Sidecar Audiobook by Amy Lane Narrated by Chris Patton

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6433

SidecarAUDMEDBlurb

The year is 1987. The boys wear pink Izod shirts, the girls wear big hair, everyone has a stash box, and AIDS is just an ugly rumor rumbling like a thunderstorm from the cities. A teenage runaway wanders the side of the road, a heartbeat away from despair, and is rescued by a long-haired angel on a Harley. But that’s just the beginning of their story. Josiah Daniels wanted peace and quiet and a simple life, and he had it until he rescued Casey from hunger, cold, and exhaustion. Suddenly Joe’s life is anything but simple as he and his new charge navigate a world that is changing more rapidly than the people in it. Joe wants to raise Casey to a happy and productive adulthood, and he does. But even as an adult, Casey can’t conceive of a happy life without Joe. The trouble is getting Joe to accept that the boy he nurtured is suddenly the man who wants him. Their relationship can either die or change with the world around them. As they make a home, negotiate the new rules of growing up, and swerve around the pitfalls of modern life, Casey learns that adulthood is more than sex, Joe learns that there is no compromise in happy ever after, and they’re both forced to realize that the one thing a man shouldn’t be is alone.

Review

Casey gets kicked out of his house for being gay. He ends up being a “rent boy” briefly, and the punching bag of some truckers as he hitches out of town. Just when he’s thinking about giving up he meets Joe.

Joe is a Quaker, a nurse, a biker, a bear, bi-sexual, hippie… you name it, he’s probably done it. He is easy going, big hearted and lovely. He sees Casey on the side of the road and has to – HAS TO – help him.

At first Casey is leery – he’s been burned before by men, then he realizes how truly good Joe is and then he is determined to seduce him. The only problem is he’s 16 and Joe is at least a decade older and no way is Joe going to act on anything Casey is offering.

The years go by and Joe essentially raises Casey from a precocious 16 year old to a sassy 21 year old – managing to get him through high school, first love and into college. When Casey makes one final play for Joe that ends up in a huge fight, he takes off – leaving Joe lonely and decimated.

When Casey’s father dies, Joe helps him attend the funeral and they finally admit what they mean to one another.

But – both Joe and his family know that Casey can’t give him what he most wants in life – a baby. Add to this a judgemental sister and a significant age gap and we still have some hurdles to face.

However, in the end, with miracles abounding Casey and Joe put together a family and manage to be the most rock solid team you could ever dream about.

**
Oh man. I love – love – love- this book. Joe is one of my favorite “Amy” characters. He is so steady but funny. Down to earth and sweet. Casey is equally awesome – sassy and sarcastic – always pushing buttons and never afraid to ask for what he wants.

There is some angst – it’s an Amy book for Pete’s sake – but by and large most of this book is two men building a relationship and a family and making their own pathway in life.

It was beautiful and touching and sweet and sentimental and yet the sex scenes are some of Amy’s best work!

The narrator did an AMAZING job. He makes Joe a bit growly and Casey a bit snarky and just lets you sink right in to the wonderful story Amy has given us.

I can’t recommend this highly enough – I’ve already listened to it three times – it’s just so good!

6 of 5 stars

amazing

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n

Sex Lies and Wedding Bells by EM Lynley

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6184

SexLies&WeddingBellsBlurb

[2nd edition has been extensively rewritten and the story changed from the original. Contains approximately 25k words of new content.]

Of all the tiny towns, in all the world, he walks into mine.

Texas native Kieran Quinn has hit the big time, working in Manhattan as a columnist for Gloss, a national literary magazine. He’s well-known for his snarky, sardonic columns, but deep down he’s more interested in exploring what makes people tick than his editor would like. He keeps his desire to find his own Mr. Right hidden under a sexy, carefree persona that favors champagne and underwear models of the male variety.

Jaxon Lang loves being the high school principal in tiny Buckwheat Springs, Texas after relocating from Austin to pursue his relationship with Danetta Archer, despite her reputation for leaving grooms at the altar. So far, he’s avoided examining the questions he has about himself, certain that marriage will put them to rest. Then Kieran arrives in town. Kieran’s charm and unique attitudes about sex and attraction soon challenge Jaxon’s concept of what—and who—he wants.

While covering the latest wedding of a real-life “runaway bride,” Kieran falls hard for the gorgeous—and supposedly straight—groom, Jaxon Lang, despite that ridiculous X. Then Kieran discovers the bride’s hiding a shocking secret.

First Edition published by Ravenous Romance, April 2009.

Review

The blurb pretty much tells you what happens. Jaxon is supposed to marry Danetta, but he finds he has feelings for Kieran – a man! He convinces Kieran to “experiment” with him, but at the last minute decides he needs to follow through and marry Danetta.

Kieran uncovers some “truths” about Danetta and Jaxon and he go to Hawaii to explore their new “relationship”.

When the article that Kieran wrote about Jaxon comes out it paints Jaxon in a bad light and Jaxon gets mad – but then he gets over it and they reconcile.

**
I really wanted to like this story because the premise is cute and I love GFY/OFY. But it just failed for me in a lot of ways.

I thought the “exploratory” sex between Jaxon and Kieran was funny and hot but it sort of felt teen-agerish. Jaxon acted like he’d never been around a penis before or heard what happened during gay sex.

I also thought the progression of their relationship was a little too fast. From “get to know you” to “I love you” then there’s the “big misunderstanding” that tears them apart. That was pretty frustrating. I would have liked to see them really work on their relationship – Jaxon being with a man, Kieran living in a different state, Jaxon’s feelings of guilt…these are real issues that could have built on some of the more real challenges the couple faced.

But… I really could have gotten over these issues if that had been all.

What I couldn’t get over was Jaxon. I just never liked him. I didn’t like what he was willing to do to Danetta (cheat) or how he treated Kieran (like an experiment) or how he completely over-reacted to Kieran’s article (wouldn’t even listen to the man he said he loved).

Over 70% of the book sees Jaxon and Kieran separated and then in the last few pages they reconcile but I didn’t really buy that their relationship would be a long lasting one.

The writing and editing were fine and I liked the cover a lot, but I just didn’t connect with it well.

It was interesting and had some good promise.

3 of 5 hearts

3

10805469_1500047746947637_197599976_n