Category: LGBTQ Audio Books

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

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Trailer Trash by Marie Sexton and John Solo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

trailer-trash-audioIt’s 1986, and what should have been the greatest summer of Nate Bradford’s life goes sour when his parents suddenly divorce. Now, instead of spending his senior year in his hometown of Austin, Texas, he’s living with his father in Warren, Wyoming, population 2,833 (and Nate thinks that might be a generous estimate). There’s no swimming pool, no tennis team, no mall—not even any MTV. The entire school’s smaller than his graduating class back home, and in a town where the top teen pastimes are sex and drugs, Nate just doesn’t fit in.

Then Nate meets Cody Lawrence. Cody’s dirt-poor, from a broken family, and definitely lives on the wrong side of the tracks. Nate’s dad says Cody’s bad news. The other kids say he’s trash. But Nate knows Cody’s a good kid who’s been dealt a lousy hand. In fact, he’s beginning to think his feelings for Cody go beyond friendship.

Admitting he might be gay is hard enough, but between small-town prejudices and the growing AIDS epidemic dominating the headlines, a town like Warren, Wyoming, is no place for two young men to fall in love.

I well remember the eighties. I know I’m dating myself, but as my reviewer name says, I’m a zany old lady. I got that way from living through those eighties. Just kidding. But I do have a very close friend who realized he was gay in his early teens and couldn’t tell anyone in our small, homophobic hometown. He visited Chicago with his twin brother and a friend when he was eighteen and when he graduated from high school, he took what I now know was a courageous leap of faith and moved there alone. He’s been with his partner since the mid-eighties and I can recall keeping him in my prayers when the AIDS crisis peaked.

This is a young adult story featuring two young men, Cody and Nate, who I totally fell in love with. Their story made me think of my friend all while I was reading. Each had a different family background and set of circumstances, yet fate brought them together at a time when gay men were still in hiding in most of the states, and most definitely in a rural territory in Wyoming. There are so many very, very sad times in this story. It’s definitely not fluff. But it’s also not something that I would pass up, no matter how tough it got. Marie Sexton never fails to reach down deep in my gut and wrench up all the feels I try to keep hidden, and she does it with such finesse, I can easily forgive her.

John Solo’s narration was spot on. Two weeks later and I can still hear their voices and feel their pain, and of course, their moments of joy. Cody and Nate’s story is not to be missed and the audiobook format is wonderful.

Cover art by Jay Aheer is poignant and quite wonderful.

Sales Links

Riptide Publishing

Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 9 hours and 43 minutes
Audible Audio, 10 pages

Published October 19th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published March 21st 2016)
ASINB01M5BJX19
Edition Language English

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Dirty Little Secret (Cabin For Two Series) by Freddy MacKay and Michael Pauley (Narrator)

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

dirty-little-secretErik decides geocaching is the best way to heal himself after work and personal problems overwhelm him, but the trip goes horribly wrong. Falling down the side of a mountain deters Erik’s plans for a quick cache find, but his rescuer is the one person who may be able to save Erik in more ways than he can imagine.

 

This was a nice story, if a bit depressing at times.  Erik’s life has turned to crap, finding out his lover was married and is now his boss just seems to get worse.  He doesn’t know where to turn for help, so he decides to spend some time alone with his thoughts.  Turns out it brings him to the steps of a friend and colleague, Jonah.

 

This story is told from Erik’s point of view and he is wallowing in self pity.  He hasn’t had anyone to turn to since he found out about Jerry’s lying.  Erik feels that he has to keep Jonah at arms length even when he is helping him recover.  When Jonah finally tells Erik all he had done to try and win Erik over without flat out saying anything, he is speechless.  I just wish we could have seen these two when they are together in the future.

 

Michael Pauley did a good job narrating this story.  I could connect with the characters through the voices and emotions he portrayed.  Even though this is a book I have read it gave me a new connection to the story listening to him.

 

Cover art is nice and catches your eye.

 

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

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 2 hrs 16 min
Published: October 28, 2016 (ebook, published September 21, 2013) by MCB
Edition Language: English

In Our Holiday Audiobook Spotlight: Snowed In by Teodora Kostova (special audio excerpt and giveaway)

snowed-in-banner

Title: Snowed In
Author: Teodora Kostova
Release Date: November 14th 2016
Genre: Audiobook, Contemporary MM Romance

snowe_in_cover_small

BLURB

Be 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…

Buy Links: Audible | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Goodreads

Book Trailer: Youtube

Snowed In audio book tour

Excerpt #4

The guy peered above Nate’s shoulder, his arm still curled around Nate’s waist protectively. Quinn’s stare zeroed in on the fingers fanned out on Nate’s stomach, and primal jealousy erupted strong and hot in his gut.

“Nate,” Brandon said, standing up and stepping in front of Quinn, shielding him from view.  “Wanna get dressed and come out here? We need to talk.”

Nate’s lips curved into a cruel smile. “Nah. I’m good.” He entwined his fingers with the ones on his stomach, turned his head around and gave the guy a sweet, lingering kiss.

“Nate…” There was a warning in Brandon’s voice, but Nate didn’t pay him any heed. He dragged the guy into his bedroom and slammed the door behind them.

“Fucking immature asshole,” Brandon muttered as he stalked into the direction of Nate’s bedroom. He walked in without knocking, completely ignoring the shouting that came from inside.

Quinn dropped his face into his hands. Confused, hurt, and utterly miserable, he contemplated getting up, going out the door and never coming back. The past should stay buried, right? There was nothing keeping him in Chicago anymore. He’d graduated, Kai was gone… The world was his oyster. He could do anything he wanted, go anywhere he liked.

And yet… The only place he wanted to be was where Nate was.

Quinn could hear shouting coming from the bedroom, but his head was pounding and he couldn’t focus enough to get exactly what was said. He could guess that Brandon was ripping into his brother and, the stubborn hothead Nate was. he wasn’t budging an inch.

That could go for a while.

Surprisingly, Brandon stormed out of the room a moment later, his frown making him seem much older than his twenty four years.

“He’ll be right out,” he declared, storming into the kitchen and opening the fridge with more force than necessary, rattling the contents inside.

EXCERPT

Nate could hear the cruelty in his tone but he didn’t care. He’d never been this angry in his life, and if Quinn wasn’t here to face the mess he’d caused, Nate was going to use the next best thing – the traitor who’d chosen him over his own brother.

“I didn’t know any of that,” Brandon said, his eyes softening. He reached for Nate, but Nate whipped his hand away, taking a step back.

“Don’t fucking touch me!”

Angry tears prickled behind his eyes, making him feel humiliated even more. Spinning around on his heel, he ignored Brandon’s voice calling him back and stomped into to his room, slamming the door.

He didn’t make it to the bed. The anger, grief, and loss he’d felt overwhelmed him and Nate slumped to the floor, a ragged sob tearing out of his throat.

I hope one day you can forgive me…

Not a chance in fucking hell.

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**GIVEAWAY: for a chance to win 3 x Snowed In audiobooks, 3 x Snowed In ebooks, 1 SIGNED Snowed In paperback (International) and a $5 Amazon giftcard!!!

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About the Author

author_pic

Hi, my name is Teodora and I live in London with my husband and my son. I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, but it became my full time job a few years ago when I decided that everything else I’ve tried bores me to death and I have to do what I’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts to fully embrace. I’ve been a journalist, an editor, a personal assistant and an interior designer among other things, but as soon as the novelty of the new, exciting job wears off, I always go back to writing. Being twitchy, impatient, loud and hasty are not qualities that help a writer, because I have to sit alone, preferably still, and write for most of the day, but I absolutely love it. It’s the only time that I’m truly at peace and the only thing I can do for more than ten minutes at a time – my son has a bigger attention span than me.

When I’m procrastinating, I like to go to the gym, cook Italian meals (and eat them), read, listen to rock music, watch indie movies and True Blood re-runs. Or, in the worst case scenario, get beaten at every Nintendo Wii game by a very inventive kid.

Don’t be shy and get in touch – I love connecting with my readers.

Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Blog Stops:

December 1st – Socially Awkward Book Nerd | The Blogger Girls | Nerd Girl Official | Dawn’s Reading Nook

December 2nd – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words | Outrageous Heroes

December 3rd – Love Bytes Reviews

December 5th – Making It Happen | BFD Book Blog | MM Good Book Reviews | My Fiction Nook

December 6th – The Purple Rose Tea House

December 7th – Addison Albright | MJs Book Blog and Reviews

December 8th – Because Two Men are Better Than One | Bayou Book Junkie

December 9th – Bonkers About Books

December 12th – Prism Book Alliance | Drops of Ink

December 13th – Diverse Reader

December 14th – All in One Place

December 15th – Happily Ever Chapter | Sinfully Gay Romance | Velvet Panic

December 16th – TTC Books and More | Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents | Triple A

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