I've "Chosen" Another Favorite!

....couldn't resist. :-)

I loved, LOVED both the story and performance, and was so happy to read book two is currently in production! I do hope it will be the same narrator, Michael Pauley, as he did an amazing job on this story. I absolutely loved the epilogue, the "dirty talk," and drums had me laughing out loud....well after I picked my chin up off the floor.....Wow!

I really enjoyed listening to this story, and liked the sound effects. Most were subtle and actually enhanced the story. The only issue I had was the long pause between the chapters, I kept checking to see if I accidently hit pause; however, I did get used to this fairly quickly and just learned to listen closely for the soft music introduction.

The story was well written, flowed nicely with some pretty intense moments, and had great character development. I loved stories where you get to know the characters as the plot and story unfolds. The attraction between Torkel and Faith was instant and there was plenty of steamy romance between them from day one.

I think fans of Evangeline Anderson's "Brides of Kindred" or Laurann Dohner''s "Cyborg Seduction" would enjoy this series. I will definitely be recommending this story and series to my friends, even the ones who don't listen to audiobooks.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audio book Boom."

25 people found this helpful

KEPT ME ON MY EMOTIONAL SEAT'S EDGE!

Any additional comments?

I was provided this audiobook through Audiobook Boom at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

VERY pleased to find that this book was FAR above the shallow alien abduction books that can be summed up in 3 steps: "capture / sex / eternal dying love."

Faith chooses to be part of a inter-stellar marriage program, chooses her planet, and ultimately chooses her guy. From the very first my heart melted for Torkel. I could feel the insecurity and sorry he suffered after attempts to be chosen. Unease immediately settles into the plot after Torkel's right to be chosen is challenged. And from innocent choices made by Faith, all Hell breaks loose.

It's all there... pain, love, fear, angst, regret, suffering, anger, hope, despair and ultimately, grace. The HEA doesn't end the story. There is still too much to be resolved, so I can't wait for the next book!!

Michael Pauley is an accomplished and very talented narrator. Great choice, Michelle Howard! He did a superb job, as he's done in every other work I've listened to.

TWO BIG THUMBS UP!

14 people found this helpful

I want ONE TOO!

This was a very interesting audiobook because there were special sound effects woven into the narration. I just listened to this a second time. I love the action this is a fast paced story and was not predictable. The narrator is great and does the characters voices well. I almost forgot to leave feedback because I was caught up in this story a second time. Each time I listen to this audiobook I hear something new that I missed.

On a planet where men outnumber the women 10 to one having a man of your own is impossible. For $20,000 dollars women can pay to marry an alien - paid for by the woman not the alien. Faith/Faye waited 3 years to save up enough for the Singles Program (SP). Faye is denied by the SP agency once because she is 28 and too old, second time because the slots were full, finally on the 3rd try she is accepted.

Torkel has stood in the choosing grounds for 7 years without being chosen. Torkel looks different from the other men. He is not blond haired and fit…he is taller darker and one big hunk of muscle and good looks. He is the head of an elite group of warriors. His warrior team is faithful to their leader Torkel. Neither Faye nor Torkel expected to fall for each other. Faye is kidnapped. Torkel is betrayed and there are so many sub-plots. All I want to say to finish this review is…..Torkel can do a lap dance for me anytime (this will make sense when you hear the story).

This audiobook was provided by the author at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast.

9 people found this helpful

Pretty Intense Love Story! Another Great Romance!

I really enjoyed the drama, suspense, and romance. Although, I was shocked with some of the way the story twisted. Perhaps a bit disappointed with Torkel's behavior. I don't want to give anything away so I'll not go into details.

Faith left earth to try to find a husband and build a family. She accepted money for choosing a specific male. Little did she know that she would fall in love but her mistake at accepting money would come back and haunt her.

The narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. The little special effects are awesome.

This audiobook was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

8 people found this helpful

WOW! What a ride!

Any additional comments?

Everyone reaches a point in their life were they can’t see themselves continuing doing the same thing year after year. Torkel and Faye have both reached this point in their life; whether it’s due to age or constant disappoint.
Faye time is almost up when comes to having a husband and a children of her own, when she gets the chance of the life time to find love off world. Once she reaches the planet she has chosen to find her future husband, things go from bad to worst. A person tries to kidnap her. When that doesn’t work she is forced to help undermined her husband. Can their love overcome her betrayal?
Torkel is an outcast among his adopted people; throughout his life he has had to face adversity because of his birth planet. His only wish is it to find a woman that will love him beyond his heritage. He wants a woman he love and protect with his whole being. When Faye chooses him in the sands, he thinks this is a blessing from the gods. However, their happiness is short lived, due to Faye’s betrayal. He must choose between his heart and his honor as a warrior.
Ms. Michelle Howard does a wonderful job of building a world anyone would love to visit. Her characters jump off the pages and sink into your heart. You feel each emotion of Torkel and Faye. While many Alien romances lack a basic plot this story is well developed and the plot works with and without an alien theme.
If you haven’t read this genre I would suggest giving this author and story a chance.

7 people found this helpful

Naive helpless women annoy me

This book would have been much better with a women who didn't act so very desperate and naive.... Not sure how one can work around military men supporting safety and knowingly violate security measures... Not for any other reason than to save ones self from people thinking "badly" about them.
Just ridiculous ....

7 people found this helpful

HOT HOT HOT!!!

Oh my goodness! This audiobook was so good! This is definitely one of the best ones that I've ever listen to. Full of romance and super steamy bits... and action and more action and more action... And did I mention more action? Oh and there is mystery too! This story had me guessing all the way to the end, and I'm actually really upset that the second book is not an audiobook yet. I was so looking forward to spending my credit on book 2. I really need to find out what happens to Lindsey! I guess I'll just have to wait (le sigh). I'm sorely tempted to buy the actual books, but I think I'd rather have Mr. Pauley read them to me. To Michelle Howard, please don't make me wait too long!

What makes this audiobook stand out, is the simple fact that there are sound effects alongside the narration. And then the narrator Mr. Michael Pauley does a superb job of bringing the story to life. I really hope that he is the narrator for the next two audiobooks. I'll be keeping an eye out for them because for sure I'm purchasing them.

Excellent, excellent audiobook. I highly recommend this one. It's a very entertaining listen. You will not regret it.

5 people found this helpful

Pleasantly surprised

This story had a lot more depth in it than I originally thought when I picked it. I found actions on both main characters part pretty unforgivable which is why the story on gets 3 stars. Just felt heroine was TSTL at some points. Narrator did a good job and I even found I liked the sound effects.
I read Honor Bound by this same author, also a good read.

5 people found this helpful

Great

Lots of action, romance, and character development. I loved it! Can't wait for more in this series, I would for each Hero to get a story.

5 people found this helpful

LOVE Michael Pauley's voice! Crazy happy with...

Any additional comments?

I was HOOKED as soon as I started Torkel’s Chosen. Number 1: Michael Pauley’s voice is niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice *whew* great voice, yay! New favorite narrator, I am so happy. Number 2: Really interesting set up – loved it. The reason she leaves to do this, the way the choosing happens, the background and emotional damage to the hero ratcheting up the listener’s expectations for how this is going to go down: perfect beginning. PERFECT! I haven't enjoyed myself this much in an alien-romance-land since I found VC Lancaster's Gron's Fated.

Back to the audio: I normally find sound effects cheesy (I’ve heard it done as music in the audios of the Anita Blake series, for example – love the narrator, but the tunes are jarring) BUT the sound additions here were perfect – done softly enough not to compete with Pauley’s voiceover, and they worked just like stage/radio effect – adding, not distracting, and sparingly inserted. I liked this!

Back to the story: I was so into this book that I didn’t want to stop it, but I had that sleep thing I needed to take care of. I almost shot off an email to the author ala “YOUR BOOK IS SO AWESOME I’M RESENTING MY FORCED REST CYCLE” but I just hit the sack instead.

Sadly, I wish I’d stopped the book there for real. And at the next session, I didn’t feel like fangirling the author anymore, because the events in sci fi romantasy land got bad.

Since other reviews have already divulged this plot bit, I’ll add the ***UM, SPOILERS, WATCH YASELVES” but because the alien’s out of the bag… Here’s what SHOULD have happened:

When Torkel finds her crying and upset the FIRST time and rushes to comfort her – and like the wonderful, loving, caring, awesome alien he is, he ASKS HER WHAT IS WRONG. (this part actually happens).

Why what a fabulous opening, Faith. You should take it and confide! Empty your soul. DIVULGE YOUR DUPLICITY NOW. NOW BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. What SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID RIGHT THEN:

“Torkel, I need to tell you something but first *know that I love you and am SO GLAD I chose you as my alien because you’re the very best* I mean that.

And on choosing day, on account of me being flustered and not understanding your customs and all (weak, I know but WORK WITH ME), I ended up with a communicator and this dude who said he’d be checking in about our coupledom. I’ve come to realize this was real, real bad and I effed up Big Time. There’s more I need to tell you, but I don’t want you to look at me like, well, like how you’re looking at me right now so the important take away here is that I’m So Sorry and I Love You and I TOTALLY CHOSE YOU BECAUSE YOU’RE AWESOME. Don’t forget that.”

But she doesn’t say any of this. The author does a good job showing why she resists (I really, really did sympathize, because telling him would hurt him so badly for the other reason) but… but… coming from a military family, treason is the nice word, BETRAYAL, BACKSTABBING, TRAITOR are a few others and this is… just not… YOU NEVER… WOMAN!! THIS IS UNacceptable — WHERE IS YOUR LOYALTY???? He is totally trusting you! They ALL do! You could get him killed! You could kill his team which YOU KNOW are like his brothers. If you REALLY cared, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? Michelle Howard does such a good job writing this that if you can do a magic-pretend that this is somehow understandable in her unique circumstances, you can finish the book. And I wanted – needed – that happily ever after so I kept going. After he is betrayed and heartbroken. After she is tortured and he leaves here there because yeah, unfortunately, she basically is paying for her crime.

Angry reviewers on the book side (as opposed to the audio review side) put in their reviews ‘But that isn’t what hero’s are supposed to do!’ THAT ISN’T WHAT HEROINES ARE SUPPOSED TO DO EITHER. What a mess. Again, between the narrator and the writing I kept listening, but inside I was cringing. Not happy feel-good times here. I kept waiting for the big fight, and the absolution. And kept waiting. And kept waiting.

In real life, a loved one can do something so reprehensible that you can’t say “I forgive you and it’s cool now”. Kudos for Howard making this point so real? That he is hurt, she damaged something in him, permanently stained their relationship, and she has been damaged perhaps forever, and he has to decide that he loves her and that he wants her in his life because the love isn’t going to go away – he’s tried.

Dude. Ouch.

But? Realistic, kind of yeah.

The story went from fast paced and anxiety filled (because you were loving this couple’s interaction but knowing that what she was doing behind his back was going to tear them apart) to dark, and sad, and waiting for a big HEA that would have required a fairy godmother that could pack a punch and that twisty time thing from Hermione to fix this mess to a CinderellaHEA satisfaction.

Instead. We get the “look, I’m taking you back – against my better judgement, against my team’s better judgement, to the objection of my parents who loved and trusted you, to the objection of my country that trusted ME to know if I could trust you – which I ha ha totally failed at clearly, and to the objection of this entire effing planet…” (FOR FRICK’S SAKE FAITH, YOU REALLY EFF UP BIG) “…We love each other. Somehow we’ll move on in time.” In this case, I wanted the fluffy unrealistic magic fix-all. I really wanted that. Was this still a good story? YES. I’ve totally added it to my WILL BE LISTENING TO THIS AGAIN” folder — but I’ll only listen to it up to a point. Then rewrite a Disney ending in my head and turn to something where the girl doesn’t jam a knife if her guy’s back while she’s kissing him (um, that’d be figuratively, for those that haven’t listened to this story yet.)

I think an Epilogue a few years down the road with a scene that makes it clear they have HEALED would have gone a long way to repairing the damage instead of leaving the listener shell shocked and raw. There are other books in this series and maybe through them these two have cameos that show this. I am curious enough I might check them out, especially if Michael Pauley is narrating them. I received this audio for free in return for my honest review.

4 people found this helpful