Frankie: Unforgettable (Man Up #2) ~ Felice Stevens; Narrator ~ Kale Williams

Frankie: Unforgettable is the second complete book in Felice Stevens' Man Up series. Frankie was introduced in the first two books: Austin (prequel novella) and Rhoades: Undeniable, where Frankie's partner, Aaron, also came onto the scene.

While I've read/listened to Austin & Rhoades twice, I'll admit that I've been putting off Frankie. For me, Frankie wasn't a character I particularly gelled with, and Aaron, as he was introduced, seemed utterly unlikeable. However, knowing how intertwined these books are, I knew I'd have to read it to fully enjoy book 3 Cort: Unbreakable.

I was amazed by how much I enjoyed Frankie, although it took a few chapters to get into it. I always found Frankie to be a bit of an immature character, and Aaron seemed to live up to the unlikeable impression of him from the earlier books. However, as the book progressed, both Frankie and Aaron grew and changed. By the halfway mark, having learnt more of the histories of both of them, I started to become invested in them.

This was definitely a redemption story for Aaron; while Frankie had to mature and become more assertive, Aaron had to make behavioural changes. I thought this aspect was handled very well. It wasn’t simply the waving of a magic wand and Aaron was suddenly changed. It was a process, with steps forwards and back, but it was impossible to ever doubt his feelings for Frankie. He absolutely adored him, and much of his inner dialogue expanded on how he felt and how his behaviours (past and present) affected his and Frankie's relationship.

Kale Williams once again did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. The voices were so unique for each character that it was impossible to not know who was speaking at any point in time. He also brought a lot of emotion to the story. It was so easy to visualise Aaron's frustration with himself and feel the real love between Aaron and Frankie.

I'm so glad I read/listened to Frankie: Unforgettable. Not only was Cort’s story well and truly set up, but we also got to see a lot more of James and see other sides to him. It was also lovely to touch base with Austin and Rhoades again. Frankie: Unforgettable is a beautiful story of love, patience, understanding, and redemption.

Frankie and Aaron's HEA was hard-won, with both having to work on their relationship and personal development. It was an emotional journey but so satisfying. I will certainly not be avoiding Frankie: Unforgettable in the future, and I encourage anyone who has had similar doubts to give it a go; it is so very worth it.