A Forced Silence by Cate Ashwood Audiobook Review

For paramedic Adam Carson, his world is lights and sirens and saving lives. Pressures at work keep him firmly in the closet, and life is too busy to contend with the complications that come with dating and relationships. When a familiar face from his past turns up where he least expects it, Adam starts to question whether or not there is room in his life for those complications.

The last person forensic pathologist Sam McKenna expects to see at pub night is Adam, the guy who made his life hell in high school. The attraction is instant, but Adam isn't gay and Sam has no interest in pursuing him. Still, the leftover animosity from their teenage years isn't enough to extinguish the lust growing between them. After both are called to the scene of a horrific murder, Adam admits he’s not as straight as he led Sam to believe and they seek comfort and distraction in each other's arms. One night becomes many as the murder investigation intensifies, but when Adam is faced with losing Sam, he is forced to make a choice: to break his silence, or to give up everything for the job he loves.

Length: 5 hrs, 47 mins
Narrator: Scott R. Smith

Book 1
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Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
A Forced Silence was an enjoyable m/m romance with an unexpected twist or two of added suspense. As I am new to writing reviews for audiobooks, I apologize in advance if I use the word read instead of listened to and hope that you’ll forgive me for it. To begin, I found Mr. Smith’s voice to be pleasant to listen to and felt he did a nice job of giving voice to the various characters in such a way that I was almost never confused as to who was speaking at the time. In fact, my main source of confusion had to do with the fact that Adam called Sam by a nickname, Dex, so when Sam/Dex was referred to as Sam by other characters, I would stumble over who Sam was, but this only happened a few times over the course of the book.

As for the story, I enjoyed watching the relationship between Adam and Dex play out. I found Dex’s character to be quite fascinating because not only was he able to let go of the verbal abuse that Adam had inflicted upon him in high school, but he also had an unusual acceptance regarding Adam’s need to keep their relationship a secret. Understandably, very few out gay men are willing to engage in a relationship that they can tell no one about. It leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth, feeling as though they are the other person’s dirty little secret. But rather than Dex feeling as though Adam was using him and/or ashamed to be seen with him, he understood and accepted the professional reasons Adam gave for not wanting anyone to know he was gay. Truth be told, I found Adam’s reasoning to be sound, especially as we got to know his partner better over the course of the book. For me, this was one of those rare occasions where keeping the characters’ relationship a secret made sense logically and the partner’s stated understanding and acceptance of it felt true – and this made the way in which the truth comes out absolutely fabulous!

I really liked Adam and Dex. Both men were dedicated and passionate about their respective careers and because of their occupations, they understood the demands and scheduling issues of one another’s jobs. Learning that Dex didn’t typically get involved with murder investigations made his intense commitment to seeing justice obtained for the victim even more interesting than the forensic thread already was for me. At the same time, Adam’s passion for being a paramedic and looking out for the health and welfare of future patients by addressing his trainee’s wholly unprofessional manner was admirable. I, for one, would have gladly held Dustin down while Adam delivered the beating he deserved after the incident at the murder scene. The hostage situation made for an intense scene (which the narrator did a great job of conveying) and I actually appreciated that the storyline backed up a bit from one chapter to the next in order to give us Adam’s perspective on the incident. But that ending, oh that ending, left my wanting the next book immediately. I cannot wait to see what Ashwood has planned for the series.

I'm Cate! I live on the ocean in British Columbia, Canada with my husband, Christopher, my brand new little boy, Hudson, and my two kitties, Parker and Gracie. I'm happiest when spending time with my family, reading, or writing. Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after. Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, her brand new little boy, and her two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free audiobook copy of A Forced Silence (Zero Hour #1) by Cate Ashwood, Narrated by Scott R. Smith to listen to and review.