New Release Review

The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune: New Release Review – Audio and Ebook

August 17, 2020 by Denise

Some people are extraordinary. Some are just extra. TJ Klune’s YA debut, The Extraordinaries, is a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.

Hardcover edition comes with an exclusive, reversible jacket!

Nick Bell? Not extraordinary. But being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?

After a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City’s mightiest hero (and Nick’s biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he’ll do it with or without the reluctant help of Seth Gray, Nick’s best friend (and maybe the love of his life).

Rainbow Rowell’s Fangirl meets Marissa Meyer’s Renegades in TJ Klune’s YA debut.

At the Publisher’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Amazon US

Audible US

I’m going to start this review with the things I normally don’t do. I normally don’t read YA, like really ever. I normally don’t read an ebook, and then immediately listen to the audio (Audio takes WAAAAYYYYY more time). I don’t normally read much in the superhero genre. These are the things that I normally don’t do when it comes to my reading habits. Reading Habits meet The Extraordinaries…you are about to be crushed under a mighty thumb.

This was such a sweet, but well written book. I loved the MC’s. Nick and Seth were just so perfect together, as best friends, but also as future loves of each other’s lives. The “side” characters were just a much of the story as Nick and Seth. Gibby and her cheerleader girlfriend Jazz. And Nick’s police officer father, Aaron Bell. (I do believe that TJ is going to address police issues with regards to the current unrest and Nick’s father in an upcoming book, if that is a concern). All in all, this was a fun swing through super hero worlds, finding what makes one extraordinary, and that healing wounds that no one saw coming is an ongoing process.

I didn’t want to write up a review for The Extraordinaries, after reading it, until I listened to Michael Lesley’s narration. He has a fantastic ability to get right into TJ Klune’s characters, and create small little details that the reader might not see in an MC otherwise. I just enjoyed his narration so much for this story. Michael Lesley brought these characters to life for me! It is so obvious when he narrates that he enjoys every minute of what he is doing, and what he is reading. It was great fun to enjoy the book right along with him

Overall, this was such a pleasant surprise for me, a non YA, non super hero and non back to back read/listen person, that I just didn’t want it to end. But hopefully, we will see more of what makes these characters extraordinary in the future.

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Capture (Torsere #1) by Annabelle Jacobs: New Release Review

August 10, 2020 by Denise

Thrown together, forced to fake a relationship both their lives depend on…

To be a dragon rider is all Nykin ever wanted. Destined from birth, and forged by magic at the age of twenty-one, he earns his place in the king’s army. But it’s not the only thing he dreams of. Lusting after the king maybe be foolish, but that doesn’t stop Nykin’s pulse from racing whenever he’s near.

Ryneq always knew he’d rule Torsere one day, but never expected it to happen quite so soon. The death of his parents forced him into a role he wasn’t prepared for and a romantic attachment is low on his list of priorities. Yet still Nykin manages to catch his interested and hold it.

With his land under threat from the lowland armies, an alliance with the elves seems Ryneq’s only option to protect the kingdom. But seeing it to fruition is fraught with danger and even the best laid plans can be thwarted. With hope all but lost, Nykin embarks on a deadly mission, willing risk everything for his duty and his king.

Featuring forced proximity, fake relationships, all wrapped up in a romantic fantasy full of suspense and intrigue. Capture is the first book in the Torsere trilogy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

MM Fantasy with dragons, a King, and a dragon rider? Ding Ding Ding – It’s like getting six winning lotto numbers.

What I liked – World building, characters, story, slow-burn. Not the same old, or even close. King Rynek is stuck between a rock and a hard place, both geographically, and the fact that he needs to get his sister safely married to her Elven future husband to ensure their magical protection for his people. Except things don’t go according to plan (Shock, gasp), the King gets kidnapped, and step-up one plucky dragon rider, Rynek, and his dragon to ride to the rescue, save the princess, and all the while having the hots for the king.

What I didn’t like – nothing!

My only complaint was I had to ask for books two and three.

Easy 5 pieces of eye candy!

High Heat (Hotshots Book 2) by Annabeth Albert: New Release Review *2

August 10, 2020 by Denise

Annabeth Albert’s Hotshots series continues—the emotions and intensity of Chicago Fire with the raw, natural elements of Man vs. Wild.

Smoke jumping is Garrick Nelson’s life. Nothing, not severe injuries nor the brutal physical therapy that follows, is going to stop him from getting back with his crew. But when a lost dog shows up on his front porch, he can’t turn her away, and he can’t take care of her on his own. Thankfully, help comes in the form of his new sexy, dog-loving neighbor. As they work together, trying to re-home their little princess, Garrick can’t resist his growing attraction for the other man, even though he knows this guy isn’t the staying type.

Rain Fisher doesn’t take anything too seriously. He dances through life, one adventure at a time, never settling in one place for too long. When his hot, conveniently buff, neighbor shows up on his doorstep, dog in tow, Rain’s determined to not just save the adorable puppy, but her reluctant owner as well. He never expects their flirtation might tempt him into stay put once and for all…

Danger lurks everywhere for Central Oregon’s fire crews, but the biggest risk of all might be losing their hearts. Don’t miss the Hotshots series from Annabeth Albert: Burn Zone, High Heat, and Feel the Fire.

Amazon

Oh Garrick. We met him in book 1 as the best friend of Linc. The super cocky smoke jumper who was gravely injured (seriously gasp inducing as I read it) at the end of book 1. Book 2 gives us a bit of a time jump as Garrick is home now, but still in recovery mode.

His neighbor across the street is an older lady he gets along with well. And then, because of a stray dog that ended up on his porch, he meets his neighbor’s grandson. Much younger grandson.

I loved Rain. This poor kid is so lost but tries to act like he has it together. Growing up in basically a hippie commune, he is definitely a free spirit. But he is feeling the pressure of not really knowing what he wants to do with his life. He is a natural caretaker though, so when Garrick needs help with the stray dog, Rain is all in.

And so begins the older/younger we shouldn’t/but we want to game. Garrick was the typical grumbly older guy feeling like he was taking advantage of Rain. But Rain was sex positive, has no hangups about age and has no problem teasing Garrick until he caves.

All the while Garrick is determined to beat the odds and get back to smoke jumping. Even though he is still on crutches at best and in a wheelchair at worst. Being such an active guy his whole life, his ego and self worth are taking a serious beating. But Rain is so good and anticipating Garrick’s needs without taking over or making Garrick feel useless.

Oh- and a cute dog! If anything can make you feel better- I am convinced it is a dog. And Cookie definitely is her own character in the story.

Garrick and Rain each have their own personal ups and downs. They have the relationship crisis that then brings them back together again with eyes and hearts wide open.

This was sweet, fun, sexy as hell, exciting and a bit romantic. Really good follow up to book 1. Can’t wait for book 3!

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

I am just loving this series. It has heat from fires, and heat from the bedroom. All the HEAT! 🙂

Garrick, the injured smoke jumper from Book 1, is now home, and recovering from his injuries, hoping to get back to his high stakes job soon. And when he meets a sweet and skittish dog, and his neighbor’s grandson, Rain, his world is turned upside down again. Just what he needed.

I loved these two together. Rain didn’t fuss over Garrick, just gave him time to find what he needed to do, and was willing to help when he was asked. Rain also had no problem being himself, whatever that was for him that day. Meanwhile, Garrick wasn’t the super masculine fire fighter who cared that his friend/boyfriend wanted to wear silver shorts or glittery tops. They were just each other when they were each other, what they both truly were looking for, first in a friend, then as lovers.

Cookie brought them together, but their own desires kept them together. Desires to be with each other, but also their future desires. Rain wanting to finally find a place he belonged. Garrick wanting to get back what he once had, but then stepping back up when he couldn’t and taking on a new place for himself.

Really enjoyed the wrap-up on this. It was just what these guys deserved.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Fire and Diamond by Andrew Grey: New Release Review

August 7, 2020 by Denise

When Deputy Nick Senaster chastises a bunch of college kids at a bar, he doesn’t think anything of it, even if their leader is gorgeous. The guy is too young and way too cocky, and soon Nick has an emergency foster placement to focus on. His first job is ensuring ten-year-old Ethan knows someone cares for him. But Nick doesn’t realize Ethan is a package deal.

When Alexander finds out his abusive stepfather, Dieter, has lost custody of his half brother, he’s torn between relief and dread. Alexander can’t get custody until he can provide a home for his tiny family. In the meantime, at least Ethan’s foster father will let Alexander visit.

So of course the man turns out to be the cute but dour cop who gave Alexander a hard time.

Soon Nick and Alexander discover they misjudged each other. Nick is more than an authoritarian automaton, and Alexander has a drive and a maturity that belie their first meeting. But between a campaign of intimidation from Dieter, their own insecurities, and the logistics of dating with Ethan’s fragile sense of stability hanging in the balance, they have their work cut out for them if they want to build a future.

Amazon

Another cute addition to the Carlisle PD, in this one we get to know Nick. Nick is a sheriff’s deputy with the department, so we also see a lot of our regulars, which I loved. But recently left by his partner, instead of going home to an empty house most nights, he goes and has dinner and a drink at his favorite bar that I don’t remember the name of right this second. That’s where he meets Alexander, though it’s a less than friendly meeting.

I did not like Alexander at first, he seemed like one of those entitled rich kids that spout the law like they don’t have to follow it just because they know it. As he’s just graduated law school, he just wanted to celebrate with a few of his classmates, but he really was a jerk… they all were. That didn’t seem promising to me, but we get past it… until Donald called and asked Nick if he could foster a young boy that had just been taken from his father… who happened to be Alexander’s step-father, making the young boy his brother.

Nick, being a former foster kid that eventually aged out of the system, was all for helping the young boy and after finding out who is brother was, he wanted to help him too. The part that aggravated me to no end, was the fact that the father KNEW the stipulations to his visitation and kept popping up at Alexanders work and Nick’s house, not to mention the school where Ethan goes, forced a lockdown, was always drunk and disorderly, caused numerous scenes and threatened every freaking body…. They never had him arrested. He was just told to leave, every single time. Nevermind this guy had a basement dungeon he locked his son in, nevermind he verbally and sometimes physically abused him and directly disobeyed a court order… he never got arrested and everyone was reminding the guys that the courts like to reunite kids with their abusive parents, so be prepared for that… and I’m over here like WHAT??? I mean, I know that CPS and the system fail kids so so often, but this guy…. He should’ve at the very least been arrested for child abuse, neglect and violating visitation laws, but nay… he was free to keep harassing them all and eventually kidnapping the kid AND Alexander… separate occasions. It had me steaming.

If you can get past all that though, I did enjoy seeing Alexander fighting for his brother, Nick being there for both of them and Nick and Alexander getting together, which felt really quick to me, but it worked for them. I liked how real Ethan’s struggles were, as dark as they were at times. I always appreciate the realness of these situations because they’re becoming more and more talked about, more people are taking notice of it in real life…. I think that’s why it frustrated me so bad to know that their dad kept getting away with everything because it’s like… why is nobody doing anything about this?

Fictional, I know, but I reckon it hit close to home with me on this one. Overall, very sweet story though and I adore this series. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

4 pieces of eye candy

Wild Warrior (The Weavers Circle #2) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review *2 and Giveaway

August 7, 2020 by Denise

Baer Manning

What happens when Baer spills his big secret about monsters and magic to a total stranger?

Chaos.

In Baer’s defense, he really thought Wiley was a lost brother.

This case of mistaken identity forces the cute artist to stay at the plantation house for his own protection while they search for a way to take down a witch.

Wiley Stuart

He never should have gotten in Baer’s Jeep.

But in Wiley’s defense, Baer is really sexy. And funny. And so sweet. And did he mention sexy?

All his life he’d dreamed of superheroes and a life of action. He just never expected to find himself swept up into a world filled with monsters and goddesses.

Wiley will do anything to stay with this magical band of brothers and help them with their fight. He just wished he could be Baer’s soul mate.

Wild Warrior is the second book in the Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, running through Savannah, secrets, swimming pool fun, shapeshifting, an elephant, sexy times, lots of snakes, insecurity, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Title: Wild Warrior

Series: The Weavers Circle #2

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: August 7, 2020

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 106,000

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Add to Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

There were about five people ahead of Baer in line—all of them staring at their phones or the shiny glass case of a tantalizing rainbow of doughnuts and pastries. Including the sexy blond Mini Cooper owner who was right in front of Baer in line. While Baer was a relatively average height of five ten, the blond was at least a delicate five seven or maybe five eight. The guy looked up from his phone as Baer stepped up behind him, and he flashed a nervous smile.

“Hey,” he greeted in a slightly husky voice and then flushed some more.

Yeah, this guy was all kinds of adorable.

“Mornin’,” Baer replied. “You ever been here before?”

The man shook his head, shoving his phone into his pocket. “No. It was recommended to me recently. When I woke up this morning, I just had to have doughnuts.” He gave a nervous little laugh. “I guess that’s the result of nonstop marketing at its best. It’s fall, so we’ve all gotta eat pumpkin-flavored everything for the next month.”

Blondie had the sexiest southern drawl. It wasn’t too thick. Probably a local, but he’d spent some time out of the area. Just enough to lose some of its natural thickness, but those lilting drawls still mesmerized Baer when he spoke, leaving him wondering how his lips and tongue wrapped around each vowel and consonant.

Good grief. He really did need to grab Grey for a boys’ night out in Savannah if he was going to start fantasizing about a nerdy twink’s mouth. Soul mates and forever sounded great, but it was clear that he needed to get laid. And what better time was there? Things were quiet. They weren’t running and fighting for their lives.

Pumpkin doughnuts and sex could do a growing boy good.

The bell hanging from the front door announced the arrival of another customer. Baer was about to ask the man’s name when the heavy scent of rotting flesh rolled through the room, overpowering the delicious miasma of frosting and fried dough.

Fuck.

He didn’t even need to turn around to know that behind him, pestilents had stepped into the bakery. It wasn’t enough that the alien race was attempting to steal the power of the earth to save their own dying planet while killing all Weavers in the process, but they had to interrupt his attempts at flirting as well? Just not cool.

Silently, Baer cursed himself and his luck. They’d all grown a little complacent over the past couple of months. They’d even started venturing away from the protection of the plantation without backup because the pestilents had stopped attacking.

Apparently they’d gathered enough numbers to make another go at the Weavers, and he’d not been paying enough attention to his surroundings to check to make sure there were no pestilents close. Instead of checking in with the animals in the area that there were no pestilents around, he’d let himself get distracted by big chestnut-brown eyes and a sweet smile.

Twisting around to glance over his shoulder, Baer swore under his breath to find a male and female pestilent standing in front of the door. Humans wouldn’t notice anything different about them, but Weavers could. The air wavered around them as if they radiated heat. And, of course, there was the godawful stench. Pestilents were not meant for this world, and their bodies started rotting from the moment they arrived. Their time in this place was limited, but what time they had was spent trying to kill the Weavers.

The pestilent woman wore a pair of ragged jeans, and her brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, making her angular features seem that much sharper. A feral grin pulled across her thin lips when she spotted him. She lifted the shotgun in her hands to her shoulder and pointed it straight at his chest.

Baer sucked in a breath. Was she really going to open fire in a small building crowded with people? Everyone was going to be killed or injured. Not only one fucking Weaver.

Pivoting on the balls of his feet, Baer wrapped an arm around Blondie’s slender waist and dove over the closest table. A shocked yelp left the man’s lips, but he didn’t fight Baer as they tumbled to the floor. With his free hand, Baer grabbed the edge of the table, pulling it onto its side. They landed with the surprisingly thick wooden barrier at their backs just as the shotgun exploded in the room, slamming into the far side of the table and a scattering of chairs.

You definitely need to read book 1 as this is a continuing story.

We met Baer in book 1 as one of the Weavers. Magical beings that, through reincarnation, have been trying to beat the pestilents- otherworldly beings that are trying to take over earth because their world is dying. Like I said, you have to read book 1.

Baer is the animal weaver. Not only can he hear what animals are “saying” but he can also shift into any animal. It’s really pretty cool. Which is exactly what Wiley thinks when the bakery they are both in is attacked by pestilents (only Baer knows what they are) and Wiley watches him shift into a lion.

Wiley draws comic books for a living, so seeing this happen is like the coolest thing EVER for him. And then when Baer thinks Wiley is another weaver, WIley is practically GIDDY.

Wiley is thrust into this reality of magic and weavers and goddesses and pestilents and is having the time of his life. It’s kind of adorkable how much he loves being in the middle of it all- even without powers.

The pestilents have upped their game though. They have finally thrown something at the Weavers that they can’t seem to beat. They also find another “brother” the Fire Weaver. And they are searching for journals that previous Weavers wrote.

This installment was exciting, fun, sexy, heartbreaking and suspenseful. There was a lot less of the goddesses and more of the Weavers trying to figure out what they are going to do. While waiting for the missing Weavers to make their way to the plantation.

Drake and Elliott have woven (see what I did there?) an intricate world in the age old battle of good and evil. I CANNOT wait for more.

4 pieces of eye candy

I knew I was going to love Baer, I knew it and I was so excited for his book, but let me just tell you, I completely fell in love with Wiley! Lemme tell you why these two are so perfect for each other.

Baer is our shifter weaver, able to tune in with animals, hear their thoughts and speak with them, and he can turn into any one of them, though he hasn’t tried them all yet. He’s compared in the last book, to a bouncy, happy dog, and that’s exactly what his personality feels like to me too. He’s always just so happy and eager to please, I just love him immediately… so when he sees Wiley, a nerdy and cute comic book illustrator at a little donut shop, he thinks that he was led there by Jo (one of the Goddesses/Aunts), and since he feels such an attraction to him, he thinks he’s the group’s fourth weaver, so after saving him from two pestilents that follow him into the shop, he dumps every bit of truth on him and fully thinks that he’s their new brother.

Wiley is thrust into this magical world after a little old lady put an idea in his head that he wants pumpkin donuts… which, ewww, but ya know… whatevs lol After seeing this red-headed hunk in a donut shop, he can’t believe his eyes when the hot guy shifts right in front of him and takes apart these two people with guns…it gets more unbelievable when the guy asks him to come with him, tells him he’s part of their brotherhood, tells him he’ll get powers of his own and tells him everything there is no know about he and his brothers…. And Wiley….is….pumped!

I really felt for him, especially in the beginning because he wanted to belong to this group so bad. He’d always wanted a big family, with brothers and cousins and aunts and uncles, and though he has his grandma, he was lonely…. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, but he was still so determined to help. And just because he isn’t a Weaver, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his purpose, and Gray knows it too, even if Baer and Wiley do go back and forth over it so much I wanted to slap them both and yell DON’T YOU SEE??? You’re his soulmate!!….. YES YOU ARE!…… Nooooo, yes, you are! I mean, stop arguing with me in my mind, Baer, I know what I’m talking about!

Anyway….aside from Baer and Wiley and how ridiculously perfect they are for one another, we get to learn more about the guys and their purpose in this one. More pieces come together and things start making sense, and though I’m normally not a paranormal kinda gal, I do not do shifters and magic and ghosts and aliens and whatever else the paranormal world brings… I am absolutely hooked on this story and I never stopped being entertained.

I love the banter between the brothers and they really feel like brothers in this one. Soul brothers or whatever, like they’d known each other their whole lives. They bicker like brothers, they’re loyal like brothers and they’ll lay down and die for each other without hesitation. I love that. And Baer, so fierce and loyal and just so impossible not to love.

We also get a new brother, Lucien, and I cannot wait to know more about him, though I suspect the next story will be Grays with that lead in… I hope so, I cannot wait to see who’s going to be able to tame that broody broody man. It’ll be so hard to top Baer for me though, I just really fell in love with him and Wiley. Everything felt so genuine with them, they meshed so well together and when they finally realize that what they have isnt’ temporary, and they admit their feelings for one another, it feels so real and believable. I LOVE when that happens. Those I love you’s, are deserved in this one. I just swooned all over the place for both of them.

Overall, it was a crazy intense roller coaster full of action, loyalty, love and brotherhood. Honestly, what more could you want? It was perfect. I cannot wait to find out more about Gray! I’ll be over here impatiently but politely waiting for more!

All the stars from me!

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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Gideon (Finding Home Book 3) by Lily Morton: Audiobook Tour, Exclusive Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

August 6, 2020 by Denise

Gideon Ramsay is so far in the closet he should be a talking faun.

A talented, mercurial, and often selfish man, Gideon has everything he should want in life. Fame, money, acting awards – he has it all. Everything but honesty. At the advice of his agent, Gideon has concealed his sexuality for years. But it’s starting to get harder to hide, and his increasingly wild behaviour is threatening to destroy his career.

Then he’s laid low by a serious illness and into his life comes Eli Jones. Eli is everything that Gideon can’t understand. He’s sunny tempered, friendly, and optimistic. Even worse, he’s unaffected by grumpiness and sarcasm, which forms ninety percent of Gideon’s body weight. And now Gideon is trapped with him without any recourse to the drugs and alcohol that have previously eased his way through awkward situations.

However, as Gideon gets to know the other man, he finds himself wildly attracted to his lazy smiles and warm, scruffy charm that seem to fill a hole inside Gideon that’s been empty for a long time. Will he give in to this incomprehensible attraction when it could mean the end of everything that he’s worked for?

From the bestselling author of the Mixed Messages series comes a story about a man who needs to realise that being true to yourself is really just a form of finding home.

This is the third book in the Finding Home series but it can be read as a standalone.

Gideon by Lily Morton

Narrated by Joel Leslie

A Finding Home Novel, Book 3

Audible US

Audible UK
Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

Eli grins at me happily before turning round and mounting the stairs in his characteristic long-legged strides. I’ve noticed that he never seems to rush anywhere, but somehow he seems to get to places quicker than anyone else. I follow a bit more slowly, and when I round the deck, I look around curiously.

The sky is a clear, pale blue and there’s every sign that it’s going to be a scorching-hot day. However, the breeze blowing across the deck has ensured that it’s still cool at the moment. Set along the deck are padded mats in bright colours, and a group of people dressed in colourful yoga gear chat happily amongst themselves.

As Eli comes onto the deck, a slender dark-haired woman detaches herself from the group and comes over with a huge smile. “Eli, you came,” she exclaims with as much enthusiasm as if Eli were her long-lost brother. “I’m so pleased.”

My eyes narrow. When did he meet this woman?

He grins lazily at her, oblivious to the fact that she’s currently eye-fucking him so hard I’ll need a cigarette when she finally looks away. “I said I would,” he says happily, the Welsh lilt very evident in his early-morning voice.

I shoot him a look of total incomprehension. As far as I know, he’s been ensconced in the suite with me for the last few days, insisting that I sleep and relax. Yet every time we’ve left the cabin since then, people have hailed him left, right, and centre. How is this possible?

I come back to the conversation as Eli pats my arm. “This is Gideon.”

I bite my lip because his tone of voice and gestures are currently suggesting that rather than being a famous actor, I am, in fact, a raggedy old sheepdog. She gives me a cursory glance and smiles before returning to eye-fucking my nurse.

I can actually feel my mouth drop open. I’m not being conceited but… Oh, okay, I am being conceited but goddammit, there aren’t many people that overlook me. I’m too famous. I pause. Or infamous. I shrug. Either fucking way, I’m bloody memorable. Apart from on this fucking ship where my nurse appears to be the headline act.

I wonder whether I should be annoyed, but I’m far too amused to bother with that, so I stand, trying not to smile as she engages Eli in a very animated conversation while he shoots me occasional glances to check whether I’m okay or if I’ve died from boredom. Finally, when the group starts shifting about like sheep getting bored, she breaks away from the conversation and heads back to the front of the deck.

I turn to face Eli, leaning my elbows on the rail. “She seems very…” I pause, searching for words. “Very awake.”

He starts to laugh. “It’s usually better for the back and forth of conversation that both parties are conscious.”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure about that. Sometimes I think it would be better for people if they were asleep when I spoke to them. Less chance of them taking offence.”

He nods solemnly. “You might be right. Either that or dead.”

I’ll start by saying, I really love Lily Morton’s books. I haven’t been able to read the first two books in this series, because…well, I really don’t know why at the moment, because now I have to go back. 🙂 But when I saw this, I knew that I needed to listen to it. Between Lily’s love of snark, and Joel’s absolutely amazing ability to voice the character’s so authentically, there was zero chance this was going to be anything but fantastic!

These two main characters could not have presented more oppositely. Gideon was simply a sarcastic cynic who had been around the block so many times that the reader would get dizzy by proxy. Meanwhile, Eli was nothing but calm and patient with his patient. No matter what Gideon gave Eli, he simply gave it right back or moved on. It wasn’t love at first sight as much as learning to love yourself, and someone else as a side benefit. Gideon’s trials brought tears to my eyes more than once, yet he made me laugh out loud even more often.

I really loved how realistic some of this book was. Giving Gideon time to find himself is very adult, and really shows that Eli cared more about Gideon than Gideon cared about himself. And Gideon taking that time and knowing that it was what he needed in order to be what Eli needed. That is as it should be in life.

Then there’s Joel’s narration. What can I say…each time I listen to one of the books he narrated, I initially am concerned that I will somehow associate his voice with another book I passionately loved that he narrated. This has happened to me with a few other narrators (don’t worry, I get into them either way usually). However, that never happens with Joel. I am always immediately immersed into the story and know that I will hear that voice in my head as that person forever. Joel has an amazing ability to not only create a distinct voice for each character, but manages to flip back and forth instantly within a book. Perfect example…towards the end, the entire group of men, including a few side characters, are all in one room near the end of the book, gathered around to see what Gideon does (no spoiler here!), and everyone speaks at some point, and yet, the listener could immediately tell who was speaking by the voice, and not just by the words. It’s amazing to me the range that Joel has. I’d also be willing to bet that if I went back to listen to Oz (Book 1) and Milo (Book 2) (and by if, I actually mean, I am going back right now to listen to them-just grabbed Oz 🙂 ), the voices are exactly the same as what I just listened to with Gideon (Book 3). Joel is a master at his craft, and listening to his narration is simply about immersing yourself into the story and letting go.

*Side note* I generally take about 2 weeks to listen to an audio book this length, because I can’t multitask very well. I soaked this one up in 4 days…that says SO MUCH!!!!

Anyway, the story is great, with the good guys getting the happy endings (epilogue is awesome!) and the bad guy getting his comeuppance. My perfect way to end a book. Give this one a shot, listen and enjoy!

Story: 4.5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 5 pieces of eye candy

Lily writes contemporary romance novels, and specialises in hot love stories with a good dose of humour.

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

About the Narrator

Joel Froomkin, a eight-time Earphones Award-Winning narrator, is a UK transplant, growing up with American parents in a British commonwealth. A classically trained actor with an MFA in theatre from USC, he is often cast for his unique ability to deliver native, authentic combinations of British and American sounds. His great range and ability to bring characters to life with honesty, wit and versatility delights producers and listeners alike. He has won Earphones Awards for 1st person British, American and Australian narrations.

He was the winner of three 2020 Independent Audiobook Awards, including Best Male Narrator. He has nearly 300 full-length audiobooks to his credit and over 25,,000 five star reviews on audible. His narration of JJ McAvoy’s Ruthless People was a #1 Romance Best-Seller on audible. He served as Director of Drama at Manchester University and has been a Theatre Professor at Indiana/Purdue University.

He is a dialect specialist and has taught accents and speech at NYU, Tisch School of the Arts as well as coached accents for major regional theaters, Broadway stalwarts and national tours.

He has had the pleasure of working with Audible Studios, Penguin Random House, Dreamscape, Scholastic, Podium, Blackstone, Harper, Bee Audio, Brilliance, Deyan Audio, Tantor, Punch and Hachette.

Joel also records in the romance genre as ‘Joel Leslie’ and has developed a very strong following and garnered many awards including m/m Audiobook Narrator of the Year 2018 from openskyebookreviews and numerous Audiobook of the Year-winning titles.

Joel has consistent access to his home studio for all production needs. When not in the booth he spends his time chasing after two loquacious wiener dogs.

Connect with Joel:
Facebook | Joel’s Facebook Group
Twitter | Instagram
Website

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