Audiobook: Skin Game, book 3, narrated by Christian Leatherman.

This is the third book in the continuing story of (ex) conman Gabriel Karn and the wonderful, quirky denizens of Heartstone. As usual, Gabe skirts the law, flirts with danger, gets in trouble, helps his friends, gets help from his friends, receives surprising revelations, and learns more details about his late mother’s life. As a reader/listener, I love this series. There are always plenty of twists and turns, and surprises you don’t see coming. Despite his best efforts (?), Gabe always seems to end up in trouble, and Ranger Man (Casey) does his best to keep him safe. No small task. This time, a young woman shows up claiming to be Gabe’s daughter. Possible? Yes. Probable? No. Her appearance…and subsequent disappearance…start Gabe on a new search for answers. The book has some intriguing mysteries that intertwine and eventually all come together in a cohesive way. The romance between Gabe and Casey has solidified, although it remains rather slow burn. They may seem like complete opposites, but as a couple, they work. Gabe adds color to Casey’s regimented world, while Casey does his best to keep Gabe on the (mostly) straight and narrow. The side characters are colorful and remain some of the best scene-stealers in the book.

I highly recommend the audiobook format. The narration really captures Gabe’s devil-may-care attitude and Casey’s put-upon grumpiness, as he attempts to obey the law while still protecting Gabe. It adds a flavor, and some comedy, that I wouldn’t get just reading the book.

TL;DR version: I loved the story and can’t wait for the next instalment of Gabe’s adventures.

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️️

“Skin Game” is the third book in the Subtle Deceptions series. I’ve already read the first two books, and I highly recommend reading the series in order, as that will give you a better understanding of the characters and their motivations.
The writing style is wonderful, and I was quickly drawn into the world of Gabe and Casey. The story is told in the third person, alternating between their perspectives.
If you’re looking for a quick romance, this isn’t the book for you. But if you’re looking for plenty of suspense and a solid plot, you’ve come to the right place. Yes, the romance is a slow burn, but that works really well here.
When a young woman shows up at Gabe’s door claiming to be his daughter, he knows she’s up to something. The only question is: why, and what’s behind it? Then unforeseen events unfold, and shortly afterward, Gabe finds himself in deep trouble. And he learns important things about his mother’s past that she had kept from him.
I really like the two main characters, Gabe and Casey, and have grown to love them over the course of the three volumes. Gabe skillfully uses his experiences from his shady past, but it becomes increasingly clear that he’s actually one of the good guys. And Casey is trying to reconnect with the relationship he had with his brother before his brother was wrongfully sent to prison.
I love how the author continually develops the characters in this series; it’s wonderful to see them slowly gain trust and let their guard down.
At the same time, the investigations and the events are incredibly suspenseful. There’s action and entertainment, but above all, there’s a strong emotional arc for the characters. And did I mention that I love the supporting characters?!
I’m already looking forward to the next book!

The narrator, Christian Leatherman, did an outstanding job. I like his comfortable storytelling pace and his pleasant voice. He conveyed the emotions convincingly and chose voices for all the characters that suited them perfectly. Bravo—it was an absolute pleasure to listen to this audiobook!

This is the third book in the series, and I have to say the books are just getting better and better. I’ll start with narrator Christian Leatherman. He’s incredibly talented and always delivers amazing performances, and this audio is no exception. He really takes Elle’s words to another level, and I enjoyed every moment of this.

Okay – so the story! Gabriel seems to have escaped his grifting past. Then a baby grifter shows up on his doorstep, and he’s confused. Not to be derailed, he partakes in a questionable venture and that goes sideways as well. Still, despite the scrape to the head, he moves forward on sorting out his life. Grappling with his past. God bless Casey the ranger man – and Gabe’s boyfriend – there to stand by his man.

Nothing is ever simple, though. Especially if your name is Gabriel Karne. This book had many twists and turns as he navigates his past and comes to terms with his present. Hell, he even (very occasionally) eyes the future.

The mystery was great, the characters were amazing, the love story was pure perfection, and I loved how everything was nearly wrapped up.

Until the epilogue. So more to come? God, I hope so.

Elle’s portrayal of the Pacific Northwest succeeds in making the land a character, and that added to the mood. So perfect. I can’t wait to see what’s next…

M/M
Crime/murder mystery
Suspense
Grumpy/less grumpy
Small island town
Age gap 10+ years
Established couple
Part 3
TBC

Arc audio review

Story = 4.5 stars
Narration = 5 stars

Not a standalone. Read the first 2 books before this. I really loved this book but I think book 2 was slightly better than this one. We finally get to see these 2 great men being an established couple and no longer fighting it. It was well worth the wait. This book is still fairly low steam and it is more plot focused like the previous 2 books were but we do get the light sprinkle of steam and it was just so great to see these 2 together finally for real.

Trouble continues to follow these 2 men as Gabe gets curios to find out who his mother really was. This book kept my interest from start to finish with many different events occurring. There wasn't a dull moment. I did find it a bit of a slower pace than the previous book but it was still very entertaining. There is a plot twist at the end that I could see coming from the start but maybe that's just me and others will find it more shocking. There was one scene that gave it away for me and I do think if that brief scene wasn't included it would have made the ending more shocking and interesting. Even still, the author had a brilliant idea to tie everything together. The last bit was definitely fast paced, thrilling and suspenseful but maybe the fact that I knew what was coming and the lesser body count made this just a pinch less exciting for me than a solid 5 stars.

I do still love both of the main characters, even more than before and I love their chemistry together. I was hoping to see a bit more romance. Not necessarily steam cause the focus was on the plot but more casual intimacy between them. Gabe claims to be a kisser/hugger/snuggler but we don"t really see that here. Hopefully we get more of that in the next book. As always the author contues to write great scenes with a great supporting cast of characters.

The narrator did a great job. He had a pleasant reading voice. He kept a good pace/flow. He expressed all the emotions well and gave all the characters including the side characters their own distinct voice that suited them all perfectly and made it easy to follow the story and brought the story to life.

MM
Dual POV
Murder mystery
Grumpy/sunshine
Established couple
Nicknames
Bi rep
Dog/cat Dad

Rating: 3.5/5 - this isn't a book I see myself re-reading but I enjoyed it and will continue the series
🌶️: 1/5 - there were a couple explicit intimate scenes

TLDR: I love the relationship dynamics. I'd read about this couple doing anything but they happen to be solving a mystery.

This is a solid murder mystery. If you like a mystery/crime procedural story with a focus couple, pick up this series. I absolutely love the grumpy sunshine dynamic in this book. The nicknames they have for each other are some of my absolute favorites! So good. The bisexual MC in this also has a criminal with a heart of gold vibe that I absolutely dig and gives his boyfriend an endless source of frustration. It's delicious.

The audiobook performance was good. Same narrator as the first two books. Good distinction between characters. It's always easy to identify the POV even with the single narrator.

Ultimately, I'd recommend this book to anyone who has read the first two books. You could jump in here but I think you’ll be missing a lot. This is a great mystery series. If you like mysteries and light spice romance, pick up this series.

Thank you to the author and Neon Rainbow Reviews for the advanced review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.