Menu
5 Stars / Contemporary / New Adult / Review

Audiobook Review: A Rival’s Kiss by Maya Hughes ๐ŸŽง

Walking away would be the smartest decision, but no oneโ€™s ever accused me of being smart. Cold, determined, brutal, but never smart.

Willaโ€™s mine from the moment I rescue her. I protect her from a brawling crowd and she stares up at me like Iโ€™m her prince charming. No oneโ€™s ever looked at me like that. No one has ever dared to come that close.

I didnโ€™t know she was the little sister of one of my biggest rivals. Her brother and I have both drawn blood on the field, dislocated joints, broken bones, but Iโ€™ll never want to show her that side of me.

I long to be the man she believes I am, but thereโ€™s only one way I know how to winโ€”how to surviveโ€”and thatโ€™s ensuring my enemies lose.

Once he finds out who his sister has been dating itโ€™ll be all-out war, and I might lose the only woman whoโ€™s ever looked at me like Iโ€™m not built only for destruction.

Changing my ways wonโ€™t be easy, but Iโ€™m willing to risk it all for her.

Title:A Rival’s Kiss
(at one point this book was to be titled Every Little Kiss)
Author:Maya Hughes
Narrator(s):Stephen Dexter
Desiree Ketchum
Series:St Francis U / STFU (Book 3)
Length / Pages:12hrs / 418
Genre(s):Contemporary
New Adult
Trope(s):Sports Romance (American Football)
Opposites Attract
Point of View:First person, past tense, dual viewpoints (H & h)
Narration Type:Dual
Location:Philadelphia, US
HEA:โœ”๏ธŽ
Release Date:21st July, 2022
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is AmazonUK.jpgThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is AmazonUS.jpgThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is AmazonOz.jpgThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is AmazonCanada.jpg

Brings Ezra and Willa to life

Having read and very much enjoyed Ezra and Willaโ€™s story in ebook, I couldnโ€™t wait to get stuck into the audiobook as it always adds another dimension to any story. Once again, Stephen Dexter and Desiree Ketchum are the narrators who will bring the story to life.

If this is your first Maya Hughes or STFU / Fulton U Rivals book, youโ€™ll be happy to know that you donโ€™t need to have read any other book to understand and enjoy this one. Sure, there are plenty of cameos from other characters in the series, past and future, as well as from other series, but itโ€™s not confusing and you donโ€™t even feel like youโ€™re missing out on in-jokes. Long story short, youโ€™re good to go with this book even if youโ€™re a Maya Hughes virgin.

Our hero, Ezra, is a big, gruff and silent type. Heโ€™s a beast on the football field and due to his childhood experiences, has severe trust issues. Heโ€™s my favourite type of hero – a big guy who doesnโ€™t feel he deserves love – but all but yearns for it. Basically, a guy I just want to hug and hug. I liked how, even after meeting Willa, he still repeated patterns to push her away or self-sabotage. He just felt like a real person and he was easy to root for. And if the cover model is Ezraโ€™s image to perfection, Stephen Dexter is equally his voice. Stephen has a delicious smoky, gruff quality that just emotes. He really acts his part and there was no question – he was Ezra for me.

“…Stephen Dexter and Desiree Ketchum are the narrators who will bring the story to life.”

Willa could be described as something of a sunshiny character – but she does have a little sass to her that keeps her from being too bubbly. Sheโ€™s friendly and kind but I could definitely feel her frustration over the way she was coddled by her family. Willa was hugely likeable and completely relatable and Desiree Ketchum did a perfect job of portraying her and putting every bit of emotion into her narration.

As a couple, Ezra and Willa were realistic perfection. Ezra was learning about what love really is, while Willa was finding her freedom. There was a lot of running and hugging, must-have-you-now moments and Iโ€™ve missed you after 2 hours, type of things that make my heart happy. Sweet heat as there was definitely an emotional as well as sexual connection.

Ezra had a difficult childhood and that story comes to a conclusion throughout the book. It was a little brutal and, well, I didnโ€™t like it for Ezraโ€™s sake. It made me sad. Willa has a different trauma in her past and while that was discussed more in the book, and was sad, too, I wasnโ€™t broken by it which is always a good thing. I prefer my angst to be a simmer rather than a full-on boil!

As always, when you read or listen to a Maya Hughes story youโ€™re in for a delicious, emotional treat. This book has all the elements that make her one of the best writers of new adult, college romance – the heat, the heart, the relationships, a little angst and a lot of romance and redemption. I loved every minute of it – definitely a worthy addition to the STFU series and deserving of the full 5 stars.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review *

Maya Hughes can often be found sneaking in another chapter while hiding in the bathroom from her kids! ๐Ÿ™‚ Iโ€™m a romance writer who loves taking inspiration from everyday life, namely my husband and biggest fan. Inspiration also strikes when I hear a song, meet someone new or daydream while at soccer practice.

Iโ€™m the mom of three little ones, the wife to an amazing husband and also work full time. Some of my favorite things are cinnamon rolls, white wine, laughing until I canโ€™t breathe and traveling with my family.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Link-Small.pngThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Instagram-Small.pngThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Goodreads-Small.pngThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Twitter-Small.pngThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Facebook-Small.pngThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Bookbub-Small.pngThis image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Pinterest-Small.pngCircular TikTok Logo

Fulton U Rivals / STFU (St Francis U) Series:

Kiss and Tell Maya Hughes
Blank Book Cover
Dirty Kisses
TBC
Blank Book Cover
Kiss It Better
TBC

No Comments

    Leave a Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.