WoW!!!! Needs Must by Kerry Barnes and narrated by Annie Aldington was one of the best audiobooks I have listened to for a long time, even my hubby sat and listened to it with me! and he never does that..........

We meet Dottie Ellis, and she lives on the better side of the estate, with “church going” parents who resent her presence. Dottie falls for a bad boy Jimmy Carson, who sweeps her off her feet. But, she is now pregnant with Jimmy's baby and she has just learnt he has gone back to his ex-girlfriend Carrie Verne, everything around her starts to fall apart. She thought Jimmy was the one, she was so wrong!!!

Heartbroken Dottie, now, she has to wake up and tell her parents but, this is going to be so hard.

Dottie runs home, only to unearth a disturbing family secret that rocks her to the core. She is now faced with an agonising decision to protect her unborn child.

What she does shocks the town and all her friends!

Jimmy Carson is marrying Carrie Verne and a serious fight breaks out and now both families are at war with each other!!! Carrie must choose between her family and the Carsons.

Who will she choose?

She has to choose the Carsons . . . . . . . but only to protect her sisters.

Is Carrie strong enough to bring the Carson family down alone?

WoW this book was excellent 10/10 audiobook.

The narrated Annie Aldington she is simply the Best!!!! I love the way she tells the story and Annie always brings every book she narrators alive! Excellent!

Big Thank you to Netgalley and especially W F Howes for my copy of this excellent audiobook.

Fast paced but also character driven, this is a really engaging take. Carrie and Dottie are from widely different backgrounds. They’re connected by bad boy Jimmie and both grow in strength and character as the story unfolds. I believe this is the first in a new series and based on this outing, it certainly has potential. We’re taken into a dark underworld of gang land crime and attitude. It’s so well depicted and the narration throughout is excellent. Clear voice for each character makes it easy to follow and I’ve enjoyed this in a couple of sittings. It’s brutal, with bad language but it captures that dark underbelly of society that’s in every town. Well written and a real page turner.

Needs Must is the first book in the new gang land series Carrie Vern by author Kerry Barnes, I listen to the audiobook with the great narration of Annie Aldington. When the book first starts we meet Dottie a good girl from the good part of the street who has a crush on bad boy Jimmy Carson. It is the 1980s in Jimmy is a teenage wannabe gangster and Dottie couldn’t be more enamored It isn’t long before she realizes she is expecting his child and is crushed when his mom tells her to go home and find a good boy and leave her Jimmy alone she tells the distraught young girl he is back with Carry and they’re getting married. When she makes it back home she tells our controlling parents that she is expecting and everything goes off the rails and her parents of wind up dead end Dottie winds up in prison eventually we meet Carrie Vern, her and her sisters have grown up with the Carson boys and all of them except Tilly is dating one of them it isn’t until Carrie and Jimmy’s wedding when once again everything gets out of control carry catches Albert Carson trying to assault her sister Tilly and when trying to stop them SH¥T flies. The bride and groom‘s family battle each other the Vern girls leave the Carson boys and all are planning to divorce them until The oldest Carson boy gives carry an ultimatum to either go home with her husband or else and it’s the or else she cannot turn her back on. Despite knowing her family will shun her she eventually goes back and although she regrets it she is looking at the bigger picture something the Carson boys aren’t smart enough to see. I found the first couple of chapters in my opinion was slow and for some reason and by the time I realized I was into the book I was so gripped by it I couldn’t stop listening. As soon as I was done with this one I downloaded the second book and have already started reading it. There is so much more to the story like the greatness of Carrie her neighbor Sonny who is one of the Murphy gang. And the Murphy’s are definitely the gentleman gangsters. This book is so gripping and Carrie is such a great character to root for I love this book and definitely recommend it. #NetGalley, #WFHouseLimited, #CaryVern, #NeedsMust, #KerriBarnes,

This is the first book in the Carrie Verne series an I think I’ve found a new book series to get my underworld fix. I couldn’t stop listening and had it devoured in a day. Who doesn’t love a family that thinks they’re above authority and common decency with a foul mouthed mother as the matriarch… not me anyway but they sure do provide good entertainment 🤪. I loved the majority of the characters and found both them and the storyline well developed. Im hoping The Murphy’s have their own book series 😉 at some point. The storyline gave a good sense of the world they lived in. The narrator was just the perfect fit and moved at just the right pace. I’m looking forward to the next instalment.

Thanks to Netgalley and W.F Howes Ltd for the opportunity to listen to and review #NeedsMust

The first book in a new series by Kerry Barnes and narrated by the fantastic Annie Aldington. Aldington is one of my absolute favourite narrators. This is another utterly compelling read by Kerry and one in which was just fantastic to listen to. A gritting and compelling gangland thriller which was one of her best yet.

Kerry’s writing is full of heart and packs an almighty punch! Brilliant read from the super-talented Kerry Barnes. Loved this one.
Even better with Annie Aldington as the narrator, I could listen to her all day. 5 stars

A blistering start to a brand-new series from a fabulous gangland writer. With its unfamiliar and unexpected friendships and gangland feuds against a 1980s backdrop, this is an excellent listen, and the narrator is perfect.

🎧4.25⭐️


My first read by this author with this crime thriller of family feuds and gangster vibes a new sub genre for me, set in the 1980’s.

It is read by Annie Aldington who does a good job with distinctive voices instilling feeling.

The female main characters are Dottie and Carrie connected by bad boy Jimmy Carson who has had relationships with both of them. Dottie comes from a ‘good’ family, Carrie from a criminal background. Carrie and Dottie manage to form an unlikely bond.

Our main characters start off as vict1ms but develop into strong women, I ended up really liking both of them.

Well this has a good pace throughout with plenty going on with this very character driven story. It really managed to keep my interest well throughout. I really enjoyed it, I think it’s because it only has g@ngster vibes as the main story comes from the women who are on the periphery of that life. I would recommend it, and will read more by this author.

I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on Kerry Barnes writing for what seems to have been a long time!!!

This was EXCELLENT

Meet the Carsons, every bit as awful as the rumours suggest, ruled by the matriarch of the family Jinny, they are dedicated to their mother, a life of seemingly petty crime, drinking, getting high and beating their wives!

Meet Dotty, from the better side of the estate, with “church going” parents who resent her presence, pregnant with Jimmy Carson’s child, shunned and desperate.

Meet Carrie, a pretty, clever girl from a big close knit family of girls, fated from birth to marry Jimmy Carson.

Things are about to become explosive!!

Annie Aldington narrates this title with such ease. It’ll have you gripped well into the night desperate to know what unfolds next. I can’t wait for the next instalment in the series, and I’m looking forward to discovering some of the authors other titles!

This is perfect for fans of Kimberly Chambers, Mandasue Heller or Roberta Kray.

All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

Thank you to W F Howes via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ELC