Riptide

Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances, Book 2

De: Michelle Mankin

Narrado por: Wen Ross, Kai Kennicott

Rock star Ramon Martinez can have any woman he wants, and he frequently does because he can’t have her.

Karen Grayson.

Surfer girl.

My band mate's wife.

The one woman I can't have.

The one woman who could have my heart, though I can never let her know.

Ramon Martinez.

Romeo.

Completely forbidden.

I wanted him back at the beginning, but he didn’t want me.

So I made the safe choice.

The wrong one.

We were once friends.

Now we’re not even that.

But we’re both back in Ocean Beach, and that dangerous attraction remains.

©2017 Michelle Mankin (P)2018 Michelle Mankin

A SECOND CHANCE THAT TOOK 15 TURBULENT YEARS

They were once all happy friends.. Dominic, Karen and Ramon.. three teens.. two handsome band mates.. two boys in love with the same girl and, as their fame grew, it would be sensible loving Dominic that would remain grounded and marry the girl. Ramon on the other hand was a womanizer who didn’t want to settle down.. and he’d missed his opportunity with Karen anyway so he threw himself into the rocker lifestyle.

But, as the years passed, attitudes changed.. priorities changed.. lives changed.. emotions changed.. situations changed.. loyalties changed.. dynamics changed, friendships changed and love changed. Dominic went to war, Ramon became a Rock God and Karen?.. well for years she was left in limbo trying to support her husband and hold on to their one-sided marriage. And, as Ramon and Karen fought their mutual attraction for fifteen years, it would be a neverending emotional rollercoaster of loyalties vs friendships, hunger vs heartbreak, pleasure vs pain, anguish and angst. Because, despite their chemistry and attraction, these two characters suffered from mistrust, bad timing, misunderstandings, mistruths and insecure anxieties over each other’s feelings.

Told in present-past-present dual POV. I did enjoy this multi-layered impressive slow burn of an enduring love story. But, as the hours counted down to mere minutes, I was a bit miffed because there just wasn’t enough time for me to wallow in a chapter or three of the gooey reveal afterglow feels before - bang - the Epilogue. This was because it took too damn long for them to finally tell each other how they truly felt and I seriously wanted to knock their heads together. The sex scenes, when they eventually err ‘came’, were long overdue, sexy and hot. Kai and Wen’s awesome duet style of narration gave it a more realistic feel with each sticking to their own genders voices.. and IMO they always bring it to life.. they always give 5 star performances.. and they always make listening a pleasure.

Worth a credit? Yeah sure.. Destiny gave Ramon and Karen a second chance.. but Fate made them hurt and wait a long long looooong time for it.

OMG!!!!

When I was reading the first book to this series, I totally fell for Karen. I totally wanted her to have a HEA like her best friend did. If anybody deserved it, it was Karen! I mean she's so sweet and lovable! Just saying! I really adored this book! There were parts that drove me nuts but in the best way possible. I can't really criticize this book too much. I adored it. It was sweet and not at all predictable. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the third one. Is it possible we will see another band mate finding a HEA? Only time shall tell! I fully recommend this book!

Surfer rockstar romance

If you could sum up Riptide in three words, what would they be?

Fun, Refreshing, Love

Who was your favorite character and why?

Karen because she is a strong female chatacter

What about Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross ’s performance did you like?

Felt like I was listening to a play

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The end

Any additional comments?

Great summer beach read

Heartfelt!

Remon was best friends with his band mate Patch. Patch married Karen and left for the military. Remon was in love with Karen but he lived the wild life with other women. Patch was really mad when he found out that Remon had bought Karen a surf shop. Patch was killed in service. Did Remon let Karen know he loved her? You will have to listen to the fantastic narration by Wen and Kai!

Another great narration

This was another great narration by Wen Ross and Kai Kennicott. Definitely recommend this one.

Great Book

Riptide (Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances Book Two) by Michelle Mankin was another great read by the author. Ramon is a rockstar who has only wanted the one person he can’t have. Karen is the girl he wants, but she’s his band mates wife. After many trials they are no longer friends. I loved reading Ramon and Karen’s story and can’t wait to read more.

So Realistic

I loved getting to find out what really happened to Patch. I loved how real this story was and how it doesn't shy away like a bunch of stories do. I loved that there was so much realistic life in it and how it just really seemed to tell the honest truth. Ramon and Karen's story is sweet and beautiful while at the same time being brutal and honest. This was just a great story to me and I really loved it. Kai and Wen did a beautiful job narrating this story and really did it justice.

I loved getting......

I loved getting The Back Story!! Everything we missed in the first book was revealed!! the narrator's of course WERE AMAZING!!

Love this series

How can you go wrong with Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances? All three of these subjects are perfect for a romance. This particular story is one of heartache and love and truly finding that second chance. Ramon and Dominic are both in love with Karen. When Karen marries Dominic, Ramon follows the rock star life. Life changes once Dominic joins the military and as life enters it's new phase, so do Ramon and Karen. The push-pull between these two, the chemistry and the ups and downs these two went through are so easy to relate to, it's easy to get wrapped up in their pain and their love. It is a slow burn until these two finally get their second chance at finding happiness, with a lifetime of feelings and misunderstandings. Mankin will steal your heart with Ramon and Karen and have your heart surfing til the end.

Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross are the voices of this series, and never do they cease to amaze me with their performances. The inflection of love and pain is truly felt with each character they portray allowing the listener to experience it all.

Another Beautiful & Heartfelt Story! Outstanding🎧

I am loving this series, Michelle Mankin created a great group of characters that are far from perfect but you can not help but fall in love with them. Her storylines are heartfelt and beautifully written, she takes you right along side the characters, she lets you not only see what they are going through but feel it too. We met Karen in the first book, Linc & Mona’s story, she is Mona’s best friend who married Dominic, the “Dirty Dogs” bassist. We only got a glimpse of these two characters in that book, all is revealed in this book, what happened to him and how Karen drifted away. We also find out Karen had feelings for Ramon too, the two always had a special bond but he was not the type of guy to settle down, he preferred to be a player. Her choice to be with Dominic pushed him away from her. A lot goes on in this book, she returns back home to OB to be near her father. Ramon has also returned, is it his time to settle down, can these two rekindle their friendship and the feelings they harbored for each other. I loved how their story played out, Michelle Mankin is a master at plotting and setting up time frames, this book starts in present day, the middle of the book goes back 15 years and the end jumps back to present day, it goes full circle. It is great seeing the other characters, everyone is still finding their footing and I am looking forward to see where it all goes next in Ashland’s story. Michelle Mankin thank you for another great story and emotional rollercoaster ride

I listened to the Audible edition, Kai Kennicott and Wenn Ross are fabulously talented narrators and voice performers. They continue to bring these characters to life, give each their own voice and personality as well attitude. I can not give them enough praise, they put a lot of heart into their storytelling you can hear it their performances. They are always a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen🎧