Nixon's Promise: Gemini Group, Book 1 (Unabridged‪)‬

Wow, just wow, this book blew me away, the story drew me in like a moth to a flame, grabbing my attention and captivating it straight to the end. This is an original, well written and well-told story, a story that will get you thinking and wondering not only to figure out the mysterious element of the story but how could someone be the way they are. Some may be sensitive to parts of this story and it may take them out of their comfort zone and question how could something like this happen and how could it have gone so far. Secrets, lies and deceit and a person who is evil and narcissist, one who people look up to and is in a position of power or control and knows how to control. Sure this is fiction, or is it really? Sunny Gardener is trying to enjoy her teenage years with her friends, but it is difficult when her stepfather is a preacher in the local church and has her mother in his grips who does everything he says to do. It looks like they have a happy marriage but not everything is what it appears, but since she is like his puppet, she only sees what she wants to see. Sunny knows better and with her bestie, they look into what the preacher is really up to. She is also wondering what happened with her father, who, years ago, disappeared from her life without a word. There is never a dull moment in this book, the story is cleverly plotted with plenty of drama, angst, mystery, twists and turns, psychological thrill & suspense. It is a wild ride, I was losing my faith in people and my heart went out to Sunny who was wise beyond her years but the Sun shone in the end. Andrea Smith, thank you for this mysterious and thought-provoking story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 And for the amazing narration, Andrea Smith could not have chosen a better cast to bring her story and characters to life. Amanda Stribling and David Black are superbly talented narrators and versatile voice artists. They had a complete understanding of the characters they portrayed, giving each a voice that suited their character’s persona to a tee, sounding believable in every role they played and just as I pictured the character to sound. Amanda Stribling took Sunny’s role, ran with it and made it her own, capturing every side of her personality, as well as her convictions and vulnerabilities. David Black nailed it as Avery, grasping his alpha tendencies and narcissistic conceitedness with perfection. Both were great at performing the roles of the secondary characters as well. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and projected them into their performance and had you feeling every single one. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to and their narration enhances this great story to another level. Thank you for another exceptional listen.

New-to-me author that I now need to devour all the words STAT!

Excellent world building, romance journey and also famili dynamic growth and development between the leads.

I'm excited to continue the journey of the Gemini Group!

It may be because of the cover but I think I expected more suspense with the story. In fact, while there is a bit of intrigue because there is a set up to Nixon's group, the Gemini group, overall, the focus of this story is on McKenna and Nixon's romance and the restoration of McKenna's family after the death of her family. Somehow, with Nixon and her relationship, her brother and sister start to open up and they become a family again. I'm not sure I really got that story arc.

That said, I was especially enthralled during the last third of the book, where McKenna shows off some of her skills as a computer expert to help Nixon and his group determine who the terrorist is that they are asked to find. It really highlighted the strong feminine voice and I overall enjoyed the development of the relationship between her and Nixon.

I listened to the audiobook and absolutely love Erin Mallon and Joe Arden so having them read such a good book just elevated the story overall. Their mastery of multiple voices as well as their pacing and infusion of emotion really draws the listener into the story. A fantastic way to experience this story!