Behind His Eyes

A Jetty Beach Romance, Book 1

De: Claire Kingsley

Narrado por: Jacob Morgan, Samantha Brentmoor

Some wounds only love can heal

I never thought Nicole Prescott would walk back into my life—adorably drunk and dropping things, no less. But here she is, more beautiful than I remember. She’s been hurt, and I understand pain all too well.

But I shouldn’t be the guy to help her through it. I came home to get my own life together. I can’t pick up the pieces of hers.

Ryan Jacobsen and I were kids together, but he’s all man, now. Sexy and sweet, with brooding green eyes that hide a universe of secrets.

His stubbly jaw, delicious abs, and artistic soul make him irresistible. (And have I mentioned the things he can do with his tongue?) My heart—and my body—want more. They want everything. Although the gravity between us is inescapable, he tries to push me away. The pain behind his eyes holds him back, and it just might tear us apart.

©2016 Claire Kingsley (P)2024 Claire Kingsley

This was a great story!!

I love this story of Nicole and Ryan!! It was really enjoyable to listen to this story I read a couple of years ago. I loved having the story read by two different people for the two character voices. This book made me laugh, giggle and shed a few tears. Once again I loved the happily ever after ending and I was so happy that they had found one another!! So good!! A must listen to for sure!!

Sweet story of two people who feel lost

I’ve read all of this author’s books and am now making my way through them in audio. All of her books are fantastic and this was now exception. This book deals with the heavy topic of depression. It was handled very well and made the story so real. Ryan and Nicole had to fight hard for their HEA, but it was so worth it.

Finding Love Again

Coming home to heal, both Ryan and Nicole are back to Jetty Beach after life dealt them a tough hand. Rediscovering their life meaning and helping each other overcome the demons of their past brings them together, in this tender tale of second chances and taking the leap to trust and love again.
Claire Kingsley is an extraordinary story teller, and Behind His Eyes is no exception to her masterful craft.
And the narration by Samantha Brentmoore and Jacob Morgan gives this book another dimension and draws us in to “live” the story with our characters. It’s simply perfect!

Welcome to Jetty Beach

Behind His Eyes is book one of the Jetty Beach series and is a great introduction to the small beach town! Ryan and Nicole's story is beautiful. They knew each other as kids and both moved away from Jetty Beach. When they reconnect by running into each other while Nicole is drunk after finding her boyfriend of years in bed with another woman, feelings start to appear. They are both healing from their past relationships and trying to figure out how a relationship will work between them when Nicole lives and works in Seattle and Ryan is in Jetty Beach.

Ryan is a photographer whose preference is taking boudoir photos. When he moved back to Jetty Beach he bought an old church on a cliff over looking the ocean. Part of the church is his house the other part is his studio. Ryan has suffered on and off from depression and he is doing well until something with Nicole triggers him back into that depressed state. Now he has to figure out how to break free from his rut and share his thoughts with Nicole or he'll lose her forever.

Nicole is torn about going back to her job in Seattle or if she wants to stay in Jetty Beach. As her relationship with Ryan gets more serious she is contemplating leaving Seattle but unsure what she would do if she stayed.

Claire did an amazing job creating a world that makes you want to visit and see what happens next with this couple and the couples that come next! Jacob Morgan and Samantha Brentmoor do an awesome job bringing Ryan and Nicole to life and they make the story come to life even more than just reading the words that Claire wrote.

Behind His Eyes is book one in the Jetty Beach series and is a standalone but should be read in series order because of the story timeline. This is a 5/5 star story for me and a 4/5 on the spicy/smut scale. The narrators did an amazing job! You would not be disappointed with this audiobook!

Small town love story

First things first, I adore Claire Kingsley, she writes such amazing characters and stories. Totally swoon worthy guys and their perfect soulmate of a gal. And this story is no different. Nicole is a sweet and sassy lady that has had some bad luck that has led her back home, living with her parents and falling for a boy she used to know. Ryan, the artsy fartsy one, the sweet guy who has gone through his own fake of crap, recently moved back home too. After things went bad in LA and his heart and life were ripped apart by tragedy and struggles, he is now getting his life back on track. His career as a photographer is going great, he bought an old church and is renovating it to be his studio and his home. One problem? The past is still there plaguing him, it isn’t going away. And while he tries to keep on the road of healing, he runs into Nicole and he can’t stay away. He starts to fall. These two struggle through though. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are storm clouds and rain on the horizon.
These two are perfect for each other and they learn and grow in their relationship and life. I absolutely love them both. And the performance and narration was perfect. These two performers did a wonderful job bringing Claire Kingsley’s characters to life. To giving them their voice.

Perfect characterization

The already amazing story was brought to life in the most perfect way.

And the spice hits just right!

Well done!

Could have been a touch longer

This book took me by surprise, I wasn’t expecting such deep subject matter underneath this sweet little romance (though trigger warnings should have been provided. I thought the topics of depression, accidental OD, and a past suicide attempt were handled with sensitivity and felt very rooted in reality, those are heavy topics that might not be good for others to read about) I think the story could have been a touch longer to cover those topics a little more as they felt a little rushed through in the end, but again, the way they were talked about was with care.

Samantha and Jacob are my favorite Female and Male narrators, so I have zero complaints on the audio, they both nail it every time, I love them and they always bring the emotion.

Take me to Jetty Beach!

This story is such a great romance. I am so impressed that this is Claire Kingley’s first published romance novel. The detail of this story presents her as a seasoned romance novelist. It is no wonder that is exactly what she became. She created a beautiful town in Jetty Beach, two wonderful and complex main characters, some fabulous side characters (many whom are future story leads), and a storyline beyond just the romance.

Nicole and Ryan have known each other since childhood, but moved away and lost touch. When they run into each other again in town, they both have complex pasts, but find something in the other they have needed. They struggle to find the right path, but when they do it really is beautiful. I love this story on so many levels.

This audio! It’s so good. Samantha Brentmoor is Nicole perfection. She adds so much dimension to the character. Jacob Morgan as Ryan could not have been any better. His ability to vary his tone and delivery was so good. Both are such wonderful actors and made this a top notch audio.

Such a great listen!

Claire Kingsley has proven over and over again that she knows exactly how to write spicy small town romance, and this is no exception. The characters are lovable, the storyline keeps you hooked, and the chemistry is perfect!

I really enjoyed both Nicole and Ryan in this story. While they aren't looking for love, their chemistry can't be ignored, and their connection only builds throughout the story. They both have interesting background stories, and I enjoyed getting to know both of them better throughout the story. The side characters are also fun, and I couldn't wait to see more from this series.

The narration for this was amazing. Both narrators really brought these characters to life and showed the depth of emotion in this book. This is one I know I will listen to again.

If you are looking for a spicy small town romance, this is definitely one you don't want to miss!

", ... broken pieces and all."

Claire Kingsley did it again, and she did it while also addressing an issue very near and dear to my heart.

Mental health is something I am very passionate about. I love finding authors who not only write the harsh realities of the struggles with it, but also acknowledge the strength and importance of a vital support system.

This was a great book and I look forward to reading more. Thanks for another great read.