Mark Dagostino has 2 audiobooks on Listento.it, narrated by 3 narrators, with an average listener rating of 5★ across 111 ratings. The most-rated is Live in Love.
Live in Love
Summary
New York Times Best Seller In this refreshing and inspiring memoir, Lauren Akins, the wife of country music star Thomas Rhett, shows what it's really like to be "the perfect couple" fans imagine, and reveals what it actually takes to live in love, stay in love, and grow together. Named One of the Best Books of the Year by Parade When country music star Thomas Rhett won the ACM Award for Single of the Year with "Die a Happy Man", his wife, Lauren Akins, was overjoyed. Her childhood best friend and now husband was being anointed the hottest new star in country music - for a song he had written about her. He was living his dream. Lauren was elated, but she was also wrestling with some big questions, not the least of which was, How can I live my own life of purpose? Lauren Akins never wanted to be in the spotlight, but as Thomas Rhett made his relationship with Lauren the subject of many of his hit songs, she was tossed into the role of one of America's sweethearts. Revered by fans for her down-to-earth ease and charm, her commitment to humanitarian work, and the pure love she exudes for her family, Lauren has never shared her side of their story - full as it's been with deep love, painful loss, tremendous joy, and a struggle to stay grounded in faith along the way - until now. In Live in Love, Lauren shares details about her childhood friendship with Thomas Rhett, explaining how they reconnected as young adults. She offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the challenges of being married to her best friend, who just happens to be a music star, and the struggle to find her own footing in the frenzy of her husband's fame. And in heart-wrenching detail, she opens up about her life-changing experiences doing mission work in Haiti, and then in Uganda, where she met the precious baby who would become their first daughter. From sharing the romance of their handwritten wedding vows to the challenges they faced as they adjusted to the reality of becoming first-time parents, Live in Love takes an intimate look at one couple's life - and opens a window into all of our journeys on the path to self-discovery. Live in Love is a deeply personal memoir that offers inspiring guidance for anyone looking to keep romance alive, balance children and marriage, express true faith, and live a life of purpose.
©2020 Lauren Akins and Mark Dagostino (P)2020 Random House Audio
The Pact
Summary
A UFC champion and a boy with leukemia in the fight of their lives. Cody Garbrandt dreamed of being a UFC champion. In his darkest moments, when those dreams were dashed, he dug deep with the help of an unlikely friend - five-year-old Maddux Maple, a local hometown fan with leukemia. They made a pact: Cody would be in the UFC and win the championship, and Maddux would beat cancer. Hear their moving story in Cody's new book, The Pact, and go behind the scenes into Cody's training and how he made his dreams come true. Cody Garbrandt grew up in a rough town in the Central Appalachian region of Ohio, surrounded by a longstanding culture of fighting - and drugs. Raised in this environment by a single mom (his dad left him at the young age of three to reside in the Ohio State Penitentiary), Cody grew up fighting, and he grew up wild. His future seemed predestined to end in the coal mines or in prison. Thankfully, Cody had visions of something more. His American dream? Mixed martial arts. But a path to success wasn't clear. He spent as much time fighting in the streets as he did in the gym - one bad decision away from losing everything. Then, at age 20, Cody's brother introduced him to five-year-old Maddux Maple. Maddux was deathly ill with leukemia, his survival by no means assured. A unique friendship developed, and they made a promise to each other: Maddux would beat cancer, and Cody would make it to the UFC and become world champion. Through five long years of pain and hardship, they both persevered; Cody through the agony and sacrifices of fighting his way to the top and Maddux through the horrors of chemotherapy. They loved and supported each other. They served as each other's inspiration. And in December 2016, they made good on their pact: Cody won his UFC championship belt, which he promptly presented to Maddux - the boy who had beaten cancer into remission.
©2018 Cody Garbrandt (P)2018 Thomas Nelson Publishers