Narrated by Elizabeth Louise & Sebastian York
Ripped is a New Adult, second chance romance. Sporting a great performance by two of my favorite New Adult narrators, this is a great title to enjoy in audiobook format. One note of caution though – if you choose to undertake this journey, please be prepared for an angst-filled, anger-masked kind of love. In many ways, this story reminded me of a Young Adult title, as the heroine, although supposedly older throughout most of the book, acts in many ways like a rebellious teenager, struggling to cope with heartbreak by lashing out at the world and closing herself off from everyone and any potential happiness. Of course, such a destructive attitude only leads to a Pandora’s box of other evils being unleashed, so she is aptly named “Pandora”. In addition to the character development nature of this tale, there is also a mild suspense overlay, as there are more factors at work in determining the outcome of this couple’s relationship than what you are first led to believe, so keep your ears tuned for slight clues along the way.
For those of you who have not yet had a chance to read the prior books in the Real series, do not fret. Although Ripped is the fifth book in the series, it can still easily be read as a stand-alone, as each book primarily focuses on a different couple. All that said, the prior couples highlighted in previous books do continue to play a part, so if you plan to read the whole series, it is best read in order. For those who have read the prior books, Pandora, the heroine of this book, is the “goth” friend of Brooke (from Real, Mine, and Remy) and Melanie (from Rogue).
Pandora and Kenna met in high school, and notwithstanding their differing outwardly appearances, became each other’s first loves. But when their families’ lives interconnected, it all changed one fateful evening. Gone was the girl who once knew happiness, and in her place was a somber woman, who vowed to never make that mistake again.
Kenna has now been gone for six years, and is set to return to Seattle as a completely different man. Now a famous rock star, success and fame follow him everywhere. Pandora, however, may just well be his one greatest anti-fan and she is determined to seek her revenge when he hits the big stage in their hometown for what has been billed as the biggest concert of the year.
When a prank gone bad, however, forces Pandora to join Kenna on the road, beholden to his rules, what started out as a revenge mission, becomes a much more complicated proposition. Pandora is tasked with making the band’s movie documentary the biggest hit of all time, by faking a romance with Kenna, given she is the nemesis for which their most famous song was penned. But while tempted by his physical proximity and the undeniable chemistry they share, she still can’t let go of her desire to make him pay for the torment he caused her. Then the cameras start rolling, and parsing through what is real and make-believe becomes just that much harder to distinguish. Can a second chance romance possibly take hold under such hostile conditions?
Ripped’s narration is divided between Elizabeth Louise and Sebastian York by chapter, depending on whose point of view is being expressed. Sebastian York narrates the passages from Kenna’s POV and Elizabeth Louise those from Pandora’s. It’s somewhat atypical, however, in that it is not an even division. Pandora’s POV is the predominant one with Ms. Louise performing approximately a good two-thirds to three-quarters of the book. This style generally works well for this title, and I felt that both narrators did a great job of bringing the story to life, so I could sit back and listen seamlessly.
It is no secret that I’m a huge fan of Sebastian York’s narrations. Having fallen in love with his sexy baritone in Emma Chase’s Tangled, I know that I can always count on Mr. York to deliver sexy and comical lines with just the right amount of emotion. Although the style of this listen is somewhat different, Mr. York does not disappoint. In particular, his portrayal of the sexy, confident rocker, Kenna, is spot on. I could totally buy how Kenna could make all those groupies swoon at the mere sound of his voice. Additionally, Mr. York produced a slightly differentiated intonation for Pandora, making it easy to distinguish her dialogue from Kenna’s. As is typically the case with Mr. York, however, his female depictions do not sound entirely feminine.
Having previously listened to, and enjoyed, Elizabeth Louise’s performances in KA Tucker’s Five Ways to Fall and Colleen Hoover’s Ugly Love, I was also expecting a great performance from Ms. Louise which she delivers and more! She is blessed with the ability to create genuine female and male voices rendering her narration akin to listening to a theatrical performance. Moreover, she aptly varies the sound of each character, even of the same gender, so that reliance on dialogue tags is unnecessary. Her ability to impart emotion is also exceptional, allowing you to hear the anger, angst, and attraction. She also does a marvelous job of pacing her delivery so that it is uniquely suited to the particular scene being enacted, adding a sense of urgency to the more suspenseful scenes and intimacy to the more private ones.
All in all, Ripped surprised me a bit with the severity of its initial hate filled tone, but in the end won me over with the fantastic narration, its unexpected secret filled revelations, and the immense growth that the characters show throughout entire listen. The lesson of the story is a special one, and one that most romance listeners will enjoy – true love can never be destroyed and will always find a way to be reunited in the end.
BJ
Narration: Elizabeth Louise: A- Sebastian York: B
Book Content: B
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in
Violence: Minimal (Unless you count tomato throwing violent : )
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Ripped was provided to AudioGals by Simon and Schuster for review.
