It hasn’t been that long since I read Redemption and a lot of it was still fresh in my mind. Even so, the audiobook captured me all over again and affected me almost as deeply as the book did when I first read it.

It took me a few books to get used to Dan Calley’s British accent (US gal here) but I’ve now listened to about 14 audiobooks that he’s performed and I can emphatically say that he has a wonderfully gritty style that works for the books that I’ve listened to – especially this one.

There really isn’t much more that I can say about this story that I didn’t already say in my original review from July 9, 2020 (shown below).

I knew this book was gonna tear me up.

I’ve now read enough books by Garrett Leigh to know when one is probably going to affect me deeply and Redemption surely did that and it was worth every bit of emotion it wrought from me.

Luis Pope was recently released from prison and is looking for work. When he sees the Help Wanted sign in the window of the café he used frequent, he figures it’s fate. But café owner, Paolo, remembers Luis from his gangster days and isn’t interested in having one of the Pope brothers working for him. Fortunately for Luis, Paolo’s grandfather convinces Paolo that he should give Luis a chance.

So, after that rather rocky beginning, Luis provides exactly the type of help that Paolo needed in the café. He’s quiet and efficient and has skills that he surprised Paolo with when Paolo needed help in an emergency. This was a wonderful slow-burn story that turns hot as fire as the relationship between Luis and Paolo grows.

Luis and Paolo have chemistry that is off the charts and one of the most devoted relationships I’ve read recently. The story is gritty and uses a lot of British slang. I didn’t always know exactly what the terms meant but it didn’t matter because the meaning was clear enough through context. (The author did give a great explanation of many of the terms before the story began).

This book made me believe in the power of redemption and that second chances are something that most people deserve. I’m not doing a good job of explaining how good this book was. If you love a wonderful, angsty story with a HEA don’t just take my word for it, grab a copy and read it for yourself; I don’t think you’ll regret it a bit.

Reviews for Garrett Leigh

Reviews for Dan Calley

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