Set the Pace

Detroit Love Duet, Book 1

By: Kim Karr

Narrated by: CJ Bloom, Sebastian York

A rough childhood branded Jasper Storm trouble. A bad boy. Not worth a damn. His love of cars was the only thing that could battle his delinquency. With the need for speed in his blood, he overcame his wayward ways. Mostly. Now that he's all grown up, the broken city of Detroit hails him as its shining star. And the man behind a new cutting-edge automobile is ready to turn this bankrupt town around.

Everything he does in life is fast. He talks fast, f*cks fast, and drives fast. But when one reckless turn brings him face to face with the childhood he has tried very hard to forget, he finds himself on the edge of wondering if he shouldn't slow down.

Charlotte Lane was the tomboy who lived next door. She was his best friend. He was her protector. Then tragedy struck, and she disappeared forever - or so he thought.

Contains mature themes.

©2016 Kim Karr (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"What a ride! There is so much adrenaline in this book, so much heat; no emotion was left untouched! Loved every second!" (Katy Evans, author of Legend)

Cliffhanger!!!

Would you listen to Set the Pace again? Why?

Yes...great story

What was one of the most memorable moments of Set the Pace?

When Jake and Charlotte get together as a couple.

Have you listened to any of CJ Bloom and Sebastian York ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes - As usual Sebastian York hits it out of the ballpark. CJ's voice is very grating on the nerves when she tries to do annoyed.....Uh!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

As they remember childhood memories and how Jasper always took care of her.

Any additional comments?

ABSOLUTELY HATE CLIFFHANGERS LIKE THIS WHEN THE NEXT BOOK HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED!!!! READ THIS AUTHORS, IT IS ABOUT ENJOYMENT NOT FRUSTRATION!!!

Ends with cliffhanger

Was a good book, ended on a cliffhanger, but is long enough that it feels like a full book.

Narrators:
Sebastian York: 4stars (his main voice is awesome, but the girl voices and moans are a little funny)
CJ Bloom: 3.5 stars (her main character voice is also awesome, but her male voices are distracting)

Some Oddieties for sure!

Check out my podcast for a more in depth look into it! The Best of Audio Romance, available on Apple, Spotify and other major platforms!

Cute enough

Look, I've got sound sensitivity, like 10% of the population, so my problems won't be shared by all. But CJ Bloom's constant fluctuations between fog horn and whispers makes this so much harder to listen to.

I can't just set and forget the volume, as sudden, loud noises physically hurt my brain. I love when narratore stray from the monotone, but the random cycling mix of volume in her reading just doesn't make sense. Few people talk like that, and it really takes away from the story, which otherwise has some interesting, layered characters I wish we'd get to know better.

So, do give it a listen. Just be prepared for so e startling sounds. The car stuff is good.

Motor City Love

The book has everything hope, mystery, murder, romance, hot sex, speed & a whopping cliffhanger. I am so disappointed that book 2 is not yet available on Audible but I will be the first to pre order when the time comes. this was the first book I read by this author and I'm impressed with the depth of a book I thought would only be about the sex & love. As usual Sebastian York kills it as Jasper Storm. CJ was good but not my fav lady narrator.
hope you enjoy the book as much as I did#

Mixed feelings

3.25 STARS

I have mixed feelings on this one.
I listened to the audio book version. The Narration was well done as I anticipated with two Narrators that I like. It was told in alternating male/female point of view, which is also something I tend to gravitate toward.
However, the unabridged audio was super long! (12 hours according to the description). I listen at 1.75 speed so it may have been a lot less.
The story line had a tinge of mystery and animosity as childhood friends Jasper and Charlotte meet again but under more strenuous circumstances. Their reunion was not of the "Oh my gosh! It's so great to see you" kind. Yet their "getting to know you" feelings do unfold more as the story moves forward, injecting some murder and a bit of drama into it.

I should have suspected that the ending leaves you on a cliff - this is a duet after all. I just didn't feel I was that invested in their characters to continue to find out more; more about the murders, more about the mystery, or more about how their relationship evolves. Jasper and Charlotte had already reached a point where they acknowledged their relationship, and for me the most interesting and fun part of the story is the anticipation of getting together.

I think I may listen to the first few chapters of the sequel for a bit of resolution.
Overall, this was just an okay listen for me. It was not the most spectacular, but the story did hold my attention.

Good story, but.....

I really struggled to finish this book...skipped to get to the last chapter and to my dismay it's a cliffhanger....I don't know if it was the narrator, but the female was soooo annoying....

Sebastian rocks Jasper but CJs a forget me not!

Unfortunately I found the female delivery long breathy paragraphs one dimensionally provided the same emotions regardless of the circumstances happening, the characterization/delivery was flat with redundant inflections. The book is going on well but it is a cliffhanger so get ready to hang.

Book one in duet

Jasper and Charlotte were best friends as little kids, but one tragic night turned both their worlds upside down. Fast forward 20 years and fate brings them back together. Mysterious circumstances and deadly events plague their reunion. Their attraction for each other is palpable but mistrust and the influence of others keep the emotional angst high.
This series surprised me. I've enjoyed several of the author's works but I wasn't sure if I'd like one built around the automotive industry since I'm not really a car person. While there were some technical speak, the majority of the story was wrapped around the mystery. I really got into it. This is a cliffhanger and I am glad I had the second book in the duet to read asap. The audiobooks for both halves were great companions and the narrators CJ Bloom and Sebastian York were amazing.

Mystery

4⭐️3.5🌶 It's a good read so far. Expect a cliffhanger. The relationship between the two MCs is sweet.