Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Ride
- Author: Harper Dallas
- Narrator: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
- Length: 10:45:51
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 09/10/2018
- Publisher: Tantor Media
- Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Romance, Contemporary, Sports
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The first time I heard snow crunch underfoot at 14,000 feet in the Andes, I understood why Harper Dallas chose frozen peaks as the perfect backdrop for this fiery romance. ‘Ride’ isn’t just another sports romance – it’s an expedition into emotional extremes, where the thin air of vulnerability hits harder than altitude sickness. As someone who’s documented love stories from Kyoto’s tea houses to Rio’s favelas, I can confirm Dallas captures that universal tension between passion and self-preservation with the precision of an Olympic slalom racer.
Listening to Joe Arden and Maxine Mitchell’s duet narration while backpacking through Colorado last winter created one of those rare synchronicities where art and environment amplify each other. Arden’s gravelly portrayal of Chase Austin transported me back to sharing pisco sours with Argentine mountaineers – all rough edges masking unexpected depth. When Mitchell’s Brooke described framing a shot through her viewfinder, I vividly recalled watching dawn break over Patagonia’s glaciers, that same professional hunger warring with awe.
Dallas structures the emotional descent like a championship run: initial bravado (Chase’s ‘king of the mountain’ persona), unexpected obstacles (Brooke’s career-driven resistance), and white-knuckle turns where their carefully constructed defenses crack faster than spring ice. The sports scenes particularly shine in audio – Arden’s breath control during boarding sequences makes you feel each jump, while Mitchell’s subtle mic pops during intimate moments create startling immediacy, like sharing a tent during a blizzard.
What surprised me most was the authenticity of the extreme sports backdrop. Unlike many romances where careers feel like window dressing, Dallas clearly did her fieldwork. The jargon flows naturally, from ‘corked 720s’ to avalanche safety protocols. It reminded me of documenting the Dakar Rally – that same blend of technical mastery and raw adrenaline. The narration enhances this with strategic pacing: slower during technical descriptions, breakneck during competitions, letting listeners ‘ride’ the rhythm.
Yet the true brilliance lies in how the dual perspectives mirror my own travel writing process. Chase’s chapters unfold like my field notes – immediate, sensory, reactive. Brooke’s parallel narrative reflects my polished articles – analytical yet vulnerable. The narrators honor this distinction beautifully: Arden leans into Chase’s present-tense physicality, while Mitchell gives Brooke’s reflections a subtle editorial distance before dissolving into real-time emotion.
The love scenes achieve something rare in audiobooks – they feel discovered rather than performed. When Chase murmurs ‘I want to be the only thing you see through that lens,’ Arden drops his voice to that private register you only hear in hostel common rooms after midnight. Mitchell’s shaky inhales during intimate moments recall the brave honesty of Oaxacan abuelas sharing youthful passions. These aren’t gratuitous interludes but emotional summits, each one advancing the core question: can two people who’ve built identities around independence learn to navigate as a team?
If I have one critique, it’s that some secondary characters could benefit from fuller vocal distinction – the crew occasionally blends together during group scenes. But this minor flaw barely registers against the triumphant payoff. When Brooke finally snaps ‘You don’t get to be my avalanche,’ Mitchell delivers the line with such perfect escalation, I actually paused my hike to replay it three times.
For wanderers who believe the best love stories are earned like passport stamps, ‘Ride’ offers visceral armchair travel. Press play as I did – while wrapped in a blanket with snow falling outside – and let Dallas’ words and these stellar narrators prove that even emotional glaciers eventually melt.
With frostbitten fingers and a warm heart,
Marcus Rivera
