Audiobook Review: Stand by Your Manny (The Mannies #3) by Amy Lane

Learning to trust and falling in love.

Sammy Lowell has his hands full juggling his music, college, some pesky health problems, and making the uncles who raised him proud. He needs help fulfilling his after-school duties with his siblings. Nobody can be in two places at once—not even Sammy!

An injury puts Cooper Hoskins in a tough spot—if he can’t work, the foster sister he’s raising can’t eat. But years in the foster system have left Cooper short on trust, and opening up to accept help isn’t easy.

Luckily, family intervenes—Cooper needs a job so he can care for Felicity, and Sammy needs someone who can see past his illness to the wonderful things he has planned for his life. Each heals the damaged places in the other’s heart. But falling in love is a big responsibility for young men deep in family already. Can the two of them get past their fear of the immediate future to see forever with each other?

Narrator: Peter B. Brooke
Listening Length: 6 hours, 1 minutes

Reviewer: Annika

You probably know by now that the books in the Dreamspun Desires line is mostly fluff and have that harlequin feel to them. Stand by Your Manny was no exception, but hey, I love my fluff so I don't mind that at all. You know what to expect when you pick these books up.

Cooper Hoskins works in construction. He's dirt poor and turns every penny to make ends meet so that he can take care of is foster sister Felicity. An accident at work puts him out of commission and in a tight spot to care for his small family.

Sammy Lowell wants to stand on his own two feet. Wants to work with music, tour with it, at the same time he's also taking care of his siblings. It's a stressful life for sure and his health is getting worse, and he knows in his heart he's not taking care of himself as much as he should have and he can't keep going in the pace he's set for himself. He needs to accept some help.

Their love story is a sweet one. It's not a hot and heavy one. But one of exploring, of discovery, first kisses, first touches and first times. Cooper and Sammy have so much in common, the deep caring for others, nurturing. The feel things deeply. The need for family. This book is all about family, the blood kind, but mostly the one you choses. Helping and loving each other through the ups and downs. It's a pure sweet and feel good romance.

Peter B. Brooke was an okay narrator. Not a great one, but okay. His narration felt a bit stilted a lot of the time and didn't quite have that natural flow of words. Adding pauses where there shouldn't have been. Which meant I spent a lot of the time focusing on his narration instead of the story he tried to convey. It wasn't an effortless listen, I really had to focus on it and that's not something I particularly enjoy with my audiobooks. I want to be immersed into the story, be a part of it, but Brooke didn't manage that. Another issue of mine, and that is a preference of mine, was that he added no real feeling to his narration. He was just reading the words in front of him, he felt detached and it made me feel detached from the story so I was never invested one way or another.

Stand by Your Manny was at the core a cute and fluffy read/listen. I would say that you should go for the printed version rather than the audio this time around, I think you'd enjoy that more.

A copy of this audiobook was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Audiobook Review: Swann's Revenge by Shira Anthony

Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?

Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten—until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.

Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.

Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is—and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….

Listening Length: 5 hours and 20 minutes
Narrator: Peter B. Brooke

I am on a Dreamspun Desires tear as this is the 3rd book in a row that has pulled 4 plus hearts out of my grumpy ole gnarly self!

Not so much a vindictive revenge story this is more about overcoming past baggage, mistakes, and fears, and of course finding love amidst such personal growth.

Graham is proud of the fact that he’s triumphed and moved far beyond the timid, insecure, and bullied teen he once was. Now he’s a very successful lawyer, fit and fabulous, and in high demand in all aspects of his life. When he discovers the new hire Dan, is his old crush who stood by while he got bullied, Graham doesn't quite know what to do with his still present attraction to the man. He’s adamant in keeping things professional and has no plans to reveal that teeny tiny fact about his past.

Dan in turn, doesn’t recognize Graham as the beleaguered Jimmy Zebulon - he only sees a smart handsome guy that he’s willing to pursue after his own tragic circumstance, and Dan’s not going to let the fact that Graham’s his boss stand in his way.

So basically, this is all about Dan being the best guy ever in his infinite patience and gentle pursuing of Graham, slowly whittling down his defenses. Graham, understandably has encased himself in an impenetrable shield of self preservation. He’s cool, calm, and tough… except when it comes to the wonderful Dan and his irresistible daughter.

Narrated by Peter B. Brooke, I’m not so sure about this performance. He was like a lazy robot and I admit I increased the speed of this so as to not slowly lose my mind from impatience. Once I did that, it was a decent listen.

Overall, I admit there’s a good amount of assumption, a bit of miscommunication, and Graham’s secret of omission hangs ominously around for the majority of this book. Again, being a Dreamspun Desires book, thankfully the fallout and melodrama is kept to a minimum, as this quietly excels at a great slow burn with no preposterous insta-love, has plenty of UST, and contains a nice dose of sexy. Graham and Dan of course triumph and find their ultimate happiness with each other, and in the end, that’s what matters most!


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