C F White

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow, what a great series. I listened to Reformed in just two days. Once I started, I was totally captivated by the story. Since it is the third volume in a series, I recommend listening to the previous two volumes beforehand as the series builds on each other. 

The author's writing style is engaging and she has a talent for creating deep characters that then develop over a series of 3 books.
There is the temperamental Mickey with his criminal past and big heart. He had hopes of having a new start by moving to Wales. But he is struggling with his fate. The job search proves to be more difficult than expected, his brother Flynn has health problems and then there are also the everyday problems. Turning to alcohol is not a good solution. I loved Mickey from the first volume despite or maybe because of his past. He had a difficult youth, but people change. All I can say is: poor Mickey!
Flynn is an absolute sunshine who I also took to my heart very quickly and who you can never be mad at, no matter what he does. Dan, Mickey's friend, also has to come to terms with his new life in Wales. He doesn't know what to do about Mickey's drinking and always unerringly chooses the wrong path.
The relationship between the two threatens to break up. There are many, many difficulties in the path of the three and there are several twists and turns before Mickey, Dan and Flynn get their deserved happy ending. 

The Responsible Adult series has become my absolute favorite series by the author. On the one hand, because the protagonists and the actions are taken as if from real life, and on the other hand, because you experience the complete range of emotions while listening: joy, frustration, sadness, disappointment, hope. In addition, the story was told very emotionally. Chapeau, well done!
A sometimes very dark series, at the end of which is a bright glow. 

Pierce Ryman is a great narrator. He brought the characters to life, you could hear the emotions very well and he always hit the right note. The book itself is good, but Pierce Ryman makes it even better with his amazing interpretation. He is the perfect choice for this emotional story! I already wrote this text about the narrator for volume 1, but I can repeat it again for the complete series: Pierce Ryman did a brilliant job and I think he is the perfect actor for the Responsible Adult series. Absolute recommendation! This series is well worth another listen!

After finishing the first volume of this trilogy, I was blown away by this story and couldn't wait to listen to "Hard Times". Like the first volume, this book is incredibly well written and I'm not usually one to get teary-eyed quickly while reading or listening to an audio book, but this sequel was very emotional and I actually had tears in my eyes at some points. 

Mickey has a criminal past and is bad at keeping his temper in check, which gets him into trouble a time or two. It sounds like a bad boy, but Mickey has such a big heart and loves his brother Flynn more than anything. You can't help but love Mickey. And you love Flynn even more, his special needs brother who brings some light to this dark story with his sunny disposition. But how will the two of them get through it when Flynn is taken away from Mickey? And then Mickey's father shows up, who is up to no good. 

The author has written the protagonists in an authentic and complex way and the story could really have happened like this. All protagonists have their strengths and weaknesses and not every decision Mickey makes is happy. And if you think that fate was already cruel to the brothers, it always goes one step worse. What a bleeding heart I had! But it was nice to see Dan stand by Mickey and love him despite all the difficulties. 

The character development was great again in this book, as was the rest of the story. There were always twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. And yet I suffered and hoped along with Mickey and Dan. Dan is also a great character with parents who stand by him. It's nice to see that despite everything, Mickey can count on Dan. I received a copy of the audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

The audiobook was narrated by Pierce Ryman and he did a really good job. He brought the characters to life and he conveyed the emotions very well - and there were some emotional moments. For me, the narrator is the perfect choice for this story! It was an absolute pleasure to listen to Pierce Ryman. And now I'm impatiently waiting for volume 3 and hoping so much that Mickey, Flynn and Dan get their happy ending. 

Highly recommended!