Taking Shots

Assassins Series # 1

By: Toni Aleo

Narrated by: Lucy Malone

Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

No matter how hard she tries, Elleanor Fisher never thinks she's good enough, from her job to her weight to her love life. After enduring years of abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, Elli has been drifting through life in a daze. Until, that is, she meets Shea Adler on a promotional shoot for the NHL's Nashville Assassins. Before Elli knows what's happening, the gorgeous Shea breaks the ice and shatters her world. A brilliant athlete inside the rink, Shea Adler is tired of the life he's living outside of it: the women, the money, the drinking. But everything changes when he meets Elli. After laying eyes on this feisty, witty, beautiful woman, he feels like he's just taken the hardest hit of his life. No matter how skeptical she is, Shea knows they are meant to be together - if only he can convince Elli to put her insecurities aside before she misses out on a shot at love.

©2011 Toni Aleo (P)2013 Tantor

Great First Book!

5 out of 5 Stars

Re-Read in July 2016

Taking Shots is book 1 in the Assassins Series. I really enjoyed Taking Shots and can't wait to continue with the series. I loved Elli and Shea. Taking Shots is my favorite book in the Assassins Series so far.

Good

Loved the basic story line but a little whinny for me. But, still worth the credit.

A fantastic love story

This is one of the cutest books I have listened to in awhile! I highly recommend this!

Will definitely read this author and listen to this narrator again

Sometimes, like in this case, it's very good to have a book read to you! Kept me on the edge until the end so I didn't skim over and instead really "heard" the full story! Highly recommend it if you need a pick me up and a sweet romance! Good voice changes to the characters - could almost fully visualize all of them!

3 Taking Shots Stars

I wanted to slap Elli's mother and sister so freaking badly.
I don't think I have ever wanted to jump in to a book before.
Like OMG they made me soooo mad, and on to the dad. Now I know he "tried" to rein his wife and daughter in but really he could have done more I think. Elli's brothers..... it was like they were mutes... WTF.
Loved that Shea broke the glass, I think it total woke Elli up.

There was a little to much self loathing and drama in this book for me. Now when I read it back in 2014 I loved it. half this review was from then. It's not that I didn't like the book I just didn't remember all the dramalama. Still overall its one of my favorite series.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*

i couldn't get through it.

I couldn't get through the whole story. It is vry long and the narrator's voice grated on me. I hope the author's other works are better.

Loved book but hated female MC

The storyline was sweet and yet the Female MC - Elli was frustrating. I get having self esteem issues but she went over.

Will definitely be moving forward with the series.

This is the second Toni Aleo book I've read. Though I did really enjoy it, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Boarded by Love (book one of the Bellevue Bullies series, which comes after the Assassins series in the timeline). Elli comes from a seriously messed up family with a horrible mother and horrible siblings. The only saving graces to her family are her father and her uncle. She had her heart broken a long time ago and, between that and gaining weight due to her illness, she has lost a lot of her confidence. Shea, though purported to be a ladies man, never actually comes across as one over the course of this book. The only time we see him do anything remotely player-ish, he can't go through with it. All in all, he is a good guy. He is close with his family, particularly his twin, Grace. Over the course of the book, Elli does a lot of growing in the self esteem department with the help of Shea. Both are happier than their loved ones have seen them in a very long time, if ever. Speaking of which, this book turns out to be more than just Elli and Shea's love story. Elli's best friend Harper and Shea's best friend Jacob find love as well. The book is HEA with no cliffhanger. I will definitely be going forward with the series.

Considering this was a story told from both Elli and Shae's perspectives, Lucy Malone did a good job narrating. While I prefer both a female narrator and a male narrator in books of this sort, I did enjoy Malone's performance.

Hockey Love

What did you like best about Taking Shots? What did you like least?

I liked the supporting characters. I loved Shea's sister and Elli's best friend Harper. I don't know that I'd want a full length story for Harper but a novella would be nice. What did I like least.....ELLI, while I understood her insecurity, she was beyond annoying and quite unfair and sometimes down right mean to Shea.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Taking Shots?

Shea hitting a puck into the glass when he sees Elli with another guy.

Would you be willing to try another one of Lucy Malone’s performances?

Yes, but only Toni Aleo's books because she's narrating other books in the series.

Was Taking Shots worth the listening time?

It switch back and forth using the audio while driving and at work so that part was worth it but I preferred to read when possible.

Any additional comments?

I was turned off by the "Boston Accent" it was a little exaggerated for me.I'm not a fan of audios where one person does both POVs.

Sweet heat and a whole lot of fun!

I am so happy I listened to my friends and purchased this book! I plan to finish the entire series one after another.

Every woman deserves to be loved by a man like Shea. Elli doesn't think she is worthy of someone like this sweet talking, beautiful hockey player. It's like her fantasies are coming to life and she can't seem to believe it's real and she isn't dreaming.

I loved every second of this love story told by Lucy Malone. She has been one of my favorite narrators for a while now and her performance of this book just reinforced how much I enjoy getting lost in her voice and the stories she tells.