Author: K.C. Wells
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 10 Hours, 4 Minutes
At a Glance: Overall, I liked the story and where Wells took Leo and Alex, but the narration didn’t work for me.
Reviewed By: Amy
Blurb: Since the death of his submissive lover two years ago, Leo hasn’t been living—merely existing. He focuses on making Collars & Cuffs, a BDSM club in Manchester’s gay village, successful. That changes the night he and his business partner have their weekly meeting at Severinos. Leo can’t keep his eyes off the new server. The shy man seems determined to avoid Leo’s gaze, but that’s like a red rag to a bull. Leo loves a challenge.
Alex Daniels works at Severinos to scrape together the money to move out on his own. He struggles with coming out, but he’s drawn to Leo, the gorgeous guy with the icy-blue eyes who’s been eating in his area nearly every night.
Leo won’t let Alex’s hesitance get in the way. He even keeps him away from the club so as not to scare him. And as for telling Alex that Leo is a Dom? Not a good idea. One date becomes two, but date two leads to Leo’s bedroom… and Alex discovers things about himself he never realized—and never wanted anyone to see.
Review: I adore BDSM and was so excited to listen to K.C. Wells’ story, as I like her writing. I really loved the supporting cast that she builds in this story; they add a fun and light dynamic to this story, which counterbalances its more serious aspects. Sev was a great character, and I adored that she included a supporting love story for Pietro. Alex finds his confidence and social skills improving through his growing relationship with Leo as he navigates his first ever relationship.
Add a little D/s to it and you get a well balanced plot. I did feel that some of the conflict in this story was overdone, but overall, I liked the story and where Wells took Leo and Alex.
Narration: Nick J. Russo is the narrator for this book. I have listened to him several other times and LOVE HIM. He narrated Bolt Hole and Racing the Sun by Amy Lane, and I adore his southern cadence. Unfortunately, however, I felt he was the absolute wrong choice for this narration. I am saddened by this as I really like K.C. Wells’ writing, and for the most part liked An Unlocked Heart. It was at times hard to focus on this story, as I couldn’t separate Nick’s southern accent from the dialect of the writing, which was notably British. I know it shouldn’t have mattered, but I kept expecting a British voice and got Nick Russo’s. It pulled me out of the story so many times…it really did ruin this book for me. I think I actually want to go back and read the e-book to see how I react to the written story.
You can buy An Unlocked Heart here:
