Audiobook Review: Grant by Jennifer Ashley

Grant Campbell, famous trick rider from Riverbend, Texas, thought it was over with Christina, the love of his life. But a chance encounter one dark spring night gives Grant hope that he can have a second chance. Things are changing in Riverbend, though - things that threaten to take Christina away from him forever.

Christina Farrell has tried to move on after her breakup with Grant, the hot Texas cowboy who stole her peace of mind the day he walked into her bar and gave her his sinful smile. But every reminder of him tells her it's not over in her heart. Christina realizes she'll never forget him until she makes some changes in her life, but before she can, a reconnection with Grant alters everything for her in an unexpected way.

Series: Riding Hard #2 | Publisher: Jennifer Ashley | Narrator: Eric Dove  | Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins | Genre: Contemporary Romance | Source: Author | Ratings: 1 Cup

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Grant and Christina have a painful history. They were madly in love but their inability to start a family drove them apart so there’s a lot of hurt between them. There’s also still a lot of love between them, so when a wedding reception brings them together, they still feel that spark and one thing leads to another and before they realize it, Christina and Grant are back in bed together. Deciding it’s wiser to leave town than figure out how to work things out with Grant, Christina’s plans are put on hold when she realizes she’s pregnant. Now Christina’s has to wait to see who the father is.

 

There was so much in this one that I’m just not a fan of. Christina playing with Ray’s emotions, Christina getting jealous of Grant for having other relationships (even though she was with Ray ), Grant parading a string of buckle bunnies in front of Christina just to make her jealous, then there was the whole who’s the daddy issue. It just seemed that there was a lot of high school drama from the start and it only built up as the plot progressed.

 

Plus, there was a lot of moments that had me scratching my head. Like Christina confessing her secrets to the woman she declared her enemy, odd doctor visits used to create unnecessary conflict, and a random pop-up storm that just seemed out of place. Oh and I can’t forget the fact Christina made her sister tell Grant and Ray she was pregnant and that she didn’t know which was the father.

 

I wasn’t a fan of Christina. She just rubbed me the wrong way. She was very childish, constantly putting up walls around Grant, constantly trying to push him away. And I didn’t care for the way she treated Ray. There was no cheating; she ended things with him before starting something with Grant, but there was still that feeling that she used Ray. Even though Grant made some wankerish moves, he redeemed himself. I could see him growing and becoming a stand-up guy.

 

While the relationship between Grant and Christina had its moments of believability, I just wasn’t buying what they were trying to sell. Yes, I could tell they loved each other—Grant more so than Christina—but there was so much hurt between them and I didn’t see that being dealt with. I didn’t see the healing that needed to happen.

 

This was my first time listening to Eric Dove narrate and he took a bit of getting used to. He was a little gruff in his portrayal and I’m not sure if I found him to be a bit meh or if it was just the book.

 

Overall, this just wasn’t’ my cuppa tea. I’m normally eager to gobble up a series by Jennifer Ashley, but I’m more than willing to take a pause before trying out the next book. Honestly, what I enjoyed the most about this series was Grant’s job. I think this is the first time I’ve read about someone that’s a trick rider, so it was interesting seeing those aspects thrown in.

 

Riding Hard Series

Adam

Grant

Carter

Tyler