Freak

By: E. Davies

Narrated by: Joel Leslie

Five years ago, Zeph met River. The timing couldn’t have been worse. An orphan with something to prove and the ghosts of his past breathing down his neck, Zeph took the offer from a pro-MMA gym to live and train in the Midwest. River let him go easily. If it was a convenient excuse to escape emotional intimacy, neither of them had to admit it. Until now.

Drag queen and makeup artist River isn’t easily fazed, but meeting Zeph on his home turf throws him for a loop. Something about Zeph still gets under his skin. And River’s next job, a drag show in LA and Vegas, will require a security guy to look after the performers. Who better than a tattooed mixed martial artist who still gives him smoldering looks?

It doesn’t take long for them to fall together. They’re opposite as can be, but dating for 10 days wasn’t long enough the first time around. Another 10 days could get it out of their systems...but are they fighting for or with each other?

It’s easy to get hard. It’s hard to be easy. Vulnerability is off the table, until the table turns. How long do you have to have known a guy to put your life into his hands?

©2017 E. Davies (P)2019 E. Davies

Love it!

I am so on love with this second chance at love! I love Zeph and River! I have been waiting for River story and E. Davies disappoint. Then to have Joel Leslie doing the narration just pulls me into the story more then before. I just feel so immersed into the story that I didn't notice that I was to the end until the end hit. Just absolutely love this story and this whole series.

Finding love in the midst of a road trip!

Second book in the F-Word series. River (enby, occasionally drag queen) and Zeph's (hot MMA fighter) chemistry is off the charts and though both characters have a history of past hurts, the book never gets too heavy or angsty.
I love River's fierceness, and Zeph (though he sometimes acts badly out of fear) is strong, unafraid of ho he loves and, in the end, willing to work on himself.
Extra bonus is Joel Leslie's narration, wonderful as always!

Chemistry Crackles in Second Chance Romance

"Freak" is the third book I've read in the F-Word series (having started with Book 5, which is stellar and goes to show how truly standalone they are), and I appreciate the range of LGBTQ+ representation among the main and secondary characters in this series.

As past lovers River and Zeph reconnect in Las Vegas and agree upon a 10-day, no strings affair, they are both confronted with feelings running stronger and deeper than either expected. There's no shortage of crackling chemistry and smokin' hot sexy times between the two, which are well-written, and while I didn't feel much of a connection to the two MCs as a reader, I enjoyed getting to know River's friends and fellow drag queens in this story.

Narrator Joel Leslie delivers another solid performance here, just as he did in Book 1 of this series. I received this free review copy audio book by request and have left this honest review voluntarily.

Every one of these I read becomes my "favorite"

Every time I listen to one of the books in this series I say, "It's my favorite." Then another one comes along and I say the same thing. I need to just give up and know that I am going to love every entry in this series and stop trying to pick a favorite. Here we have River and Zeph who had a very short relationship in the past. Now Zeph becomes the bodyguard for River when he his threatened by a stalker. E. Davies is a master at mixing super hot romance with a bit of mystery and suspense and that talent is on full display here. Joel Leslie is again a perfect match for this series. As always, he captures all the characters like individually honed gems and brings them to vibrant life in your head.

Fantastic second-chance love story

I loved this story of Zeph and River even more than the story of Nic and Kyle in Flaunt. Zeph and River had a hot, but brief, thing five years ago. When they meet again at a bar after Zeph returns to town, the spark is still there, but neither one wants to commit. Zeph is on a break from his MMA career, and River offers him the job of providing security at his troupe's drag shows in Vegas. Zeph accepts, and along the drive to Vegas, they agree to have all the sex with no strings they want until the trip is over. Bur will it be enough? They both feel the connection, but both (and Zeph especially) resist. Will internal and external pressures, including a stalker destroy any chance of a future together? Wonderful story with wonderful characters, a little suspense and drama, and some angst over a painful past. I loved the way in which Zeph eventually exorcised his demons.


The narration by Joel Leslie is great. He does a fantastic job of expressing all the emotions, passion, and drama.


I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

Another brilliant audiobook!

OMG! I would listen to Joel Leslie narrate just about anything and E. Davies certainly knows how to write amazing books! Another wonderful performance. This book made me want to reach out and shake Zeph to make him stop acting out but the author knows how to really develop these characters and bring them around. River has to be one of my favorite characters: him and Nick and Kyle from book 1. I adored this book and would highly recommend it!

LOVED this audiobook!

Zeph and River dated for a hot minute when they were younger. And then the MMA called and asked Zeph to join them. So he left. River is a drag Queen. And he’s bringing his shoe to Las Vegas. They need a security guard with them so in walks Zeph. There is still something there between the 2 of them. They decide to spend the 10 of the trip together. There’s lots of sexy times. River received some flowers that he thought were from Zeph but they weren’t. River has a stalker. Zeph had a traumatic upbringing. He ends up telling River about everything that happened to him. It was heartbreaking. As the 2 get closer Zeph starts to panic. He’s afraid something will happen to River since all the other people in his life are gone. I really liked this one! More than book 1. I loved the chemistry between the 2 characters. There is some drama/angst. Joel Leslie is amazing. I could listen to him read anything. He has a way of making you feel when you’re listening to him.

Wonderful

I love this series, and River is my favorite character, so of course I love this book. Lots of drama and angst along the way to the happy ending -- stalkers and baggage make their relationship complicated, but they break through all the barriers in the end.

Terrific narration! Has all the feels for me!!!

Fantastic Story!! Terrific narration! This one has all the feels for me! Incredible character development that enables you to get to know each man, but understand the connection of them together. This book was emotional and i loved how they each grew to be more themselves.

I so enjoyed watching these two great guys figure out that together they were perfect. They had fun and enjoyed themselves no matter what they were doing. Zeph and River had strategies to protect their hearts from being hurt again, but under that shell, they were lonely and ready for love.

I loved their friends and their made family was such a strength to both men.

Underwhelming

I wanted to love this book as much or more as the first, but I just couldn't get there. It seemed like it was based on sex, with scenes of dancing and storyline interspersed throughout, but not enough for me. I just couldn't get into the characters enough to be invested.