful male roles in Tied, making it unnecessary to rely on dialogue tags. The females too are easy to differentiate from the males, although they are a little more difficult to distinguish from each other. This really doesn’t become an issue in this book, however, as there are few scenes with numerous females speaking at the same time. Instead you get a glimpse of their lives from Drew’s perspective which Mr. York masterfully delivers.
All in all, I highly recommend Tied to anyone who enjoyed Tangled. If you are looking for a book with the perfect blend of humor and romance, then you will not want to miss Tied!
BJ
Narration: A-
Book Content: A-
Steam Factor: For your burning ears only
Violence: Minimal
Genre: Contemporary Romance (Humorous)
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Tied was provided to AudioGals by Simon and Schuster for review.
