Audiobook Review: The Hockey Player's Heart (Hockey Hearts #1) by Jeff Adams and Will Knauss

When hockey star Caleb Carter returns to his hometown to recover from an injury, the only thing he’s interested in is a little R & R. He never expects to run into his onetime crush at a grade school fund-raiser . Seeing Aaron Price hits him hard, like being checked into the boards. The attraction is still there, even after all these years, and Caleb decides to make a play for the schoolteacher. You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take, right?

Aaron has been burned by love before and can’t imagine what a celebrity like Caleb could possibly see in a guy like him. Their differences are just too great. But as Aaron spends more time with Caleb, he begins to wonder if he might have what it takes to win the hockey player’s heart.

Listening Length: 4 hours 56 minutes
Narrator: Finn Sterling

This right here?? This was pretty darn close to contemporary no fuss no muss perfection!

Caleb is a pro hockey player who broke his foot and is home for a few weeks to recover, as well as to visit friends and family that he’s had little time to do so because of his crazy super star life. When Caleb reconnects with his teen crush Aaron (bff to his older sister), it’s like his feelings never diminished. As Caleb and Aaron get to know each other again, their slow burn and charming sweet interactions simply made me smile. Overall, these men were, and acted, like the adults they are. They took their time reforming their friendship, capitalizing on their great chemistry and similar interests, and in their maturity, they appreciated what the other could offer as a potential partner and communicated such with overall ease. And how!

So, I obviously freaking loved that these two did not play any games, that though this is of the DSP Dreamspun line, there was no over the top melodrama, no big misunderstanding. Minus just one instance, this went down like the best brownie sundae ever! What made this even better was the fact that Caleb is an out and proud and well beloved hockey player. He even has a teammate who is also gay, and I suspect will be the star in the next book of this series!

I listened to this lovely story despite the fact that I don’t have the greatest track record with narrator Finn Sterling. I sampled before forging ahead, and though he is still far from my favorite, the many strong points definitely shined through regardless.

I’m also quite biased in having a soft spot for these two married authors, as they cohost a lovely podcast that features many an mm author and related events. This was definitely a win despite the little angst involving Aaron’s past relationship baggage making him afraid to take a chance at love. Both these characters were very likeable guys, and I fell hard for Caleb - Aaron never had a chance at resisting for very long! So high five for a great contemporary romance with equally some great sexy and nary a complaint! I look forward to this duo’s next endeavor!!



Thank you to the authors/publisher for the audio in exchange for an honest review

Audiobook Review: Stalking Buffalo Bill (Shifter U #1) by j. leigh bailey

A smitten coyote isn’t the only one stalking Buffalo Bill.

A buffalo walks into a cafe. Sounds like the start of a bad joke, but for coyote shifter Donnie Granger, it’s the beginning of an obsession. Donnie is a little hyperactive and a lot distractible, except when it comes to William. He finally works up the nerve to approach William but is interrupted by a couple of violent humans.

While William—don’t call me Bill—is currently a professor, he once worked undercover against an international weapons-trafficking ring. Before he can settle into obscurity, he must find out who leaked his location and eliminate the thugs. He tries keeping his distance to protect Donnie, but the wily coyote won’t stay away.

It’ll take both Donnie’s skills as a stalker—er, hunter—and William’s super-spy expertise to neutralize the threat so they can discover if an excitable coyote and a placid-until-pissed buffalo have a future together.

Listening Length: 5 hours and 30 minutes
Narrator: Finn Sterling

2.5 Hedging Hearts


I’ve got to say that half the time I liked this story while the other half drove me to frustration.


Donny works in the local coffee shop and has been crushing hard on the enigmatic and reticent new professor William, who teaches at the nearby shifter university these last few months. One day, out of nowhere he’s asked by sinister strangers if he knows the quiet customer, and Donny’s first instinct is to protect William despite the fact that he hardly knows the man.

What ensues is kinda a comedy of errors as Donny finds himself wittingly and unwittingly embroiled in a revenge scheme where bad guys want to kill William, a retired undercover agent who brought down a notorious weapons dealer. The charm of this is pretty much all on Donny who is fiercely independent with some foibles that include being overly chatty, clumsy, and sarcastic but always with a heart of gold. He surely seems to find himself in absurd situations as he tries to help William who never wants his assistance in the first place. Donny’s bumbling nature was mostly endearing, but I do admit he had a temper and acted stupidly impulsive one too many times.

There also seems to be a lot of reader frustration with William’s lack of communication. Granted, he does come clean around the 45% mark, but he still holds his cards close to the vest and is very reluctant to part with any extra information if he doesn’t have to. I admit, his mysterious badass nature was appealing and who doesn’t like to see a gruff stoic guy fall in love?? Many a time though, his slow to reveal crucial information was just the impetus for Donny to go off half cocked which added to the above mentioned frustration.

Note to self. Narrator Finn Sterling and I just don’t get along. I’m still scratching my head at how he basically makes Donny sound like a girl most of the time. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It. I’ll give credit that his voice for William was a dream and he does character distinction like a charm, but it is just so jarring when you’re expecting a certain octave and what you get is a boy going through puberty. Granted this isn’t as bad as Out of the Shadows, but it’s there and it was enough to throw me out of the story multiple times. Admittedly, one’s listening experience is highly personal and we all vary in what we like and don’t like - I just don’t think this narrator is for me.

Again, this had its various charms with a good dash of smexy that helped negate the negatives. Mostly. This definitely has potential in its interesting set up about a small town that’s the hub for shifters as it boasts a university that caters to such. The next story is about Donny’s bff Ford, who’s an elusive mysterious thunderbird, and I’ll strongly consider continuing but I’ll hold out to see what others think about it first.


Thanks to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: Out of the Shadows by K.C. Wells

Can he step out of the shadows and into love’s light?

Eight years ago, Christian Hernandez moved to Jamaica Plain in southern Boston, took refuge in his apartment, and cut himself off from the outside world. And that’s how he’d like it to stay.

Josh Wendell has heard his coworkers gossip about the occupant of apartment #1. No one sees the mystery man, and Josh loves a mystery. So when he is hired to refurbish the apartment’s kitchen and bathrooms, Josh is eager to discover the truth behind the rumors.

When he comes face-to-face with Christian, Josh understands why Christian hides from prying eyes. As the two men bond, Josh sees past his exterior to the man within, and he likes what he sees. But can Christian find the courage to emerge from the darkness of his lonely existence for the man who has claimed his heart?

Listening Length: 6 hours and 6 minutes
Narrator: Finn Sterling

I’m going to make this brief because there are plenty of great reviews out there already.

This for me embodied the no fuss, no muss, light on the angst romance that Dreamspun Desires excels at.

As per the blurb, Christian has been hiding from the world, afraid of ridicule and rejection. When fortuitous circumstance allows him the opportunity to get to know the handyman he’s been crushing on from afar, he never dreamed or hoped that he would ever get Josh to call his own. In turn, Josh sees beyond Christian’s physical flaws, as these two slowly get to know one another. With Josh’s easy going manner and quirky sense of humor, he draws Christian out of his self imposed isolation and discovers a person he wants in his life permanently.

This isn’t overly complicated, the relationship progression quite turmoil free. What it excels at is the slow build between these two that was simply sweet with good dashes of hurt comfort and sexy.

However, for me, the audio was a complete and utter fail. I don't know what Finn Sterling or the director or whoever produced this narration was thinking, but having him voice one of the main characters a few octaves higher than normal was absolutely baffling. So, everytime wonderful, gorgeous (inside and out) Josh spoke, he sounded like a woman (as much as a male narrator can), and it was so incongruous to what I was trying to picture in my poor brain, that it repeatedly threw me out of the story and ruined my overall enjoyment. As always, I know everything is subjective, so please sample this hard before buying. I can’t in good conscience recommend the audio and simply implore you to read the book instead.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the audio in exchange for an honest review.

See our tag team eBook review HERE