Narrated by Holden Still
I admit I paused for a few seconds when I thought about requesting Risk No Secrets for review. I mean, the narrator’s name is Holden Still. Really. But I’m glad I did because while his name is pun-tastic, Mr. Still is a great narrator (even if the name still makes me snicker).
I read the first couple of Black Ops Inc books when they were initially released in print but then was distracted and didn’t go back to the series. Now I have the audios to listen to so I can catch up. I’m glad I had already read the first couple though because there is a secondary romance in Risk No Secrets which perhaps wouldn’t have had quite the same meaning had I not known the characters a little beforehand. Even so, Risk No Secrets stands alone well and it is not necessary to listen in series order.
Wyatt “Papa Bear” Savage is a member of Black Ops Inc, a special operations contracting business run by Nate Black. Wyatt is in his late 30s and is beginning to question what he wants to do with the rest of his life. He’s feeling a bit tired and jaded and lonely. Many of the BOIs are pairing up and seeing all of that HEA-business is giving him hankerings.
Wyatt is a Georgia boy, with a loyal and steadfast heart. 12 years earlier, he had met Sophie Baylor when he was in the CIA and needed to learn Spanish. Sophie taught adult Spanish to government employees. Wyatt and his best buddy and fellow spook, Hugh Weber, both took the class. Hugh was GQ handsome, with movie star charisma. Wyatt’s good looks were more understated and he wasn’t the pushy type. Both men fell in love with Sophie but it was Hugh who got the girl. Wyatt stood as best man at their wedding and then went on a week-long bender immediately after. He has, ever since, pined for Sophie.
Hugh and Wyatt lost touch after they both left the CIA. Wyatt knows Hugh started his own spec-ops contracting business but not much else.
Now divorced from Hugh, Sophie is living in El Salvador and running a school for the children of ex-pats which also has spots for local children to get a good education too. Sophie’s daughter, Hope, goes to the school. A kidnapping attempt on Sophie’s daughter results in the abductors taking the wrong girl – Hope’s friend Lola is taken instead. Sophie, unable to locate Hugh, calls Wyatt for help finding Lola. Wyatt and the BOIs come to San Salvador to get the job done.
At first Wyatt doesn’t understand that Sophie is single again and then, when he does, he believes he’s not good enough for her or that she deserves better. So there is a bit of the big misunderstanding trope flying about Risk No Secrets. However, the saving grace is that these misunderstandings don’t last for too long. New misunderstandings arise (of course) but at least it’s not the same one. Also, the main story only takes a few days so even though it seemed a little like Wyatt was wallowing, he really wasn’t.
Sophie did love Hugh but 12 years earlier, she also had feelings for Wyatt. After Hugh changed and became cold and uncommunicative, she began to wonder if she’d chosen the wrong man. (Spoiler alert: she had.) When Sophie sees Wyatt again, all those old feelings arise and new ones grow. Hugh’s contracting company is very mercenary and his staff aren’t what she considered “good guys”. The BOIs are vastly different, showing honour and integrity.
As Wyatt and Sophie race against time to find Lola alive, they fall in love all over again.
Also, back in Argentina, Nate finally makes his move on the lovely Julianna. So, Risk No Secrets is kind of a twofer.
I did pick the twist in the tale but I appreciated the book didn’t go into expected territory.
Wyatt is a good guy and his and Sophie’s romance is very sweet as well as passionate and fierce.
Holden Still gave the BOIs who appeared in the story each a distinctive voice, whether by cadence or accent. His depiction of Sophie and the other female cast was also very good. Added to that, Mr. Still’s Spanish accent was solid. The Spanish-speaking characters, thankfully, did not have a caricature accent when they were speaking English.
Wyatt, in Holden Still’s performance, has a warm honey tone to his voice, and that Georgia accent, with its deceptive slower speed shows why people so often underestimate him. Wyatt prefers to stay out of the limelight and that led to him losing Sophie to his flashier best friend. However, even when Wyatt knows Sophie is available, he still doesn’t push – that’s just not his way.
It was a case of narrator and character being in perfect sync. All of Wyatt’s words seemed to hold extra meaning coming from Mr. Still’s lips.
From the tension of the suspense plot to the affection and camaraderie between the BOIs and the romance between Wyatt and Sophie (and Nate and Julianna), Mr. Still delivered on all counts. So, yeah, even though his name makes me smirk, I’ll definitely be listening to him again.
Kaetrin
Buy Risk No Secrets by Cindy Gerard on Amazon
