Book Review: Resist by K. Bromberg

Resist (Wicked Ways Book 1)

Vaughn Sanders and Ryker Lockhart were not supposed to fall in love. It was supposed to be just a business arrangement. But, the chemistry between them is incendiary and they simply cannot Resist.

As a madam of an exclusive and high-priced female escort service, Vaughn Sanders has a backbone of steel. She protects her girls like a Mama Bear. But she never goes out on dates, i.e., until Ryker Lockhart blackmailed her to do it.

Rich, powerful and influential, Ryker Lockhart is a high-priced divorce attorney in New York City. His personal and professional life had given him a jaded view of love and marriage.

Yet, he cannot get Vaughn out of his mind. She might be a madam, but there was more to her that meets the eye. A chance meeting showed him the reason and Ryker found himself falling hard.

Inside the bubble of their love, Vaughn and Ryker feel invincible. There is a chink in their armor though, and it is called real life. As Vaughn’s job intersect with the high-powered Manhattan crowd, their love will get tested. Question is, can they pass it?

A romance book with a very powerful message, “Resist” epitomizes the school of thought that romantic heroes do not need to be perfect. Having dings and bruises in their characters just make them more real and believable. Vaughn and Ryker fall in that category.

Both of them are well-fleshed out, their back stories are firmly established. K. Bromberg has once again demonstrated that she has mastery of her craft. That the book ends in a cliffhanger did not deter me from enjoying it. In fact, I cannot wait for the release of Reveal, the second book in this series.

Now… for a sidebar. I received Resist as an ARC from Netgalley. And though I read it early (I just can’t resist K. Bromberg), I waited until the audiobook was released before I wrote this review.

Reason: I saw in the pre-order page that Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon were the narrators. And boy! I am so glad that I waited because Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon were so good as Ryker and Vaughn, respectively.

As Ryker, Jason Clarke gave the character a sexy and confident voice that is also a bit sinister. You know he is a good guy, but there was also a streak in him that makes you wary. That’s what makes him a good lawyer.

This is the second book I have listened to that Jason Clarke voiced a divorce attorney, the first one being Lauren Blakely’s “Never Have I Ever.” In that book, Zach Nolan is portrayed as a knight in shining armor divorce attorney who is righting a wrong. In “Resist,” Ryker Lockhart is a gladiator in the Coliseum who will fight to the death because that is what he does.

Two characters in two different books that are similar but also very different. Jason Clarke voiced the characters differently. He infused in his narration the necessary tones to give the characters a third dimension. Zach and Ryker might both be lawyers, but they were also different.

Because the books were released on the same date, I listened to them one after the other. That’s the reason why I realized that Clarke voiced them differently. Way to go Jason!

For Erin Mallon. she hit a home run with Vaughn Sanders. She packed some steel to the sweet voice she gave Vaughn, thus making the character very real. Vaughn is not the girl-next-door type, but if you are in trouble, you want her to in your team. That’s feeling I got when I listened to Mallon’s narration of Vaughn.

Whether you will read or listen to Resist, you will not be disappointed. The story is gripping and captivating. You cannot turn the pages fast enough. K. Bromberg can write a good yarn.

As for the audiobook, you will not be disappointed. Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon brought their A-game when they narrated this book.

“Resist” is Rated M for Mature due to the theme and sexual content.

Image credits: Manhattan skyline photo by Sherzod Max; Man in a suit photo by Adeolu Eletu; Woman in apartment photo by Toa Heftiba; all on Unsplash