Wanted

Wanted Series, Book 1

By: Kelly Elliott

Narrated by: Nelson Hobbs, Arika Rapson

Verbally abused by her mother for years, 18-year-old Ellie Johnson always believed she would never be loved or wanted by anyone. She focused all of her attention on her grades and getting into the University of Texas to start a new life away from her mother. The last thing Ellie expected was to fall in love with Gunner Mathews, a starting linebacker for the University of Texas football team and not to mention, her brother's best friend. Gunner only has two passions in life, football and his grandfather's ranch, until he falls for his best friend's little sister. He will stop at nothing to show Ellie how much he wants her, even if it means he has to move faster than she would like. Gunner knows they are meant to be together forever, but Ellie keeps denying her feelings out of fear of being hurt again. Every time he gets close to winning her love, something pushes her away again. Will Ellie ever be able to let go of the past and let him into her heart and will Gunner be patient enough to wait for her?

©2012 Kelly Elliott (P)2013 Tantor

Great Book A little long

I am loving the story. A lot more complex than most books which is good. I agree with some of the other reviews entirely too much cussing and trust me I cuss like a trucker...oh I am. Anyways, too much. I understand that the author is wanting to emphasize certain things but just to much. Also I really need to find a person who can look at me and make me want to O , Oh no I didn't O S I DId. Dang! lol

I do like how the story is not just about two main characters. I think I am a little confused on how the first book really ties into this one other than the grandparents. I need to go back and read the ending of the first book.

It is easy for people to criticize someone else's work and I don't want to be a negative Nancy so I am going to make a point in say I REALLY LIKE THIS SERIES SO FAR!

So good!

So good! I love this story. I am ready to listen to the next book in the series.

Love this series

Great characters with interwoven storylines. Love the male characters, and how they treat their women. Well worth a credit!

Good Story! Way too long

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The length

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

There was some unnecessary things put in that really could have been edited out and made the story not SO LONG!

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yea

Was Wanted worth the listening time?

I guess. I fit it in my day. Like when I was driving or cleaning or showering. It was just so long. I really liked the story but oh man the length

A surprisingly great book....

Where does Wanted rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book ranks as one of my favorites so far. The narrators were great and made me really feel like they were the characters of the book.

What other book might you compare Wanted to and why?

I don't know that I could compare it exactly. I have a tendency to read/listen to books that are parts of a series. I've always liked getting to know all the characters and then getting "updates" on them in the following books.

Which scene was your favorite?

My very favorite scene has to be when Gunner takes Ellie out to their "Oak Tree" on the ranch. So romantic and special in that Ellie really starts to believe she can be "wanted".

Any additional comments?

Even though this book is about people quite a bit younger than me, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, fell in love with Gunner and Ellie and the strength of their commitment to each other.

A great love story.

I loved this book. It is not my normal type of reading but it got to me. Yes - Gunner and Elle fall head over heels at first sight but there is much more to this book than just that. It shows how people can grow and after instalove really learn to totally love someone with all their flaws. A great start to a great series. Thank you Ms. Elliott.

Great story

This was was a great story but rather predictable. Ellie and Gunner were great together but the damage done by her mother was very evident. The outcome of the bar scene was foreseen 10 miles away. Ellie had a hard time believing what Gunner said due to the words her mother kept repeating. I was glad when she finally cut ties. The narrators were ok but could have been better. It didn't feel like they were speaking in relaxed manners which made the narration somewhat stiff.

Love this book!

I loved the book, but the narrators weren't what I was expecting. They did an ok job, I was just picturing their voices differently.

Slow burn

I love the build up of tension between characters. Awesome story. Would have loved certain resolution with other characters but I guess that’s what the next book is for! 4 stars overall only because I wasn’t a huge fan of the verbiage used in some parts but (reading is subjective). This author is incredible. I love the way she tells stories.

typical insta-love at first sight kind of romance

First, WANTED is not an original story line, regardless, I did like this book. The premise was sweet: love at first sight, need to break through obstacles to be with one another, drama, drama, and of course, the all-encompassing HEA. I would definitely consider this book Mature YA/New Adult, but I think it teetered more on the adult side. It starts out YA and worked its way up to a NA by the end. There was a considerable amount steam, not that they were explicit or anything, but more than your typical Mature YA story would have. The story is fairly simple and highly predictable. Some of it almost seemed immature and very juvenile. To sum things up, it’s a story about a young woman, who was raised by her beloved older brother and an alcoholic mother. Ellie has been on the receiving end of a lot of verbal abuse from her mother. She always kept telling Ellie that no one will ever want her. If it wasn’t for her hard working older brother, Jefferson, she would be lost. Her previous two relationships have ended in utter disaster. Both times, her two good for nothing boyfriends were cheating on her because she wasn’t ready to give up her elusive V-card, yet. When she caught her latest boyfriend having sex with another girl in the school theater, she broke down and called her big brother to come and get her. When her brother shows up to defend her and kick her latest boyfriend’s ass, he shows up with his best friend, Gunner. It was love at first sight for both Ellie and Gunner. Oh the joys of instant love!! Ellie's only saving grace growing up though was her older brother Jefferson. He always took care of Ellie and it was so sweet. Jefferson was definitely one of my favorite characters in this book. He was sweet, funny, and very protective. I liked him from the moment his character was introduced. And him and Ari (Ellie's bestfriend) cracked me up with their sexual tension and banter back & forth. Drew "Gunner" Mathews... delicious! He was just too good to be true. He seemed almost too sweet and perfect at times, but I realized that was what Ellie needed. I liked the Dual POV, but his book actually was a multiple POV book because you get a small glimpse into Jefferson and Ari's mind. I was expecting this book to be all about Gunner and Ellie only but I was shocked to see that Jefferson and Ari played a big part in this story. The next book that is coming out is called Saved and it will be Jefferson and Ari's book. I can't wait to see what happens. Overall, a enjoyable audio book, that had my heart racing at some of the exchanges between the two couples. Unfortunately, it just didn't blow me away like some books. I still would definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a very sweet love story with a mix of drama here and there...