Category: Audible

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Love Lessons Audiobook by Heidi Cullinan Narrated by Iggy Toma

Samhain Publishing Presents: http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Love-Lessons-Audiobook/B00TYQO89K/ref=a_search_c4_1_7_srTtl?qid=1427733944&sr=1-7

love lessons audioBlurb

Love doesn’t come with a syllabus.

Kelly Davidson has waited what seems like forever to graduate high school and get out of his small-minded, small town. But when he arrives at Hope University, he quickly realizes finding his Prince Charming isn’t so easy. Everyone here is already out. In fact, Kelly could be the only virgin on campus.

Worst of all, he’s landed the charming, handsome, gay campus Casanova as a roommate, whose bed might as well be equipped with a revolving door.

Walter Lucas doesn’t believe in storybook love. Everyone is better off having as much fun as possible with as many people as possible…except his shy, sad little sack of a roommate is seriously screwing up his world view.

As Walter sets out to lure Kelly out of his shell, staying just friends is harder than he anticipated. He discovers love is a crash course in determination. To make the grade, he’ll have to finally show up for class…and overcome his own private fear that love was never meant to last.

Warning: This story contains lingering glances, milder than usual sexual content for this author, and a steamy dance-floor kiss. Story has no dairy or egg content, but may contain almonds

Review
(Book Reviewed on Previous Site)

Kelly is a small town guy with Disney –HEA – visions in his head. He just KNOWS life gets better in college and he won’t let anybody tell him otherwise.
Walter is the jaded, older student and now roommate who, at first, wants to break Kelly of his romantic ideal nonsense, then feels it’s his duty to protect those dreams and finally to make them come true.

This is a long book, so we cover a lot of ground and in a lot of detail.
We get a good, hard look at what makes Walter so cynical and a good look at what makes Kelly so idealistic.

We get to watch the relationship, in its early seedling stage nearly die before finally taking root to grow into a full-fledged, Disney-level-happiness, rock solid, Red-wood of a relationship.

This is a new adult novel. Not quite YA – too much drinking, drugs, and sex for that. But the story is more closely that of a YA than some of the other, far more raunchy, Heidi Cullinan “adult” books. It is very well written and very involved, like the rest of Heidi’s books, and hits all the right buttons for me.

I just love the characters. They are all very well developed, three-dimensional, interesting and unique. There are several secondary characters that add complexity to the story and help to give this book it’s authentic flavors.

Kelly is an amazing guy. Heidi has managed to give us a freshman boy, who loves Disney movies, is a die-hard romantic, a virgin and yet he is still very much a boy. I love him! I love that he idolizes Tangled and has dreams of how his first date, first sex and wedding should all be. I loved the juxtaposition of his money poor, love rich household with Walter’s money rich, love poor life. Walter, the playboy, the cynic, the last guy to imagine Happy Ever After is the PERFECT choice for Kelly.

Their story is told slowly, organically growing and unfolding tenderly in such a way that we can easily see how the switches can be flipped and how our jaded Walter can come around to being Kelly’s Prince by the end of the book.

I could really relate to Kelly’s vision of what love “should and should not” be, I think many of us remember that time in our lives – whether it was high school, college, or later in life – and how hard it was to mesh that vision in our head with what life hands us. What I admired was how Kelly held on to his vision of Disney-Princess-Happiness without shame or wavering even in the face of disillusionment and that, in the end, his enduring faith brought everyone around and actualized his feelings rather than crushing his spirit.

The length of the book is both its strength and weakness. It takes a little dedication – there are times the story drags and it takes a little perseverance. However, the pay out is definitely worth it. Because she doesn’t compromise on length, the story feels very natural and real, and because life is more than just romance, the added side stories Heidi guides us through help us to see how our MCs are growing and changing in a way that feels authentic.
By the end I think everyone will have at least some tears in their eyes if they are not out-right bawling. It is an amazingly tender, sweet and satisfying book on many levels.

You will fall in love with Kelly and Walter and – now that I have read the sequel – I can tell you that you will be excited to know we get to see even more of them real soon and it only makes this book that much more sweet.

Audio

Iggy Toma is a new narrator to me and he did a fantastic job with this series. He adds so much real emotion that the listener is truly immersed in the story right along with the characters. He did some subtle variations on the voices, enough to differentiate the speakers, but did not go over the top with them. I really, really enjoyed listening to this and will probably find myself listening to it again and again – all 10 hours!

The listening experience contributes so much to the enjoyment to bump this to a 5 of 5 hearts! I loved it!

5

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Behind the Curtain Audiobook by Amy Lane Narrated by Hugh Bradley

Dreamspinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5248

BehindTheCurtainAUDMEDBlurb

Dawson Barnes recognizes his world is very small and very charmed. Running his community college theater like a petty god, he and his best friend, Benji know they’ll succeed as stage techs after graduation. His father adores him, Benji would die for him, and Dawson never doubted the safety net of his family, even when life hit him below the belt.

But nothing prepared him for falling on Jared Emory’s head.

Aloof dance superstar Jared is a sweet, vulnerable man and Dawson’s life suits him like a fitted ballet slipper. They forge a long-distance romance from their love of the theater and the magic of Denny’s. At first it’s perfect: Dawson gets periodic visits and nookie from a gorgeous man who “gets” him—and Jared gets respite from the ultra-competitive world of dancing that almost consumed him.

That is until Jared shows up sick and desperate and Dawson finally sees the distance between them concealed painful things Jared kept inside. If he doesn’t grow up—and fast—his “superstar” might not survive his own weaknesses. That would be a shame, because the real, fragile Jared that Dawson sees behind the curtain is the person he can see spending his life with.

Review
(From previous site)

This is a sweet story of two people, seemingly in opposite phases of life, coming together and finding love. Dawson, sort of trapped in an unrequited love finds Jared, who has never really had love, and together they just click, right from the start. But there are still hurdles to be overcome and both Jared and Dawson have to decide where their life is going and how to take control of that life if they want to be together.

Amy Lane’s stories are character driven and Dawson and Jared are amazing characters, so (of course) this is another amazing Amy Lane book. I just loved it. Amy is so good at giving us these bony limbed-kersplang-awkward characters that you can’t help but absolutely adore and then pairing them with a masterful, solid, yet somehow broken-needing-to-be-fixed character. Just when you think Dawson is the one who needs to grow up, you realize that, no, he is the rock in this relationship and poor Jared is the one who needs to be rescued.

Amy also excels at “friends” and Dawson’s friends (and family) are so wonderful and though they may try to steal the story, they only add to its richness and texture, by giving it greater depth.

The dialog in this book is funny, sweet, touching and wonderful, just like Jared and Dawson’s love for each other. I really enjoyed these guys and I hope we get to see them in future books, I didn’t want this one to end!

Audio

The narrator, Hugh Bradley, is new to me, but I will definitely look for him in the future. He did an amazing job, really brining the characters to life with his voices and inflection. He seemed to really “get” Dawson and Jared and their story. Sometimes a narrator can mess up a story for you, if you have already read it and already have a feel for the characters in your head. But Hugh seemed to be reading the same story as me, and I really enjoyed listening to his version. I highly recommend this audible as a companion to the book or all on its own.

5 out of 5 hearts

5

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Crucible of Fate Audiobook by Mary Calmes Narrated by Sean Crisden

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5454

CrucibleofFateAUDMedBlurb

Change of Heart book 4

In the secret city of Sobek, Domin Thorne is making his way as the newly chosen semel-aten, the leader of the werepanther world. He aspires to make sweeping changes – he’s set goals for himself and the people he chose to bring with him, modeling his reign after that of his friend, Logan Church. But Domin may have set too lofty a goal: His normal leadership style isn’t working.

While juggling a homesick Crane, a moody Mikhail, a bullwhip-wielding Taj, servants with murderous intentions, a visiting ex, and a mate on a dangerous goodwill mission, Domin has to figure out his new role alone. He also must determine how to deal with a conspiracy, all the while falling hard for a man who, for the first time in Domin’s life, reciprocates that love.

Whether Domin is ready or not, Fate has stepped in to teach him a lesson: Internal threats are just as dangerous as external ones.

Review

(From previous site.)

Most of this book is Domin learning about his new role as semel-aten and making wide spread changes to the way things are run. There are some pretty intense battle/kidnapping scenes and some moving relationship building between him and Yuri.

We get to see a bit of Logan, Jin and Crane, but most of the book is Domin, showcasing his growth as a leader, a man, and a mate.

There is no way you could understand or appreciate this book without having read the first three, and even having read the first three, it is tough to keep all the “foreign” phrases and terminology straight. I highly recommend reading all four books in a row to fully appreciate this book.

Before this, Yuri and Domin had gotten together, but it was a tenuous relationship. Some of the best, most emotional parts of this book are Domin and Yuri cementing their relationship with one another. Mary writes excellent sex and there are some scorching scenes in this story.

The politics of the changes Domin works toward are fascinating, but very complex. In many ways this is a departure from Mary’s works in that Yuri and Domin are not the exact center of this book, but an integral piece. This really feels like a book that ties up loose ends and focuses on Domin and the entire were-panther world more than anything else, his relationship included.

I loved this book as a giant epilogue to the series, but wished for more of the heart-wrenching, tender relationship scenes between Yuri and Domin.

While it is not my favorite Mary Calmes book, nor even the favorite of the Change of Heart series, I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to anyone who read the first three books.

Audio

Sean Crisden did a great job with all the “foreign” words, the dialects, the different characters… his voice for Domin’s doctor was fantastic!

I really enjoyed listening to this book in audio format. I think, sometimes, the new words were hard to understand in audio format and I found myself sometimes looking to the book to see what he was talking about, but if you only ever heard the entire series then the words would make sense to you. Since I read the first three books, I had to look some up while listening to the audio book for book four.

I give the book a 4 of 5 hearts, the narration a 5 of 5 hearts for an overall 4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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Nothing Serious Audiobook By Jay Northcote Narrated by Michael Pauley

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6197

nothing serious audioBlurb

Mark O’Brien is finally being honest with himself. His relationship with Rachel is over and he’s moving out of the home they’ve shared for six years. They get along, but he can’t fix a relationship when the person he’s with is the wrong gender.

Jamie Robertson, one of the removal men, is huge and ridiculously gorgeous, and Mark is smitten at first sight. When a cardboard box splits, revealing items of a personal nature that Mark never wanted anybody to see, he’s mortified. But it sparks the start of a beautiful friendship with benefits.

As Jamie initiates Mark into the joys of gay sex, the two men get increasingly close and “nothing serious” turns into something rather important to both of them. But communication isn’t their strong point. Will either man ever find the courage to be honest about his feelings?

Review

(Book review previously done on this site.)

Mark falls in lust with Jamie right from the start. He is one of the movers that help Mark into his new apartment and his new life. When a box of embarrassing personal items falls open, Jamie helps him investigate his new sexuality.

It was meant to be a casual thing. Mark’s first explorations at gay sex. Jamie’s continuation of a love ’em and leave ’em life style.

But… as time passes, both guys begin to see that this relationship can never just be a casual f*ckbuddy thing. The funny thing is that both worry that the other will be disappointed if things turn serious and both worry that the “l word” could end things.
**

I loved this book! It was fun, fast paced and really sweet, too. Mark’s exploration into sex was both hot and at turns emotional and moving. Jamie has his own demons to fight which prevent him from committing to a long term relationship, and it was great watching him move through these issues and evolve and grow as a man.

Jay Northcote really knows how to give us “every day joe” characters whose love stories are anything but ordinary.

I highly recommend this book and give it a 5 of hearts – I loved it!

Audio

Michael Pauley is an American (or Canadian or whatever).  He’s not British.  This is a VERY British story with British slang and a British setting.  I’m not sure why in the world a Brit wasn’t given this to narrate… I was terribly disappointed in that aspect.  The slang just sounds funny coming from the flat American voice.

However, to be fair, Michael does a nice job with the narration.  Nothing too spectacular in terms of voice differentiation, but he’s unobtrusive and allows you to become immersed in the story.

I was very pleased to see that the next Jay Northcote book was done with an accent and I wish this had been as well, but it wasn’t a bad narration, just not great.

Narration 3 of 5 hearts

Overall 4 of 5 hearts

4

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Winter’s Wolf Audiobook (Tales of the Harker Pack Book 3) by Tara Lain Narrated by Max Lehnen

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6309
winter's wolf audioBlurb

Winter Thane was raised on the two cardinal rules of werewolf existence: don’t reveal yourself to humans under penalty of death, and there’s no such thing as a gay werewolf. It’s no surprise when his father drags him from his wild life in remote Canada back to Connecticut to meet his old pack in hopes it will persuade Winter to abandon his love of sex with human males. Of course Dad’s hopes are dashed when they come face-to-face with the gay werewolves in the Harker pack.

Winter takes one look at FBI agent, Matt Partridge, and decides bird is his favorite food.

Partridge is embroiled in an investigation into drug dealing and the death of a fellow agent. He can’t let himself get distracted by the young, platinum-haired beast, but then Winter proves invaluable in the search for clues, a move that winds them both up in chains and facing imminent death. Winter quickly learns his father’s motives are questionable, the pack alphas are a bunch of pussies, humans aren’t quite what they seem, and nothing in the forests of Connecticut is pure except love.

Review

(Book reviewed previously on this site.)

Winter and his dad, Damon, move from Canada (back) to Connecticut to join the Harker Pack. Damon thinks Winter needs the influence of a pack (they’ve been more or less living as lone/wild wolves for years) to settle him down and to find himself a mate. Of course, Damon means a female mate, he doesn’t believe in gay werewolves… HA! He chose the wrong pack, because the Harker pack is FULL of gay werewolves!

Winter catches the smell of someone amazing at the bar the Harkers frequent, it’s Matt, an FBI agent working with the pack on a series of crimes involving murder and drugs.

Matt is a human who suspects something is “off” with the Harkers, but he doesn’t know what. He suspects they are somehow involved with or know more about these drug related crimes, but he’s not sure how or what.

Winter and Matt are immediately attracted to one another but feel they can’t be together for several reasons. Winter: it’s against the rules to mate a human. Matt: he’s hiding a secret and a sick father and those don’t blend well with commitment.

Matt and Winter are put on the same task force, trying to track down drug runners and their attraction flares nearly out of control.

But… there are forces out there trying to stop their progress both romantically and professionally.

As a side note, there is some pretty fun family re-union stuff going on in the background that leads to an amazing new alliance and possibly some long-needed rule changes.
**
This, by far, was my most favorite of the three Harker Pack series and possibly my most favorite Tara Lain book to date!

The story line behind the romance actually kept me totally involved (which I admit is not always the case) and I loved seeing the earlier couples actively involved in this story.

Matt’s status (it’s a mystery – I’m not spoiling it!) was done so well! I thought it was very clever and fit in great with the overall story.

The sex between these guys is super hot and their love is also really, really sweet.
Overall a great book I highly recommend. But… you MUST read all three books to really appreciate it, which only makes sense because they are all awesome!

Audio
Max Lehnen. *Sigh.*

He has done the narrations for all the Harker Wolf Series by Tara Lain and unfortunately there is just something about his narrations that drive me crazy.

I find the way he enunciates to be rather garbled, like he’s got marbles in his mouth. I also didn’t like the way he chose to portray Matt – sort of an effeminate southern belle. I like the way he does the “wolfy thinking” – sort of growly and punctate, but the rest of the time I’m not that into it.  As a narrator he isn’t my favorite and it bums me out because I LOVE this series and would have loved to listen to it over and over but I find myself being thrown out of the story over and again by the way I dislike Max’s narration.

I still love the book and if you don’t mind Max Lehnen (I’d suggest listening to the sample before you buy) you might enjoy the audiobook as well.

Overall, with the book earning 6 of 5 hearts and the narration 3 of 5 hearts, I give it 4.5 hearts.

4.5

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The Pack or the Panther: Tales of the Harker Pack Audiobook by Tara Lain Narrated by Max Lehnen

Dreampsinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5287

PackorthePanther[The]AUDMedBlurb

Cole Harker, son of an alpha werewolf, is bigger and more powerful than most wolves, tongue-tied in groups, and gay. For 24 years, he’s lived to please his family and pack – even letting them promise him in marriage to female werewolf Analiese to secure a pack alliance and help save them from a powerful gangster who wants their land.
Cole then meets Analiese’s half-brother, panther shifter Paris Marketo, and for the first time, Cole wants something for himself.
When Analiese runs off to marry a human, Cole finally has a chance with Paris, but the solitary cat rejects him, the pack, and everything it represents.
Cole discovers the gangster wants Paris, too, and won’t rest until he has him. What started as a land dispute turns into World War Wolf! But the bigger fight is the battle between cats and dogs.

Review
(From previous site)

This is a unique shifter book in that Cole is no typical alpha. He stutters, he’s awkward, he’s shy, and – he’s mated to a panther! Paris, his mate, is extremely cat like, shifty, sinuous, slinky and … solitary. This makes his being mated to Cole very hard, and forms the crux of their dilemma.
Tara Lain likes to give us quirky, sometimes odd MCs and then show us why we should love them. It takes some doing – Cole is really stiff and sometimes hard to read. Paris is very cocky and stand-offish, hard to wrap your mental cuddle around. In the end, however, we see their soft-underbellies and they manage to worm their way into our hearts.
I had to combine the audio and book review together because the unique nature of the book influences the audio version’s palatability. When I read this book earlier in the year, I loved it straight away. Gave it 4.5 of 5 hearts. Then I read the second in the series, and loved it even more! I was therefore excited to listen to the audio very much.
Ugh!

At first I had to stop listening and go back to the book. Was it the narrator or the story that was bothering me so much? So, I went back to read the book again.
Ahhh – I get it! The rhythm of the book, the writing style, mimics animal thought and impressions. Something that translates really well on paper, but would take a discerning eye/ear for to read aloud. Tara does a funny play on words, uses sounds and pauses that work to put you in the mind of a wolf running through the woods. Maybe no one could do it well, hard to say, but the unique wording and timing just didn’t translate well when read aloud by Max Lehnen.
Max’s voice is sort of garbled, like he has a mouth full of marbles, and the lack of clarity bugged me. Then there was his inflection. I tried to tell myself that not everyone needs to “act” a story out. A good narration can be one where the narrator disappears leaving us only the words, not his interpretation of the words. But Max didn’t do that either, at least not real well. He had just enough inflection to draw notice to himself, but not enough to do justice to what he was reading.
To appease my curiosity, I looked at some of Max’s other reviews and read similar complaints, and some high praises. Some people really liked his style – thought he was genuine and sincere, others thought he sounded hokey and patronizing. I have to agree with the latter. I won’t say he isn’t a good narrator, just that he didn’t do this book justice.
I so wanted to like this audio book! I wanted to get the next book in the series on audio, too but… I won’t. Not now.
So overall- I highly recommend the book The Pack or the Panther, I give it 4.5 of 5 hearts! As for the audio version, I’d say listen to the sample on audible.com – if you’re the type that likes that sort of “old timey” voice, then you’ll love Max’s interpretation, but it didn’t do it for me. I gave the audio version a 2.5 of 5 hearts.

Overall 3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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How to Howl at the Moon Audiobook (Dog Shifters of Mad Creek #1) by Eli Easton Narrated by Matthew Shaw

Pinkerton Road Presents:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/How-to-Howl-at-the-Moon-Audiobook/B00UVVHOTI/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1427652540&sr=1-1

howlaudioBlurb

Sheriff Lance Beaufort is not going to let trouble into his town, no sir. Tucked away in the California mountains, Mad Creek has secrets to keep, like the fact that half the town consists of ‘quickened’—dogs who have gained the ability to become human. Descended on both sides from Border Collies, Lance is as alert a guardian as they come.

Tim Weston is looking for a safe haven. After learning that his boss patented all of Tim’s work on vegetable hybrids in his own name, Tim quit his old job. A client offers him use of her cabin in Mad Creek, and Tim sees a chance for a new start. But the shy gardener has a way of fumbling and sounding like a liar around strangers, particularly gorgeous alpha men like Sheriff Beaufort.

Lance’s hackles are definitely raised by the lanky young stranger. He’s concerned about marijuana growers moving into Mad Creek, and he’s not satisfied with the boy’s story. Lance decides a bit of undercover work is called for. When Tim hits a beautiful black collie with his car and adopts the dog, its love at first sight for both Tim and Lance’s inner dog. Pretending to be a pet is about to get Sheriff Beaufort in very hot water.

Review

(Book review previously done on this site.)

Lance is a fourth generation “quickened” shifter, hailing from a long line of Border Collie shifters and the Sherriff of Mad Creek.  A “quickened” shifter is a dog (born a dog) who was so beloved by his or her master that they receive the “gift” of turning human at will.  That ability is then transferred to their off-spring and thus a shifter is born.

Tim is a horticulturist whose hybrid plant ideas were ripped off by his ex-boss.  He’s currently living on the last of his money and hopes to build back his business with the help of a friend.

Tim also is very nervous in front of alpha-males and Lance is ALL alpha.

At first, Lance thinks Tim is growing an illegal crop and stoops to using his shifted form to spy on Tim.  But the lonely and sad and socially inept Tim cracks through Lance’s tough shell until both the dog and the man can’t get enough of Tim.

However, how is Lance going to break it to Tim that the dog he loves is really the man he fears?  And… is Tim’s boss going to make trouble for Tim in his new home?  And someone really is growing illegal drugs near Mad Creek and they don’t like competition.

**

Through a combination of  amazingly astute observations on the various dog breeds and imagining them to be humans, Eli has managed the unbelievable – a unique shifter story!  Sure, there are some common threads, but by and large this is a truly unique look at shifter lore.

Because they were dogs first the transition to being human is both touching at times (Roman’s devotion to his past master) and hilarious (the friendly and chatty Mr. Beagle).

You know that since it’s Eli Easton, the writing is impeccable.  The sex is hot.  The emotion is deep and abiding.  And the humor is sharp and witty.

If I could describe a perfect book it would be this:  Eli Easton writing a shifter book.  And yet, it gets even better because it’s going to be an entire SERIES!  It’s true – there is a heaven!

The slow burn between Tim and Lance is delicious and when Lance finally “comes out” to Tim it is both hysterical and touching.

I loved the meddling mother and the “vindictive” vet scene.  Superb!

All in all I can’t wait for the next book, am so excited the audio book is on it’s way and will likely have read this book at least three more times before I get my hands on the audio version.

PS

Look here for fun facts about writing the book and a sample of the audiobook.  http://elieaston.com/

Audio

Matthew Shaw did a fantastic job of narrating Eli Easton’s new shifter book.  From interviews, I know Matthew voiced some of Eli’s games in the past and so he’s a new narrator to the m/m genre.  He did great!  He was funny and easy to listen to.  His voice is rich and flowing, with the right amount of emotion and “acting”.  I really enjoyed listening to this story and will be listening to it again and again!

6 of 5 hearts!

amazing

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Creature Feature Audiobook by Poppy Dennison and Mary Calmes Narrated by Jeff Gelder

Dreamspinner Presents:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5457

CreatureFeatureAUDMedBlurb

Diagnosis Wolf by Poppy Dennison

Thanks to his good-for-nothing brother, Andrew Hughes is up to his eyeballs in debt and needs a job fast. When a nursing position opens up in Myerson, Arizona, Andrew has no choice but to take it, despite a warning about how difficult a patient Caleb DiMartino can be. Andrew can deal with a little trouble—but Caleb’s strange family, the armed guards, and the unknown cause of Caleb’s mysterious illness may be beyond his skill set.

Landslide by Mary Calmes

For three years, paranormal courier Frank Corrigan has been working for incubus demon Cael Berith. Cael knows Frank is his mate, but Frank is pretty sure Cael doesn’t even like him, never mind want to spend the rest of his life with him, so their personal relationship is at an impasse. When Frank’s sister, Lindsey, gets bitten by a werewolf she’s sleeping with—and possibly witnesses a murder—Frank rides to her rescue. If he’s lucky, he might just save his love life too.

Review
(From Previous Site.)

Diagnosis Wolf:
Andrew is a nurse sent to the house of a shifter (not a werewolf) who has been possibly poisoned by enemies of their family. Caleb (the shifter) finds Andrew to be very attractive and it’s his protective instincts of Andrew that help him to start the recovery process. Andrew’s brother has gotten into deep water and is hoping to use Andrew’s connection to the rich DiMartino family to get out of debt. When push comes to shove, Caleb and his family manage to solve the medical mystery and defeat the bad guys (with Andrew’s help, of course.)

Landslide:
Frank is a special human, immune to most effects of paranormal power and as such acts as a liaison between the various “species”. On one mission he meets Cael, a demon of great power, who claims to be his mate. Frank doesn’t believe him and makes the poor demon wait 3 years before finally succumbing to seduction and finding true love. In the meantime they defeat some bad guys and mostly make you giggle.

**

This is the first time I’d read anything by Poppy Dennison and it was wonderful. It is a full story, richly detailed, and though it lacks the “fated mate” scenario in some shifter stories, it has enough of those elements to keep my sappy heart happy. The love was sweet and the sex was hot and the action exciting.

And then there’s Mary’s story… how can you NOT love a Mary story. Frank is hysterical. Ever the doubting Thomas, he thinks Cael (like the vegetable Kale) is “repulsed” because he’s not a twink and therefore not Cael’s type. Of course, Cael is ridiculously patient and let’s the misunderstanding go on for three years… three years! (Mary must have a thing for three years… remember Sam and Jory?!? ) But when they do get together it is sweet and sexy and very, very satisfying.

Audio
Jeff Gelder does a nice job with both narrations. The recording takes a minute to get used to, there is a vague tinny sound to it, but it kind of lends itself to the creepy nature of the stories and it blends into the background after awhile.

He didn’t do any over the top voices or any serious “acting” but he doesn’t distract from the stories themselves either and it was a nice listening experience.

I give the book a 5 of 5 hearts, the audio a 4 of 5 hearts and an overall 4.5 of 5 hearts. I highly recommend both the book and the audio version.

4.5

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All Kinds of Tied Down Audiobook by Mary Calmes Narrated by Tristan James

Dreamspinner Presents

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5618

AllKindsofTiedDownMedBlurb

Ian has always resisted being tied down. His partner, Miro, just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn’t so bad.

Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they’ve gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more.

As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn’t working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn’t work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn’t being tied down at all.

Review

(From previous site)

Mary Calmes is my hero because she could write a book about anything and make it work. However, I love her for her “A Matter of Time” series, which is probably one of her most popular, and this book brings many of those characters out to play!

This is a book about US Marshals Miro and Ian who are best friends and partners. Miro has been pining for Ian for years, but since Ian is “straight”, Miro has put his feelings on ice, for the sake of the friendship. In a nutshell it’s a GFY (gay for you) romance where Ian and Miro have to overcome their fear of losing their friendship and partnership to get together as lovers. But it’s so much more than that, because Ian has some issues he needs to resolve that not even his best friend knows about, and we also have other obstacles on the path like wayward prisoners, gunfire, broken bones, and Ian’s mysterious “second job”.

In the meantime there is a lot of sexual tension. Mary knows how to do sexual tension well and it runs hot between these two boys. We are kept on needles and pins waiting and wanting for Miro to get his chance with the hot, if somewhat awkward Ian. When the two do get together (not a spoiler right?) it is hot! Smokin’ really. But oh so sweet, and tender. Just as we have come to expect from Mary.

I loved how Mary brought in characters from Acrobat, A Matter of Time, Where You Lead and Parting Shot into this story because there are bits and pieces of those characters in Ian and Miro. It’s always fun to see these old characters re-surface, but they do not overwhelm the book and if you have never read even one of her books (shame on you!) you won’t be confused about a thing.

Mary writes amazing secondary characters, too, and she has given us a gaggle of amazing women who are Miro’s friends as well as some men who should perhaps (hopefully!) get their own books, i.e. Drake, Cabot and Holley.

The story moves along swiftly and I really enjoyed that there was not one single “crime” that we followed but a series of events, it felt more like the real work of the Marshals. The common theme for each event – OUCH – poor Miro somehow ends up injured in each one!

I think Mary Calmes excels in her contemporary fiction, and this book does not disappoint. I give it a 5 out of 5 hearts for a sweet, sexy, scintillating, superb and sentimentally wonderful read.

Audio

Tristan James. Le sigh. I just love his narrations. He does another really great job with this story. I really enjoyed his version of Ian’s voice – just perfect. Tristan’s pacing is wonderful. He has a great vision of how to keep the tension up and how to play the flat perfection of Miro and the vaguely bewildered Ian. His secondary characters were wonderful and I was so sad he didn’t narrate the Matter of Time series – his Sam Kage was amazing!

I highly recommend this narration of All Kinds of Tied Down and give it 6 of 5 hearts

amazing

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A Good Vintage Audiobook by Ashlyn Kane narrated by John Solo

Dreamspinner Presents
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6149

a good vintageBlurb

Luke Scherer has turned bad romance into an art. When he catches his latest deadbeat boyfriend selling Luke’s belongings – and his own body – to cover his debts, Luke decides he needs a vacation. He just doesn’t expect his Napa Valley retreat to be a step into his past.
Eight years ago Mal Kuijpers was grieving his wife while his vineyard floundered. Hiring Luke for the summer put the business back on track and a smile back on Mal’s face.
Nineteen-year-old Luke had just gotten out from under his father’s thumb and started saving for his education, his last screw-you to his old man. Then he made the mistake of falling for his boss, his dad caught up with him, and Luke panicked-and fled.
Now they have another chance. Mal has his own share of closet skeletons, including a family he doesn’t talk to and a dead wife he sometimes does, and he’s gone without romance for years. He works hard to convince Luke he’s worth more than a casual fling and asks for nothing in return, but Luke needs a relationship of equals. If Mal can believe in himself and Luke can believe in love, two hot summers might yield a lifelong reward.

Review

Luke is sent to Mal’s vineyard when his latest boyfriend is found selling Luke’s stuff and his own body! Mal was in Luke’s life years ago when Luke was young and running away from Luke’s abusive father. Mal, at that time, was a recent widow and considered himself too old and too sad to get involved with Luke at that time.

Now – Luke is feeling too cautious and insecure to want to jump right into another relationship, but Mal is ready and isn’t shy about letting that be known.

There are other roadblocks: Luke lives in LA, Mal in Napa. Luke is just now starting to really see his life on track and doesn’t see how moving to the country can help his fledgling architecture career. Not to mention that Mal was married to a woman for years. Luke doesn’t want to be an experiment.

However high the hurdles, these guys do manage to work through them all and we get a very HEA.

**

This is the first book I’ve read by herself, but I’ve really enjoyed her collaborations.
I think that if I had been reading this book it would have been a bit easier to appreciate the “flashback” style she used (at the end of each chapter is a snippet from the past to give us the back story of Luke and Mal). As a listener it was a bit disconcerting to be wrenched from a scene and thrust into the past… but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I really like Mal as a character. He was seasoned but still had an air of innocence to him that was refreshing. He didn’t play games and that was nice. I did think that it was odd that the couple would “fool around” without having sex for as long as they did, but I loved the relationship building that occurred.

The secondary characters were rich accompaniment to the main characters and I thought they added nicely to the overall book.

Audio

John Solo did a GREAT job with this narration. Mal’s voice is growly and divine! He didn’t make Luke over the top but was definitely a different character than Mal. I thought he handled the women’s voices well and overall I really enjoyed listening to this story.

Book 4 of 5 hearts
Narration 5of 5 hearts

Overall 4.5 of 5 hearts

4.5

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