Category: Audio Books

A Lila Audiobook Review: Good Boy (Theta Alpha Gamma #4) by Anne Tenino and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

good-boy-audiobookBrad “Frat Boy” Feller and Sebastian “Toppy” DeWitt have been together for nine months, and their relationship is as hot as ever. The only cloud Brad sees on their horizon is Sebastian’s stress over his thesis. And their uncertain future together after graduation. And how Sebastian sometimes takes Brad for granted. And Sebastian’s unwillingness to introduce Brad to his father.

Other than that, everything’s awesome.

All of Sebastian’s energy is currently devoted to his thesis, and getting into a top-notch PhD program. Fortunately, his boyfriend takes care of all the domestic stuff and Sebastian’s needs. Any minor strain between them will disappear and they’ll return to the status quo after Sebastian graduates. As long as nothing upsets their delicate balance in the meantime.

Then a friend Brad once had a small fling with is forced to take refuge with them, and Frat Boy and Toppy’s delicate balance topples like an elephant on a waterski. Now Sebastian has to face some truths about how he’s been treating Brad, what he wants for their future, and what he has to do to get it.

Good Boy is a BDSM snippet done right. I read Frat Boy and Toppy back in 2013, and really enjoyed Brad’s & Sebastian’s story. Seeing them again in the other books was good, but having them back, in their own story, was more than I expected.

I listen to this story shortly after finishing Sweet Young Thang. That was a plus since we get to see the pivotal scene in this book from Collin’s perspective in the previous book. It’s almost like seeing the whole thing again from a movie-like point of view. The events are simple but essential to their relationship, and the way Sebastian and Brad take care of each other is priceless.

This is a very short, very well-written story with adorable characters. Yes, Sebastian is back in his “bitchy mood,” but just like before, Brad brings out the best in him. It was nice to see that their happily ever after still true.

Nick J. Russo, as always, brought all the characters back to life. The consistency within the series is part of the appeal. He gives Sebastian’s state of mind the perfect tone, and Brad’s concerns the perfect outlet.

L.C. Chase caught the heart of the story with a simple cover and adapted it for the audiobook version.

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Length: 1 hours and 55 minutes

Published: November 1, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Riptide Publishing
ASIN: B01MDRYNF3
Edition Language: English

Series:  Theta Alpha Gamma
Book #1: Frat Boy and Toppy
Book #2: Love, Hypothetically
Book #3: Sweet Young Thang
Book #4: Good Boy

 

An Ali Audiobook Review: Sweet Young Thang by Anne Tenino and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

sweetyoungthang_audiobookThanks to Collin Montes, Theta Alpha Gamma now welcomes gay and bisexual students. Persuading his Uncle Monty, president of the TAG Alumni Association, that the open approach won’t adversely affect TAG’s reputation is Collin’s own first step toward coming out. As long as there are no repercussions, he’ll escape the closet by graduation.

Enter repercussions, stage left: someone rigs the TAG House water heater to launch through the ceiling, then plants a bomb—thankfully unsuccessful—in the fraternity’s basement. Now Collin has his hands full not only trying to convince his uncle that this might not be the work of homophobes, but also dealing with a fratful of brothers worried about their kegger fridge.

Paramedic Eric Dixon can’t stop thinking about the kid he met during a call at his former college fraternity house. The age gap between them is trumped by sexy eyes, so when Eric sees Collin again at the bomb scene, he pursues him. Soon, Eric is dreaming of being a househusband, fighting to keep Collin safe from whoever’s trying to destroy the fraternity, and helping his sweet young thang realize that repercussions sometimes have silver linings.

Sweet Young Thang is a May-December story with a New Adult twist. The age gap between the main characters is only fifteen years, allowing them to have more things in common than differences. At the same time, it’s easy for Eric to identify with the changes and challenges of Collin’s life. We get to see both troupes move the plot forward without one taking over the other.

The story arc, not the romance, seems a bit over the top at times—as well as Eric’s involvement in the investigation. All the events contributed in bringing them together, but after that were irrelevant. I like the author’s effort to bring more to the table than a simple romance, but sometimes those work too. 

And that’s what we see here. A love story that started from a far-fetch circumstance, but that, in the end, was strong enough to carry the MCs to their HEA. I’m glad the age difference didn’t turn into a daddy fetish. Eric and Collin were great together. Their chemistry wasn’t limited to the bedroom. Their sense of humor and corky personalities made them a lovely couple. 

I like how independent each main character was. Even after all the things that were happening around them, they stayed as equals and made an effort to work in their developing relationship. They were also great with their friends and families. Some aspects might have been a little too cliché, but in the end, they worked. 

Overall, a nice addition to the series. Great characters and a romance story with a long lasting happily ever after. 

As always, Nick J. Russo can read the yellow pages and make them shine. The voices for the characters carry over from previous books, making it easy to go back into the Theta Alpha Gamma world. All the new characters are as well-rendered.  

The cover by L.C. Chase matches the style of Frat Boy and Toppy and depicts an important scene in the story. 

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible, Amazon, iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Length: 10 hours and 9 minutes
Published:  October 28, 2016 (Audio Edition), by Riptide Publishing
ASIN:  B01M6934ZA
Edition Language: English

Series:  Theta Alpha Gamma

  • Book #1: Frat Boy and Toppy
  • Book #2: Love, Hypothetically
  • Book #3: Sweet Young Thang

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Snowed In by Teodora Kostova and Dan Rider (Narrator)

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

snowed-in-audiobookBe careful what you wish for…

Nate has been in love with Quinn, his brother’s best friend, for as long as he can remember. But when he finally gets the chance to show Quinn how he feels, his heart gets broken in the most unexpected way.

Second chances come when you least expect them…

Quinn doesn’t believe in miracles, especially not Christmas ones. When he decides to win Nate back he knows it won’t be easy. The last thing he expects is a health scare, a road trip and a vicious snow storm to work in his favor.

In the end, a cabin in the woods turns out to be not only the shelter they desperately need, but also Quinn’s very own Christmas miracle.

Sometimes, to forgive, you need to get snowed in…

Like many of my friends who reviewed this story, I found it difficult to get past Quinn’s character.  The young man, who supposedly loved his best friend’s brother, finally declared his love, had sex with him, and then promptly disappeared the next morning, leaving behind a brief note saying that he was sorry, but he had to go.  Nice job, Quinn, you jerk. 

So, Quinn hit the top of my {fill in the blank} list within the first half hour of the audiobook. And pretty much remained there throughout the story. Yes, when he finally showed up again two years later, he eventually got around to telling Nate why he left. And yes, it was a good reason, but no, it was not enough of a reason to have snuck off and cut off all contact with the man he “loves” for two whole years.  Just no.  Sorry.  That ruined the story for me.

Granted, I know people do stupid things, so I expect them to have consequences and to own up to those consequences. But not Quinn. Clueless Quinn comes back into Nate’s life without prior notice and then has the big ones to be jealous when Nate comes out of the bathroom with a one-night stand in tow. 

Honestly, if I wasn’t so put off by his behavior, including later behavior of confessing his undying love etc. I may have enjoyed the story. The premise of two guys on their way home for Christmas but getting stuck in a cabin together and finding the flame of their love was never truly put out is sweet for a holiday story.  But I couldn’t justify Quinn’s behaviors with his words.  There was no balance there. Compounding the problems I had with the story, the narrator felt way too young for the characters portrayed in the book. Don’t get me wrong. He was good, very good, actually, but his voice sounded like he was a young teen, so I think he’d be better for YA work. 

So, no recommendation on this one, unless you don’t mind that one MC is a jerk. 

Cover art is nice but pretty standard with a back view of a naked man holding a Santa hat to cover his cheeks. And based on the description of the characters and the voice given to them, I can’t see either of them being as muscular as the man on the cover.

Sales Links

Audible, AudibleUK,  Amazon

Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 3 hours and 7 minutes

Audible Audio, 4 pages

Published November 14th 2016 by Teodora Kostova (first published November 30th 2015)
ASINB01MFH4G4B
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Forbidden Mate (Holland Brothers #4) by Toni Griffin and Dominic M. McCartney (Narrator)

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

forbidden-mate-audio-jpg_origFinding his mate should have been Patrick Holland’s greatest day, instead it turned into a nightmare with one phone call. His mate didn’t want him. His heart broke, but at sixteen he was too young to do anything. The next ten years—ten long years— of Patrick’s life are spent at odds with his mate. Split by forces he can’t comprehend and a long line of misunderstandings, Patrick doubts he’ll ever get the man he’s both loved and hated.

 

Jake Richmond never expected to come home from Uni to find the youngest Holland brother was his mate. Knowing the news might uplift his still grieving father, Jake shares the news only to have his young mate threatened. Jake does the only thing he can think of, protect Patrick. The next ten years are nothing but torture for Jake as he watches his mate grow into a remarkable young man.

They say time heals all wounds, but how much time?

 

This is a wonderful addition to the Holland Brothers series.  Throughout the other books in the series I could tell there was something about Jake and Patrick, but didn’t know for sure.  Patrick and Jake have known each other forever and when they learn they are mates they are ecstatic, but Jake pushes Patrick away to protect him causing them both years of pain.

 

Jake has been watching over his mate from afar for years, hurting himself knowing he was hurting Patrick.  Both of them have reached their limit, Patrick can’t take his heart breaking over and over anymore and Jake decides to deal with his father and see if he has any chance for a future with his mate.  This story is heartbreaking to watch these two danced around each other, but still keeping everything a secret.  It’s a bit hard for me to believe the brothers never noticed anything, but I still loved this story.

 

Dominic M. McCartney did a wonderful job narrating this story.  I was able to understand the characters through the voices and emotions he portrayed.  The voices didn’t quite match what I had thought of for the characters, but it didn’t hurt the storytelling.  Even though this is a book I have read it felt new to me listening to him tell it.

 

Cover art looks great and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links: Mischief Corner Books | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 7 hrs 50 min
Published: October 21, 2016 (ebook, 2nd edition, published February 5, 2014) by MCB
Edition Language: English

Series: The Holland Brothers #4

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: What Happens at Christmas by Jay Northcote and Mark Steadman (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

what-happens-at-christmas-by-jay-northcoteFirst and foremost, the most important disclaimer for this review is that I love holiday stories. The second is that I highly enjoy the work of Jay Northcote. And last, but certainly not least, I love Mark Steadman’s narrations. Put these all together, and it’s a no-brainer that I really enjoyed this short friends-to-lovers story.

Justin is heartbroken over the loss of his boyfriend—probably more so because the ex was cheating on him, works in the same office, and is now going to be at their holiday party—the party for which Justin doesn’t have a date. When his old friend Sean comes back from overseas and admits to Justin that he told his dad that he’s gay before he left on this last trip, Justin is surprised but happy. He’s lusted after the guy he grew up with for years, but Sean was straight, or so he thought.

When Sean agrees to accompany Justin to the office party as Justin’s boyfriend, little does Justin know that Sean is looking forward to the cuddles and kisses as much as Justin is. Add in a snowstorm that strands both men for the holidays, and their decision to stay together gives them a much better chance to follow through on what starts at the party.

Because it’s a short story, there’s not a lot of misunderstanding, angst, and soul-searching, and to be honest, I’m glad for that. But the two fated mates do look forward to their HEA as the story ends.

Jay pulled out the old friends-to-lovers trope, dusted it off, and created a highly enjoyable book. The fact that he got Mark Steadman to narrate shows his brilliance and bumps the rating up a notch. This is one that would make a wonderful stocking stuffer for all lovers of MM romance.

Cover art fits the  character and story.

Sales Links

Audible.com
Audible.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk

Audiobook Details:

3 hrs 41 mins

Audible Audio, 4 pages

Published November 11th 2016 by Jaybird Press (first published November 19th 2015)
Original TitleWhat Happens At Christmas
ASINB01MXHOFVQ
Edition LanguageEnglish