”Some things have a way of catching hold and not letting go until they’ve dragged you all the way down.”

I went in blind on this book, intrigued by the flames on the cover. Those flames should have been a clue for me about the fiery, action-packed story I was about to experience, but even so, I don’t think I was quite prepared for the heart-stopping, adrenaline-pumping ride I found inside the pages of Lola on Fire.

”In the face of an insurmountable threat, we seek security.”

This is the story of Brody, a down-on-his-luck young adult, who is trying—and failing—to make a decent life for himself and his younger sister, Molly. They’ve lost both of their parents, one to suicide and one to abandonment, and Molly can’t afford the medicine or therapy she needs for a chronic, debilitating medical condition. In a desperate moment, a wrong-place-wrong-time kind of decision lands Brody on the opposite side of the mafia, and now he and Molly stand to lose even more than they already have: their lives are on the line.

”What we really need is to get under the radar, to disappear.”

Lola on Fire moves ridiculously fast, with enough suspense, intrigue, and mafia-related crime to keep you on the edge of your seat. The title character, Lola, fades into the background almost immediately, but her narrative gradually weaves itself into Brody’s story in delightfully unexpected way.

”Brody is about to realize he’s been drawn into a war... Running is not a long-term solution. Leading you to [her] is his only hope for survival.”

Despite all the action and wildly fast pacing that leaves you mentally running to catch up, Youers raises poignant questions about family ties, desperation, survival, and the lengths to which a person will go, in order to save themselves (or the ones they love).

”Empathy is a valuable resource...”

I was so surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It’s a stereotypically-masculine read, packed with violence, guns, and even a flamethrower or two - not exactly my usual genre. But I loved every minute of it! Jim Meskimen’s narration was perfect; he brought every character to life in such an authentic way. I could totally picture every scene as a movie or mini-series. Highly recommend - 4.5/5 stars!

”A little light goes a long way.”

——

A huge thank-you to Rio Youers, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Overall not bad! Some of the flashback scenes were a bit sluggish, but we can stan Molly for not letting her disability stop her from being a bad bitch.
My only real issue with this novel was the multiple incidents where pitbulls were described as dumb and overly vicious. Has the author spent any time with a pitbull IRL? Literally the sweetest dogs imaginable. Go to a rescue and love on some and choose a different breed to drag that would make more sense (looking at you, chihuahuas and dachshunds).

DNF. I couldn't get this to play so I downloaded the other version. Hopefully that will work. It may be on my end. I tried on a tablet and a phone and it did not work for me.

Lola on Fire by Rio Youers is an action packed thriller that grabs your attention from the first page.

Brody robs a convenience store in order to pay for medicine for his sister, Molly. Brody loses his wallet during the robbery and gets a call from Blair who found his wallet. Blair agrees to give Brody his wallet back as long as he steals her mother’s diamonds back for her. When Brody goes to Blair’s father’s house to steal the diamonds, he realizes he is being set up for a crime much worse than robbing a store. Brody and Molly run away and try to find the only family they have left. Along the way Brody uncovers secrets about the past and his family.

Lola on Fire had me on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. There is so much action in this book. I really enjoyed the story and liked how it was mainly action but there was also family drama mixed in. I liked the characters. Brody is trying to do the best he can to raise his sister while still grieving his father’s death. Molly is the most important person to Brody. Molly has hardships to deal with but still sees the world in a positive light. Molly looks up to her brother. She sees the world in black and white with things being right and wrong. The infamous Lola is a very interesting character. She is smart and a strong fighter that could take out any opponent in her prime. I loved finding the connection between the stories and seeing them converge. I recommend Lola on Fire to anyone that likes fast paced, action packed thrillers.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jim Meskimen and enjoyed his narration. The narration fit well with the story and Meskimen was the perfect voice for Brody.

Thank you Harper Audio, William Morrow and NetGalley for Lola on Fire.

Lola on Fire by Rio Youers was an advanced audiobook copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Rio Youers. This book was fantastic. I have read Youers before and really enjoyed it, this was another success in my opinion. I loved following Brody and Molly's journey, learning about Lola Bear, Blair and Jimmy. I thought it was very believable and showed how small choices can lead to big events, small mistakes can spiral out of control and follow through is important. I powered through this book because I just wanted to find out how it ended, and it was a great ending.

Constant suspense and intrigue!! I could not get enough of this book. I enjoyed the audiobook format as I feel like the narrator really added edge and excitement to the words. I want to re-read this book with fresh eyes. It was THAT good!Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Lola on Fire was simply an explosion of a book! I heard it compared to John Wick, and in a hot second I was there for it. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.

We are introduced to Brody, who has possibly the worst luck of any character you've ever met. Or does he? Life has always kicked poor underachieving Brody in the balls, but lately it seems like it's more than a few underachieving missteps keeping him and his sister Molly down and out.

Now we meet Blair, who works for a mobster named Jimmy Latso, ready to take full advantage of Brody's desperation. Ooh, how we love to hate this young woman and the thug, Jimmy, who's raised her to do his sick bidding.

What results is a terribly dysfunctional "partnership" grown out of betrayal and manipulation, as everything seems to point back to a badass of a woman named Lola. How does it all tie together? Strap in for one helluva ride and find out!

If you like hard and non-stop action, despicable characters and dark twisty turns on every page, then Lola On Fire should be high on your to-read list. Be sure to grab it and read it soon, because I have no doubt a movie studio is going to grab this wild ride and fuel it up for the big screen asap!

A special thanks to Harper Audio and NetGalley who honored me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

LOLA ON FIRE - by Rio Youers
Source: NetGalley/Audiobook Review
Publisher: HarperAudio
Scheduled To Release: February 16, 2021 (subject to change)

Have you ever said to yourself, after reading a book that encompasses all the feels, ‘How in the world can I do this book justice in a review?’ LOLA ON FIRE is that book for me, at this moment.

Youers’ writing pulled me in immediately with the action, then slowly tightened up on my heartstrings and refused to let go until the very end.


I want to share an enticing tidbit without revealing too much, so here goes: Lola is essentially the female version of John Wick; in other words, Bad A##, and her nemesis?

Well…No spoilers. ;)

Like the movie I referenced above, LOLA ON FIRE is more than tension-filled gun fighting throughout; there's more to the story, A lot more. I will let you discover these gems on your own, but I will say, at its core, it's about love, loss, family, friends, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

‘Empathy is a valuable resource when it comes to forgiveness.’


My Thoughts About:

Narration

The narration enhanced my reading experience from the very beginning, delivering heartfelt moments that brought tears to my eyes, the tension so thick through sinister inflection coated with calm from the red lips of one foe, had me eagerly waiting—anticipating— for that moment when calm meets the firestorm.


Jim Meskimen brought life and emotion to all of the characters in a distinct voice; each is discernible from one another, which is no easy task when the cast is so varied.

Pacing/Flow

The pacing of an audiobook is a tricky thing. In this reader's opinion, I find that I tend to speed up the narration in all the audiobooks I listen to, except for a narrator who has a thick accent, then I slow it down a bit from my norm.

The flow and pacing of the narration are perfect. I have hearing loss in both ears, so the ability to speed up or slow down an audiobook helps tremendously.


Brief Overview Of The Story:


When life deals Brody Ellis with a lousy hand, he finds himself in need of cash to buy the medication his sister Molly needs, so he robs a convenience store. As he flees the scene, he bumps into a young woman and loses his wallet.

Expecting the police to arrive on his doorstep at any moment, he gets a phone call from Blair Mayo, the woman he bumped into; she has his missing billfold. If he wants it back, he has to do something for her, first: steal her late mother’s diamonds from her wicked stepmonster.

When Brody enters Blair’s house, he soon discovers that he’s just walked smack dab in the middle of a gruesome crime scene, in front of a security camera. Brody knows he’s been framed.

After arriving back at home, Brody gets another call from Blaire, who tells him her mobster father, Jimmy Latzo, won’t provide the security footage to the police because he wants exact his own kind of revenge.


Highly Recommend!

Overall: 5.0/5.0 Stars
Performance: 5.0/5.0 Stars
Story: 5.0/5.0 Stars

Thank you, NetGalley and HarperAudio Publishing, for loaning me an Audiobook of LOLA ON FIRE in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first time reading this author and I have to say that I was very surprised by how good this book was. If you are a fan of action-packed films then this will be right up your alley. I went into this blindly not knowing what it was about and I'm glad I did because this was a thrilling roller coaster of a read. This story kept me interested and just got better the further I got into it. One issue I did have was how near the end Brody and Lola just assumed they already knew all of what was going on seemed a bit unreal, but everything leading up to that moment was great and believable.

Well developed mystery thriller with great characters and a very entertaining narrator. Highly highly entertaining and highly recommended

Beautifully written tale of poetic justice. Finished in one sitting, I couldn't put it down! It is certainly an action packed ride. Pieces were a tad predictable, but it never ruined the story for me. Highly recommend.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I downloaded this, but I really enjoyed it. It was an interesting story that kept me enthralled during my commute (which is where I listen to audiobooks). The narrator is great.

Lola On Fire by Rio Youers was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. It's a non-stop thriller full of excellent characters and superb action.

When Brody Ellis is up against a wall he makes a stupid decision to be able to earn some quick cash. That decision unravels and ends with Brody in the run. But Brody is just a pawn in a bigger game to lure notorious mob enforcer Lola Bear out of hiding.

Books with super killer assassin types can run the risk of having the hero's feel invulnerable and above it all. But through all the violence and action, Lola always feels deeply human. It's one of the best I've read this year. It will be released in February 2021 but you can preorder now!

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, the synopsis mentioned John freaking Wick - so I had to get Lola on Fire. Anything that will remind me of those awesome movies or amazing character, I'm down. I don't care if it's good or not, I will read it with zero hesitation.

Luckily for me, I LOVED this book. Maybe loved isn't the right word for how I felt while listening to this wonderful ARC but that's the word I'm going with. So much happens from the very beginning until the very last second. Lola was a complete bad ass through and through.

Then there's Brody and Molly. Both were completely likable but I felt bad for them SO many times. I get it, they were pawns in this huge cluster of a hot mess but I still ended up feeling bad for them. With each twist and turn, I was on the edge of my seat for this entire book. I loved how people helped these two along the way because they just weren't expecting all of that.

In the end, I definitely look forward to my next book by Rio!

Thank you to Netflix and the publisher for allowing me to listen to the audio of Lola on Fire.
Against all odds, I really enjoyed it. The narrator is one of the best I have ever heard and I have heard a lot.
The story is a fairy tale of the Marvel Comics variety. Right from the beginning, there is deception, violence, injustice, and two young people on the run. I found myself guessing from Chapter 4 on as to who Lola was. What we do know is that she is bad to the bone.

There is almost a Homeric quality to the two young persons' search for their mother. The author even equates mother to home. The trials they go through would make anyone question their own sanity. They do find mom. Some of the more Marvel comic-like storylines are one of them getting their already bad legs broken in two places and then driving an SUV and stepping down from it. Someone with deep knife wounds pulling the knives out to re-use and not dying of blood loss. So although there is so much violence, it's almost comic in its rendition. However, I would never watch a movie of this book.

I do think the high quality of the narration made the book even more enjoyable.
It is a wonderful accompaniment to long walks in winter!

This audiobook was quite enjoyable. When I read that it was about a female assassin, I thought it might end up being a little cheesy or too action-packed and bland. This audiobook was not what I expected at all. It was a heartwarming, family story that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did. I really enjoyed the narrator, as well.

This book was a combination mobster gun fight and coming of age story. The book opens with a huge gun fight and high body count. While gun fights books aren't typically my thing, I really did enjoy this one because of the other parts of the story. I found Brody and Molly likeable and I really felt sorry for them. They were in a terrible position and that made Brody make some really bad choices. I was rooting for them throughout the book. I enjoyed how Brody grew and learned throughout the book. Many characters and situations weren't always what they seemed. It definitely kept me intrigued. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrator quite a bit. He did a good job with doing different voices for different characters. Overall, a pretty good book. I'd recommend it.

Can you escape a violent past and try to live a normal life? Sometimes you get knocked down only to get up stronger.
This book starts off with one of the best opening action scenes ever. Lola Bear is a total kick ass warrior reminiscent of Denzel Washington in The Equalizer. You can’t help but cheer on every kill.
It is this brilliant beginning that propels you through the story of 24 year old Brody and his younger handicapped sister Molly. They are struggling to make rent when Brody makes a mistake that has them fleeing the state unable to shake the trouble following them. Help comes from unexpected people.
Youers has created some absolutely amazing characters in this thriller that never slows down. I want to discuss this more but it is impossible without spoilers.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.