Audiobook Review: The Last Thing He Needs (The Last Thing He Needs #1) by J.H. Kinght

Tommy O’Shea is raising his seven younger brothers and sisters without any help from his drug abusing father and stepmother. Since he was fifteen years old, he's managed to keep the children fed and out of foster care. It takes up every ounce of his energy and the last thing he needs is romance complicating his life further.

Rookie cop Bobby McAlister doesn't belong in Tommy’s harsh world, but Tommy can’t push him out. As their unlikely friendship turns into a tentative relationship, they weather the daily storm of Tommy’s life with a lot of laughs and more than a few arguments.

Tommy isn't used to trusting outsiders, and he's never asked for help in his life. But when a tragedy strikes the O'Shea family and threatens everything he's fought for, he'll have to learn to do both to recover from the brutal hit.

Listening Length: 7 hrs 22 mins
Narrator: Michael Stellman

So...this book.

This audiobook!

How did I love thee? Let this review hopefully capture all the ways! (I'll try to keep the gushing to level 10) (Maybe.)

There are a lot of angsty events happening all around this story. And The Last Thing He Needs is most definitely a romance, the ensemble cast (O'Sheas) makes this story.There is a lot of strife and real life topics touched in this heartwarming tale: the victims of drug/alcohol/emotional abuse, living well below the poverty line, past sexual abuse PTSD, thieving to survive, death of a parent.

With all of that life gasoline fire surrounding the story, this is me at the end:

OMG I love them! Heart eyes 4eva!

This is my third J.H. Knight and you know what? I love her writing. It's like chicken soup to my reader's soul. There's something about it that I respond to while reading. It could be the ease of her writing, the way she captures the right essence of family love to deal with whatever real life antics go on or the fact that I want keep her characters in my pocket.

Now the similarities to another TV family is obviously there, but I love Shameless. And read it as a homage to a great show. I'd definitely watch Knight's version.A unicorn let me know the story is emotional manipulation and you know it. Hell, I knew it... but you love it anyway.

As do I.

Being as this is a classic (or if not yet...it definitely will be), I won't rehash too much of the plot. The Last Thing He Needs has Thomas O'Shea aka "Tommy" in charge of his seven brothers and sisters. His father is a drunk and his stepmother is a drug addicted whore. The two 'parents' (I use that term loosely) abandon their children to fend for themselves at a drop of a dime. Tommy, Colleen, Mikey, Davey, Carrie, Collin and infants Max and Zoe do whatever it takes to keep the roof over their head and the lights on. Odd jobs, hustling money or items needed, no job is too small for the O'Sheas. A rookie cop who has made numerous visits to the O'Shea home, Officer Bobby McAlister, takes a liking to Tommy and his ragtag family. Tommy has always harbored a crush on the blonde cop, but never thought anything would come of it. Tommy's more a fuck and dodge kinda guy.

But those feelings don't remain dormant. And Bobby, sweet persistent and equally hardheaded-as-an-O'Shea Bobby, doesn't back down when the times are rough and dredged in misery. He courts the oblivious Tommy and it is sweet and charming and just all the things I love reading about.

Me at the end of listening.

Michael Stellman did a pretty good job narrating. Granted, I read along with the audiobook so I caught a few discrepancies with his choice of words and the actual text. They were minor. And the Stellman didn't try making a lot of different voices for the multiple characters. Instead, he read through and kept the story interesting enough. But what I think my favorite thing about his narration is his voice. It's this sexy kind of growl that kept me hooked. I'm going to check out other books he narrated just to listen to Stellman purr in my ear.

Pair great narration with an awesome book and you know I had a wonderful time. As Bobby and Tommy get closer, the weight off the O'Sheas' collective back doesn't disappear but it does get a little easier to bear. Bobby and his mom Judy squeeze their way into the family's heart and help when it's needed. I loved the realistic approach to the problems. Sometimes Tommy got a little preachy, but it fit the story. And I can honestly say I love each and every character, well almost - those drunken drug addicted shit stains for parents? They can go to hell in hand basket while wearing gas drenched drawers.

Me and maybe ten other people haven't read The Last Thing He Needs. If you're one of the ten, jump on it. And if you've read it, the audio is well worth listening to a sample.

Highly recommend the audiobook and eBook to readers - definitely a great book for newbie MM readers, fans of Shameless and readers who love a big cast of characters.

Definitely a solidified J.H. Knight fan after reading this.

Due to me going to bed like this...

...just thinking about the O'Sheas and their HEA.

P.S. Dear J.H. Knight,

Please write more!

Signed,
A Greedy Fan