Pain in the Axe Audiobook By Daphne Elliot cover art

Pain in the Axe

Maine Lumberjacks, Book 2

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Pain in the Axe

By: Daphne Elliot
Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock, CJ Bloom
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About this listen

How to get revenge on your ex-husband:

Step one: buy his family’s lumber company.

Step two: demote him and force him to work for you.

Step three: sit back and enjoy the sweet victory.

Not part of my genius plan? Sleeping with the enemy.

Gus Hebert is no ordinary ex-husband. This grumpy lumberjack is hiding a big, squishy heart beneath those broad, flannel-clad shoulders. And he delights in pushing my buttons, challenging me, and flirting nonstop.

Our mutual dislike grows as we’re forced to work together. Until one night, after a little too much wine, the fighting turns into foreplay.

The situation only gets more complicated when I discover that I’m having my ex-husband’s baby.

I fell for his broken promises once before and vowed never to trust him again. But as things heat up at work and at home, and past mistakes threaten our future, we find that, together, we make a pretty good team.

Soon, I’m rediscovering long-forgotten dreams. And I can’t give into these growing feelings and fall for him again. Because now I have two hearts to protect.

Author’s Note: Pain in the Axe is a standalone small-town romance featuring a grumpy boss heroine and a grumpy lumberjack hero who just happen to be divorced exes. If you enjoy enemies-to-lovers banter, nicknames, wood-chopping competitions, and growly, possessive heroes, you will not be disappointed. Don’t worry, Clive will appear as well—his main character-energy cannot be suppressed.

©2024 Melody Publishing, LLC (P)2025 Melody Publishing, LLC
Contemporary Heartfelt Marriage Feel-Good
Entertaining Storyline • Emotional Depth • Stellar Dual Narration • Humorous Dialogue • Excellent Voice Performances
Highly rated for:
All stars
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The story was cute. The miscommunication was utterly annoying but I felt like the story towards the end was so rushed. Chloe’s character was annoying the hot and cold constantly got old fast. I love Gus. He was such a sweet lumberjack. Im interested in the rest of the series still but im desperate to see some POV with the patriarch of the Hebert family. Hopefully as the series continues we see some. As always C.J and Aaron did a phenomenal job narrating this story

A little revenge is always fun

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Listener received this title free

This series gives me so much joy! Each one gives me a trope that I am obsessed with, and Pain in the Axe would be a second chance, divorced couple… with an accidental pregnancy! Daphne did such a great job telling this story. I loved that we had a reason for them to split that they worked through and realized things weren’t quite as they seemed. I really believed in the characters' story and was cheering for them to find their way back to each other. You could tell they both had regrets but they were young, now they are older and more mature and ready to start a family. Gus was all in when he found out Chloe was pregnant and I liked that he was ready to figure this out.

This audio was a duet narration with Aaron Sheldlock and CJ Bloom. From the moment I hit play, I was hooked. Not just by the story, but by the way the narrators brought these characters to life. Every conversation felt real, every emotion just hit, and the chemistry was off the charts.

Gus & Chloe

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Listener received this title free

CJ Bloom, the queen you are!! CJ absolutely nailed Chloe's character from the very first line. You could immediately hear all of Chloe's sass, and I absolutely loved it. Aaron Shedlock was also the perfect casting for Gus. He brought all the grumpy lumberjack and protective papa bear vibes, and I was here for all of it.

Gus and Chloe are ex husband and wife who are still oɓsessed with each other, even though their relationship ended in heartbreak. Now, they are thrown together when Chloe buys Gus' family lumber mill, and after one night of səxathon, Chloe ends up pregnant.

I absolutely loved Gus! The way he always teases Chloe, how he's not afraid to show her that he never stopped loving her, and how attentive he is with her, especially after finding out about the baby.

I also quite enjoy the mystery aspect behind what's happened at the mill and how all the pieces are starting to fall into place.

Quote: “You know you’ve got that səxy lumberjack charm. You look like you could climb a tree and rescue a litter of kittens while simultaneously building a house and delivering multiple ørgasms with a single wink of those ocean-blue eyes.”

“Just give me a chance, and I promise I’ll love you forever.”

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Listener received this title free

I do not know what I was expecting but feeling the betrayal and heartache in my chest while listening to this wasn’t it. Whew. The emotions.
Chloe & Gus - young love and married, divorced and never forgot each other. Chloe gets revenge by buying Gus’s family’s lumberjack forest and requires Gus to work for her. Can either of them deal with the forced proximity? Or will their families and whoever is vandalizing the business keep them apart forever? If fated mates could be in a non-fantasy romance…

Notable side characters - moose 😂

Narration: the audio was enjoyable.

So much emotion

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Listener received this title free

Loving the lumberjack era! Chloe and Gus were so fun. I loved the banter and how they went from enemies to lovers in the end. They had a lot to work through their past.

Loved the appearance of Clyde!

🎤Duet narration by Aaron Shedlock & CJ Bloom was top notch! Both did an amazing job bringing this book to life! It was very enjoyable! I cannot wait for the next book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤
🌶️🌶️

All the stars!

I'm in my lumberjack ERA!

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Listener received this title free

These Hebert brothers are something else and they have me cracking up one moment and swooning the next. “Pain in the Axe” is an emotional, romantic and action packed second chance, accidental pregnancy romance that was a fun addition to the series.

It’s been twenty years since Gus and Chloe had last seen each other and now they’re seeing each other again because Chloe has bought Gus’s family business. The two married young but circumstances led them to divorcing shortly after getting married. Since the business was bought, Gus agreed to work with the new buyer for a year. Tensions are high and they know how to push each other’s buttons. But after one night with too much wine, Chloe finds out that she’s pregnant. Gus is all in and knows this is his second chance to win back his wife.

From the first chapter, I was hooked on Gus and Chloe’s story. I loved the idea of Chloe buying the business to mess with her ex-husband. But under that was a woman who cares about being successful and wanting to be as environmentally friendly as they can be in the lumber business. Chloe is smart, genuine and kind. I loved her business approach and how she was successful in her career. Gus is the quiet brother, wanting to be out in the forest and keeping the business alive. This is a second chance neither were expecting and I loved the tension between them in the beginning as they started working together. The passion they had for each other was still very much there and after a little pushing each other’s buttons, they found their connection again. They had a lot of unfinished business from their marriage and while emotions were high, they were able to work it out like adults once they started communicating properly. Gus was such a romantic and had me swoony for him so many times throughout the book. The ending was so sweet and I can’t wait to start the next book.

CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock narrated as Chloe and Gus and I loved listening to them together. CJ’s narration was genuine and caring just like Chloe. Aaron brought Gus’s protective and vulnerable side alive perfectly. There are a lot of emotions in this story and they both did an amazing job bringing it to life.

Emotional, romantic and action packed

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Listener received this title free

Second chance
Workplace
Surprise baby
Enemies to lovers
Small town

Duet Narration- to be announced
Fantastic Narration!

Book 2 Maine Lumberjacks series

This second chance romance was a great fun listen.

Chloe and Gus were together young and their families didn’t want them together. These two went through a lot in their younger years, many years later Chloe is back and looking for revenge in her ex. Forced proximity leads these two into some interesting moments and revelations.

Such a good book I really liked it and am looking forward to the rest of the series!

Amazing

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Listener received this title free

Pain in the Axe is the second book in the Maine Lumberjacks series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Accidental pregnancy between a divorced couple (in their 40s) is a new one.

Gus and Chloe got married at a young age, but miscommunication led to a divorce. Now, twenty years later, she’s out for revenge. But there’s still something between them that they can’t fight.

I dislike second chance romance when one of the characters sleeps around a lot after the break up. And while Gus didn’t sleep around a LOT, he did have a regular hook up. I get that it was 20 years, but then he goes and says Chloe is the love of his life. If she was, then why didn’t he try harder to find her after their divorce?

He was sweet though, and he was very determined to get Chloe back once she was in his life again. And the way he was when he found out about the baby was cute.

Narration Style: Duet

Second Chance

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Listener received this title free

The audiobook for this was so fabulous to listen to! Narrated in dual by CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock. They both brought Chloe and Gus to life! And the banter between these two was so perfect to listen to!

I loved how strong Chloe is and how fiercely she will protect those she cares for. A true mama bear at heart and I adore her for this! I also loved how Gus was so open in letting her know how he felt. While they both struggle with their past, he truly has learned from it and will do whatever he needs to in order to gain Chloe’s trust back. And I’m here for all the sexy lumberjack energy he’s giving us!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
-sᴍᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
-ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ x ɢʀᴜᴍᴘʏ
-ᴡᴏʀᴋᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ
-ᴇx ʜᴜsʙᴀɴᴅ/ᴡɪғᴇ
-sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ
-ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏxɪᴍɪᴛʏ
-ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ

Loved this audio!

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Listener received this title free

Pain in the Axe is a fun and heartfelt second-chance romance with just the right mix of angst, chemistry, and emotional payoff.

We meet Chloe, a strong and guarded woman who just bought her ex-husband’s company and as part of the contract, he has to stay on for a year to help with the transition. Cue the tension. From the moment Gus and Chloe are back in the same room, sparks fly. You can feel the chemistry and the emotional baggage between them simmering just beneath the surface. It’s clear that whatever they had never really died, even after twenty years apart.

The story unfolds with layers of emotion, revealing a major miscommunication that led to their divorce two decades ago. While Chloe has built walls around her heart, Gus is all in from the start. He’s determined to win her back, and I loved how he never backed down, even when she pushed him away.

There’s also an intriguing suspense subplot woven into the background, involving the FBI and secrets from their shared past in the business world. It adds an extra layer of tension that keeps things moving.

Now let’s talk about the audiobook, because WOW. CJ Bloom and Aaron Shedlock were phenomenal.
CJ brought Chloe’s sass and strength to life perfectly. She’s always been amazing with fiery, stubborn characters, and this was no exception. Her emotional delivery and impeccable timing really pulled me in.
Aaron Shedlock nailed Gus’s character his voice carried that perfect mix of grump and warm, cinnamon-roll energy. You could feel his regret, his devotion, and his quiet desperation to make things right.

Together, CJ and Aaron had great duet-style chemistry, which elevated the emotional stakes and made every scene feel so vivid and real.

This audiobook had me smiling, swooning, and rooting for these two stubborn, scarred people to finally get their second shot at love. If you’re into second chances, grumpy/sunshine vibes, and a little suspense sprinkled in definitely give this one a listen!

20 Years Later… and the Sparks Are Still Flying! 🔥

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