I Surrender

I Surrender, Book 1

By: Monica James

Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Singapore has stolen a piece of Ava Thompson.

It took one life shattering moment for her to realize her ex-boyfriend is not the man she believed him to be. Returning home to Los Angeles was never going to be easy for Ava, as her heart has been shattered to smithereens and she’s convinced it’ll never heal. Or, so she thought.

Enter Jasper White.

Unbeknown to Ava, he will change her life forever.

The attraction is instantaneous, which troubles Ava, who has sworn off men indefinitely. Yet, she is finding resisting Jasper - with his tousled bedroom hair and piercing cerulean eyes - harder than she ever imagined. That’s because Jasper knows what he wants...and he wants her.

Can Ava surrender to her feelings for the one man who compels her to love again? What happens if love isn’t enough?

©2013 Monica James (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Story is exhausting but narration is amazing

This book solidifies Vanessa Edwin as the best female narrator in my opinion. She can do all kinds of narration wonderfully: sexy, playful, emotional, males, different females.
I survived the book thanks to her. The book itself has a lot of potential and started great, but became tedious and exhausting going in circles.
Not sure I will be able to listen to the rest of the books. It is just too much, too emotional and heavy with story stretching out too much. I wish it was one book and not four. I might just jump to the last one....

A heartbreaking love story

I loved every moment of this passionate, heartbreaking, funny, infuriating, amazing love story! The characters were deep, well rounded and developed. The story and their relationship draws you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The narrator is brilliant! She brings the story to life and it's so easy to get lost in her voice.

Oh Lordy Lordy!~

Where to start.... I initially read this series years ago and was over the moon when i saw it had come to audio! The story is a back and forth tug-o-war on your emotional heartstrings! You are pulled in from the start~ I absolutely fell in love with the characters. Monica does a great job of creating characters that are no perfect yet you can't help but root for. So many times, you want to just strangle them for not communicating better but they have to learn from their mistakes.

The narration... This narrator was completely new to me. There is no easy way to say it. SHE IS FLIPPING AMAZING! She has a beautiful voice! Not only that but she adds the perfect amount of emotion, snark and humor to her performance. As if it couldn't get any better- her male characters voices are UNREAL. I can't say it enough- amazing narration! I will absolutely be watching for more from this narrator!

Knowing what I know- I know there are so many more amazing pieces to this story coming. Keep Listening and hold on to your seat!

🎧AudiobookObsession

EMOTIONAL.. TURBULENT.. BEAUTIFUL.. EPIC

This review is for the complete series.
When there’s four books to a romance you know it’s going to be a bumpy ride, you know you’re going to have to wait for quite a while before you get the HEA and you know that drama and angst will be in the mix. However.. and OMG, these four books contain such beautiful tender highs that leave you elated.. and heartbreaking lows that leave you devastated because Ava and Band singer/songwriter Jasper fight so many stumbling blocks when their love is challenged over and over.. and over again. It’s an emotionally exhausting, sometimes frustrating as Hell, passionately sweet, touching, annoying, beautiful, gripping and intense emotional rollercoaster that just doesn’t quit until the Epilogue.

There are so many swoon-worthy scenes as tortured talented Jasper and Ava’s mind-blowing chemistry is insane and instant.. but the timing wasn’t right for them because Ava was already heartbroken.. so first comes a touching friendship which grows over time into much more.. with healing and high hopes following. However, Fate, Destiny, a couple of manipulative ex’s, a mother’s ‘love’ and various other all-powerful presences muddy the waters, cloud judgements and create catastrophic conflicts for quite some time. Secrets will be kept too long, timings will go from right to all wrong in an instant and their relationship, trust and love will be shaken, threatened, challenged, knocked-down and rebuilt before they finally get their beautiful HEA ending.

Worth a credit? Well this is a four credit story.. and for me I thought each one was definitely creditworthy.. however, I will admit that there were times I could’ve thrown my iPhone at Ava’s stupid stupid secret keeping head. Nevertheless, I thought this incredible journey, told from Ava’s PoV, was so intensely intoxicating that my logic warred with my longing for ‘just one more chapter’ over many blissful guilt-ridden nights. I loved this gifted author’s well-written highs, touching torments, sensual chemistry, chaotic hits, devastating lows and powerful triumphs.. and Vanessa Edwin’s absolutely awesome narration made it a very powerful and memorable love story.