Audiobook Review: Spell Cat (The Aloysius Tales #1) by Tara Lain

2nd Edition

When Killian Barth, history professor, meets Blaine Genneau, quantum physicist, they ignite their own big bang. But sadly, Killian walks away. He doesn't do physics professors. In fact, he doesn't do humans, because Killian is the most powerful male witch in 10 generations and, though gay, he's expected to save his declining race by reproducing.

He can't even have sex with Blaine, because he's been taught that sex with humans depletes his power. But if that's true, why can young human, Jimmy Janx, dissolve spoons with a thought? Somebody's a lying witch.

With his powerful cat familiar, Aloysius, on his shoulder, Killian brings the lightning against deceit and greed to save Blaine from danger and prove love is the greatest power of them all.

Listening Length: 6 hours and 48 minutes
Narrator: K.C. Kelly

Reviewer: Shee Reader

The story opens in Killian’s lecture theatre and is engaging from the outset. There are a multitude of twists in the tale and the adorable and feisty Aloysius the familiar. Our guys, Killian and Blaine have a bumpy road to happiness fraught with not only the usual relationship type challenges, but also magic and deceit. There are such huge untruths and manipulations trying to keep our guy from their HEA, not least Killian’s mother who has been lying to him from the start.

The audio was nice to listen to, but I didn’t love a couple of the narrator’s accents. I listen to lots of audio books, and some really add to the writing and others don’t exactly make it any better than reading the words myself. This was one of those.

I really liked the character Blaine, and I will look out for the next Aloysius story, but I’m a bit disappointed that Killian didn’t make me care about him more.

The writing was engaging and easy to connect to, the dialogue was good and I look forward to other stories that will hopefully shine a light on some of the supporting characters from this story.

I was given a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: Cowboys Don't Ride Unicorns (Cowboys Don't #2) by Tara Lain

Cowboy Danny Boone—a name he made up one drunken night and has regretted ever since—harbors a big past and yearns for a small future. A short, bright career as a champion bull rider almost ended in his death when his homophobic father discovered Danny was gay. Now Danny longs for a plot of land he can build a ranch house on and enough money to make up for some of the education he missed.

Danny also hides a preference for beautiful femmes who like to top—a combo rarer than a unicorn. Then onto the guest ranch where Danny works drives San Francisco decorator Laurie Belmont, a young man so gorgeous he makes horses gasp, and so ballsy he almost kills Danny’s attacker.

Laurie’s trying to find his way out from under the thumb of a domineering mother, helpless father, and rich, privileged boyfriend.

But no matter the attraction, their lives are worlds apart, and cowboys don’t ride unicorns.

Listening Length: 8 hours and 34 minutes
Narrator: K.C. Kelly

Laurie was a joy to learn about in this story. While I’ll say I wasn’t 100% sold on how he was presented in voice, I will say that I enjoyed his character. His introduction at the ranch was somewhat breathy, but as the story progressed I fell in love with him. He just wanted to support his parents, and had unfortunately been made to feel like a trophy husband was all he would ever be.

Enter Danny. While he was completely enthralled by Laurie, he took the time to really see him. Danny just wanted to be in Laurie’s space, even for a little while, and while he would never poach on a taken man, he couldn’t stop his fantasies.

I enjoy Tara Lain as an author. Her books are always easy to read and engaging. This story has strong character development and a nice plot. There is some drama but it is not deeply angsty, which is a win for me because too much angst is painful for me to read.

This had the perfect amount. Laurie is already in a relationship when he and Danny meet, so the challenge is how to tactfully extract him from it without either of the characters turning into villains. This was done well, and I had no bitter feelings towards either of them.

The chemistry between these two was steamy, and I couldn’t wait for them to rip each other’s clothes off.

There are some fun surprises in store, but watch out for the homophobia and hate-crime. These could be triggers, and are quite graphic. There is also some creepy sexual harassment but thankfully backup arrives before it goes any further.

Recommended for everyone who enjoys Cowboy/City Slicker romances with a femme who turns out to be a unicorn (not literally, this is not a shifter story, unfortunately ;) )

Audiobook Review: Cowboys Don't Come Out (Cowboys Don't #1) by Tara Lain

Rand McIntyre settles for good enough. He loves his small California ranch, raising horses, and teaching riding to the kids he adores—but having kids of his own and someone to love means coming out, and that would jeopardize everything he’s built. Then, despite his terror of flying, he goes on a holiday to Hana, Hawaii, with his parents and meets the dark and mysterious Kai Kealoha, a genuine Hawaiian cowboy. Rand takes to Kai’s kid brother and sister as much as he drools over Kai, but the guy sports more prickles than a horned toad and more secrets than the exotic land he comes from.

Kai’s earned his privacy and lives to protect his “kids.” He ought to stay away from the big, handsome cowboy for everyone’s sake—but since the guy’s just a haole on a short vacation, how much damage can he do? When all of Kai’s worst fears and Rand’s darkest nightmares come true at once, there’s not much chance for two cowboys who can’t—or won’t—come out.

Length: 6 hours 50 minutes
Narrator: K.C. Kelly

4.75 Hearts!

Reviewer: Shee Reader

I absolutely loved this book! The story is engaging, heart warming, emotional and hot. The narration is fabulous, with lovely characterisation and super pronunciation of the Hawaiian words, it was almost like being there!

Rand and Kai go on such an epic journey together and these two cowboys do, in fact come out, and the ending is super sweet and swoony. I loved the supporting characters too, the ranch hands, Jen and Rand’s parents were realistic and relatable. That Rand’s folks embraced the kids who had been through so much was just right.

KC Kelly is now on my list of narrators to look out for!

Highly recommended!

I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: The Downs by Kim Fielding, narrated by K.C. Kelly

As the son of a wealthy man, Enitan Javed has spent his life frivolously - drinking, fighting, and making love. But after his father dies, Enitan is unjustly accused of murdering him and is given the harshest sentence possible. Judged irredeemable, he is banished to the Downs. As even young children know, nothing lives in the Downs except demons who delight in torturing the condemned. Brutalized by the men who transport him to his fate, Enitan has nothing left but his thirst for vengeance.

His plummet to the Downs nearly kills him, and Enitan finds himself battered and helpless in a frightening, mysterious land. But many surprises await him there, including a strange man named Rig. And the realization that the demons he must face aren't at all the ones he expected.

Wow. I don't know what stopped me from reading The Downs when it was initially released. What took me so long? I mean... it's Kim Fielding, so duh. Now though, now I'm glad I kept pushing it to the side. While the story alone is something quite beautiful, the narration of it was truly spectacular.

Enitan and Rig's story was not was I was expecting. From the cover and the (original) blurb, I was expecting something with a bit more grit. Maybe some kind of battle or contest. But no. Instead I got Enitan and Rig, with their beautiful and compelling story of redemption and new beginnings.

Enitan thinks he is unredeemable. He was thrown into The Downs after being convicted of his father's murder. He's only heard stories of The Downs. All he knows is that it's a place where demons prey on the condemned.

Enitan thinks he is unredeemable, but Rig knows the truth. He finds Enitan after his fall. Rig takes him in. Nurtures him. Heals him. Loves him. Rig is patient and kind. He lives in The Downs and shows Enitan what it's really like there. Rig shows him that it's a place of new beginnings. It felt like it took Enitan forever (and a day) to finally see what was right in front of him. But Rig was there, right beside him, like always. Waiting. Supporting. Basically being one of the most special characters I've read.

Kim Fielding has a way with characters. I know, I know... she has a way with writing great romances. But her characters... they just go beyond the norm. The go beyond my everyday expectations in M/M romance. It can be historical, paranormal, contemp... any genre and you can bet the characters are going to be something special. Rig was something special. He was loving, forgiving, patient, nurturing. He was all those things, but never came off as a fake, perfectly perfect character. He was basically perfect, but real and honest. I loved Enitan, too. But Rig stole my heart.

All that gushing and I haven't even mentioned the narration. AH-mazing. K.C. Kelly did a fantastic job bringing The Downs to life. He narrated both Enitan and Rig perfectly. He really brought out both of their distinct characters in his acting. And Rig's accent? Gah! So good.

I can't recommend The Downs enough. Read it. Listen to it. Either way, you won't regret it.

A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more info on Goodreads.

 

Audiobook Review: Prince of the Playhouse (Love in Laguna #3) by Tara Lain

Driven by his desire to become a successful fashion designer and concerned with hiding his questionable past, Ru Maitland lets his obsession with action movie star Gray Anson on the big screen replace his social life. Then obsession and reality collide when Ru is asked to design fashion costumes for a special performance of Hamlet at the Playhouse in Laguna starring none other than Gray Anson. Gray turns out to be a compelling mix of shy and brash and, despite a high profile engagement to a female socialite, the signals Gray sends Ru have his libido doing the salsa.

Gray Anson has what most people only dream of—great wealth, huge fame, a job he loves. For that, he’s given up any semblance of privacy and the right to say no to the thousands of people who depend on him and the millions who love him. He sees everything he’s ever wanted just outside the bubble of his life, but how can he make the compromises needed to embrace it? When Ru’s shady past crashes into Gray’s paparazzi-haunted present, both men have to learn that sometimes the only acceptable compromise is the truth.

Narrator: K.C. Kelly
Listening Length: 8 hours 41 minutes

This book was better than I was expecting. Celebrities are a pretty tricky sub-genre to make work, especially ones where the main character isn’t able/doesn’t want to come out. After hearing a few other people's opinions on the book, I thought all the ‘expected’ drama was handled much better than I was expecting, however it definitely wasn’t one of the best celebrity stories I’ve read.

First let me touch on the narration, as this is meant to be an audiobook review :-P. K.C Kelly’s narration took some time for me to get used to, but it worked and I started to hear the characters in his voice. He certainly had an impressive range of character voices.

One aspect that I really struggled with was Ru’s inner-monologue. I’m assuming this would have been written in italics so it was easy to define what was spoken out loud or in his head. There are obviously no italics in audiobooks and I really struggled to figure out what Ru was actually saying out loud a lot of the time. The thing is while his narration worked, I had no desire to find reasons to continue to listen to this. It's hard to tell whether that was the story, or I just wasn’t captivated by the narration (I’m leaning towards the story), but it just wasn’t as good as other audiobooks I’ve listened too.

Ru, fabulous fashion designer and ex gang member, is obsessed with action star Grey Anson. Grey comes to Laguna Beach to perform a modernised stage play of Hamlet and there's an instant attraction between the two (well going on 3 years for Ru). Of course Grey can’t come out as gay man because it’ll ruin his career.

This had everything you think it’ll have: annoying managers, pretend girlfriends, press cover ups and hurt feelings. Like I said though, it wasn’t as dramatic as I was expecting. Both Grey and Ru were honest with each other and were both willing to do what it took to be together. This story didn’t contain bitterness on Ru’s part, which usually comes with being told to be a secret boyfriend. He thought about it, made the decision that he wanted to be with Grey regardless, and didn’t hold a grudge against Grey for that decision. While I still felt like Grey was too much of a doormat, he was constantly reassuring Ru he was most important and was continually trying to get rid of the ‘girlfriends’, and he never once kissed anyone other than Ru.

There was some ‘action’ drama with Ru and his gang connections which was OTT, but overall it was less than I was expecting, which I really appreciated. I guess this is a 3 heart and not 3.5 because it took me a month to listen to this story. It just didn’t grab me. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t anything particularly special.

Find on Dreamspinner Press or Goodreads

Audiobook Review: Violated by Jaime Fessenden

Derek Sawyer thinks he has it all - a high-salaried position, a boyfriend, a dog, even a new cabin on the lake - until a business trip with his manager and best friend, Victor, shatters his world.

One night of drunken horsing around in their hotel room leads to the most intensely personal violation Derek has ever endured. As if the humiliation of working under his attacker every day isn't enough, Victor reports Derek for sexual harassment. Now he's without a job, without a boyfriend, and the mortgage on the cabin is due.

Officer Russ Thomas has worked with rape victims before, and it doesn't take him long to sort out the truth in Derek's tale. With his support, Derek finally reports the crime, months after it happened. But restraining orders and lawyers further Victor's anger toward him, and even though a relationship develops between Derek and the policeman, Russ can't be there to protect him all the time.

Listening Length: 9 hours and 42 minutes
Narrated by:  K.C. Kelly

Derek Sawyer hasn’t been entirely happy in his relationship for a while, but he’s willing to work on it. When he and his fiance, Tim, go to see their new cottage, Derek meets their new neighbour, police officer Russ Thomas. It doesn’t take long for Tim to become jealous and suspicious of Russ.

Soon after, Derek goes on a business trip with his best friend and co-worker, Victor. While on the trip, Victor does the unthinkable - he rapes Derek. Left broken and scared, Derek tries to go back to his normal life, but simply can’t. When everything comes out in the open, Tim turns his back on him. Only Russ, virtually a stranger, is willing to stand by Derek.

I’ve listened to an audiobook narrated by K.C. Kelly before and loved the narration. The audiobook for ‘Violated’ is solid. The pacing is good, the voices of different characters are differentiated, and the narration kept me engaged. The narrator does a good job of setting the appropriate mood for a book that deals with a very heavy topic.

‘Violated’ doesn’t gloss over Derek’s rape. It is all on-page, and we get a front-row seat to the damage it inflicts on Derek. The author depicts every aspect of rape - the physical affects, the mental trauma, the societal judgement, and even the possible economic outcome.

Anyone who has questioned a rape victim’s story simply because the victim took a long period of time to come forward should read this book.

In the aftermath of the rape, Derek falls apart. He finds it difficult to go to work, where he has to see Victor everyday. He can’t confide in Tim, who already thinks the worst of him. He’s alone, and what he feels most is the total humiliation of it all. Derek hates himself for the rape, and blames himself for being raped.

It’s not an easy thing to read. For the first half of the book, there’s no hint of happiness as Derek deals with the fallout of what happened to him. I spent the first half just angry and sad at the injustice of it all.

It isn’t until the second half, when Derek returns to his cabin, that we see him begin to slowly heal. There is no magic healing penis, which I can’t thank the author for enough. Russ knows something’s up with Derek, and so he keeps an eye out for Derek and gets to know him, but there’s no sex between the two for a long time.

I would say this book is more about Derek’s healing process than it is about the romance, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That doesn’t mean that the romance isn’t there, it’s just quiet. It’s clear that Derek and Russ have a connection, one which may have come about at an unfortunate time, but is nevertheless real.

I would have liked some more relationship development right before the epilogue. The epilogue skips two years in advance, and those two years seem to be where Derek and Russ really move forward, with both Derek’s recovery and their relationship. Even so, the epilogue leaves no doubt that Derek and Russ love each other deeply, and have worked hard for a happy ending.

‘Violated’ expertly addresses some difficult and pertinent topics, including rape, hypermasculinity, and the police’s attitude towards rape victims. This isn’t an easy book to read or listen to, but it is well-written and will make you think. If you don’t mind a romance that takes the backseat and a happy ending that isn’t conventional, but very realistic, give this book a try.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Find out more on Goodreads and Dreamspinner Press.