At the Ready

Global Security Unlimited 3

By: Sharon Michalove

Narrated by: Samantha Brentmoor, Jason Clarke

Micki Press and JL Martin both have complicated lives, but when they come together, the sparks are undeniable. Micki is trying to make it to the top of one of the most conservative corporate law firms in Chicago. JL is the CEO of WatchDog Inc., a successful security company, and is struggling with his own family complications.

When Micki's former lover stalks her, JL steps in to protect her, and the two soon realize their feelings go beyond friendship. But with their complicated pasts and the struggles of the corporate world, are they ready to take the next step, or will the twists and turns have them singing the Chicago blues?

If you enjoy a story of complicated love and corporate ambition, you'll love At the Ready. If you enjoy fast-paced action, romance, with a dash of karaoke, you'll fall for At the Ready.

Tropes
Older couple
Friends to lovers
Stalker/Woman in Peril

©2023 Sharon Michalove (P)2023 Sharon Michalove

This series just keeps getting better and better

I want to start with the narration. Although I’m not French Canadian, I was French immersion from age five to seventeen. For the first eight years, I had teachers who drove over from Québec every day to teach me when I lived near Ottawa. I know French Canadian French. I know Québecois French. So I have to compliment Sharon on her accuracy of vocabulary. I even learned a few swear words I didn’t know!

Along with that compliment comes a huge shout out to Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke. Narrating any book is a challenge. Narrating one with accents can be even harder. Jason’s interpretation of JL’s French Canadian worked in every way possible. Samantha’s JL was just as flawless and, of course, her Micki was brilliant. The narration took this book to a whole new level of listening pleasure.

The story was good as well. From Chicago to France to Vancouver and back to Chicago. FYI – I live in Vancouver and was thrilled not only to see it featured, but to have it portrayed accurately. That kind of detail rang true and made me smile.

Occasionally Micki irritated me, but that was a quirk of her character. I liked that she stood up to bullies and came out on top. I like that she had a good relationship with JL but didn’t rely on him to fix everything for her. And I liked that JL was so relatable – a career and love in one city and an aging mother in another. Torn loyalties. This book also tackled domestic violence and what happens when a partner – usually the woman, but not always – is stalked by her ex. Restraining orders are often useless and Micki’s desire to live free of fear was relatable.

I’ve enjoyed all the books in the trilogy and I’m really hoping there are more to come. Like maybe a certain character moving from Vancouver to Chicago? Please? Great book. Great series. Great audio.

Great continuation of the Global Security series

This is a great read. The characters and storyline are compelling. You don't need to read the other 2 in the series, but they are so great also, you may want to. Highly recommended.

Top notch narration

Audiobook review: Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke

4 stars for story / 5 stars for performance

This is my first Sharon D. Michalove book so I have not read or listened to the previous books in the Global Security series. I could tell where it would have benefited me to have done so, but it wasn't enough to impact Micki and JL's story. It is possible to read this as a standalone but I will be going back to read the previous two books soon. The suspense was up there with Sam, Micki's ex-boyfriend turned st@lker causing all kinds of havoc and JL's mom and her audition for monster-in-law status. Plot wise there was a lot going on and when it came to the action, I felt it came and ended very quickly on multiple occasions. I did really enjoy the overall book and the fact that I listened to this on audio helped bring the story to life immensely.

Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke did an amazing job narrating this book. The accents were everything!! I thoroughly enjoyed this story so much more thanks to the masterful way they performed their characters. They are at the top of the game as far as I'm concerned and I will never turn down an audio that either of them narrate.

Series gets better and better !

Really enjoyed Micki and JL story. In addition to the interesting dynamics of their romance but each of them has career and family challenges that all intertwine to deliver an amazing climax to the book. Micki is trying to make partner at her law firm and JL is trying to protect her from a stalker and danger is lurking behind every door. Jason Clarke’s french accent is ‘chef’s kiss’ ! Samantha Brentmoor delivers just the right of angst and resilience to her narration of Micki’s struggles especially while she is being stalked. Looking forward to the next book !

Excellent tale, superb narration

AT THE READY by Sharon Michalove is an exhilarating story, seamlessly weaving together contemporary romance, international espionage, and suspense. I had the great pleasure of hearing Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke's splended narration. They had me hooked from the gripping first chapter to the screen-worthy finale bringing Sharon's listeners on a thrill ride through the streets of Paris, the charm of Vancouver, and the challenges of The Windy City's corporate world.

Micki is a determined protagonist, coping with the struggles of the corporate ladder, a creepy ex-boyfriend, and navigating the complexities of her current romantic interest. The plot is thick and twisted, filled with espionage, international terrorism, and supporting characters that add depth to the story. Sharon paints her anti-terrorist security team pragmatically with a familial feel that gives authenticity to the deep connections and trust necessary for the extraordinary teamwork required to get the job done..

Sharon's knowledge of Europe took me back to my own memories of many-a-trip across the pond. Samantha and Jason made me feel as if they've experienced the cities themselves. The engaging characters, well-crafted plot, and the continuation of storylines from Sharon's previous works make this a must-listen for fans of the series. The audio book skillfully captures the emotional nuances, pop culture references, and the delightful French-Canadian swear words. I found myself lookihng for reasons to fire up Audible to continue my immersion in the story. Congratulations to Sharon on another winner, an action-packed and romantic installment worthy of her excellent Global Security Unlimited Series.

I received a complimentary copy of the Audible audio book to facilitate this review.

Some of the best storytelling I've ever seen!

Sharon Michalove has been teasing us with Micki and JL since the end of book one in the Global Security series and their story did not disappoint! From a crazy ex-boyfriend, to almost being kidnapped and a wicked French-Canadian mother this story was fast-paced and full of surprises!

Micki was the type of heroine I live for! She was a strong determined woman set on making her dreams come true even through all the struggles of a crazy ex who didn't know when to quit. There were times when I thought she would crumble, and she never did but when she did JL was right by her side to help get her through it. Ther love story was not really the star of the show and I loved that! They fell in love amongst the chaos and while they had their difficulties it was clear they were made for one another.

JL has kind of had my heart since the beginning because he wasn't as shrouded in secrets as Max was, but he also had this lighthearted quality to him. Yes, he was dangerous and capable of taking things too far if necessary but throughout the entire story he was more focused on what Micki needed to stay safe.

Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke brought these characters to life and their accents for each, and every character were so on point! At the Ready is a solid book all on its own but adding in their vocal stylings amped up the story to another level. Especially Jason Clarke, and the only reason being I think is because he has a much bigger range. Either way, this narration was fantastic as are all of Sharon's.

I've left a lot of the details out of this review because you don't really need to know more than what was in the blurb. There were some twists and turns in this book I didn't see coming and I'd hate to spoil that for other readers. A standalone within a series At the Ready is one of those deliciously good romantic suspense novels you won't want to quit reading until all the T's are crossed and the I's dotted.

You should give this book a try!

The characters were interesting, the plot involving, and the narrators were on point. Don't miss out!

Exciting romantic suspense!

At the Ready is book 3 in the Global Security Unlimited romantic suspense series and gives us JL and Micki’s story with plenty of surprising twists and turns from multiple threats - both physical and delusional romantic scheming by others. Micki hits the ground running as a legal professional in her mid 40s with hopes to advance within her firm - which requires breaking the glass ceiling while competing against nepotism with underhanded competition. To top that off she has been peripherally involved in the threats covered in prior books, as Cress is her best friend. She is being stalked by an ex-boyfriend who is much more of a threat than she could have imagined. JL is a French Canadian who works with Max at GSU and has had his eye on Micki for a while. There is a lot going on with the multiple threats, but Sharon Michalove carries it all well and keeps you engaged. I did find myself getting frustrated with Micki and her stubbornness; however, it feels true to the character who just got out of a terrible relationship and is a strong professional who shies away from giving up control.

Samantha Brentmoor and Jason Clarke are absolutely perfect! I’m not expert, but I really enjoyed the French-Canadian access and French language. These two are definitely favorite narrators for good reason and I really enjoyed their performances. Fantastic casting!!

5+ stars for this audiobook

Micki is stalked by her ex but is she ready to give her heart to JL? At the Ready is a sophisticated later in life, friends to lovers, romantic suspense spanning multiple countries. At the heart of this story is a hero and heroine who have demanding careers and not much time for anything else. The romance is written with realism and plenty of heart. The emotional tension between Micki and JL is palpable. It is great fun watching this couple dance around each other before falling in love. But love is always at the ready and this audiobook is an unputdownable listen.

Narrators’ overall voice –Jason and Samantha narrate this romantic suspense to perfection. Their voices are engaging yet don’t detract from the overall story.

Does the narrator fit the characters? Yes, the voice actors use their voices like instruments, differing them to fit the characters.

Narrator’s reading style –There’s an effortlessness to Jason and Samantha’s style which makes listening to a breeze.

Narrator’s impact on reading experience –Jason and Samantha make the characters come alive. Readers can enjoy listening to them and ponder this delightful romantic suspense.

Narrator’s pacing –The pacing is even and doesn’t detract the reader’s attention.

Audiobook flow –The audiobook flows well. I found myself listening late into the night.

What makes this audiobook unique –What I found so unique about this audiobook was the way Jason and Samantha convey emotion and tension.

Would I recommend this audiobook –Yes, I would recommend it to any listener. You’ll be entertained for hours.

Not For Me

**Audiobook Review**
Sharon Michalove is a new to me author, and when I had the opportunity to listen to this book, I jumped at the chance because it's narrated by Jason Clarke with a French accent and Samantha Brentmoor, and the characters are older (ie, 40's). I knew it was part of a series, and while it didn't say that it could be read as a standalone in the blurb, nothing indicated the first 2 books in the series could possibly play an important role in this book. With that said, I saw some reviews that it made it sound like some of the character/relationship development between the MCs happens in the previous books. I spent most of the book confused on what was going on. I wanted to DNF this so bad.

Even with this information, I'm not fan of this author's writing style at all and will not be exploring the rest of the series. I found the character's to be overly dramatic and kind of a**holes based on how they treated each other, especially the the FMC and her BFF. Plus their reactions to situations never really seemed appropriate. It seemed like the MMCs spent more time apart than together, so it felt like there was little relationship development. There were so many side plots happening that it just got to be too much.

I'm a major Jason Clarke fan, while it wasn't bad it didn't seem like his best work. In the beginning the French accent would drop out at the end of the sentences and then there was a point he does the voice of this mother and her previous French accent is gone. Sometimes when either narrator voiced Max, the English accent disappeared.