Heart of the Steal

Possibly Ranty Review Coming but here's the gist of it if you want to skip reading it:Generous 3.00, because of the authors & the writing, when it could've easily been a 4.5 in spite of a wobbly start, but the last plot development ruined it for meI'd seen mixed reviews for this but it was available both on KU & Audible Escape. I've really liked previous books from both of these authors, same goes for the narrators [a:Iggy Toma 13543759 Iggy Toma https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Kirt Graves 15936299 Kirt Graves https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/m_50x66-82093808bca726cb3249a493fbd3bd0f.png], so I decided to give it a try. The audio worked pretty well. I don't mind dual narration, though they can be tricky, and mostly they're unnecessary. Iggy's voice for Amory was the most difficult to get used, though I ended up liking him, probably because I liked the character. The difficulty came from the fact that his southern drawl verges a bit on an old timey raconteur, sometimes sounding older than 42, which is how old Amory is meant to be. Kirt almost made me like William. Almost.The is advertised as some sort of Thomas Crown Affair, enemy to lovers, criminal & outlaw trope, but it's not not exactly true. Amory isn't actually an art thief. Not in the traditional sense. Will on the other hand is exactly as advertised and that's the problem. I won't say I hated him, that would be too strong a word, but I'm not sure we'd be friends. He's a saint or has aspirations to canonization, existing on a higher moral ground, and demanding/expecting that everyone conform to his narrow view of right & wrong. The problem with saints, at least for me, is that I find them insufferable, and hypocritical at best. The first 20% or so had me doubting my choice of read/listen. The attraction is perfectly fine but their behavior on their first encounters seemed out of character for who they're meant to be, and their ages, 34 & 42. I guess it's meant to signal how meeting that person/thing that makes us zap and zing can shake us out of our normal but, I don't know, it just didn't buy it. Thankfully once they settled into a proper relationship I REALLY liked it. How they were more or less easy with each other in spite of their differences, how it didn't take them too long to acknowledge that they had feelings beyond lust for each other, and they didn't freak out when the “L” word surfaced. In other words they behaved like the grownups they are which is why the last 20% and the ending ruined the whole thing for me.William comes off as the most sanctimonious & ungrateful prick. Amory does something to make William's life better, as you try to do for people you love, and all William and do is feel offended and flagellate Amory for daring to use the means at his disposal to ease the way. There's also this thing of making Amory seem like a snob because he knows and likes the good things in life. Sure, many of us can't afford the really good champagne, the truly decadent macaroons, the fits-like-a-glove bespoke suit, but isn't it what we aspire to? If William is so opposed to the good things and life, why is he with Amory? Armory's wealth and upbringing are part of what make him himself. He accepts William with all of his annoying black & white view of the world. William needs to be accepted with all his baggage and Amory does, yet William seems incapable of extending the courtesy. Amory is meant to ‘mend his ways', be sorry for what he's done, and promise to never do it again. Change. Frankly I never saw what William brought to Amory but judgement. Maybe that's Armory's kink? The worst part was that I got the impression that the authors agree with William's POV. I felt properly chastised but not changed. Me and my immoral self, who likes to be taken care of by my SO, and likes the paved road will be on our merry way. Because I'm feeling snippy: I didn't care for the cover, and I could've done without some of the sex.