The Opening Bell

Three Seconds to Legend, Book 1

By: J.B. Garner

Narrated by: Mindy Grall

Leilana Ito knew her family had a long history in the wrestling world, but she never knew how much had been kept secret from her. When Leilana wanted to follow in the family footsteps, she was shocked when her father adamantly refused to let her proceed with no reason why. Leilana couldn't deny the fighting spirit in her heart. Refusing his prohibition, she had no idea what terrible events her defiance would set into motion!

Now a rookie wrestler in the heart of Oklahoma, Leilana faces ring rivalries, impossible odds, corporate machinations, and threats she could never imagine as she struggles to prove herself. As the truth behind her family's history becomes clear, the stakes continue to rise. Will Leilana rise to the challenge and win it all or face a final, crushing defeat?

Opening Bell is the first of three books in Three Seconds to Legend.

©2015 J.B. Garner (P)2016 California Times Publishing

Finally, a great wrestling story

What made the experience of listening to The Opening Bell the most enjoyable?

Great world building, action and a narrator who does accents.

What did you like best about this story?

The quintessential story of good vs. evil and a decades old family feud, all rolled up into one.

What does Mindy Grall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She has a great voice, a great speaker. She was always pleasant to listen to.

An unexpected treat!

I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. It was really close to being a five star book for me.

As someone who has loved wrestling since I was a little kid, I was pleasantly surprised to find a novel-based version of WWE shows with the corresponding pay per view event at the end of the month.

It was almost more awesome because the entire novel was written as though Pro wrestling wasn't scripted, and I think that by sticking to being in kayfabe the entire time, it really brought something to the book. There were several times where I found myself rooting for the hero! It was great.

Opening Bell is an underdog story featuring the darling 3rd generation wrestler, Leilani in her quest to become a pro-wrestling sensation. It starts off with her fighting Dirty Dana Harding, an aged veteran known for being the dirtiest player in the game. Leilani surprisingly upsets the vet and this starts Leilani's push toward stardom along with Dana's turn from a heel to a face. It was delightful.

The novel is written in such a way that I felt like I was listening to a ringside announcer during the matches, describing the wrestling moves in enough detail for me to easily visualize the matches and using enough lingo that I had several SQUEE moments. I mean steel cage match!

I can't say this enough. If you're a fan of pro-wrestling, you'll love this book. The only reason this didn't hit five stars makes me feel bad for saying it. I hate the way Leilani speaks. I know it was a way to differentiate her speech, but her lack of contractions made her feel robotic, especially in audio. That said, many of the characters have distinct ring personas and types of speech, truly showing JB is a solid writer with a grasp of voice.

My only other problem was a couple bits of muddy description, and the narrator saying things like suplex wrong. Again, not enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book, but still. Still!

I'll be honest, I wasn't super pleased with the ending following the final match, but I'd totally listen to the next one.