Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
By Her Touch by Adriana Anders Narrator: Wendy Tremont King
Series: Blank Canvas #2
Published by Tantor Audio on June 20, 2017
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Length: 13 hours, 27 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm
Undercover cop Clay Navarro left the Sultans biker gang a changed man. Its ringleaders may be awaiting trial, but he wears the memory of every brutal act he was forced to commit tattooed across his skin. He doesn't have space in his messed-up life for anything gentle--not now, maybe not ever.
Dr. Georgette Hadley is drawn to the damaged stranger's pain, intimidated but intrigued by the warmth that lies beneath Clay's frightening exterior. But when the Sultans return looking for revenge, she finds herself drawn into the dirty underbelly of a life forged in violence...that not even her touch may be able to heal.
The Blank Canvas series continues in the fascinating Virginia small town with the doctor who removes tattoos for those who need it. Clay needs to remove his so he gets back to looking respectable, for the court case against the Sultan motorcycle gang where he was under cover. The gang members still not apprehended are trying to find him and kill him. Another team member has already been eliminated so Clay knows he can’t trust anyone.
Wendy Tremont King continues the narration for this series. I did listen at 1.25x speed but when it is a southern setting, I tend not to speed it up. It worked fine for me here. King’s presentation of the vividly detailed scenes and shattering emotions was touching.
By Her Touch is such an emotional firestorm. I was roiling throughout with worry, sexual tension, pride, fear, and relief. Clay struggles to get his head back in his regular law enforcement life and not as a nasty gang member. The doctor, George, has her own life to grow. She has mourned her husband, cared for her in-laws and worked to build a secure life. Her focus on work has kept her very solitary and she is just coming out of her shell. Her journey is brave and uplifting.
I feel so deeply for their challenges and am so proud of their growth. Nothing was simple for them emotionally but they persevered. All with a time bomb of gang retaliation ticking in the background. There are scenes with characters from the first book and some other characters are further developed. This author has a winning ability to draw emotions, develop complex characters and tell a heart grabbing tale. I am so lucky to have the next audio In His Hands, which was released August 1, and I will be reviewing next week.
Listen to a clip here.
About Wendy Tremont King
Wendy Tremont King, a classically trained narrator and stage actor, got her start in audiobook narration as a volunteer for The Lighthouse for the Blind. She is an accomplished puppeteer and puppetry director, a member of the SAG Foundation BookPals program for children’s literacy and the Society of Women Engineers, and a docent at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.
About Adriana Anders
Adriana Anders writes romance that’s dark, smart, and full of heart. She has acted and sung, slung cocktails and corrected copy. She’s worked for start-ups, multinationals and small nonprofits, but it wasn’t until she returned to her first love—writing romance—that she finally felt like she’d come home. Today, she resides with her tall French husband, two small children and fat bastard of a French cat in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she writes the dark, gritty, emotional love stories of her heart.
Her award-winning debut novel, Under Her Skin, the first in the Blank Canvas series, will be out from Sourcebooks Casablanca in February 2017.
| Rating Breakdown | |
|---|---|
| Plot |
|
| Dialogue |
 |
| Narration (Audio) |
|
| Overall: | |
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- Accidentally Amy by Lynn Painter @LAPainter @lynnpainter8.bsky.social@BerkleyRomance @berkleyromance.bsky.social - January 25, 2025
- 🎧The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang #YouYeong-Gwang #RosaEscoda @AceBooksPub @acebookspub.bsky.social @penguinaudio.bsky.social @PRHAudio #LoveAudiobooks - January 23, 2025
- 🎧 Better Than Friends by Jill Shalvis @JillShalvis @andi_arndt @WmMorrowBooks @avonbooks @HarperAudio #LOVEAUDIOBOOKS - January 21, 2025
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Anne: 2017 Audiobook Challenge
- Anne: 2017 New Release Challenge
Glad you are enjoying this series too!