Review: Chase in Shadow

Chase in Shadow by Amy Lane and Sean Crisden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chase Summers: Golden boy. Beautiful girlfriend, good friends, and a promising future. Nobody knows the real Chase. Chase Summers has a razor blade to his wrist and the smell of his lover’s goodbye clinging to his skin. He has a door in his heart so frightening he’d rather die than open it, and the lies he’s used to block it shut are thinning with every forbidden touch. 

He may have met Tommy Halloran in the world of gay-for-pay—where the number of lovers doesn’t matter as long as the come-shot’s good—but if he wants the healing that Tommy’s love has to offer, he’ll need the courage to leave the shadows for the sunlight.

 
I listened to the audio book after reading the e-book several times. It is a sad story about two young adults with mental health issues. The official girlfriend plays a big part in it and she was this really annoying perfect super feminine cutie. I disliked the ending, where the story tried to fulfill some family norms I could have done without.
The narrator is better, nowadays. In this production he sometimes swallowed the last word and he made the tone a bit too friendly. Long stretches were read in a nice matter-of-fact tone, while the text described drama and suffering.

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Review: Christmas Kitsch

Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane and Nick J. Russo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rusty Baker is a blond, rich, entitled football player in a high school full of them—just the type of oblivious jock all the bullied kids hate. And he might have stayed that way, except he develops a friendship with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. Rusty thinks the friendship is just pity—Oliver is very bright, and Rusty is very not.
Oliver Campbell is the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. Oliver may not have much money, but he’s got something Rusty has never known: true family.

 

Because of the title I always thought this was a holiday story, but I would disagree. It spans 6 months and ends with Christmas. The focus is on starting to live on yourself.

Rusty has to be perfect for his parents and because he is not bookish enough for college, he tends to call himself stupid all the time. He is the only point of view.
Oliver is in love with Rusty and is patiently waiting until Rusty is ready to come out and have sex and move in together. It is Oliver who makes me love this novel.

The narration was very good.

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Review: Point of No Return

Point of No Return by N.R. Walker and Sean Crisden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Matthew Elliot is one of LA's best detectives. He's been labelled the golden boy of the Fab Four; a team of four detectives who've closed down drug-rings all over the city.
Enter Kira Takeo Franco, the new boxing coach at the gym. Matthew can't deny his immediate attraction to the man his fellow cops know as Frankie. But in allowing himself to fall in love with a man known to his colleagues, Matthew risks outing them both.

This is a favorite re-listen, as is the very different book #2. I love this audiobook because it focuses on Kira and Matt being in love. Warm fuzzy feelings and well-developed protagonists and secondary characters for more than half of the story. After that, suddenly the crime plot explodes, which in my opinion could have been better balanced throughout the story.
The narration is marvelous. Sean Crisden has the right voice for this and he chose to perform this as a stream of consciousness.
 

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Review: Face the Music

Face the Music by K.M. Neuhold and Kenneth Obi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lincoln
I thought there was only one thing I needed to make me happy. I was so sure becoming a rock star would heal the dark corners inside me. But every time I walk onto the stage, with a roaring crowd screaming my name, all I can think about is the boy I left behind.
Jace
I thought I hated Lincoln when he ghosted me ten years ago and destroyed my heart. But I’ve never hated him as much as I do right now, standing in front of me like he has every right to be in my world again.

I love story's with a well-researched mental illness theme. No, love does not cure all. And yes, both life partners can be equals, even if one is ill. With two points of view, you witness both their inner monolog and their memories of a better time. As one of my favorite relistens, I recommend this audiobook to everyone who loves MM romance.
The narrator did a good job. 

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Review: The Locker Room

The Locker Room by Amy Lane and Sean Crisden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Xander Karcek has only wanted two things in his life: Christian Edwards and basketball—the man he loves and the game that let him escape a childhood he’d rather forget. His two obsessions have served him well. He and Chris beat the odds and stayed together through high school, college, and right on to the NBA.

But life under fame’s microscope isn’t easy, especially when two men are pretending to be frat-buddies so the world doesn’t know they’re the next best thing to married. 

I listened to this gay romance over twenty times, and before that, it was one of my favorite e-books. The sound quality, though, is not good. It sounds like I hear it through a wall. The narration and story are marvelous together, but several stretches are monotonous. This audiobook would be better with a second pause between paragraphs. Or noise reduction in the musical intermezzos.

But the story wasn't less because of the audio. I wish Amy Lane always reaches this level. She wrote some of my favorites but is not an auto-buy writer to me.
What I love is the obvious attraction and care between the two well-developed main characters. This story spans fifteen years, which makes it varied and adds enough moments of drama.


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Review: The Charioteer

The Charioteer by Mary Renault and Joe Jameson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans’ hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance. Then one day, Ralph Lanyon, a mentor from Laurie’s schoolboy days, suddenly reappears in Laurie’s life, and draws him into a tight-knit social circle of world-weary gay men. Laurie is forced to choose between the sweet ideals of innocence and the distinct pleasures of experience.

A classic gay novel, so I listened to the audiobook despite it being less fluffy than my usual book choices. And it was beautifully written with great characters. It focussed mostly on being gay in the 1940s in England so it was a bit somber. Narration was good. 

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Review: Brothers of the Wild North Sea

Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox and Hamish Long
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

Caius doesn’t feel like much of a Christian. He loves his life of learning as a monk in the far-flung stronghold of Fara, but the hot warrior blood of his chieftain father flows in his veins. Heat soothed only in the arms of his sweet-natured friend and lover, Leof.

When Leof is killed during a Viking raid, Cai’s grieving heart thirsts for vengeance—and he has his chance with Fenrir, a wounded young Viking warrior left for dead. But instead of reaching for a weapon, Cai finds himself defying his abbot’s orders and using his healing skills to save Fen’s life.

At first, Fen repays Cai’s kindness by attacking every Christian within reach. But as time passes, Cai’s persistent goodness touches his heart. And Cai, who had thought he would never love again, feels the stirring of a profound new attraction.

This is a must-read for everyone, but when listening to the audiobook, you are in for a treat. The plotline, lifestyle, characters, history, and narration are top-notch. This early medieval society existed before the Catholic church decided to make a list of mortal sins, putting homosexuality in the top 3. No damnation and no bigotery.
People not used to explicit gay intimacy may keep in mind: hetero sex involves the same acts.

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Review: Dark Horse

Dark Horse by Kate Sherwood and Peter B. Brooke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dan Wheeler thought he'd found lasting love and stability with his life and work partner, Justin Archer. But when Dan finds himself alone again, still working as a horse trainer for Justin's parents, he has to find a way to accept that his perfect life is gone forever.

Then he meets billionaire Evan Kaminski, who arrives to buy a horse for his younger sister, and Evan's lover Jeff Stevens, a horse trainer who seems to understand more than just Dan's job. Struggling to deal with all the upheavals in his life, Dan finds himself drawn to both Evan's mercurial passion and Jeff's quiet wisdom. 

Book 1 of 2.

 

This gay romance had to grow on me but after several relistens, the audiobook has become a favorite. I like all three protagonists and a few side characters are well-developed. I am not sure about the horse business, but to me, it is a convincing story.
The narrator is no performer. He just reads and uses distinguishable voices, but I would like more drama and emotion to the whole text. Not only in spoken text.

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Review: Love, Hate & Clickbait

Love, Hate & Clickbait by Liz Bowery and Michael Crouch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A hate-to-love queer rom-com in which a viral photo forces two ruthless political staffers to fake a relationship to save their presidential candidate’s campaign.

 
I could not put this audiobook down, although it was not a fuzzy gay romance. It was different from other fake-boyfriend novels. Thom was an ice-cold manipulator and I am not sure if I hoped for him to become a better human.
Narration was good.

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Review: In Step

In Step by Jay Hogan and Gary Furlong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Karma. You reap what you sow, and KANE MARTIN isn’t looking for forgiveness. But the arrival of ABE TYLER in Painted Bay has Kane dreaming of the impossible. The sexy, silver fox choreographer is determined to pull Kane out from the shadows.
But life’s dance can make for unexpected partners, and learning to trust and keep up with the footwork is the name of the game.

I was underwhelmed, the first time I listened to this audiobook, because I could not tell the voices apart and had no sense of the characters. Something made me restart the recording and it was great. So many details I did not pick up the first time! I was fascinated by Kane. Abe was less developed. 

When paying attention you can notice the voices are slightly different. Abe has an amused tone.
I love this M/M romance!

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Review: Bullheaded

Bullheaded by Catt Ford and Derrick McClain 
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aging bull rider Cody Grainger needs bullfighter Johnny Arrow for more than just protection in the ring. Their bond of trust goes beyond the professional and into love, but while their relationship holds up to the need for discretion imposed by their sport and repeatedly having to watch each other put themselves in the way of dangerous animals, other barriers still tear them apart.

For one thing, Cody is ten years older than Johnny. But instead of contemplating retirement, he focuses on winning the championship, desperate to stay on top. Johnny is only beginning to find the professional recognition he craves. When frustration leads Johnny to walk away, Cody’s season slumps. While they’re apart, they both slowly realize they are meant to be together. But machismo abounds in the sport of bull riding, and their pride might be an obstacle too big for love to overcome.

The first 20% of this audiobook were kind of dull, with too much rodeo explanation for me. Then the story took off and I enjoyed every moment because of the great secondary characters. At 50% I had to bide my time when the Disney Cars trope unfolded. Fine for preschoolers, but too preachy for adults.
The narrator has a great voice. He could add more emotion to the story, but that does not lessen my enjoyment. A good addition to the M/M romance genre, but I wonder why it's not more popular.

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