Smitty’s Sheriff by Cardeno C. Audiobook Review

Todd is too flakey. Richard is too stubborn. Together, they're perfect. A May-December couple get a second chance at love.

Retired soldier Richard Davis wants a stable life in a quiet town with a forever man. Becoming the sheriff of Hope, Arizona, accomplishes two of his three goals, but instead of finding a serious partner, he falls for too-young-to-be-committed and too-flakey-to-be-serious Todd Smitty. Richard won’t find the right man if he’s obsessed with the wrong one, so he walks away from Todd.

It’s lust at first sight when Todd meets his sister’s army friend. He sets his sights on the worldly, strong, stable older man, and the more time he spends with Richard, the harder he falls. But after three years together, Richard cuts off all contact with no explanation.

When a mutual obligation requires Todd to move into Richard’s house, he’s thrilled at the opportunity to earn a second chance. Ignoring Todd from across town was hard enough. Can Richard resist temptation under his own roof?

Audiobook Details
Length: 3 hrs, 19 mins
Narrator: Ezekiel Robison

Book 3
Audiobook Buy Links

Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible  ~  iTunes

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
One of the biggest differences for me between reading a book and listening to the audiobook is that the narrator can change the way I interpret the story simply by how they craft the voices for the characters. In the case of Smitty’s Sheriff, Ezekiel Robison made the power exchange between Rich and Todd more apparent. While all of the books in the Hope series are May-December romances, this one has more of the Daddy-boy feel to it than the others. Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not entering BDSM territory here, but the dominant, alpha male and submissive, younger man roles are more obvious between Rich and Todd and not just because of their age difference – it’s just who they are as people. Some people are leaders (Rich) and some people are followers (Todd) and for these two men, their natural roles click on a romantic level.

Another of the things Robison’s narration makes more obvious is Todd’s thoughtfulness. Yes, the young man can be a bit flighty and forgetful (weren’t we all at that age), but when it comes to the things that matter to him – repairing his relationship with Rich – Robinson captures Todd’s earnest consideration perfectly. Through the narrative performance, for me, Todd went from being a young man with a bit of hero worship turned romantic feelings, into a young man who knew who he was, knew who he wanted, and was determined to find out where they went wrong the last time and fix it, so he could find his happiness again. I liked Todd before, but after listening to the audiobook edition of Smitty’s Sheriff, I absolutely adored him. On a side note, the Big D conversation between Rich, Todd, and Todd’s sister is soooooooo much funnier on audio than it ever was in my head, and I laughed a lot when I read it. Todd can really be a cheeky little bugger.

While I was comfortable with my interpretation of Rich’s alpha male persona, Robinson still managed to add a layer of insecurity more convincingly than I did on my own. Rich’s worries that his controlling nature was or could become abusive towards Todd were performed so well that my heart broke all over again for him. The fact that Rich was even worried about it happening said so much about his character, in a good way. Could Rich’s controlling nature become abusive? With the wrong person, probably. However, he and Todd were made for each other (yes, yes, I know, it’s a book, so of course they were made for one another), but their personalities complement one another – the leader and the follower – so rather than an abusive relationship, it’s a nurturing one… well, once Rich stopped fighting it. I thoroughly enjoyed Smitty’s Sheriff and am so glad that I can listen to the audiobook anytime I like because Ezekiel Robison’s narrative performance made Cardeno C.’s words even more poignant.

On a side note, and because I’ve referred to it multiple times, if you’d like to read my review of the ebook, you can find it HERE on Goodreads.

Also Available in the Hope Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the McFarland’s Farm Blog Tour.

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Jessie’s Diner Blog Tour.

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Smitty’s Sheriff Blog Tour.

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Cardeno's Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, "You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day."

Connect with CC

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads
Google+  ~  Instagram
Cardeno C.'s Cinderfuckingrellas Facebook Group

Hey! My name is Ezekiel but most people call me Zeke. I live out West along the Oregon Trail, where I churn butter and do voice over and other acting things. I live in the potato state, and yes it is true in my case. I do love potatoes in all forms.

I am a performer to the core and I spend a lot of time pretending to be other people… a sane person for example. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre Performance from Idaho State University. I’ve also had the privilege to study with wonderful voice over artists including, Scott Brick, Pat Fraley, James Alburger, and Penny Abshire.

I have a deep passion for creative arts and the creative process. I love to explore characters and relationships to find nuance and sincerity. My curiosity in people, oddball perspective, and darker sense of humor give me the skills to attack scenes and characters from a unique point of view. A great remedy for the cliché. Originality and uniqueness are my passion.

Connect with Zeke

Facebook  ~  Google+  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free audiobook copy of Smitty’s Sheriff (Hope #3) by Cardeno C., narrated by Ezekiel Robison to read or listen to and review.