Traitor

First to Fight Series, Book 5

By: Nicole Blanchard

Narrated by: Ariel Royce, Christopher Rourke

From New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Nicole Blanchard comes a small town military romantic suspense where opposites attract and combust.

He was a grumpy jerk. And I wanted nothing to do with him. Absolutely nothing at all. So why couldn’t I stay away?

I lost everything when my family was murdered, including myself. After years of therapy and conquering my agoraphobia, all I wanted was to start over. The quiet North Carolina resort seemed like the perfect place. Until I discovered a dead body.

The only person who believed me is the last person I expected…surly mountain resort owner and recluse Ford Collier. A man who is rumored to have killed his own teammate on his last deployment as a Marine. As dangerous complications arise, I’ll either learn to trust again, or neither of us will make it out alive.

©2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Nicole Blanchard (P)2024 Nicole Blanchard

A bit of suspense and romance!

Both narrators did a great job! I especially liked the tone for the female narrator. A good listen. Nice quality too.

Love the setup for this one; Peyton has had a trauma in her past and is just starting to come back out of her shell; she arrives in a small town that draws her in, but when she thinks she sees a dead body, things aren’t looking as idyllic as she thought. Love murder mystery type of stories! Throw in some romance and I’m there! I do wish there was more action though; the possible murder felt like an afterthought at times. Still love that premise though! Lead male, Ford, also has some trauma from his military days, so he’s a little gruff. He’s a bit reluctant when it comes to Peyton, but he’s still supportive of her. I didn’t quite feel the chemistry between them; the progression from you annoy me to ooo baby come here, just didn’t feel fully natural. They do have some cute moments though, and do have that steam in the bedroom.

I didn’t connect with Peyton; possibly too much damsel for me, her personality was just off putting for me. Possibly with how she treated Ford at times; she keeps mentioning his rudeness, but really it’s her that is rude to him. I felt her character was inconsistent too. I liked Ford; good protective nature, but his character too felt inconsistent. He has that protective nature, but then there’s a point when he just leaves Peyton on her own with a possible killer on the loose. Also, he has a very annoying sister I could’ve done without. There was also some weird additions that didn’t amount to much for the story; why mention Peyton taking note of the supposed murder victims clothing color if she wasn’t going to put it together who the possible victim may be, or even mention it to the police? Did she just forget about it? Was it just for us readers to know who the possible victim could be? Not sure. Either way, I feel the story had some inconsistencies, and I would’ve liked a bit more excitement with the whole situation overall.

I’d say a 3.5 rating for me, but rounded to a 4 for a good listening experience and a fun premise!

Excellent Story & Listen🎧 Captivating & Intense!

Nicole Blanchard pens another amazing novel set in her “First to Fight” series, a romantic suspense that not only captivates your attention the entire book but it tugs on your heartstrings too. The characters are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with, they were easy to care about too. Peyton Rhodes is trying to get on with her life after suffering a traumatic event and a devastating loss. It has been three years since, a tough three years, but she stepped out of her house and into her car and while she has a destination, she is in no hurry to get there. A road trip takes her to scenic Windy Point, a small town and tourist stop in North Carolina where she decided to stay and booked a room in “The Bear Lake Lodge” for the week. The place was recommended, but the supposed owner, Ford Collier, was not the friendliest or the most welcoming for someone in the hospitality business. Ford, former Marine Special Ops, had his reasons for being a grump or not wanting to be overly friendly with anyone. There is something about Peyton that he recognizes and it is something he is familiar with, pain, she is hiding her pain, but he caught a glimpse of it.  And when Peyton stumbles upon a dead body by the river, a body that disappeared, Ford believes her. The police are called in and on the case, but without a body or evidence of one, there is not much they can do. Then other unexplained things happened, and she questions her own sanity, but Ford is there for her, keeps her grounded, and wants to protect her. I thought these two were great together and for each other, despite being broken and haunted by their past. I loved how everything played out in this book, it is a beautifully plotted romance and the mystery suspense storylines are well done, they keep you on your toes and take you to the edge of your seat and wow, I never guessed or saw that coming. Nicole Blanchard, thank you for another fantastic story and emotional rollercoaster ride.  

🎧📚🎧 And for the terrific narration, Ariel Royce and Christopher Rourke were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying, giving each a voice that fit that character’s persona and were believable in every role they played. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and projected them into their performance. These versatile voice artists are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the great listen.

Traitor!!

WOW!!!!! This story had me wishing the narrators would speed up so I could find out what happened next. They did a great job bringing the story and the characters to life. I enjoyed every bit of this intriguing and interesting story from beginning to end. In fact, I could not stop the story until the very end. The story develops very nicely with suspense, mystery, drama, angst, passion and some unexpected twists. The story is about Peyton and Ford and takes place in North Carolina. Peyton's life was turned upside down three years earlier when her family is murdered. Since then she has lived in fear and suffered with anxiety and more. After spending countless hours in therapy she is finally trying to move forward and take back her life. While on her journey towards her uncle she feels inspired by the mountains and stops is a small town. She is so inspired and captivated she decides to stay at a mountain inn for a brief visit. When she meets the inn keeper and owner she almost runs. Ford is ex military and is trying to run the inn. He is grumpy and some what closed off. Given his past and having to deal with his sisters drama I completely get him. Needless to say Peyton and Ford don't get off to a great start. When she sees a dead body and almost dies things heat up. The body disappeared though, who will believer her? This is such a good read. I love Peyton and Ford and get why they both hesitate in a relationship. Although they are combustible and perfect for each other. Loved this story and was completely surprised who the murderer was. This author has a knack for developing a story with suspense and good twists.

Gripping story!!

Traitor, an Audiobook by Nicole Blanchard, is book 1 in the Last to Leave series. It follows Ford and Peyton. She’s trying to escape her past and the truths that follows her. She goes to a small town for a fresh start. She meets Ford, the owner of the resort she’s staying at. But, there are secrets, danger, betrayal, and the belief that maybe it’s all a mirage…loved the wonderful relationship that builds between these two imperfect people…who may just be perfect for each other, if they survive this drama!!

This Audiobook was narrated by Ariel Royce and Christopher Rourke. They are both excellent at narrating this exciting story!! They capture the characters beautifully and perform the material well!! Great story!!

Quick listen

This was a tense, emotional quick story.
Two broken souls both not healing, a tragedy, a mystery and some heat.

There is a traitor in this small town.

Happy to have the opportunity to listen to this story.

I was hooked from the start and couldn’t put this story down. Peyton is running from her past trying to find a spot she feels inspired and safe. Ford is trying to move forward running his family’s business. From the moment these two met something started brewing! Then a murder happen and fingers are pointed in every direction!
I attempted several times to guess who the traitor was and was wrong. Ariel Royce and Christopher Rourke did an amazing job with the narration.

Loved it!

Traitor was the perfect mix of romance, mystery & suspense. The narration was spot on! Between the characters, storyline & narrators I’m beyond impressed.

Entertaining read

This was a entertaining story. I enjoyed watching Peyton and Ford come together and both overcome the tragedies that had happened in their lives. Peyton is trying to find a way to move forward and get back to her set rather than being so scared that she can’t leave the house. She decides to take a journey and ends up at a small town and stays there at Ford’s bed and breakfast. They have an immediate connection and draw to each other but neither one is really ready to act on it. Then Peyton finds a dead body which then disappears. It starts to bring them closer together and we get to see them get closer and build a relationship. This story was interesting and pulled me in from beginning to end. There’s some action and intrigue and mystery as they try and figure out what happened to the body and who it was.
The narrators did a good job with the story and the characters.

Two lost souls begin to really heal when they find each other

After a mission that went terribly wrong, Ford Collier woke up in Germany with a broken arm and a severe concussion. His friend Scott fared much worse and Cal didn’t make it at all. Once discharged, Ford takes over the lodge his family owned when they retire with plans to renovate the property and live a peaceful life, if only the women in his life would leave him alone.
Peyton has finally conquered her fear of the great outdoors and is now on a journey to find herself. When she sees a landscape Windy Point, NC that begs to be painted, she literally pulls over to spend a few days at the lodge to do just that. After walking trails around the lodge for a few days, Peyton stumbles on a body at Bear Lake and the peaceful lodge is anything but until the killer can be found. With Peyton and Ford digging around looking for the killer, they both stir the pot and now the killer has sights on them as well. Great performance by the narrators. I received a copy of this book from the author. The review is my own.

Exhilarating, Emotional, and Steamy Story!

Traitor is another exciting story in Nicole Blanchard's First to Fight military romantic suspense series. The prologue had me on the edge of my seat, taking my breath away, and breaking my heart. Ford and Peyton are two broken souls who have secluded themselves away from the pain, and horror they have both endured. Payton is trying to take back her life, and has found herself in the peaceful, serene mountains of North Carolina. She meets the rugged, broody Ford when she rents a room at his resort. He is so big and radiates danger, making him everything she should avoid, but can't stay away. Peyton is a quandary to Ford. She looks like a pampered princess, but there was a hint of panic, and fear in her eyes that he recognizes so well from his deployments. He is intrigued by her bravery and sense of adventure. He doesn't want a complication like Peyton, but he can't deny their attraction. When Peyton witnesses a murder, Ford is the only one who believes her. As they look for clues, their lives become in danger, and it's a race against time to find the killer, before the killer finds them.
I really liked both Ford and Peyton. They had endured such tragedy, and felt such guilt, yet they were finding the strength to build a new life. Their chemistry was off the charts and their passion was explosive. There are some great secondary characters who added so much charm to this story as well. I was completely riveted by this fast paced, and suspenseful journey.
The narration by Ariel Royce and Christopher Rourke was completely captivating. They are both new to me which is always fun to discover new voices to enjoy. Royce really nailed Peyton's character from timid and unsure in the beginning to more confident and self assured to take her life back. Rourke's deep voice was perfect for the broody, ex military, Ford. They did a great job bringing this exhilarating, emotional, and steamy story to life.