Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Dumped in Oz
SERIES: Tales from Kansas #1
AUTHOR: Andrew Grey
NARRATOR: Rusty Topsfield
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 3 hours, 55 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2017
BLURB:
Because of an opportunity he’d be a fool to turn down, Lyle Powers transfers to his company’s warehouse in central Kansas. The last thing he expects is to meet another gay man in the small town, let alone one who captures his interest.
Roger Kypers is a recovering alcoholic with a 12-year-old daughter he only gets to see for part of the summer. Neither Lyle nor Roger is looking for a relationship, and they fumble at the start, yet emotions build as Roger shows Lyle the landmarks of Oz.
But when Roger’s wicked witch of an ex-wife threatens to take his daughter away for good if he doesn’t act “normally”, he’s faced with the challenge of letting her get away with it, or fighting to accept himself and standing up for what he knows is right.
STORY REVIEW:
I enjoyed this quintessential Andrew Grey Story. It was a very comfortable romance which was just what I was craving.
Dumped in Oz was all about small town. Yet, this particular small town was this awesome mix of progressive acceptance and small town bigotry. It worked well for me because things were good when they needed to be and bad when the perfection threatened to overwhelm and become OTT. It was a great balance that allowed the romance to flourish but still provide enough angst to give a bit of depth.
This story had a cast of likeable characters. Lyle and Roger in particular were both flawed and longing for that something to complete their life. Lyle needed somewhere he could be himself and have his own life. Roger needed someone to help give him a reason to do what he has always wanted and stand up for himself. They didn’t fix each other so much as encourage the best of the other and help give reason to be themselves sooner than later. I love this approach.
Finally, I thought the ex situation was believable and gave Roger and Lyle and the town a chance to shine. The ex set things up so each could show their true inner character and gave an opportunity for bravery. I liked how this one came together at the end to give a bit of social commentary while providing a wonderful and loving HEA. Pick this one up, you’ll enjoy it.
NARRATION REVIEW:
Rusty Topsfield is a hit or miss narrator for me but I thought he was a good choice for this story. His voices reflected the characters and his reading brought out the emotions well. He really captured that small town feel and that little bit of over the top that was an undercurrent of this story. I enjoyed this narration.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Dumped in Oz (Tales from Kansas #1) by Andrew Grey (Author) & Rusty Topsfield (Narrator) […]