Golden Trail

By: Kristen Ashley

Narrated by: Brian Pallino

Tanner Layne and Raquel Merrick fell in love young, hard, and fast, and both of them knew a beautiful life they thought would be forever. Until Rocky left Layne, no explanation, no going back. Layne escapes the 'Burg only to come back years later because his ex-wife has hooked herself to the town jerk, and Layne needs to make sure his sons get raised right. Layne manages to avoid Rocky, but when Layne gets three bullets drilled into him while investigating a dirty cop, he can't do that because Rocky stops avoiding Layne. They make a deal to work together to expose the dirty cop, but they have no idea the strength of their enduring attraction or the sheer evil at work in the 'Burg. As Tanner Layne and Raquel Merrick play their game and dance around the pull that draws them together, Layne has to discover the dark secrets buried so deep in Rocky's heart she doesn't even know they're there and at the same time untangle a sinister web of crime so abhorrent it has to be stopped - at all costs. And to do it, Layne has to enlist everyone, including his ex-CIA mentor, Rocky's detective brother, the town's unpredictable informant, and Layne's two teenage sons, all the while stopping Rocky from doing something crazy and keeping their game secret so Layne won't get himself dead.

©2014 Kristen Ashley (P)2015 Audible Inc.

Another great installment in a fantastic series!

Tanner Layne and Raquel Merrick were once young, in love, and happy. All of a Sudden Rocky leaves Layne with no explanation, leaving him devastated. He leaves The Burg, but returns years later to help raise the sons that live with his ex-wife, who has made some bad decisions about who she spends her time with. Layne manages to avoid Rocky, until he finds himself shot after getting too close to the truth while investigating a dirty cop. Rocky comes to visit him in the hospital, and nothing afterwards. Circumstances, feelings, and connected friends and family cause Rocky and Layne to face the feelings for one another (that have not dimmed over time), as well as the past and the ordeals both have had to face.

Yet again- Ashley writes a book that hooks me fast, and keeps me entirely engaged throughout. We not only get to know a bunch of new characters- Layne and his family, Rocky and hers, but revisit old friends from the previous two books in this series, and learn how everyone's lives intersect. The chemistry between Rocky and Layne is scorching hot and it is easy to decide that these are characters who should be together if they can just straighten out whatever mysterious force is keeping them apart. In addition to all the interpersonal drama going on, there are some very serious cases that the police, and Layne (a former cop and current PI) are working on with some urgency. Generally, it is the characters that make a Kristen Ashley story what it is, but this one also had me with the various and intertwining suspense elements. Basically, I loved all of it, and I can't wait to read more in this series. The epilogue was simply wonderful and connected me even deeper with many characters that I have come to really care about.

With the audiobook version: the narrator did a great job of not only bringing Layne's voice to life, but also bringing depth to the story and characters without distracting me or bringing me out of the story.

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

I enjoyed this book but I'll admit the first half seemed to drag but then the second half picked up and caught my attention. I like Rocky & Layne but I think I like Layne and his family the most in this book. I loved the way he was with his boys and the way they looked up to their dad. He taught them how to be good men and it melted my heart. I loved how this one ended. The action was great and the suspense and mystery thought out the story was intense.

The one thing I notice about the men in this whole series is they refuse to use words like if, or, do, etc lol I think they sound like New Yorkers and they are in Indiana. It makes me giggle while listening.

The narration was good, he fit well for Layne but I wish it had been dual narrated.

Great read!!!

I loved this book! It was a little odd to begin with as the books I had read before was a female narrator, but it didn't take long to fall back in love with this author. Great story. Always keeps you guessing.

Great story and yummy

Book keep developing multiple problems to be solved and made it all tie together in a wonderful and exciting way! Thank you!

Good story

Great ending. Kept me wondering throughout the story about the ending. Not all books do that.

Engrossing and dramatic.

This "Burg" story stands out from all the rest because the action, pathos and drama are all accurately conveyed by the excellent narrator. Kristen Ashley writes a good yarn but her other work is dragged down by poor readers. It was a delight to hear such professionalism for a change but, since I have already started on the next book in the series, I can see that this was just a one-off.
Brian Pallino is first class. Please hire more readers of this standard.

sensational read

I love this book the storyline gripping, the characters strong, you didn't want it to finish. Loved it.

I live in Brownsburg!

How fun is this series. I actually live in Brownsburg. I have loved all of her books and series, but this is exceptionally fun because I feel like I am living a part of it. Can’t wait for the next book.

Family

While I hate long seperations between couples, Rocky, Layne, and the kids really made up for it. I adored this family. Even though things weren't exactly as they seem in the beginning, to see a couple working together is what I love to read. Add in two teenage mini alpha's, Layne's sons, and you've got a winner.

Drama outside of the relationship is much preferable to me as a reader. Not that they didn't have drama in the relationship because they still had to work through what happened 18 years prior. However, I still felt like they were in it together and that's what made the difference.

This one had a lot of great side characters that also added to my overall enjoyment of the book. There were a few minor things that I didn't like, but all the good outweighed the little irritations.

I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it. This author has a knack for picking out great narrators.

Awesome book

Loved it a great story interesting characters great love story great read. Highly recommend all of Ashley’s books I’ve read now moving on to the next in the Burg series.