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Taking Shots: Assassins Series # 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Toni Aleo (Author), Lucy Malone (Narrator), Tantor Audio (Publisher)
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No matter how hard she tries, Elleanor Fisher never thinks she's good enough, from her job to her weight to her love life. After enduring years of abuse at the hands of an ex-boyfriend, Elli has been drifting through life in a daze. Until, that is, she meets Shea Adler on a promotional shoot for the NHL's Nashville Assassins. Before Elli knows what's happening, the gorgeous Shea breaks the ice and shatters her world. A brilliant athlete inside the rink, Shea Adler is tired of the life he's living outside of it: the women, the money, the drinking. But everything changes when he meets Elli. After laying eyes on this feisty, witty, beautiful woman, he feels like he's just taken the hardest hit of his life. No matter how skeptical she is, Shea knows they are meant to be together - if only he can convince Elli to put her insecurities aside before she misses out on a shot at love.

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  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Assassins
  2. Listening Length
    14 hours and 43 minutes
  3. Author
    Toni Aleo
  4. Narrator
    Lucy Malone
  5. Audible release date
    December 30, 2013
  6. Language
    English
  7. Publisher
    Tantor Audio
  8. ASIN
    B00HLB4LI8
  9. Version
    Unabridged
  10. Program Type
    Audiobook
  11. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 14 hours and 43 minutes
Author Toni Aleo
Narrator Lucy Malone
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date December 30, 2013
Publisher Tantor Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00HLB4LI8
Best Sellers Rank #207,710 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#1,143 in Sports Romance (Audible Books & Originals)
#5,966 in Sports Romance (Books)
#16,996 in Contemporary Romance (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
2,099 global ratings

Customers say

Customers say the storyline is great, with steamy sex scenes and drama. They also find the characters well-developed, honest, and real. Customers say it makes them laugh and cry, with meaningful relationships. However, some find the editing horrible and the book a colossal waste of time. Opinions are mixed on readability, with some finding it well-written and easy to read, while others say the grammar is poor and annoying. Readers also have mixed feelings about the length, with a few finding it lengthy and at times slow, while other find it too long.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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StorylineCharactersHumorFlavorReadabilityLengthEditing qualityEntertainment value
181 customers mention "Storyline"160 positive21 negative

Customers find the storyline great, with steamy scenes in between. They also say the family dynamics are interesting. Readers also mention that the ending is nice.

"...There is passion, sexy love scenes that will put a blush to your face and a tried and true beautiful romance between two characters who are destined..." Read more

"...I was determined enough to look past that... I will say that the story was alright. Cute and sweet were the first thoughts I had...." Read more

"...Shea is handsome, no he's HOT, sensitive, romantic, and he can cry! Ahhhhh, I love to read where men cry because they do!..." Read more

"...who had that Jock attitude but with Elli, OMG he was so caring and romantic, so totally swoon worthy...." Read more

115 customers mention "Characters"94 positive21 negative

Customers find the characters in the book well developed, likeable, and sweet. They also say the characters jump off the pages.

"...Thank you for creating such endearingly powerful characters and a truly dynamic love story!" Read more

"...It held my attention until the end. It had cuteness of the characters (especially Shea), the sadness of what I saw as usual angst of a relationship..." Read more

"...I especially liked his relationship with his sister. They felt like real life characters. They gave each other crap...." Read more

"...Toni Aleo has a solid story, with many fantastic side characters and sub plots that were just fantastic...." Read more

43 customers mention "Humor"38 positive5 negative

Customers find the humor in the book to be funny. They say it makes them laugh and cry at the same time. They also appreciate the author's ability to draw out the emotions the characters go through.

"...This book has it all. Laughter, sexy time, drama, heartache and love. Oh and it has Funny Girl. Seriously?! I LOVE IT!!!..." Read more

"...Going by this one, she is really good at creating angst & super swoon-worthy Heroes in her stories!I liked Elli most of the time...." Read more

"...So not only was their relationship very real and meaningful, but the chemistry between the characters was there as well...." Read more

"...He was sexy, sweet, thoughtful and for some reason head over heals in love with Elli.I hated how she treated him...." Read more

39 customers mention "Flavor"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the flavor of the book amazing and sexy. They also say the characters are realistic.

"...Cute and sweet were the first thoughts I had. Ellie and Shea were lovable characters.... flaws and all...." Read more

"...Shea is handsome, no he's HOT, sensitive, romantic, and he can cry! Ahhhhh, I love to read where men cry because they do!..." Read more

"...She had a unique sense of style, and when she got out of her head, she was a blast...." Read more

"...Shea and Elli's romance, when it's working, is so gorgeous and sweet...." Read more

106 customers mention "Readability"51 positive55 negative

Customers are mixed about the readability. Some find the book well written, detailed, and understandable. They also say the characters get along naturally and easily. However, other customers say the grammar is poor, the descriptions are insipid, and the words are repeated quite often. They find the writing annoying and cliche.

"...I do believe that is a great testament of the caliber of writing. Especially by a first time published writer, and what a first book!..." Read more

"...There were plenty of typos throughout, but since I was determined enough to look past that... I will say that the story was alright...." Read more

"...really enjoyed the story the author has written but I also liked her writing style...." Read more

"...it his blue tie that made his eyes shine, or was it Elli?" Just awkward, confusing, and wrong...." Read more

29 customers mention "Length"11 positive18 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the length of the book. Some find it lengthy and at times a little slow, while others say it's way too long and not worth the read.

"...Disliked:1. Book length. This one got a little too down in the details, into the minutiae of everyday life...." Read more

"...This is a LONG book...." Read more

"...Spoilers*Okay so first off this story is way way too long and repetitive...." Read more

"...At 475 pages (according to Kindle), it was about 200 pages too long...." Read more

35 customers mention "Editing quality"0 positive35 negative

Customers find the editing quality of the book horrible, with tenses changing mid paragraph.

"...usual angst of a relationship, and it was frustrating from the poor edit with typos and the immaturity of the heroine...." Read more

"...The editing is miserable. (And all the reviews on Amazon and elsewhere are a huge testament to that!)..." Read more

"...Yes there were some editing issues - so why did I give it 5 stars?...." Read more

"...I had three complaints about this story. First, the editing job was TERRIBLE...." Read more

25 customers mention "Entertainment value"6 positive19 negative

Customers find the book dull, poorly written, and unrealistic. They also say the grammar and spelling practically ruin the book.

"...of the book was exhausting for me and I thought it was completely unnecessary for the book. I thought the author beat that dead horse with a stick...." Read more

"...I usually don't mind a few typos or here and there but it was pretty atrocious, and in one scene the character's name was even wrong..." Read more

"...So in theory this was awful, awful, awful and I'm going to write off the remaining 48% and move on to "Trying to Score" hoping that it is..." Read more

"...Fast paced and kept your interest. Laughed and smiled through so much of the book. Really pulling for Ellie and Shea...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

B. Waldron
5.0 out of 5 stars Hot, Hot, Hot ..... Simply Fantastic!
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2011
Verified Purchase
I just finished reading this fantastic Sports Themed (Hockey), Romance called TAKING SHOTS by Toni Aleo. In reading the author's notes after finishing this amazing book, she stated that reviewers have said that when reading Taking Shots they felt as though they were a part of the story. Apart of Shea and Elli's life, as though you were living every moment with them. That couldn't be more accurate. I do believe that is a great testament of the caliber of writing. Especially by a first time published writer, and what a first book! Toni really started out of the gates with a bang!
From the beginning of the first chapter I was honestly ensnared into the world of Shea and Elli, I thought that they were so real, everyday people. Baggage and all, ugly scars, both emotional and physical, you can't help but feel as though you are apart of the story. I almost felt as though I was a voyeur, eavesdropping in on them, with my nose pressed against the window that was their life. But found I was too engrossed to remove myself and too emotionally invested to back away. I couldn't read fast enough.

Elli's historic love life or lack their off and the relationship she has with her family is out of control insane. Besides her father and her uncle, she has no familial support and what her mother, sister and brother's would claim is support for Elli, is simply a cruel joke. Thank goodness for her friends. Especially her best friend Harper. Who BTW is one hell of a dynamic character! Harper's relationship with Jakob is hilarious, they both add such strength and depth to whole story. Elli is terribly insecure and through love and encouragement she sees the light at the end of the tunnel, or so she thinks.
Through the years Shea has had many women, but who cared. His heart was never involved and he never wasted more than one date with them. Why? He had no intention of giving his heart. That was until he met Elli. She blew him away with her beauty, her humor and her love for all things Assassins. As a franchise player for the Assassins, Shea loved that she wore his # and jersey for so long before they met, let alone as his official girlfriend. But this being new territory for him to even have a girlfriend and Elli's own dramatic insecurities they two run into a lot of problems. Most brought on by her overpowering and evil family.

Though triumph doesn't seem in the books for them, through their impossible journey, you will find yourself crying right alongside both of them.

There are some serious dramatic ups and downs that they both go through. But with every step they make I felt more anxiety and excitement for their final reconciliation. I knew that they both were going to have to make the grand gesture if they wanted to plow through all the BS they struggled through to even get to this point.

If you are any kind of romance fan, this is a can't miss book. You won't be disappointed, there is drama, oh baby is there ever! There is passion, sexy love scenes that will put a blush to your face and a tried and true beautiful romance between two characters who are destined and deserving of their own happily ever after. So, kudos to author Toni Aleo, one of my new fav's as I am huge fan now. I am truly bowing down on the floor in awe! Thank you for creating such endearingly powerful characters and a truly dynamic love story!
2 people found this helpful
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NancyW
4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, sad, and a little frustrating.....
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2013
Verified Purchase
I know that there was an edited version of this book after its first publication, but unfortunately I did not get that edited copy on my Kindle. There were plenty of typos throughout, but since I was determined enough to look past that... I will say that the story was alright. Cute and sweet were the first thoughts I had. Ellie and Shea were lovable characters.... flaws and all. While I would rather see the hero be a little stronger and the heroine a little less self-loathing, I felt it was a touching union of the two. Just reading how smitten Shea was, I actually hoped I could get so lucky.

With that being said, I will admit it was a breath of fresh air to see a hero be a little more openly emotional. Now, when it came to our heroine, Ellie... Well, I really had moments where I wanted to just reach out and smack her across the back of her head hard enough for her to get a clue and get a reasonable backbone. Her family was just awful (with the exception of her father and her uncle), and I could fully understand how she was so confidence-challenged, but her reactions to things were so flipping frustrating that it bordered on childish. I did feel that the story was a little too lovey-dovey at first, but it really grew on me. The big dramatic push to pull Shea and Ellie apart felt quite dragged out as well as the way it resolved itself in the end. Thus going back to wanting to smack Ellie across the back of her head to get her to get a clue. She was just too immature in my eyes and apparently clueless to even trying to seek the truth before she almost blew it completely.

In conclusion, I did rate this book a solid 4 stars because the story was good. It held my attention until the end. It had cuteness of the characters (especially Shea), the sadness of what I saw as usual angst of a relationship, and it was frustrating from the poor edit with typos and the immaturity of the heroine. I liked it all, but just was not moved to loving it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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SandraD
5.0 out of 5 stars Soulmates
Reviewed in Australia on June 7, 2019
Verified Purchase
Loved Shae - he knew who he wanted as soon as he saw Ellie. He was besotted, committed, thoughtful, compassionate, sincere and loved her and his family with his whole heart. He always gave 110%. Ellie has everything going for her but lacks confidence due largely to her mother, sister and her ex. Through Shae's love she starts to see herself through his eyes and blossoms as the book continues. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the 2 main characters. They were real and sweet. There were some heartbreaking moments were you wished Ellie would stop being so stubborn and hear the man out. End the heartbreak and misery!
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Avid Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Great sports romance
Reviewed in Canada on December 31, 2015
Verified Purchase
4.5 swoonworthy stars.

I loved this book. It swallowed me whole and didn't spit me out until the very end. I found Elli's insecurities a little tiresome, seriously she's a size 10 nothing to cry over. Shea is an amazing hero and I absolutely adore him. He's patient and loving.
Elli's family (aside from her father and uncle) are bat s*** crazy. If I had a family like that, I would not spend any time with them. I didn't give it a full 5 stars simply because I did find it a tad long, it felt padded in some areas unnecessarily. Despite this, I look forward to reading the next book.
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Mspraise1
5.0 out of 5 stars This was one of the best romances I have read in a while
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
I am really enjoying sports romance stories and I asked a few of my reading buddies to give me some suggestions. This author was suggested and I had never read anything by her before so I got book one.

This is Elli and Shea's story. Shea is your typical playboy never stayed longer than 1 night with any woman. Elli has weight and trust issues brought on by her ex boyfriend and the way her family treats her.

This was one of the best romances I have read in a while. The author shows you the whole development of the relationship. The couple meet, the initial attraction, the casual dating, becoming the girlfriend, total commitment. Then the roadblock in the relationship that tests the foundation of the relationship.

What I also loved about the way this story is told, usually its always the woman telling the man first that she loves him, she is the one always saying sorry for the hurts/misunderstandings in the relationship, the woman is the one begging for another chance. Well not in this story. Shea is the one chasing Elli, he is the one who says I love you first, he is the one chasing down his woman for all he is worth. I absolutely loved it. I loved that Shea would do absolutely anything for his women. He loved her more than he loved his ego and did everything he could to demonstrate that he loved her. I loved his patience and tenderness towards her. Her stubbornness was monumental but you will understand why when you meet her family and hear about how ex treated her.

I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy sports and romance.
3 people found this helpful
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Dana
5.0 out of 5 stars super "Liebesgeschichte" genau so wie ich es mag :-)
Reviewed in Germany on October 1, 2013
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Also ich habe mir das Buch gekauft und dieses Geschichte total verschlungen
und war innerhalb von ein paar Stunden durch --> ich konnte einfach nicht aufhören zulesen :-)

Für mich verdiente 5 Sterne und die Fortsetzung kann ich auch absolut empfehlen!

Trying to Score: The Assassins Series
Empty Net: The Assassins Series
Falling for the Backup (Novella): The Assassins Series
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AA
5.0 out of 5 stars I REREAD THIS BOOK
Reviewed in Canada on November 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
It still as sweet and as romantic as it was the first time I read it more than 2 years ago.
One person found this helpful
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