A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Island Doctor (Island Medics #1) by Sue Brown and Narrated by Adam Rivington

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

island-doctor audioJeff Martin is a closeted doctor on the Isle of Wight. He prefers to remain in the closet primarily from the fear that his coworkers and patients will not want to deal with a gay doctor, and it’s pretty easy to do since his longtime lover, Tris, lives over three hours away and never comes to visit Jeff—it’s always Jeff who makes the drive there. Until one night when he arrives late and discovers Tris doesn’t come home until the next day. And it’s evident Tris has been with another man. Storming out, Jeff realizes on the way home that this really needs to be the last time he sees Tris because he’s turned the other cheek one time too many.

He’s almost home when he meets a sexy mechanic after his car breaks down. All he wanted was to get home into his own comfy bed and cry himself to sleep. But Cameron Gillard is larger than life, and Jeff is immediately drawn to him. Before long, he and Cameron are seeing each other everywhere they go—not impossible to believe on their small island. Cameron introduces Jeff to other gay men who live there–Sam and Liam from The Isle of… Where? are among the men who become Jeff’s friends too. And when he’s outed accidentally, he’s shocked at the wonderful support he receives from his fellow doctors and other coworkers and quite surprised by the number of patients who really don’t care. In fact, he’s discovered a whole world he’d been missing by being with Tris every weekend.

He and Cameron fast become romantically involved, until Tris shows up and manages to throw a monkey wrench into the works, and Cameron departs in a fit of jealousy.

I enjoyed this audiobook both because the story had such a homey appeal and because the narration was outstanding. It certainly didn’t hurt that so many of the men from The Isle series were featured in this story as well. And a certain very likeable character from this book (Logan) is going to get his own story in the next installment of this new series so I’m really happy about that.

The major drama in this book surrounds the relationships of the characters themselves. Jeff is seen interacting in all his facets—as a doctor, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, and a lover. Cameron isn’t given as much page time, however, we do get much more family and family drama with his character, as his great grandmother is one of Jeff’s patients, and her daughter provides a lot of drama. His parents were wonderfully supportive as well. And the previously mentioned characters from The Isle were also given quite a bit of focus, principally Liam, who was still not fully recovered from his past traumas. Tris was the perfectly devilish ex-lover, providing just enough relationship drama to drive a wedge between Jeff and his new man.

Overall, it was a sweet story with a super narrator who had an authentic British accent. I definitely recommend this one in audio format.

The beautiful cover art by LC Chase depicts both MCs (very good-looking!) superimposed on a photo of the isle.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Release Date Apr 29, 2016
Type Novels
Pages 214
Length 6:12
SKU 7773

A Lila Audiobook Review: The President’s Husband by Michael Murphy and Randy Fuller (Narrator)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

the-presidents-husband audioWhen an assassin’s bullet strikes his predecessor, Grayson Alexander becomes the first openly gay President of the United States and his husband, David Hammond, becomes the first openly gay First Husband. With their world turned upside down, David relies on his career as a medical school professor and ER doctor to keep him grounded. But his decision to keep working ruffles feathers from day one.

Gray throws himself into learning everything he needs to know to be President, especially a liberal president surrounded by a conservative cabinet and staff. Even though he puts in outrageous hours working and traveling seven days a week month after month, he’s happy. But David has trouble coping with Gray’s new job requirements. He can’t help but feel abandoned by his husband of ten years.

When Gray asks for his help with a public-health crisis, David obliges, but he is furious about what happens once the emergency passes. When they learn that the President’s staff has manipulated them both, they wonder if their relationship can survive the White House.

The President’s Husband is a remarkable read. If you’re looking for a political thriller, a steamy romance, or a drama, this is not it. This story is solely about the relationship between the newly appointed President of the United States and his husband of ten years.

We get to meet David and Gray during the Presidential Inauguration. The author gave us a hint of their relationship and how comfortable they are with each other. After ten years of marriage, they knew each other well and respected their individual careers and their dedication to them.

David and Gray have a great chemistry that it’s easy to feel during the entire story, even when they weren’t together. They have an active sex life, which the reader gets to hear more about than actually be witness to, but it works with the focus on their marriage. The on-page sex isn’t there to arouse the reader but to complement the couple’s relationship.

The political discussions are minimal since we only get David’s POV. There’s enough to set the stage for the book, but mostly, everything seems separate from the main plot. Yes, politics kept them apart, but the policies and procedures aren’t the main reason for it.

I think they are more medical references and information in the story than politics. The medical crisis David helps Gray with is the main point of content between them. There are a lot of details about what happens during this time, and some parts may be a little monotonous.

There’s a lot of drama involve in this novel, and David takes the center stage. We pass a significant amount of time in his head, making it difficult to get to know Gray. In reality, David is the main character and Gray is just his husband. We don’t get to see the antagonist doing his bidding, just mentions of him. It isn’t until the climax that we get to see the extent of his involvement.

David and Gray interact with a high amount of characters, but we only get to learn the names of a handful. David’s experiences are more important than how he gets them. Gray’s not a strong character, but he’s likable enough. I like David and how he took life by the horns, but he was a bit whiny in certain areas.

In order to enjoy this story, you need to be in the right frame of mind. You have to forget about everything you know about the President and how his family is handled. There aren’t meddling family members or best friends. David takes all his decisions using logic and tries to retain the status quo instead of rocking the boat. And this cost them both deeply.

Overall, this is a story about marriage and how communication is essential in a relationship. They could have solved a lot of problems with a simple conversation, but the rest of the drama is just an added bonus. I’m surprised by the lower rating in this story, but I think is more of a case of expecting a different story.

Personally, I’d had them get a divorce and become friends instead, but that’s just me. I enjoyed their courting and how they fought to be back together. I think Gray’s POV was needed. Plus, I think they were too young for their level of accomplishments.

This is my first story narrated by Randy Fuller. He did an excellent job, not only with the characters’ voices but with the feelings behind their exchanges. Also, I love how mature his voice is. It made it easier to visualize the main characters as older men with established careers instead of young men trying to figure out life. He also incorporated the omniscient narrator and gave it its own tone.

The cover by L.C. Chase goes with the story, but it’s hard to see the two men like David and Gray. There weren’t enough details in the story to have a clear picture of what they look like.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner | Amazon | Audible

Audiobook Details:

Narrator: Randy Fuller
Length: 7 hours and 26 minutes

Published: May 24, 2016 (Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press
ASIN:  B01G2IUW38
Edition Language: English

 

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Dogwood Days & Spring Fever by Poppy Dennison ~ Audiobook narrated by Matt Armstrong

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

dogwood-days-spring-fever audioThis audiobook is a compilation of the two books of the Holly Creek series in one: Dogwood Days and Spring Fever. It is not labeled as an ongoing series, but it did end with a cliffhanger—a very unsettling cliffhanger—and I can’t describe how irritated that made me. There was no indication of that in the blurb, and I really dislike that more than I can even say in print.

Dogwood Days opens with Jefferson Lee Davis on the phone with his uncle in Holly Creek when he suddenly hears a crash and then nothing further. Jefferson Lee had badly wanted to make it on his own in the world of journalism in a prestigious job in a big city, but family comes first, so he rushes home to Holly Creek after notifying the town’s sheriff to check on what happened. Once he gets there, he finds out his uncle has been hospitalized with a concussion and broken leg, and then the next morning when he calls his supervisor, he learns that he’s been laid off. The job wasn’t all that great, but it was better than nothing. Now, he has to decide where to go and what to do after he’s done taking care of his incapacitated uncle.

Holly Creek has a lot of pretty sights, including a young, sexy gardener, who Jefferson Lee finds very attractive. But it doesn’t seem to be mutual, and it comes as a surprise when he slowly starts to become more than friends with the local sheriff, another good-looking man, and this one seems to find Jefferson Lee attractive. Out and proud, Sheriff Zane wants something more with Jefferson Lee, but he’s worried that the cute young man is only in town temporarily.

Fate has plans for the duo, however, and after a series of misadventures, Jefferson Lee finds a good reason to stay in Holly Creek and pursue a relationship with Zane.

In the second story, Spring Fever, after a series of mysterious phone calls and the arrival of yet another good-looking man to their town, Jefferson Lee and his best friend Clover manage to get hauled off to jail in the back of the police cruiser with a furious Zane driving.

Are his days with Zane numbered? Can he possibly find happiness with a man who keeps secrets? And who will the mystery man turn out to be?

This was one of those sweet, simple stories that would make a good beach read. I’d normally recommend it, however, I just can’t get past that cliffhanger, and I didn’t see any further stories linked to it, making me think Spring Fever is the end of the series. And then there’s the fact that the narrator, Matt Armstrong, was quite boring and gave Zane the voice of a fifty year old. And Jefferson Lee’s voice wasn’t much better. So no points for narration at all. If you want something southern and simple, with lots of small town gossip and politics, and not much more, you may like this one. But I’d recommend the e-book over the audio version.

The attractive cover by Alexandria Corza features a very cute, blond, young man leaning against a turquoise wood fence. Very bright and colorful, it’s easy to imagine the man is Jefferson Lee.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Amazon |  Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook
Published June 7th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB01GP2ES1S
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHolly Creek #1-2

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Little Wolf (Beings in Love #4) by R. Cooper and Robert Nieman (Narrator)

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

Little Wolf audiobookOn the run from his old-blood werewolf family, Tim Dirus finds himself in Wolf’s Paw, one of the last surviving refuges from the days when werewolves were hunted by humans and one of the last places Tim wants to be. Kept away from other wolves by his uncle, Tim knows almost nothing about his own kind except that alpha werewolves only want to control and dominate a scrawny wolf like him.

 

Tim isn’t in Wolf’s Paw an hour before he draws the attention of Sheriff Nathaniel Neri, the alphaest alpha in a town full of alphas. Powerful, intimidating, and the most beautiful wolf Tim has ever seen, Nathaniel makes Tim feel safe for reasons Tim doesn’t understand. For five years he’s lived on the run, in fear of his family and other wolves. Everything about Wolf’s Paw is contrary to what he thought he knew, and he is terrified. Fearing his mate will run, Sheriff Nathaniel must calm his little wolf and show him he’s more than a match for this big, bad alpha.

 

Tim has been running from his family for years, with the help of a friend he goes to Wolf’s Paw.  When he meets Nathaniel he does everything he can to push him away, but the sheriff is determined to keep Tim safe if not from others, but from himself.  They both slowly open up to the other, but both continue to misunderstand the other’s actions.

 

This was an interesting story.  As with other stories in the series the whole not being able to tell your mate who they are to you can get a bit aggravating.  Tim never learned about any of his instincts while being lock away at his uncle’s mansion and doesn’t know how to process and understand the feelings he is having. How they can take Tim pushing Nathaniel away when he doesn’t know as a rejection is hard to fathom.

 

Robert Nieman did a great job narrating this story.  He doesn’t change voices much when narrating, but this author’s style of writing didn’t need the break up between characters.

 

Cover art by Paul Richmond is perfect and follows the pattern for the series.

 

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 18 hrs 55min
Published: May 2, 2016 (ebook first published May 8, 2015)
Edition Language: English

Series: A Being(s) In Love Story