Jackson: A Stand-Alone Dark Romance (Rydeville Elite Book 5)

Audiobook Review:

This was one crazy, intense, dark romance. But it had all the things I want and need in my dark romance. And I was hooked. There were so many unexpected moments. So many twists that kept elevating the story. But it was all perfectly placed and well timed to make me not want to hit pause. I felt sad and angry and so many other emotions as I listened. And yet was completely engrossed. It gave me that feeling I always hope for when starting a new book.

Sarah Puckett and Jay Alder were the narrators for this one. Sarah Puckett is a favorite of mine. And I loved her performance. There were moments when I didn’t love Jay Alder’s performance as much, but it was mostly when he had a bunch of different voices to do for a particular scene. There were a lot of characters in this story and while I appreciate his attempt at giving everyone a different tone, some of it just didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t however even consider stopping the story though. I was too invested and overall I think they both did a good job.

I can’t wait for more Siobhan Davis.

The Flock

**4.5 Stars**

Jackson is book five in the Rydeville Eilte series and full of drama, angst, manipulation, and some dark twistedness from the very beginning all the way until the very end. It had me on the edge of my seat at times, wanting to throw something at times, and other times just gasping and wondering what was going to happen next or seriously wondering how there could actually be such people like this out there. This book is not for the faint of heart that’s for sure.

Jackson is on a mission to avenge his sister’s death and make people pay however necessary. Wth a lack of answers on how to track down the person responsible, he comes up with a involving wooing Vanessa to see if she knows anything. Vanessa has been through hell and back in her own family but comes out on the other side, only to find herself swept up in Jackson’s charm which turns out to be quite possibly a bigger downfall.

I really enjoyed both Vanessa and Jackson’s characters. I love how much of a fighter Vanessa was and how she didn’t give up despite having all the reasons to do so. I loved how much she cared for her siblings and how protective she was of her sister. I also loved how much Jackson loved his sister and although I don’t agree with his methods, his love and protectiveness of her and need to do something following her death was understandable. I think it was clear that although Jackson had one plan in mind, his heart always truly belonged to Vanessa, and he only lashed out when in fear of being hurt himself.

This story was one wild and crazy ride. I loved all of the characters and the intricacies of the story line and the inclusion of characters from the Kennedy Boys series written by the same author. I really enjoy the author’s writing style and look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I am loving this series and Jacksons book was no exception even though I must admit I loved Jackson in the other books as he was the joker and you just didn’t know what he was thinking but we also know there is something very deep and dark that Jackson is dealing with.

What i didn’t expect was Vanessa she goes through so much in this book and the fact she doesn’t know her father makes for a really great story, i loved Vanessa and i felt foe her but she was a strong and amazing character

This book was full of the elite drama that you would expect and i loved every minute of it i don’t want to say to much because i think going in blind to what happens in the elite and the story that evolves is awesome and i can’t wait for more books in this series.

For me this book had the angst especially when i didn’t like Jackson, there was violence and action and it had you on the edge of your seat.

I must admit as well that this book has also got me keen to read the Kennedy brothers book’s so thanks Siobhan Davis who is about to take all my money but i love this authors writing and the story’s we get.

First let me say that l was worried that since this is the 5th book in the series I was afraid that I would be lost. So glad that wasn’t the case. This is a standalone within the world but doesn’t need reading of the prior books to understand. This was a good and at times difficult listen given the dark subject matter that is revealed especially later in the book. Jackson is a jerk for enough of the book that you want to strangle him and rethink your hope for a HEA. However you always feel a certain amount of sympathy for Vanessa as she has been through a lot in her life and goes through even more in this book. I like Sarah Puckett narration in this book a lot but wasn’t as keen on Jay Adler’s. Overall I enjoyed this book and would really like to read the rest of the series.

Audio Review:
Jackson (Rydeville Elite, Book 5) is a dark standalone romance set in the Ryderville Elite World. However, other aspects of the story are a continuing arc which evolves the Ryderville Ellites. I missed out by not reading/listening to the others first. Excruciating moments with violence that were a bit difficult to listen to even though I am a dark bully romance fan. The storyline itself is intriguing and we do get a hea in the end. The writing style is captivating and vividly detailed with secrets unraveling throughout.

I found the naration took some of the story away with Jay Alders performance. I rate him at 3.5 stars. I didn’t enjoy his inflection. His female voice was contrived and his supporting character’s fell flat. I didn’t enjoy his performance of Jackson.
I normally love dual narration but in this case a single narrator would have been preference.
Sarah Puckett’s five stars for a excellent performance. Her inflection changes all the emotions and characters. Her ability to create male voices is excellent.

Overall, I didn’t find the audio very enjoyable due to the male narrator and probably would have enjoyed reading this one rather than audio.

Pink Flamingo VIP Flock

A Captivating & Intense Ride! Fantastic Story & Audible Listen

Jackson
Rydeville Elite, Book 5
By: Siobhan Davis
Narrated by: Sarah Puckett, Jay Alder

This is an amazing book, the story sucked me right in and captivated my attention and held it straight to the end. Siobhan Davis created a dark and twisted world in this book and it is not a story for those faint of heart, some subject matter and scenes may take some out of their comfort zone. I enjoyed the complexity of the story and all it’s pieces, learning more as each piece is revealed. This book is a stand-alone in the series but some of the events that occurred in Rydeville Elite world are mentioned and referred to but the author does a great job presenting all the details you need to know for this book. The characters are complex and continue to develop as the story goes on. I adored Vanessa, the lead female in this book, she grew up in a family that was well off, so you would think she was privileged, but she was anything but. She refers to her stepfather and the step monster and we soon learn why. At 18 she is thrown out from her home to fend for herself, I admired her for how she fell on her feet, getting a job and holding her own. Jackson is a man on a mission, he wants to avenge her sister’s death and will do anything he has to to get to the people responsible. And Vanessa happens to be part of his master plan, she may be able to lead him to the one who is behind it all. But Jackson’s plan is flawed in many ways, first he misjudges Vanessa and second he could not keep his heart and feelings out of it. I loved how everything plays out in this book, the story is cleverly plotted and there is never a dull moment. There is plenty of drama, angst, twists and turns, thrilling suspense, heartfelt and emotional moments, as well as heartbreaking ones and a romance that stood up to the worst of times. I wanted to kick Jackson’s butt a few times in this book, just as he started to grow on me he had me yelling at him again, thankfully he does redeem himself. He is surrounded by a good group of people, a great support cast of secondary characters, I am looking forward to going back to earlier books to learn more about them, also looking forward to what comes next in the “Rydeville Elite” series, Sawyer. Thank you Siobhan Davis for this awesome story and the emotional rollercoaster ride!

I listened to the Audible edition, Sarah Puckett and Jay Alder bring these characters to life, give each their own voice and personality as well has heart and attitude. Sarah Puckett’s portrayal of Vanessa was perfection, she made the role her own, she grasped every one of her emotions which was heard in her performance. She did an awesome job with the secondary characters as well. Jay Alder did great too. They are talented and entertaining storytellers, it is a pleasure to listen to their work. Thank you for another great listen

@PinkFlamingoProductions @AudiobookObsession #TheFlock #AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Jackson
Rydeville Elite, Book 5
By: Siobhan Davis
Narrated by: Sarah Puckett, Jay Alder

Bully romance is a trope that i am really enjoying. There is something about finding the heart of the matter and understanding the issues. This is exactly how I felt while listen to Jackson. Nessa is on her own. Thrown out of her house and cut off from funds, she finds herself learning to be independent. But she has concerns leaving her siblings with her stepfather and mother. Jackson and his friends never were nice to her in high school, but now he is making an effort to show her how he has changed.Jackson is on a mission and with his eye on the prize, he is going to do what he has to with Nessa to get the results he wants. What he doesn’t expect are the feelings they have. Siobhan Davis has woven a dark and delicious tale of revenge, retribution, love and redemption. While the 5th book in the series, it definitely stands alone and will capture your attention.The story is complex, with issues that are not only disturbing, but will make you cringe. I know for me, the characters were captivating, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. It’s a web that needed to be untangled and I was fascinated. I am definitely going back to listen to the others in this series.

Sarah Puckett is a fantastic storyteller, and her portrayal of Vanessa made this story for me. She creates a voice with strength and nuances of desperation that make Vanessa real. Jay Alder is Jackson, with a darkness is his voice that let’s us know exactly who he is. He’s relatively new to me, and I am enjoying getting to know his inflections and qualities as he creates the personality of his characters. These two complimented each other, and made the story captivating.

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Oh man, what a book! Let me start off by saying this is the first book in this series that I have read/listened to and I had no problems keeping up, but I will definitely be getting the ready ASAP. This book is not your typical bully romance, but so much more. So many Secrets and pain is revealed in this book that you should definitely have some tissues (of a box) in reach. Fantastic writing with amazing flow and the narration was just perfect!

I recommend Jackson for listeners interested in a complex story with a some suspense and flawed characters. The author managed to make me feel invested in the story even though I only liked one of the main characters (and a lot of supporting ones). At one point, Jackson is described as “Prince Charming’s douchebag evil arch nemesis”. I was actually hoping Vanessa would meet someone new in part two. I won’t give away any spoilers, but rest assured it’s an interesting rollercoaster and has happy ending.

This is the first book I’ve listened to by Siobhan Davis, but many of the supporting characters made an impression on me and now I really want to read Abby’s story. Jackson is a stand alone, and in the first part of this book I didn’t feel like I had missed anything by not reading the other books. However, part two involved a lot of prior characters and references to older events. It’s not required to have read the other books in the series, but I think it would be more enjoyable.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great. Sarah Puckett does angst, regret and devastation so well that I forget that I don’t even like relationship drama. I didn’t love the male voice, but I appreciate the emotion and variation he brought to the performance.

#PinkFlamingoProductions

My first book by Siobhan Davis and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It took me a few chapters to really get into the swing of things, but once I was caught up and sucked into the story I was enthralled. One minute I liked Nessa, one minute I didn’t. The same went for Jackson, he could be a total douche at times. What started out as revenge turned into so much more. The story was emotional, so much happening, both good and bad. Both Nessa and Jackson were dealing with personal issues, Nessa more so, having being treated atrociously by those who should have been looking out for her. A story full of deceit and lies and power. Nessa did not deserve the way she was treated, and through it all she remained strong, even when it looked like there was no way out for her. Please note that this is a dark romance that deals with some sensitive issues that may cause triggers in some. Be warned. I listened to an advanced audio copy and I must say the narration was spot on, Sarah Puckett was convincing as Vanessa, and JS Arquin pulled off sounding like the jacka$$ that Jackson at times was.