My original Incite audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Incite is book one of the four-part Sphere of Irony series, a spin-off of Heather C. Leigh’s Famous series. I hadn’t read any of the previous books by this author, but Incite worked well as a stand alone. It is a rock star romance, which follows the story of Adam and Ellie over a period of ten to fifteen years. They meet in their last year at school when classy, posh Ellie has to move to the East End of London after her father becomes unemployed. Adam is a street-smart kid who grew up in this drug and crime ridden area with a violent father, an addict mother and a drug dealing brother. Together with his mate Dax, he plays guitar and writes songs hoping to escape his deprived surroundings. Adam and Dax save Ellie from being assaulted and over time, a sweet romance builds up between Ellie and Adam. But every time when you think there is finally something positive coming their way, another obstacle is thrown in their way. They end up spending a lot of time apart with Adam pursuing his music career in the US and Ellie trying to cope with problems in the UK.

The plot started out really strong, and I was loving it. But then a few things started to irritate me a bit. The main thing being the overly long timeline, which started to jump around with several flashbacks. Following an “incident”, the story would suddenly jump forward a few months/years, but then flashback to include additional information. It felt disjointed and could have been done more smoothly. The other thing that I couldn’t quite buy into was the premise that in this day and age it was so difficult for two people to keep in touch or keep track of each other. However, if you can forget about those things, then you have an emotional love story with all the usual ingredients, some interesting side characters and sharp dialogue.

What made this book more special for me though was the narration. Henrietta Meire with her clear voice and very proper English accent was absolutely perfect for the character of Ellie and really brought her to life in the way the author portrayed her in the book. Adam Croasdell, probably better known for his TV appearances, did a great job impersonating Adam’s and Dax’s East London accents and switching back and forth to do the two American accents of the other two band mates. Both narrators had great pacing, intonation and expressed emotions believably and appropriately. Great listening.

A very good listen for fans of New Adult contemporary romances, especially if you like some troubled musicians. Includes some sex and a few swear words.

Audiobook provided for review by the author. ( )

Ellie Palmer transfers to a new school in a dangerous neighborhood of London. She is attacked and rescued by classmate Adam Reynolds. Ellie and Adam form an intense bond and love for one another. Unfortunately, fate has other plans and numerous obstacles for the two of them to endure.

Incite is a captivating story that pulled at my heart strings.

Ellie is a sweet heroine. She has wonderful parents. When she lets people in, they instantly like her. She is selfless and easy to love. She is a good person that has a lot of bad luck and puts others before herself.

My heart went out to Adam. He is a fantastic hero who has had a rough life. Fortunately, he has good friends in his band mates, specifically Dax. I like that he wants to be a better person then his family members, especially his father. However, he is human and has numerous struggles that make his character believable and likeable.

Adam and Ellie never seem to get a break, and my heart utterly went out to them. This heartwarming story is incredibly well-written and thought provoking. I just love Adam and Ellie together, and it killed me when they are apart.

This is the first book I have read be Heather Leigh, and I am so glad that I read it! She has a wonderful writing style that had me completely engaged. I could not put Incite down. I will definitely want to continue reading this series.

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ( )