Welcome to the June 2017 Audio Book of the Month Poll!
Here are all our Audio Reviews from the previous month, in no particular order. Please vote for your favorites. As with all of our Polls, you can vote for as many as you want, but you only get one visit, so make it count!
The top two will go through to the Audio of the Year Poll!
POLL SCHEDULE:
This poll will remain open until at least 6PM, Amsterdam time next Friday. The actual closing time will vary depending on blog staff schedules…
Until You (At First Sight #3) by TJ Klune (Author) & Michael Lesley (Narrator)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Until You
SERIES: At First Sight #3
AUTHOR: TJ Klune
NARRATOR: Michael Lesley
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 5 hours, 4 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017
BLURB:
Sequel to The Queen & the Homo Jock King
Together with their families and friends
Paul Auster
and
Vincent Taylor
request the honor of your company at the celebration of their marriage. Read more.
Stage Two (Lexington Lovers #3) by Ariel Tachna (Author) & John Solo (Narrator)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Stage Two
SERIES: Lexington Lovers #3, Dreamspun Desires #33
AUTHOR: Ariel Tachna
NARRATOR: John Solo
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 6 hours, 13 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 15, 2017
BLURB:
Lexington Lovers
Love has a steep learning curve.
Assistant high school principal Blake Barnes has everything he wants—a chance to help troubled students and an outlet for his passion for theater. Well, almost everything—he still goes home to an empty apartment. Then his high school crush explodes back into his life, the unexpected guardian of two boys in Blake’s care.
Thane Dalton has always been a bad boy through and through. Not much has changed, including his mistrust of authority figures, and no amount of institutional bureaucracy will keep him from protecting his nephews from the bullies terrorizing them. If that means butting heads with Blake, so be it.
Blake and Thane have lessons to learn: that they both have the boys’ best interests at heart, that the tension between them isn’t just confrontational, and that sparks can fly when opposites come together. Read more
Salvation (The Protectors #2) by Sloane Kennedy (Author) & Joel Leslie (Narrator)
Reviewed by Alexander
TITLE: Salvation
SERIES: The Protectors #2
AUTHOR: Sloane Kennedy
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Sloane Kennedy
LENGTH: 7 hours, 56 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2017
BLURB:
Trauma surgeon Ronan Grisham lost everything the day the man he loved was stolen from him in a brutal attack. Driven by a thirst for vengeance, he turns his hatred into building an underground group that can do what he couldn’t that fateful day…take the lives of the guilty to save the lives of the innocent. But years later, he’s forced to confront the one link to his past that he can’t sever.
Seven years after the loss of his parents in a violent home invasion that left him permanently scarred both inside and out, 21-year-old Seth Nichols is trying to put his life back together so he can take over the reins of his father’s global shipping empire. But the last person he expects to come back into his life is the man he drove away with one innocent, stolen kiss.
With one brush of his lips, Seth managed to do to Ronan what no other had since the day Ronan watched the light in his fiancé’s eyes go out forever. He made him need again. But Ronan can’t need anyone, least of all his dead fiancé’s younger brother. Because even one touch from Seth could shatter Ronan’s carefully constructed world and Ronan knows there’s no coming back from that a second time.
But when a series of escalating attacks against Seth forces Ronan back into his life, Seth knows it’s his last chance to show Ronan he can be the man the broken surgeon needs. Only the Ronan who returns isn’t the Ronan Seth fell in love with so long ago…
Can Seth be Ronan’s salvation or will he end up destroying them both? Read more
Imperfect Harmony by Jay Northcote (Author) & Mark Steadman (Narrator)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Imperfect Harmony
AUTHOR: Jay Northcote
NARRATOR: Mark Steadman
PUBLISHER: JayBird Press
LENGTH: 7 hours, 6 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2017
BLURB:
Imperfect harmony can still be beautiful….
John Fletcher, a former musician, is stuck in limbo after losing his long-term partner two years ago. He’s shut himself off from everything that reminds him of what he’s lost. When his neighbor persuades him to join the local community choir, John rediscovers his love of music and finds a reason to start living again.
Rhys Callington, the talented and charismatic choir leader, captures John’s attention from the first moment they meet. He appears to be the polar opposite of John: young, vibrant, and full of life. But Rhys has darkness in his own past that is holding him back from following his dreams.
Despite the 19-year age gap, the two men grow close and a fragile relationship blossoms. Ghosts of the past and insecurities about the future threaten their newfound happiness. If they’re going to harmonize in life and love as they do in their music, they’ll need to start following the same score. Read more
There’s This Guy by Rhys Ford (Author) & Greg Tremblay (Narrator)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: There’s This Guy
AUTHOR: Rhys Ford
NARRATOR: Greg Tremblay
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 7 hours, 30 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 10, 2017
BLURB:
How do you save a drowning man when that drowning man is you?
Jake Moore’s world fits too tightly around him. Every penny he makes as a welder goes to care for his dying father, an abusive, controlling man who’s the only family Jake has left. Because of a promise to his dead mother, Jake resists his desire for other men, but it leaves him consumed by darkness.
It takes all of Dallas Yates’s imagination to see the possibilities in the fatigued art deco building on WeHo’s outskirts, but what seals the deal is a shy smile from the handsome metal worker across the street. Their friendship deepens while Dallas peels back the hardened layers strangling Jake’s soul. It’s easy to love the sweet, artistic man hidden behind Jake’s shattered exterior, but Dallas knows Jake needs to first learn to love himself.
When Jake’s world crumbles, he reaches for Dallas, the man he’s learned to lean on. It’s only a matter of time before he’s left to drift in a life he never wanted to lead and while he wants more, Jake’s past haunts him, making him doubt he’s worth the love Dallas is so desperate to give him. Read more
Submission by Jodi Payne and Chris Owen (authors) and Maxx Power (narrator)
Reviewed by Caroline
TITLE: Submission
SERIES: Deviations Book 1
AUTHOR: Chris Owen and Jodi Payne
NARRATOR: Maxx Power
PUBLISHER: Tygerseye Publishing
LENGTH: 8 Hours 56 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 17, 2017
BLURB:
Tobias is a skilled Dom, able to bring even the most hesitant submissive around. Noah is a man in need of just that. He wants to sub badly, but has yet to find someone he believes can take him where he needs to go. Through a series of encounters in the world of bondage and discipline, Noah reveals why he has trouble trusting, why he needs such a firm, steady hand. Tobias may allow himself to dominate, but he has trouble letting himself love. Still, Tobias can’t resist Noah’s charms, and the two of them set about making a scene for themselves, one that works for them and their unique set of problems. They learn to love, but can they stay together while they explore each others’ secrets, in a world where all is laid bare and emotions run high?
From authors Chris Owen, writer of the popular “Bareback”, and Jodi Payne, writer of “String of Pearls” comes a romance on the deviant side, where love is all tied up with the need to submit, the need to dominate, and the need to share a life of exploration and care.
These two skilled authors create a world that’s hard to resist, and a book that’s even harder to put down. Read more
Practice Makes Perfect (Housemates #3) by Jay Northcote (Author) & Michael Steadman (Narrator)
Review by: Alexander
TITLE: Practice Makes Perfect
SERIES: Housemates book 3
AUTHOR: Jay Northcote
NARRATOR: Mark Steadman
PUBLISHER: Jaybird Press
LENGTH: 5 hours, 27 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 19, 2017
BLURB:
Getting experience with the guy next door seems like a great idea – until the lines blur.
Dev, a geeky first year physics student, has zero sexual experience and he’s determined to change that ASAP. After a bad time in halls of residence, he’s starting the summer term with different housemates and a new plan of action.
Ewan lives in the house next door to Dev. He’s young, free, and single, and isn’t looking to change that anytime soon. When awkward circumstances throw them together, Ewan offers to help Dev out in the bedroom in return for math tutoring, and Dev jumps at the chance.
They work their way through Dev’s sex to-do list, but what starts as a perfect no-strings arrangement gets more complicated as their feelings for each other begin to grow. If they’re going to turn their lessons in lovemaking into something more permanent, they need to work out how they feel about each other – before they get to the end of Dev’s list. Read more
Don’t Twunk With My Heart by Renae Kaye (Author) & Joel Leslie (Narrator)
REVIEW by Christie
TITLE: Don’t Twunk With My Heart
SERIES: Loving You, Book 2
AUTHOR: Renae Kaye
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 5h 52m
RELEASE DATE: January 24, 2017
BLURB:
Kee Smith isn’t sure who he is anymore. He knows who he used to be – the ignored gay son who chose a blue-collar job just because no one expected it, the submissive bottom who enjoyed large, masculine jocks who put him in his place, the sleek, fashionable twink who partied all night. But after his ex-boyfriend hit Kee and called him names, Kee retired from the social scene.
Back after a year’s hiatus, Kee still doesn’t know where he fits. His friends say he’s a twunk – a twink who put on muscle and turned into a hunk – but Kee is searching for somewhere to belong. Instead of going back to his usual type, Kee hooks up with twink Tate Stevens – a fashion-industry professional who works the image hard. It proves to be the best decision he’s ever made, and not just because he’s starting to regain his sexual confidence.
With Tate, Kee can open up about his fears and confusion without ridicule. Tate has his own fears about putting on weight and getting old. It will take work to make a relationship of opposites succeed, but they begin to realize the compromises will be worth it if they can be together. Read more
The Alpha King by Victoria Sue (Author) & Joel Leslie (Narrator)
Reviewed by Caroline
TITLE: The Alpha King
SERIES: Kingdom of Askara Book 1
AUTHOR: Victoria Sue
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 8 Hours and 16 Minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 23, 2017
BLURB:
The Kingdom of Askara has been torn apart by conflict for centuries, where humans exist as subservient beings to their werewolf masters. Legend says it will only be able to heal itself when an Alpha King and a pure omega are mated and crowned together, but a pure omega hasn’t been born in over a thousand years.
Luca is an Alpha-heir eagerly awaiting the choosing ceremony on his twenty-fifth birthday and the gifts granted by whichever omega he mates. His small pack is destitute due to the decisions of its ruling council, but being only an Alpha-heir, he has no authority to challenge them. Not until now—this moment he has waited a long time for.
Kit grew up as a street-rat, an unlicensed human who would never be more than a slave for whichever master owns him. Then one day he came across a young Alpha-heir, attacked and dying of poison, and found out their fates were suddenly entwined.
Luca needs to take over his pack and save his people. He cannot afford to be distracted. But when he meets Kit, he develops abilities indicating he is not just a pack Alpha, but the King his world has needed for a thousand years.
Is Kit really the cause of Luca’s newfound power, the true mate he needs? How is it possible when the young man isn’t even a werewolf, and as merely a human, a mating is not only forbidden, but for Kit, a sentence of death? (WARNING -Contains MPreg) Read more
Two Cowboys and a Baby (Dreamspun Desires #30) by B.A Tortuga (Author) & Dorian Bane (Narrator)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: Two Cowboys and a Baby
SERIES: Dreamspun Desires #30
AUTHOR: B.A. Tortuga
NARRATOR: Dorian Bane
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 5 hours, 51 minutes
RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2017
BLURB:
A little bundle of joy means big changes.
Hoss McMasters has a working ranch, a bull riding career, a nosy momma, and a best friend he’s been in love with since he can remember. He’s a busy, happy cowboy, living the good life.
Then one morning he discovers a baby on his doorstep.
Well, Hoss does what any reasonable man would do – he calls his momma and his buddy, Sheriff Pooter, and they head to the clinic to see if Doc knows of any suddenly not-so-pregnant girls.
In the meantime, Hoss and his best friend, Bradley, have their hands full trying to care for an infant, run a ranch, and deal with the sudden confession that Bradley doesn’t hate Hoss for coming out to him in high school. In fact, Bradley’s been trying to catch Hoss’s attention for damn near a decade. Read more
Summer Lessons by Amy Lane (author) and Nick J. Russo (narrator)
REVIEWED BY: Christie
TITLE: Summer Lessons
SERIES: Winter Ball, Book 2
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 8h 25m
RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2017
BLURB:
Mason Hayes’s love life has a long history of losers who don’t see that Mason’s heart is as deep and tender as his mouth is awkward. He wants kindness, he wants love—and he wants someone who thinks sex is as fantastic as he does. When Terry Jefferson first asks him out, Mason thinks it’s a fluke: Mason is too old, too boring, and too blurty to interest someone as young and hot as his friend’s soccer teammate.
The truth is much more painful: Mason and Terry are perfectly compatible, and they totally get each other. But Terry is still living with his toxic, suffocating parent and Mason doesn’t want to be a sugar daddy. Watching Terry struggle to find himself is a long lesson in patience, but Mason needs to trust that the end result will be worth it, because finally, he’s found a man worth sharing his heart with. Read more
Winter Ball by Amy Lane (Author) & Nick J Russo (Narrator)
REVIEWED BY: Christie
TITLE: Winter Ball
SERIES: Winter Ball, Book 1
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
NARRATOR: Nick J Russo
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 5h 35m
RELEASE DATE: February 23, 2017
BLURB:
Through a miserable adolescence and a lonely adulthood, Skipper Keith has dreamed of nothing but family. The closest he gets is the rec league soccer team he coaches after work—and his star player and best friend, Richie Scoggins.
One brisk night in late October, a postpractice convo in Richie’s car turns into a sexual encounter neither of them expected—nor want to forget. Soon Skip and Richie are living for the weekends and their winter league soccer games—and the games they enjoy off the field. Through broken noses, holiday decorating, and the killer flu, they learn more about each other than they ever dreamed possible. Every new discovery takes them further beyond the boundaries of the soccer field and into the infinite possibilities of the best relationship of Skipper’s life.
Skipper can’t dream of a better family than Richie—but Richie’s got real family entanglements he can’t shake off. Skipper needs to convince Richie to stay with him beyond winter ball so the relationship they started on the field might become their happy future in real life! Read more
The Virgin Manny (Dreamspun Desires) by Amy Lane (Author) & John Solo (Narrator)
REVIEW BY: Christie
TITLE: The Virgin Manny
SERIES: Dreamspun Desires
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
NARRATOR: John Solo
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 6h 14m
RELEASE DATE: February 14, 2017
BLURB:
Growing up and falling in love…
Sometimes family is a blessing and a curse. When Tino Robbins is roped into helping his sister deliver her premade Italian dinners when he should be studying for finals, he’s pretty sure it’s the latter! But one delivery might change everything.
Channing Lowell’s charmed life changes when his sister dies and leaves him her seven-year-old son. He’s committed to doing what’s best for Sammy… but he’s going to need a lot of help. When Tino lands on his porch, Channing is determined to recruit him to Team Sammy.
Tino plans to make his education count—even if that means avoiding a relationship—but as he falls harder and harder for his boss, he starts to wonder: Does he have to leave his newly forged family behind in order to live his promising tomorrow? Read more
As You Wish (Shatterproof Bond #1) by Isobel Starling (Author) & Gary Furlong (Narrator)
Reviewed by PizzyGirl
TITLE: As You Wish
SERIES: Shatterproof Bond #1
AUTHOR: Isobel Starling
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 4 hours, 9 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 9, 2017
BLURB:
One wedding, two best men, one hell of a love story!
Declan Ramsay’s brother Oliver was marrying Annabelle Aiken at a fairytale castle on the banks of Loch Ness in Scotland. The bride and groom decided that Annabelle’s gay younger brother would share the best man duties with Declan. Declan had never met the kid who was to be his joint best man. Sam Aiken was abroad, working as an interpreter and finishing his studies. He wouldn’t meet Declan until a few days before the wedding, so the best men communicated and planned their speech by email for more than a year.
But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to realize the kid isn’t a kid at all, but a tall, blond, and athletic young man. Declan is sure he’s straight, so he’s alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself.
But, is Samuel Aiken all that he appears to be? Read more
The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane (Author), Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
Reviewed by Tori (Vicki)
TITLE: The Deep of the Sound 
SERIES: Bluewater Bay #8
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: Riptide Publishing
LENGTH: 8 hours 12 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 3rd, 2017
BLURB:
Cal McCorkle has lived in Bluewater Bay his whole life. He works two jobs to support a brother with a laundry list of psychiatric diagnoses and a great uncle with Alzheimer’s, and his personal life amounts to impersonal hookups with his boss. He’s got no time, no ambition, and no hope. All he has is family, and they’re killing him one responsibility at a time.
Avery Kennedy left Los Angeles, his family, and his sleazy boyfriend to attend a Wolf’s Landing convention, and he has no plans to return. But when he finds himself broke and car-less in Bluewater Bay, he’s worried he’ll have to slink home with his tail between his legs. Then Cal McCorkle rides to his rescue, and his urge to run away dies a quick death.
Avery may seem helpless at first, but he can charm Cal’s fractious brother, so Cal can pretty much forgive him anything. Even being adorkable. And giving him hope. But Cal can only promise Avery “until we can’t”—and the cost of changing that to “until forever” might be too high, however much they both want it. Read more