Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Stuck in Oz
SERIES: Tales from Kansas #2
AUTHOR: Andrew Grey
NARRATOR: Rusty Topsfield
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 4 hours, 7 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2017
BLURB:
Tales from Kansas
When Jeremy and Petey’s mother died, their house was taken to pay the debts she left behind, leaving them homeless. Afraid Petey will be put in foster care, they have no one to turn to but their Uncle Milt, so they pack up Jeremy’s beat-up car and leave San Diego for Wamego, Kansas.
They arrive in the middle of a snowstorm and stop at the local diner to contact their uncle, where they meet Nate. Nate and his aunt help them contact Uncle Milt, and he agrees to help.
Jeremy and Nate hit it off quickly, but Jeremy runs when he’s made to believe their new home isn’t permanent. Nate goes after him, finds him, and convinces him that he’s wanted. However, just as Jeremy and Nate begin to trust each other, Petey’s estranged father appears and threatens to tear Jeremy’s new life and fledgling family apart.
STORY REVIEW:
I was very glad to be back in Wamego, KS for the continuation of this series! I really like the small town as it is created and I love its connection to The Wizard of Oz. This story continued to show that while this town may be small and closed in, it is not closed minded. It’s a very enjoyable setting and a fun cast of characters.
I liked the setup for this story as well. It was a bit over the top but it worked for me. It brought new blood into the town in a way that helped highlight some great locals. Uncle Milt was my favorite character by far because he was so gruff yet so loving and patient. I hope he gets his HEA soon!
I like Jeremy and Nate and I liked that they had obstacles to overcome. However, I really struggled with their relationship. More than once I wanted to slap Jeremy for being so insecure and always assuming the worst. I often didn’t feel like he brought anything to the table with Nate and that they weren’t really a good match. I mean I liked when they were together and how Nate really came out of his shell and made changes, but Jeremy felt like a weak character to me. I was annoyed with him and it made me think less of him sometimes.
However, maybe that is more a reflection of me than the story itself or maybe if the story had been longer, things could have been worked out more cohesively. In the end though, this was a pleasant story and I was left wanting to revisit this town again.
NARRATION REVIEW:
Rusty Topsfield did well reading this one. He is good for stories with younger characters and stories with insecurity issues. I think he brought this one to life well and enhanced my enjoyment.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Jeremy and Nate hit it off quickly, but Jeremy runs when he’s made to believe their new home isn’t permanent. Nate goes after him, finds him, and convinces him that he’s wanted. However, just as Jeremy and Nate begin to trust each other, Petey’s estranged father appears and threatens to tear Jeremy’s new life and fledgling family apart. Read more […]