Rise cover art

Rise

Men of Hidden Creek Season 4, Book 5

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Rise

By: J Hayden Bailey
Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
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About this listen

“You’re the sweetest thing at the fair.”

After leaving the military, Todd Hudson has avoided putting down roots, living with his best friends in Hidden Creek. Entering the summer fair baking contest sounds like a sweet time. The cute guy he takes home the night before the competition runs away, but he hasn’t seen the last of him.

Charlie Deacon never puts himself first - in bed, at work, or in life. His rescue dog, Geri, is his only company at home. Pressured to enter the baking contest, he doesn’t expect to find the hunk he regrets ditching. The competition forbids fraternizing, but their bubbling feelings are rising to the surface.

Charlie and Todd couldn’t be more opposite, and they fit together like chocolate and caramel...but they only have a week together. When Charlie’s bullying father and Todd’s career call, can they make it work when the Fair packs up for the year?

Welcome to Hidden Creek, Texas, where the heart knows what it wants, and where true love lives happily ever after. Every Men of Hidden Creek novel can be listened to on its own, but keep an eye out for familiar faces around town! This book contains a naughty half-Daschund, a giant fairground prize teddy bear, and kisses hotter than fresh-baked cupcakes.

©2019 J Hayden Bailey (P)2019 J Hayden Bailey Contemporary Contemporary Romance Literature & Fiction Romance Heartfelt Feel-Good

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All stars
Most relevant  
To be honest I wasn’t sure reading the blurb what a story about baking would be like but it is so good. The love of baking sustained Charlie and helped him cope with the things life threw at him. For Todd it is his way to relax. I liked how events kept bringing them together until they found themselves competing against eachother. The secondary characters were stars of the book. They all contributed to bringing life by adding interest. I’m not sure if the basic story would’ve been good without them.
Nick J Russo did an amazing job giving each of them so much individually. He gave the secondary characters as much focus as the main characters which strengthened the story.

Secondary characters shone through

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Over all I really enjoyed Rise. The premise of the baking competition, the couple of baddies, and the sweet relationship between Charlie and Todd. I loved the development of Charlie’s character as he went from a man with little self-esteem and who was willing to be used and put others needs first because he hoped that doing this meant people would see him and moved on. My only bad point was his constant apologising; but I think this only irritated me as I am a person who constantly apologises for things that aren’t my fault - so it struck home and made me realise what an annoying trait it can be for others! I loved Todd, and how after his time in the military, baking was his way of relaxing and escaping. Rise had my craving fresh baked bread, and chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes - but satisfied my craving for a sweet read, with Hidden Creek’s very own Great British Bake Off!
Another great narration by Nick J Russo - a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Baking contest results in love

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A baking contest and two very compatible competitors. Charlie thinks he is not worth it, he’s always one step behind everyone but when he bakes no one touches him. Todd has come to town to visit his friend and will be gone soon, right after the baking contest. They are so endearing, both developing a romance that won’t stop even when they have odds against it. I loved their happy ending. Not rushed or instantaneous. Good narration too. Love the voice.

Charlie dear!

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I love hidden Creek and every season there is 1 book that seems to not quite make it to the standards of the others. although I loved this author last season I felt something was missing from this story.

it was still a great listen and I am glad I read/listened to it as you can't go wrong with Hidden. Creek.

good book

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I've enjoyed all of this series of Men of Hidden Creek and this book was no exception. I found myself smiling at regular intervals and feeling warm all over. It was sweet but not sugary, with just enough spice to keep the recipe fresh. The main characters were totally adorable, and the friends around them were great fun too. At the end when the man told me that audible hoped I enjoyed my book, I thanked him out loud and said that I really, really did :)
Nick J Russo keeps amazing me with how I can listen to a whole series of books and the characters don't all sound the same - great job!
I received an ARC, but I loved it so much that I'm going to buy the paperback for my shelf.

This book was so uplifting (pun intended)

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We are back in Hidden Creek a gem of a Texan town that is so inclusive it makes you want to live there. This is the fourth season of this wonderful multi-author series.

This book has two of my favourite things hot, sweet men and baking. Some of the recipe sounds delicious, I wish I could get them for real. This is my second book by this author and it is again full of sweet goodness about two lonely men Todd and Charlie who meet on the eve of the baking contest, we the readers get to watch the love bloom over the rounds of baking in this really enjoyable book.

Charlie and Todd had insecurities which the other helped them with and it was nice to read Charlie put a certain judge in his place.

A good addition to this years season from Hidden Creek.

Baking and Men.

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Such a wonderful addition to the Hidden Creek series. Reading Charlie and Todd is simultaneously completely adorable and frustrating with how little Charlie thinks of himself.
A baking competition at the local Summer Fair brings together two men who are living lonely lives and yearn for something more. Baking is their outlet and the perfect way to decompress. Charlie is vegan and has been cooking for himself for years, currently stuck in his job at the local food market working long hours and no real friends to speak of. Todd is ex military and works on films shoots to help with the military knowledge. On his down time he stays with his best friends and bakes but wonders is he can ever have that special someone for himself.
Instant attraction means the men hit it off in their own stumbling ways. However, rules dictate that competitors must not fraternise and with one judge really on their case, Charlie is paranoid that they keep their friendship. There's a lot of back and forth between them as they go one step forward and two steps back. Reading Todd giving Charlie the care and attention he is in dire need of is wonderful and it gives Todd a purpose and his own person to love. The baking contest is a lot of fun with some real quirky characters, including the judges. By the end, you get a true sense of community and how the people really can come together, even those you never really thought about as friends.
Such a wonderful story that drew me in and I love both of the characters and the friends that they make. A recommended read for me! Excited for #6 in the series.
Nick again has done wonderful work in narrating another couple with their own story to add to the Hidden Creek series. He really brings out the vulnerabilities that both men have but especially with Charlie and the hard start he had to life and the way he's been treated by others. I wasn't too sold on the voice he provided for Naomi, didn't really match the character I had in my head. But every other character, friends and enemies, were great and I was engaged throughout the whole narration of the story.

Hidden Creek's own Great British Bake Off!

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The story is always full stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook. I can't listen to an audiobook without knowing the book, that's not possible for me.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. Nick J Russo is one of the top 5 narrators for me, I can listen without break and have no problems to follow.
I'm just not yet finish with the book, just over the half, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B


as great as the ebook

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So, I’m loving this series so much I think I’ll start looking for a property in Hidden Creek!

I’ve said before, I love the fact that I’m meeting new Authors with this series, J Hayden Bailey being one of them. All these books are set in the same fictional town but I think can be read in any order. The wonderful Nick Russo just gets better and better, his different character voices are so good and I feel the emotions when he’s reading.

This book was sweet, fun and slightly frustrating in parts - mainly due to Charlie’s ongoing apologies! Charlie grew so much in this book and it was great to see him grow in confidence. Todd and Charlie are like chalk and cheese but baking brings them together, it’s a great escape for Todd from his own issues.

I really enjoyed this book, it made me grin! Of course, I was starving for most of the book with a huge urge to run out and bake (or at least visit the Bakery in Marks...) 😂

All the ingredients for a perfect Rise....

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Listener received this title free

This was a really sweet story that ties in with the rest of the books in the series as they all seem to involve the fair in some way or another. The fair was a major factor in this one with the baking competition playing a large part and aspects of it adding the external conflict of the relationship. The main conflict was internal, with Charlie's self-esteem issues causing most of the issues between them. Charlie and Todd were very sweet together and I enjoyed this gentle drama. My only complaint is that everything seemed to happen far too fast at the end. I'd have believed it all more if the epilogue had been six months later rather than two, not just relationship but business wise too.

Sweeter than a vegan cupcake

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