Tag: Riptide Publishing audiobook

A BJ Audiobook Review: Dirty Laundry (Tucker Springs #3) by Heidi Cullinan and Narrated by Iggy Toma

Rating:   5 out of 5 stars

DirtyLaundry_AudiobookThe course of true love doesn’t always run clean. But sometimes getting dirty is half the fun.

Entomology grad student Adam Ellery meets Denver Rogers, a muscle-bound hunk of sexy, when Denver effortlessly dispatches the drunken frat boys harassing Adam at the Tucker Springs laundromat. Thanking him turns into flirting, and then, much to Adam’s delight, hot sex over the laundry table.

Though Denver’s job as a bouncer at a gay bar means he gets his pick of geek-sexy college twinks, he can’t get Adam out of his head. Adam seems to need the same rough play Denver does, and it’s damn hard to say no to such a perfect fit.

Trouble is, Adam isn’t just shy: he has obsessive compulsive disorder and clinical anxiety, conditions which have ruined past relationships. And while Denver might be able to bench-press a pile of grad students, he comes from a history of abuse and is terrified of getting his GED. Neither Denver nor Adam want to face their dirty laundry, but to stay together, they’re going to have to come clean.

This one grabbed me right from the first page, and by the end it was officially my favorite of the series… and this was my fifth of the series, I went a bit out of order having started at book five and skipped around.

What fun and likable characters! I thoroughly enjoyed both of these very different characters. They were well-drawn, nuanced, and much more than just their issues. I liked the way the BDSM element in this story came in, not as something that the guys had been out there specifically seeking, but as a way of relating that worked for them for very real and understandable reasons.

Chock full of angst, kink, and sprinkled liberally with sexy bits throughout starting off with an early on sizzling scene in the public laundromat. Denver and Adam just sparked and worked for me as a couple right from that first scene. Really enjoyed seeing a main character who was dealing with OCD and Denver, well… he’s dealing with his own issues which I won’t spoil by revealing. I loved how they accepted each other despite that there was no quick fix here, no true love cures all. And not only were they able to love despite their illnesses and issues and work together to learn to deal with them… but that their issues/quirks had actually been instrumental in drawing them to one another in the first place. I adored how this made me feel that hope that everyone is right for someone just the way they are.

The secondary characters were also very loveable and strong and added a richness and diversity to the story. There was Louisa, Adam’s trans friend; Brad, Adam’s annoying ex who really did seem to care for him despite being a clueless asshat most of the time; Tiny who see’s Denver’s potential and keeps at him to work for him at the gym; and of course characters from the prior stories like El and Jason.

This is the fifth of this series that I’ve read. Narrator Iggy Toma has done an exceptional job with all of the four that he has narrated. The voices for the characters across the series were unique and fit just right with how I’d perceive them. The emotions and quirkiness of these two in particular came through perfectly. I will definitely be on the look out for other audiobooks narrated by him.

The cover by L.C. Chase   does a nice job of establishing the personality and difference of the characters and ties in well with others in the series.

Sales Links:   Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


Audiobook Details: 

Audible Audio, 8 pages, 7 hrs 34 mins
Published March 30th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published January 28th 2013)
Original TitleDirty Laundry
ASINB01DKVWQH0
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesTucker Springs #3 settingColorado (United States)

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Sacrati by Kate Sherwood – audiobook narrated by Dorian Bane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Sacrati_AudiobookThis was an amazing story, both complex and intriguing, and it held my attention throughout the twelve and a half hours of audio.

During a routine scouting expedition, Theos and his band of Sacrati, an elite military unit, come across what could be an advance team of Elkati. Being superior fighters, the Sacrati immediately subdue the invaders and Theos takes them prisoner. Among them is Finnvid, the brother of the King of Elkat. He’s on a secret mission to meet with the Torian War Minister, but it’s ultra-secret, and as we find out later in the story, it’s important to the Warlord that no one find out about it. In the meantime, it quickly becomes apparent that Finnvid is also a healer when Andros, Theos’s best friend, is bitten by a viper along the trail and Finnvid takes steps to save him. Save him he does, but in doing so, he’s come to Theos’s closer attention.

A few days after they get back to their land, Theos spots the Warlord shipping out a group of slaves, but with winter quickly approaching, he’s surprised because this is unusual, but even more—he’s shocked when he sees Finnvid about to be chained by the neck to the rest of the men. He immediately claims Finnvid as his prize for having captured the prisoners, and though he argues about it, the Warlord has no choice but to allow Theos to have him. Theos tells all that he’s claiming Finnvid as his bedwarmer, and a stunned Finnvid has no choice but to follow Theos to his room. As the days go by, what’s even more shocking to Finnvid is the Torian way of having sex with whoever is at hand, usually another soldier. The men think nothing of coupling in front of each other, whether it’s penetrative sex or oral or even handjobs. Pleasure is pleasure to them. But not to Finnvid who has led a sheltered life and comes from a land where men only mate with women and they mate for life.

There’s so much conflict in this story, it’s very important to pay attention to the audiobook at all times. We learn about the Torian way of life, and then when the Torian soldiers accompany the Elkati back to their country in an apparently peaceful mission, we learn even more about their way of life, and we learn just how underhanded the Warlord has been. More danger and intrigue ensue, and it’s quite a long time and even more conflict before Theos and Finnvid find their way back into each other’s good graces, and ultimately into each other’s arms.

Remarkably, in the midst of battle and chaos and political plotting, there is a HEA, one that these two men so richly deserve. I enjoyed listening to the story, and the narrator did a very good job. His voice reminded me of what I would think of as a storyteller of olde days, and the voice he gave Theos was perfect in its gruffness. I didn’t care for the voice he gave Finnvid, however, that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

If you enjoy stories of faraway kingdoms, knights and soldiers, war and intrigue, you should definitely plan to get this audiobook. It was, as I said at the beginning, an amazing story.

Cover art by Kanaxa shows a robed and hooded figure with a sword in each hand. Good symbolism for this story, though in gray and white, it’s not visually appealing.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon

Audiobook Details:

Released May 26nd 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleSacrati
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://riptidepublishing.com/titles/sacrati

Finalist: Best LGBT SF/F/Horror in the 28th Annual Lambda Literary Awards!

A BJ Audiobook Review: Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton Narrated by Iggy Toma

Rating:    4.75 out of 5 stars

SecondHand-AudioCoverPaul Hannon moved to Tucker Springs for his girlfriend, but she’s left him with a house he can’t afford and a pantry full of useless gadgets. All Paul wants is to get back to normal, even if he’s not sure what that is anymore. When he wanders into Tucker Pawn for a gift to win her back, he meets El Rozal, pawn shop owner and all-around cynic.

El Rozal doesn’t do relationships, especially not with clueless straight boys still pining for their ex. El may make his living dealing in castoffs, but that doesn’t apply to men. Still, when Paul starts clearing out his old life, pawning kitchen equipment he never wanted in the first place, El is drawn to Paul in spite of himself.

Paul and El have nothing in common except a past full of disappointments. There’s no reason to believe the two of them could fit, but in El’s line of work, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. When it comes to love, El and Paul may learn that secondhand doesn’t mean second best.

This is actually the third I’ve listened to in this series, and my favorite so far. A very sweet story with enjoyable characters, interesting families and a cute dog. Neither of the guys are gorgeous or have fancy careers, but are both ordinary guys that I could relate to. El owns a pawnshop which had been his grandfather’s and has a hoarder mother (loved the way that was handled), and Paul dreamed of being a vet but didn’t do so well in school and ended up working at a vet’s office as a receptionist. Paul’s denial and story read very real to me, perhaps because overall he didn’t come across as the smartest tool in the shed. No that he was dumb, but he was refreshingly simple. Thoroughly enjoyed Paul and also liked his mother, especially her reaction at the end.

El’s big family was well drawn and interesting, as was his big bouncer friend Denver who is the MC in the next story (which I’m now eager to read). And I loved El both for his role in his family, for taking over her grandfather’s store with hopes of helping his mother, and for his easy going and relatable personality. The way he dealt with his attraction to Paul and the little one item a day limit ploy that Paul never did figure out was great. I felt the chemistry between the guys, not scorching hot but a slow, realistic burn that had me unable to stop listening.

I could relate so well to Paul’s desire to be number one for someone at something as well as to his cluelessness about when folks were flirting with or interested in him. And El’s words about the unimportance of things, which tied up beautifully at the ending, really spoke to me. The secondary characters were also very relatable and individual.

The narrator, Iggy Toma, was perfect for this story. The voices were different for each character and sounded just right. The emotions and nuances of character came through well. Overall, I listened to this story in one single day.

The cover by L.C. Chase ties is very cute and fitting for the series.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTune


Book Details: Published January 22nd 2016 by Riptide Publishing

A BJ Audiobook Review: Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall ~Narrated by Alexander Doddy

Rating:     3 out of 5 stars

Waiting for the Flood audioPeople come as well as go.

Twelve years ago, Edwin Tully came to Oxford and fell in love with a boy named Marius. He was brilliant. An artist. It was going to be forever.

Two years ago, it ended.

Now Edwin lives alone in the house they used to share. He tends to damaged books and faded memories, trying to a build a future from the fragments of the past.

Then the weather turns, and the river spills into Edwin’s quiet world, bringing with it Adam Dacre from the Environment Agency. An unlikely knight, this stranger with roughened hands and worn wellingtons, but he offers Edwin the hope of something he thought he would never have again.

As the two men grow closer in their struggle against the rising waters, Edwin learns he can’t protect himself from everything—and sometimes he doesn’t need to try.

This is my third book by this author. I adored For Real, abso-freaking-lutely loved it. But the other one I’d read not so much, so I wasn’t sure what to expect with a third one. Even after listening to it, I’m wasn’t sure and had to really think about it. There were parts that I found quite slow, where my attention drifted away and I had to struggle to make myself focus on the story. But then there were other parts that I found to be deep and poignant, that jerked at my heart in the way they felt so raw and real. The writing was lyrical, slow-paced, contemplative.

The premise of two men meeting during a storm/flood appealed to me, as I usually adore such stories. But there were many times that I was confused by the words and conversation, which may have been part of why my mind often wandered. I enjoyed Adam’s character quite a lot, but Edwin not so much. He seemed so very hung up on his old relationship even though a few years had past, that he let it influence him to the point that he cut himself off from life, and he very nearly let it get in the way of something good several times.

I’ve not listened to too many audios narrated with a UK accent, so it took me a tiny bit to get used to it. Not that it wasn’t lovely, as it certainly was, just that it was a little bit harder to understand for me at first until my ears got attuned to it. I felt that he did a stellar job at handling Edwin’s speech impediment.

Beautiful cover… I adore rain and these guys walking hand in hand in it totally did it for me.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon


Book Details:

Audible Audio, 3 pages, Listening Length: 2 hours and 51 minutes
Published May 23rd 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published February 21st 2015)
ASINB01FXZ0FX8
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSpires Universe

A BJ Audiobook Review: Where Nerves End (Tucker Springs #1) by L.A. Witt ~ Narrated by Iggy Toma

 

Rating:     3.5 out of 5 stars

Where Nerves End audiobookJason Davis can handle a breakup. And an overwhelming mortgage. And a struggling business. And the excruciating pain that keeps him up at night thanks to a shoulder injury. But all of it at once? Not so much. When his shoulder finally pushes him to a breaking point, Jason takes a friend’s advice and gives acupuncture a try.

Acupuncturist Michael Whitman is a single dad struggling to make ends meet. When a mutual friend refers Jason as a patient, and Jason suggests a roommate arrangement to alleviate their respective financial strains, Michael jumps at the opportunity.

But Jason soon finds himself regretting it—he’s too damn attracted to Michael, and living with him is harder than he thought it’d be. In fact, the temptation to act on his feelings would almost be too much if not for the fact that Michael is straight. Or at least, that’s what their mutual friend claims.

This book began well for me. I liked Jason, felt for him and what he was going through, and was very eager to see him find the help he needed to get his life on track. When he met Michael and not only was he able to help him with his pain, but with his financial problems, that was working for me. I enjoyed Michael and his son for the healthy lifestyle and his caring. I felt the chemistry of Jason’s immediate attraction and his frustration at Michael being straight.  I also enjoyed all the stuff on the eastern medicine, acupuncture, cupping, etc. Very interesting.

Midway through I begin to not enjoy it quite as much. First the characters have a talk and Michael has the perfect opportunity to say something to Jason that he chooses not to reveal. The next thing we know, the whole story changed for me. I’m not a fan of misunderstandings, miscommunications, and of MC having sex with other people in my books. In this book, we get all three, I’m sad to say. And nope, I didn’t enjoy that part at all. Why did that have to happen? It left me pouting. Later, after he pursues Jason and they have an interlude, Michael does explain his reasoning, and it actually made sense a bit until the next thing he turns around and does is deny the whole thing and suddenly it makes no sense at all. Michael’s complete denial to everyone, even though he admitted he’d knew for years and years and even thought he’d grown up with a close gay friend who he never confided in bugged me as well.

So while I enjoyed how the story ultimately ended, the storyline itself lost its glow for me after that. However, Iggy Toma is a wonderful narrator and did a great job of keeping me engaged. He brought the characters to life and gave them dimension. I enjoyed the distinct voices he used, and the emotion he put into each scene. I’d give the narrator 4 stars and the story 3 stars for an average of 3.5.

The cover  by L.C. Chase ties in with the rest of the series and does an adequate job of representing the guys and the town although I didn’t find it sexy or particularly appealing.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


Book Details:

Audible Audio, 7 pages, 6 hrs 55 mins
Published December 20th 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published June 3rd 2012)
ASINB019NHFKC8
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesTucker Springs #1 settingTucker Springs, Colorado (United States

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Blueberry Boys by Vanessa North ~ Audiobook narrated by Tobias Silversmith

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Blueberry Boys audioWhen Connor Graham returns to the town where his lived with his uncle, mom, and brother, the last thing he expects is to meet a man who attracts him like a magnet. His uncle has passed away and Connor and his brother have inherited the family blueberry farm that has a tenant farmer working the land. The farmer is Jed Jones—a very shy, very sexy man with a severe stutter, making speech difficult for him.

But Jed’s stutter makes no difference to Connor as the two get to know each other. And though the brothers are selling the farm, Jed’s place is secure for at least the next two years due to his lease, so the sale isn’t an impediment to their attraction. What is an obstacle is Jed’s religious upbringing, his firm place in the closet, and the distance between the farm and Connor’s job as a well-known fashion photographer who is based in New York City but travels the globe.

With Jed’s permission, Connor decides to use the farm as the backdrop for his next fashion shoot, buying the men more time to get to know one another. It’s time well invested, but there’s an expiration date, and as they reach the end, Jed breaks it off with Connor. He’s not the type for a long distance relationship, and though Connor tries to make him see reason, he eventually returns to New York.

Circumstances combine to allow Jed to come out to his family and to reconcile his church’s teachings with his homosexuality and life goes on. Jed and Connor ultimately get together, and it’s likely not in the way many readers would expect, but it does leave the men with their HEA.

I was disappointed in this story, the first I’ve read from this author. It was a sweet tale, but I didn’t feel the spark. The romance between the two men was more of a sexual chemistry and less of a bonding of two hearts. To be fair, I don’t have the book to go back to revisit some of the scenes I felt were choppy or where there was a disconnect between the guys, so I can’t get into detail. This is an audiobook review, and that is too difficult to do.

The narrator, Tobias Silversmith, was a fast reader; so much so, that at times I had difficulty catching what he said. The story felt rushed, and I don’t know if it was the story as written, or if the speed was set by the pace of the narrator. But it wasn’t appealing. I didn’t hurry to get back to the story when I was occupied with other tasks, and I didn’t look forward to what the characters would do next. They were just waiting there for me to get back to them. I felt like there was not much happening in their lives anyway, so why not wait? Needless to say, I don’t recommend this in audiobook format.

~~~~

I loved the bright, colorful cover art by LC Chase that prominently features a spilled bucket of blueberries superimposed on a background of a farm field with two young men holding hands.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible |Amazon

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 5 pages, 4 hrs 22 mins
Published May 20th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published November 28th 2015)
Original TitleBlueberry Boys
ASINB01FWBX0PS
Edition LanguageEnglish

A BJ Review: Covet Thy Neighbor (Tucker Springs #4) by L.A. Witt and Narrated by Charlie David

 

Rating:    3.75 out of 5 stars

CovetThyNeighbor_AudiobookTattoo artist Seth Wheeler thinks he’s struck gold when Darren Romero rents the apartment across the hall. The new guy is gorgeous, witty, and single, plus he’s just the right blend of bold and flirtatious. Perfect.

Except then Darren reveals that he moved to Tucker Springs to take a job as the youth pastor at the New Light Church. Seth is not only an atheist, but was thrown out by his ultra-religious family when he came out. He tends to avoid believers, not out of judgment but out of self-preservation.

But Darren doesn’t give up easily, and he steadily chips away at Seth’s defenses. Darren is everything Seth wants in a man . . . except for that one massive detail he just can’t overlook. Is Darren’s religion the real problem, or is it just a convenient smokescreen to keep him from facing deeper fears? It’s either see the light, or risk pushing Darren away forever.

First off I have to say that after listening to other books in the series read by a different narrator, it was a bit jarring to get used to having this one read by someone else. While I enjoyed Charlie David’s voice tones, I missed Iggy. The two main character’s voices actually sounded pretty much the same to me. I really prefer when there are noticeably different voices since in an audio, there are no things like line breaks and stuff to give us a clue when the speaker changes. Sometimes I even got a bit lost as to which character was speaking.

As for the story itself, the physical relationship between these guys was nearly instant, which took me by surprise considering that one is a minister. Given what I knew about Seth’s past and the fact that Darren was up front about his career before they hit the sack, that surprised me. I found it strange that both of them would have so little control and not just once, but repeatedly especially when they kept regretting it the mornings after and feeling so strained around each other. I wished there had been more relationship development up front but it came across to me as based mostly on sex for a long while. So the middle part rather lost me for a while.

During the whole middle of the story, I had trouble liking Seth. It seemed like he was being so judgmental and unaccepting, which was supposed the exact thing he was disliking Darren for. But Darren was not that. I liked Darren from the start, and as it wore on though, I quite embraced his take on religion. How he strives to live a life based on the New Testament, leaving behind the Old Testament makes sense. There are so very many laws and rules in the Old Testament which modern day Christians break on a daily basis, so where to draw the line on what to dismiss and what to continue to hold as doctrine is very much ambiguous.

Personally, I wished this had been a dual POV. Darren’s character was my favorite of the two and would have loved to be in his head and see more depth to him. The things Seth said to him and then finding out his past and thus knowing how they must have hurt, damn. That kicked the story up an extra half star for me right there. And if not for what Seth had done at the LGBT youth center, I probably would have really hated him at that point.

Enjoyed revisiting with Michael and Jason, and meeting Seth’s cat Stanley. Wish that the ending had been a bit more. While I liked it well enough, it just seemed to wrap up a bit too easily.

This cover by L.C. Chase is my fav from the series so far as both halves really represented the characters and their life well.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


Book Details:

Published April 5th 2016 by Riptide Publishing

An Ali Audiobook Review: There’s Something About Ari by L.B. Gregg, Nick. J. Russo Narrator

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 There's Something About ARi audioBuck Ellis’s future seems pretty damn bright. With a full college scholarship in hand, he’s going to ditch Bluewater Bay and pave the way for his kid brother Charlie to do the same. The only fly in Buck’s ointment is his ten-year addiction to his best friend since second grade, his true love, and his Achilles heel: Ari Valentine, Mr. Least Likely to Succeed.

 

But then Buck’s mother dies, changing everything, and five years later, his future is still on hold. It’s a struggle to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and Charlie on the straight and narrow. Buck can’t afford any temptation, especially in the form of the newly returned, super hot, super confident, super successful television star Ari Valentine.

 

ADHD poster-child Ari Valentine left for Hollywood and lost everything, including his bad reputation. Then the breakthrough role of his skyrocketing career lands him back in Bluewater Bay, to the stunned disbelief of, well, everyone. But there’s only one person Ari longs to impress—the only person who ever really mattered to him, the person he left behind: Buck Ellis.

 

Nothing has gone right for Buck in years; his mother died, his best friend left and he was left alone to take care of his younger brother.  He has pretty much spent the last five years in standstill, still working at the coffee shop and just surviving and suddenly his best friend decides to come back to town and move in next door upsetting everything.  Ari is not willing to give up on Buck and is determined to keep pushing till he gets what he wants.

 

This was a nice story, if a bit short.  Most of the book was spent with Buck determined to stay away from Ari and keep everything the same.  There isn’t much of a conclusion to their problems, just Buck deciding not to fight it anymore.  I wish there had been a bit more to the story and that I had been able to see them actually work through their problems a bit more.

 

Nick Russo once again did a wonderful job narrating this story.  I could connect with the characters through the voices and emotions he portrayed.

Cover art by LC Chase is nice and follows the pattern for the series.

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 2 hrs 41 min
Published: May 9, 2016 (ebook first published November 10, 2014)
Edition Language: English

Series: Bluewater Bay #2

An Ali Audio Review: Starstruck by L.A. Witt and Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating:  5 stars out of 5      ★★★★★

Starstruck_AudiobookHollywood is full of dirty secrets, but Carter refuses to be Levi’s.

Retired action star Levi Pritchard has made a quiet life for himself in the sleepy logging town of Bluewater Bay, Washington. But then Hollywood comes to film the wildly popular television series Wolf’s Landing, and Bluewater Bay isn’t so sleepy anymore. His retirement doesn’t stick, either, because he’s offered a part on the show—exactly the kind of complex role he’d always wanted, one that would prove him more than a glorified stuntman. The only catch? He has to stay in the closet—no matter how attractive he finds his co-star.

Carter Samuels is the critically-acclaimed male lead on Wolf’s Landing. And now, the man who inspired him to take up acting—and made him realize he’s gay—is joining the cast, and sparks fly between them instantly. But Carter is out and proud and determined to stay true to himself.

Remaining just friends is the only thing to do, as both the studio and Levi’s disapproving, dysfunctional family keep reminding them. Except their friendship deepens by the day, tempting them with what they can’t have but both desperately need.

I loved this story.  Levi has spent so much of his life denying who he is to the world he doesn’t know how to change it.  When he meets Carter it gets harder and harder to deny what he desires.  Carter’s teenage fantasy was to be with Levi, when he gets to meet him in person it just solidifies his feelings.  As they become friends, determined to keep their desires separate, they can’t help but fall in love.

This story is told from both Levi and Carter’s points of view, which really helps understand the characters and what they are going through.  Levi is constantly fighting with what he wants and what he should do to make his family happy.  Carter loves his friendship with Levi, but won’t deny himself for anyone.

Nick Russo did a wonderful job narrating this story.  I could feel the characters emotions in how he spoke and their different voices helped me keep up with what was going on easier.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is perfect for this story.

Sales Links:  Riptide | Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 7 hrs 1 min
Published: April 26, 2016 (ebook first published November 3, 2014)
Edition Language: English

Series: Bluewater Bay 

A BJ Audiobook Review: The Two Gentlemen of Altona (Playing the Fool #1) by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, Narrated by Nick J. Russo

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

Mischief, thou art afoot.

Two Gentlemen of Altona AudiobookSpecial Agent Ryan “Mac” McGuinness is having a rough week. Not only is he on a new diet, but he’s also been tasked with keeping Henry Page-the world’s most irritating witness-alive. Which is tough when Mac’s a breath away from killing the Shakespeare-quoting, ethically challenged, egg-obsessed Henry himself. Unless killing isn’t really what Mac wants to do to him.

Con man Henry Page prefers to keep his distance from the law . . . though he wouldn’t mind getting a little closer to uptight, handsome Agent McGuinness. As the sole witness to a mob hit, Henry’s a valuable asset to the FBI. But he’s got his own agenda, and it doesn’t involve testifying.

When evidence surfaces of a mole in the FBI office, Mac and Henry are forced to go into hiding. Holed up in a fishing cabin, they’re surprised to discover that their feelings run more than skin deep. But as the mob closes in, Henry has to make his escape. And Mac has to decide how far he’s willing to go to keep Henry by his side.

A well-written, humorous romantic suspense that seemed more focused on the banter than the suspense. Humor, banter and snark are not something I normally look for in a story, and the fact that this book is heavy weighted with it told me pretty early on that might be a case of a story not being a good fit for me.

The opening was a bit confusing and slow–it took me a while for me to engage with the plot. However, I enjoyed that the two characters were very much opposites. Mac wasn’t a typical super-hot perfect agent, but was bald, bit overweight and struggling with his diet as well as his grumpiness. I loved him. Henry, on the other hand, annoyed me much of time with his banter and lies. Came across as a taker who only did the right thing at one key point because someone else talked him in to it. It was only seeing the hints of a dark, sad past that kept me from totally disliking him, well, that and the scene with the storm. Overall, I found myself wanting less banter and more depth. Again, just a personal preference, I’m sure.

This book has massive cock blocking–phone calls at exactly the worst possible time more than once! I would have actually have preferred no sex to the continual interrupted starts and stops as I think that the internal thoughts and little hints at attraction would have been enough for nice sexual tension without all the coitus interruptus thrown in.

There were a lot of Shakespeare references that I didn’t connect with, and so I’m sure I probably didn’t get some of the layers of the story for that reason. Also, the scene in the hospital near the end didn’t click with me for several reasons (which I won’t mention due to spoiler aspects). Finally came the massive cliffhanger ending that left this feeling like more of an intro or serial than a full story.

Nick J. Russo’s narration was excellent, nice delivery of the humorous bits. The character voices (even the women) were well done and the rough, gritty voice he used for Mac contrasted nicely with the suave one for Henry. I think the narration added to the depth of the story and was my favorite part of the experience. The story itself didn’t engage me enough to make me eager to return to it, but once I began listening, the narration was always easy to listen to.

Engaging cover by L.C. Chase both because of the bright contrasting simple red/black/white color scheme and the simple design. Did a good job of getting the lighthearted humor with suspense idea across.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | Audible | Amazon | iTunes


 Audiobook Book Details:  

Audible Audio, 6 pages, 5 hrs 11 mins
Published February 12th 2016 by Riptide Publishing (first published December 27th 2014)
Original TitleThe Two Gentlemen of Altona
ASINB01BMMKJFU
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPlaying the Fool #1 settingIndiana (United States)