Drew & Josh

Leave it to Elizabeth O'Roark to pull me into a story during a time I should be working! This is Drew Wilson's story. Involved in an on/off relationship with rocker, Six, she is invited to go on a family vacation to Hawaii with him. But in true fashion, Six gets himself arrested and now Drew is on her own...with his parents and brother Joshua with his girlfriend. What fun to be the fifth wheel! But what she finds is so much more. After being in the limelight of social media, she begins to see what life should be like. The caring parents, the fun experiences, and especially her workout time with Josh! Josh is attracted to Drew and can't understand what she is doing with his brother. But he knows she is off limits. Will they give into their attraction? Will Drew stay with Six? Does she want to go back to the rat race of her tour and crazy manager? I have to say that I love Drew. She is broken, but not so far gone she can't be saved. I love how she interacts with Josh's mom and the real feel of love and family she finds. Josh is an incredibly compassionate man. Being a doctor in a place like Somalia you would think would harden him, but he loves his job. These two have a real connection, and I love the slow burn. It's an entertaining listen, easy to get lost in and a great way to spend my day!

Samantha Brentmoor and Lee Daniels make it even better! They have a great chemistry when it comes to their dual narrations, and I love the way they connect with the characters. Brentmoor pulls out all the stops with Drew. There are a lot of layers to her, and she peels each one with an array of emotion. Samuels creates the warm and compassionate Josh, and makes us fall in love. It's a great team and an enjoyable listen!

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Slow burn romance with Hawaii as the backdrop!

The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea is the story of Drew Wilson. Drew is a famous singer who has been going from one scandal to another in the media of late and is invited on holiday with ex-boyfriend Six (Joel) and his family to Hawaii. She decides to go and use it as a chance to see if she and Six can work on their relationship plus it gives her the opportunity to screw with Six’s brother Josh who she hates with a fiery passion.
Josh can’t believe his Mum has invited Sloan, his ex-girlfriend on the trip. He doesn’t have the heart to tell his Mum they’ve broken up as she’s recovering from chemotherapy and as Sloan wants him back, they decide to keep up appearances for her sake.
They say there’s a fine line between love and hate and since Six misses the first half of the trip the line blurs very quickly and the chemistry between Drew and Josh just builds and builds until it eventually boils over.
Samantha and Lee are both new to me narrators and honestly, I love them. Their performances as Drew and Josh are truly compelling. I felt every emotion and found myself routing for the pair romantically early on which is a testament not only to the author but also to the fabulous narrators. I look forward to more from these voice actors both together and separately.
I fell in love with this audio from the beginning. From the island hopping, crystal clear blue waters of Hawaii, to the heroine who is super sassy but is hiding a world of pain, to the hero who starts off the villain but turns out to be a knight in shining armour over and over again, and secondary characters who are just fabulous and each bring something different to the story.
I can’t wait to see what’s next from this amazing author.

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Beautifully romantic

An enemies to more, slow burn story, this was my introduction to Elizabeth O'Roark, but I've already borrowed the ebook for The Deal With the Devil because I enjoyed this story so much. Drew is a famous singer who is questioning whether her fame is leading her on the right track. She goes on vacation with her ex's family and there were a lot of emotions throughout- of course the inevitable issues with her ex, her falling slowly for her ex's brother- (which typically is my least favorite kind of trope but it was done so well that I almost always forgot about it until Six showed up) and then of course, the issues with Six and Josh's mother, who is sick (very poignant, given my father passed away from cancer and I always wish we got one last trip with him too where we enjoyed each other's company before saying goodbye). Really, it's a mark of a great writer to draw a reader into the story so completely, to build on the memories that are so meaningful to the reader that feelings are elevated.

Josh, I assume is the devil but I adored him. I know, there were bad feelings between the two and that led to some awesome banter. But his caring, beautiful self made me so excited for their HEA. But the journey to the HEA was so wonderful that I didn't want to rush it. I loved Drew too- she's a caring sweet character and I cheered when Drew started to become true to herself!

I listened to the audiobook with Samantha Brentmoor and Lee Samuels and I've loved their narrations before. This book is no different- perfect voices for the main characters, a fantastic ability to vary their voices for the other characters. The audiobook was a fantastic complement to the story itself.

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I'm in love with the author and the narrators 😍😍

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕝 𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕒 - 𝔼𝕝𝕚𝕫𝕒𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕙 𝕆'ℝ𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕜

So it turns out that I read in reverse order and started in the third book but I didn't feel any holes in the plot so I'm going with my mistake and read the second book, after that I'll read the first one🤣

Imagine that your ex calls you and asks for a second chance.
You both will fly to Hawaii for a dream vacation and there you work on your relationship.
So far sounds lovely right? So did Drew though, she packed a suitcase and got on a plane to Hawaii.
Then she finds out that it's not just a vacation with the ex - his parents, his (devilishly handsome) brother which doesn't like you and also his stuck up girlfriend and welcoming her at the airport.
So where is the ex you ask? IN JAIL!!! Don't panic it's a mistake!
He'll be free to go within three days to will join Drew.
The vacation is for a week!!!! What will Drew do now for three whole days with the parents she only met once, with his brother who doesn't exactly tolerate her and his girlfriend who stares at her like she kicked a puppy?

One of the most beautiful books I've read❤️
Such a unique and immersive plot! I felt like I was right there, traveling to every island in Hawaii, I was excited every time a layer dropped from Josh and Drew.

There is so much here beyond what meets the eye - very deep characters, I enjoyed reading each of their points of view, I was repeatedly exposed to layers that cannot be seen from the outside.
I really liked the characters of Josh and his mother - their relationship is one of the most beautiful I've come across.
And Drew ,she's amazing I fell in love with her from the first page 😍 I adored the process she went through in the book it made me really admire her!
This author is on the list of my favorite writers now😍
This book is highly recommended to anyone looking for a book that will make you laugh and leave a huge smile on your face, that will make you excited and fall in love with a sweet and special love story, and in general that will make you believe in fairy tales❤️

Fantastic! 5++ stars

Fantastic! Loving this series - superb writing and captivating story. This is easily standalone, although with some tie-in to the first book I was glad I’d read that (also fantastic) book first.
Listened to the audiobook and narration was excellent.

All of the feelings Sigh

So funny so happy So so so romantic. I think this is one of my favourite books 📚 Ever

Hardly a devil, but more please.

I requested an audio review of this book and I'm so glad I did. Because this was really good. There was a few more unlikeable characters for my liking, mind you, but the slow burn, enemies to friend to more vibes, the ex's brother taboo aspect, the banter, all of it was immaculate. I really enjoyed how Josh didn't back down over anything. He goes truly above and beyond...for a pastry! And once Drew gets her backbone...man does she use it! Will Be checking out more by this author for sure.

Sweet endearing story

Drew and Josh's story was a good surprise, I loved Drew, definitely a great character, I truly liked the way she grew as a person within the story. Josh was so sweet and selfless, a great change to what I usually read. The whole story was a good experience, it was light but with deep meaning, it is a slow burn which I love as well and I really liked the narration provided by Samantha Brentmoor and Lee Samuels, if you like audiobooks then get this one.

Beautiful Forbidden Slow Burn Romance!

This story is interconnected with A Deal with the Devil (Drew's first appearance). Drew and Joshua's story is beautifully written, sweet, and heartwarming, filled with drama, a little suspense, passion, romance, and some twists and turns. Drew is beautiful, strong, smart, and caring. Joshua is very handsome and caring. I liked their banter. They are perfect together. There is a lot going on in this story. This is a beautiful, and an excellent slow burn and forbidden romance. The supporting characters are great, and I loved to see again Tali and Hayes from A Deal with the Devil. Lee Samuels and Samantha Brentmoor did a fantastic job with the narration. I enjoyed it.

Never a dull moment here

Never a dull moment here. Forget the three acts rule–you can have more than that. The story was divided in several parts, each one a new chapter in Drew’s life.

The first chapter is actually off page, since we start the book when Drew is already giving Six a second chance. Then the author slowly introduces all the characters of the story, in the middle of a Hawaiian road trip. Secrets, assumptions, resentment, insecurities, health troubles, all of that create tensions between them all. Six’s second chance doesn’t seem to go as expected; Beth, Six and Joshua’s mother, who already treats Drew like family, is hiding something; Joshua and his girlfriend have a tensed relationship; Drew and Joshua develop a weird friendship. They sure end the trip in a different place than it started.

The next part is dedicated to Drew’s career. There’ve been hints that it wasn’t the career she dreamed of, with a controlling agent who basically thinks for her. But after experiencing the closest she had from a family life in Hawaii, she has a hard time getting back in the flow. We learn more about her own family too. All while continuing a long distance friendship with one of the Bailey brothers–I won’t say which one.

The rest of the book follows those two main plot lines–Drew’s budding relationship on one hand, and the way she takes back control of her career on the other hand. None of them goes smoothly, with set-backs and hiccups. As Drew slowly changes her perspective on her life, she makes decisions that don’t always end well, inducing a new shift of perspective and new decisions. Though the male love interest has his fair share of chapters with his point of view, Drew’s development arc is clearly the core of the story.

The audio was a good one. The female narrator did amazing both with the emotional moments and the banter. There was a smile in her voice for the playful dialogues, and a wet note to it for the angsty scenes. The male narrator was great with raw emotions. All in all, they were both perfect for this emotional story.