Restrained

By: Nicole Dykes

Narrated by: Tor Thom, Charley Ongel

Grief can hold us back. Sorrow can make us stop enjoying our lives for fear of being too happy when what we truly want is never possible.

Lola Sterling has deprived herself of living for a long time. Remaining laser-focused on everyone and trying to fit their pieces back together.

But can someone from the past repair her?

Could he help her heart break free from the painful restraints put there from a devastating loss?

Can the Sterling family ever come back from the tragedy?

Time will only tell.

©2020 Nicole Dykes (P)2020 Nicole Dykes

A much needed reprieve

After reading Restrictions, you definitely need Restrained to calm yourself down and learn about the eldest Sterling.

The voice acting was perfect for these 2 characters and I couldn’t have been happier with this audiobook.

I love this storyline with Lola and Hayden. It’s nice to have a book where the people (mostly) know what they want.

If you’re reading the Sterling’s series, it’s so important to listen to this book first before moving on to Restorations. I know you want to find out what happens with Viv and Asher but they’re in this book too and you’d do yourself a disservice by skipping ahead!

wow

This seems to happen every single time with the author. No joke. Everytime I find a couple I think are my favorite this author blows me away in the next book and makes them my favorite. Lola and Hayden are absolutely amazing. I also loved all the other characters we have seen in this book as many made small appearances.

I really like Lola and I honestly though the voices were spot on. Beautifully written and narrated.

Great story

Nicole Dykes is a relatively new author to me although I am familiar with the narrators Tor Thom and Charley Ongel. There were numerous twists and turns and the grief and sorrow felt real and their narration did justice to the story.

This was at times a hard book to listen too. Restrained is emotional, raw, gritty and at times heart breaking. Reeling from loss and grief, all Lola Sterling is focused on is trying to hold it all together. It was a gripping story full of secrets and lies and I was at times surprised by the direction the story took.

Lola is the one who holds them together and when she meets Hayden it was heart warming to listen as their relationship developed. There was so much more to Hayden than meets the eye and his support of Lola and the family was great.

Wow!

What was already an addictive book got even BETTER with these amazing narrators! You can’t help but ADORE Lola and Hayden- and omg that chemistry! Wow! Awesome job!

Beautiful

OMG....Hayden & Lola I don’t even know where to start! This book seriously had me in all my feels from start to finish. Two broken souls find each other when they are least expecting it. Two polar opposites come together to find solace in each other, exactly what each of them needed but wasn’t looking for. A story about love and healing, forgiveness and chances. Lola and Hayden are hands down one of my most favorite couples!! A definite MUST READ!

I had the opportunity to listen to the audio and can we just say AMAZING🙌🏻 These narrators really know how to bring the story to life!

Incredible. Bold. Steamy.

The Sterling family has my heart all over the board but in all the best ways.

Restrained is the 3rd book in The Sterlings series and I strongly encourage you read/listen to them in order.

Tor Thom and Charley Ongel are fantastic narrators for this story. They also narrated book 1 so I was a little skeptical that they would bring a different set of characters within the same series with their own personality but I got lost in their melodic tones at the very beginning.

Lola is a fierce woman who is the ‘fixer’ of the family. She carries a lot of regret for not being there to take care of everyone during a past family tragedy. She is motivated to create a career on her own merits and also help her siblings find happiness.

Hayden is a shrewd businessman but is taken back by Lola. She proves that she is much more than he anticipates and unexpectedly intrigues him.

Hayden has ulterior motives for working with Lola’s design company. Once the reason is revealed Lola pushes for answers and faces the situation head-on. It is moments like these that I love how Dykes writes a bold heroine. Throughout the story Dykes also shows Lola and Hayden’s dimensions ranging from vulnerability to strength and everything in between.

Although this book is primarily focused on Lola’s journey, Dykes does an incredible job of seamlessly progressing the stories of the other Sterling family members. You feel like you are a member of the family; fighting for everyone to find their happily ever after, even though it may be painful and heartbreaking at times. For those family members who have made it through, the battle through the pain only makes their success and happiness that much sweeter.

Each book in this series gets better and better.

Lola & Hayden

Story: 4 stars
Steam: 4 flames

This book was a great third installment in the Sterling family series! I cannot wait to finish this series!!

Hayden was a great addition to the clan and I think a much needed one for more than just Lola. Even though he starts as a grumpy asshole, he turns into such a sweetie. Just how we like them!

I loved that Hayden helped Lola to grow and learn how to be herself while allowing others to do the same. They were such a good match!

Audiobook Performance: 3 stars for this one. The narrators aren’t bad they’re just not my favorite.

Deliciously Angsty!!

Loya and Hayden were absolutely amazing!!
I adore this author's ability to create such well fleshed out characters and really pull me right into their story.

This was extremely high on the angst and the steam. Exactly how I like mh books.

Tor Thom and Charley Ongel performed a riveting and moving audio delivery.

I love these two together! One of my fav couples!

This family! They are all struggling after an event that changes their lives. I love reading/listening to each of these family members as they get their life in order. This one is Lola’s. I really liked her in previous stories. She is the eldest and the fixer of the family. She surprised me a time or two in this one. But finding Hayden just rocked my world! As it did hers! I loved his brisk attitude and I could see he had secrets as well. These two are a perfect match and I loved watching them fall in love and get together.

While we are learning about Lola and her new life. The rest of the family plugs along. We get to see All the others which I really enjoy. That’s what helps make this such a great series.

I did listen to this on audio. Tor Thom and Charley Ongel did a great job as always! I can’t wait for the next book!

The Pain of Always being Restrained

"I definitely hate how unbelievably gorgeous he is when he smiles. I hate his laugh. I hate that he told me something real. And most of all . . . I hate how little I hate all of that." Review: This is book 3 in the Sterling series. It picks up right where book 2 left off, but now focuses on Lola. You do get to see what is going on with Asher and Vivenne as well. Nicole continues with her heartbreak, but I loved that this one was more mild. She definitely started to patch my heart back up with this book. Lola is always in control and trying to take care of her family. She regrets not being there for her younger brothers like she feels she should have been. So she is trying to make up for it all while building her Interior Design business with Penelope. Hayden is a wealthy businessman who needs work done on the 3 new hotels he bought. A hard and no nonsense guy with more money than he knows what to do with. Hayden hires Lola and Penelope to redesign the 3 new hotels he purchased. Hayden is used to always getting his way and no one talking back to him. Hayden is an Alphahole, but Lola needs the business, so they accept the job. Things almost go astray when Penelope has other jobs to focus on, leaving Lola to handle Hayden on her own. As they spend time working together, secrets are discovered. Secrets that shake up the whole family. All but Baz, he's still the free happy go lucky sweetheart. I loved how things unfolded with Lola and Hayden. Lola finally knows what she wants and stops holding back. I love her strength and Hayden really brings it out in her. I got to listen to the audiobook by Tor Thom and Charley Ongel. Tor has such a deep voice that is perfect for an Alpha like Hayden and Charley is sweeter which is perfect for Lola. I really enjoyed this audiobook and I can't wait for the Sterling families story to continue!