Audiobook Review: Redesigning Max (Foothills Pride #2) by Pat Henshaw

Renowned interior designer Fredi Zimmer is surprised when outdoorsman Max Greene, owner of Greene’s Outdoors, hires Fredi to revamp his rustic cabin in the Sierra Nevada foothills. Fredi is an out-and-proud Metro male whose contact with the outdoors is from his car to the doorway of the million-dollar homes he remodels, and Max is just too hunky for words.

When Max comes on to Fredi, the designer can't imagine why. But he’s game to put a little spice into Max’s life, even if it’s just in the colors and fixtures he’ll use to turn Max's dilapidated cabin into a showplace. Who can blame a guy for adding a little sensual pleasure as he retools Max’s life visually?

Max, for his part, is grateful when Fredi takes him in hand, both metaphorically and literally. Coming out is the most exciting and wonderful time in his life, despite the conservative former friends who think they’re saving him from sliding into hell.

Narrated by David Ross
Listening Length: 2 hours and 55 minutes

Pat Henshaw is an easy read author with, from what I’ve read, uncomplicated love stories. That’s not to say that there isn’t depth, or that the characters don’t have complicated lives, I just find the relationship development straightforward and easy on the heart.

This story has no real angst to it, and I think it is a good thing. It leaves the plot development to the world around Fredi and Max, rather than creating drama within the relationship. This is my favourite type of relationship development. While life can sometimes be messy, I prefer characters who are adept at keeping their romantic lives as tidy as possible, while unwinding mess through discovery and action.

Fredi has been commissioned to revamp a rustic cabin that Max received as part of an inheritance settlement. It is in dire need of a professional touch, and Fredi is an award winning designer who is perfect for the job.

Max has decided that it’s time he came out and stopped hiding. He takes an instant interest in Fredi, and is subtle in his approach to flirting and making his intentions known.

I found Fredi to be a fun complex character. He doesn’t put up with crap from anyone, least of all the town bigots. But he is a little bit over-reactive when it comes to pulling out his Boner……..

This story had a nice easy flow. Some drama to keep it exciting, but the ease with which Fredi and Max communicated was what held my interest.

I’ve read this series out of order, starting with book four, but I don’t think it’s really necessary to read them in order. Each story stands on its own, with no wider story arc, but with enough intertwining to feel the familiarity of some of the characters.

That being said, I would still recommend these be read in order if you are starting from the beginning.

David Ross is always a pleasure to listen to, and I don’t think he could ever make a story sound bad. Top notch voice acting skills that makes him someone I look for when picking new audiobooks to buy.

I would recommend this for those who enjoy straightforward gay romance, with some nice depth and good character development.

A review copy was provided.

Audiobook Review: What’s in a Name? (Foothills Pride #1) by Pat Henshaw

Barista Jimmy Patterson thinks it's a good idea to get rip-roaring drunk on his birthday after he’s dumped by his boyfriend. When the burly owner of Stonewall’s Saloon rescues Jimmy, the night starts to look up.

Now Jimmy just wants to know the bartender's first name since he's worn a different name tag every time Jimmy's seen him. "Guy" Stone gives Jimmy seven guesses, one for each night he takes Jimmy out on a date.

While Jimmy’s trying to come up with his name, he's distracted by the destruction of his coffee shop and what looks more and more like a hate crime.

Listening Length: 2 hours and 49 minutes
Narrator: David Ross

Jimmy Patterson has dumped his boyfriend for cheating on Jimmy’s birthday, and seems to have attached himself to a bartender who wears a different name tag every night at Stonewall. This was a pretty intriguing concept. Jimmy has to guess what the guys name is in seven guesses, each name to be guessed after a date with “Guy”.

I enjoyed the way this relationship developed and the way “Guy” was a stable support for Jimmy while things were going wrong in his business life. Jimmy is trying to open up another Coffee shop but he is getting resistence, and what appears to be a hate crime is perpetrated on his existing shop.

What I loved most about this, is that Jimmy still managed to stay upbeat about everything and had fun with “Guy” while organising his life without his ex in it. I wouldn’t have blamed him if he got all stormy about his ex being a cheater, or his shop being trashed, but he picked himself up quickly and got on with succeeding. That’s not to say he was unaffected, he just gave off the impression that sometimes shit happens, and it shouldn’t stop him from doing what he set out to do.

The guessing game was fun, if a little cheesy. Their chemistry was beautiful, regardless of whether a real name was known. “Guy” was still authentic and passionate, real and practical. There was no subterfuge or mystery with anything else about him. What was presented was honest, and refreshingly straightforward.

David Ross, of course, is a wonderful narrator, and gave depth to the characters in this story. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of his voice as a storyteller. Great voice acting is a skill I would never be able to master, and he does a superb job of bringing life to even the most mundane character in this book.

Fun and flirty, with some serious content thrown in for depth, this was a great short story to listen to while I did boring cleaning chores around my house.

Recommended for all MM romance readers.

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Audiobook Review: Tartan Candy (Fabric Hearts #1) by KC Burn

Finlay McIntyre (aka Raven) is a successful adult film star with a penchant for kilts, until an accident cuts short his stardom and leaves him with zero sexual desire, lowered self-esteem, and no job. He knew his porn career wouldn’t last forever, but he wasn’t prepared for retirement at twenty-eight. While trying to figure out the rest of his life, Raven agrees to attend a high school reunion. That’s when a malfunctioning AC unit in his hotel room changes everything.

Caleb Sanderson, an entrepreneur with his own HVAC business, has no idea what to expect when he steps into Raven’s hotel room to fix his AC unit. They’re attracted to each other, but Caleb, closeted, can’t afford a gay relationship, not with his mom pressuring him to produce grandchildren. If he wants to keep Raven—who no closet could hold—he’ll need to tell his family the truth. But Raven has a few secrets of his own. He refuses to reveal his porn past to Caleb, a past that might be the final obstacle to Caleb and Raven having any kind of relationship.

Listening Length: 7 hours and 21 minutes
Narrator: David Ross 

This was a sweet slow burn story with a great narrator to give it a lift.

Raven is still recovering both physically, and emotionally, from a motorcycle accident that ended his career in the porn industry. He is no longer flexible, his body is severely scarred (to him), and he has closed himself off to the prospect of being with any man, ever again.


Enter the sexy Caleb Sanderson, a hotel contracted HVAC repairman. Raven takes one look at him, and wants. He doesn’t understand his reaction to the man, but he needs to see him again. Breaking the AC unit in his hotel room, where he has finished a job of ‘companion’ for a sleezeball who needed a ‘date’ for his high school reunion, he finds himself hitting on the older man, and friendship and romance take over his never intentions.

These two are really sweet together. They work on their relationship slowly, while Raven tries to figure out how to tell Caleb about his old career. The story flowed easily, there was low angst, and rather than Raven using his injuries to completely back off from Caleb (even though his internal monologue told him to), he reacted in the right way, allowing their relationship to grow.


Caleb took things slow, giving Raven time to come out of his shell. I really enjoyed his easy going attitude. He didn’t push, indicate frustration, or make Raven feel bad about his resistence to show his body.


I wasn’t really keen on the drama that unfolded later in the story, and I thought it was a little anticlimactic, but it did follow with the mostly low angst vibe that I enjoyed. I could have done without it entirely, but I understand that the story was leading up to it, so accept it being there.


There was some pretty hot kilt lifting, and I’ve gotta say, the sexy stuff was deliciously provocative and gave me an enjoyable buzz.

The narration was pretty good, although where accents are involved, it can be a bit tricky. Lucky I am pretty ignorant to accents, because I am the destroyer of all things pronounciation. Truly, I am horrible at it. I can tell a fake british, or aussie accent, and some other accents sound odd and not quite right to me, but that is probably my issue. I thought David Ross did pretty well. I usually enjoy his voice skills, and I really don’t have any complaints with this one.


If you’re looking for a sweet slow burn romance, with an erotic twist, this is definitely a story I would recommend.


I received a copy from the publisher, in exchange for an honest opinion

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See our review of the ebook here!

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