This is the second audiobook in the multi-author Boulder Ranch series. This was also my first book from author Ashley Willow, but I suspect it will not be the last. I’m a sucker for a good cowboy romance, and this one was an oh-so-good cowboy romance. This is a boss/employee, low angst, high spice story. And at just under six hours, it’s a fairly quick listen. The story centers around Joy, a nurse who also works part time with horses on a ranch, and Tate, a former champion bull rider, part-time bronc rider, and ranch owner. There is an instant attraction, but both have a few issues to work through on their road to an HEA. I love the banter between these two characters, and there’s no denying their chemistry is off the charts. But there’s also a genuine sweetness to the way they interact with one another that I just fell in love with.
The dual-style narration from Charlie L. Wood and James Cassidy is beautifully done, with each of them perfectly embodying their main character. I can’t lie; I honestly prefer duet-style narration to dual. But both of these talented voice actors do a wonderful job of voicing their alternate gender so the switches from male to female voice and vice versa is not jarring in the least. Although they obviously can’t sound exactly like one another (especially with that deep, sexy gravel from James Cassidy), they do match each other’s narrative style very well. And more than anything, what the listener really hears is the overwhelming passion and emotion each narrator brings to the story, far overshadowing anything else. Overall, I truly enjoyed this gem of a story. And both the author and narrators definitely did the Cowboy romance genre proud!