Reviewed by Christine
TITLE: Yanni’s Story
SERIES: Spencer Cohen #4
AUTHOR: N.R. Walker
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 15 hours, 14 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 5, 2018
BLURB:
When Yanni Tomaras is kicked out of his family home, his parents’ final words are religious insults and an order to never return. Homeless and desperate, he’s lured in by Lance – charming on the outside, an evil predator underneath – who abuses Yanni until he finds the courage to leave. Yanni should feel free. But by the time Spencer Cohen finds him, he’s resigned to being handed back to Lance and once again being caged by fear.
Starting school and a part-time job, Yanni begins to reclaim his life. But a love for silent films leads him to Peter Hannikov, a man with a kind heart but who’s twice his age. An unlikely friendship between them blooms into so much more. Neither man knows what he wants, at first. Finding out exactly what he needs is Yanni’s story.
“I’d spent years as a bird, caged with my wings clipped, tormented and beaten. I thought I’d escaped when I’d left my abuser, but in hindsight, I could see that I was still caged, this time by fear and self-doubt. Spencer and Andrew, and Andrew’s parents, opened the door to the cage that confined me. But it was Peter who taught me how to fly.”
Contains mature themes.
REVIEW:
Yanni’s past of abandonment and abuse has kept him from becoming the man he truly wishes to be. He struggles with issues of confidence, self-worth, and desperation…until he meets Spencer Cohen and, through Spencer, Peter Hannikov. As Yanni begins establishing positive relationships and accepting help from others, his world opens up with new hope and possibilities for a future. It’s his connection to Peter, however, that may bring the most important thing of all: love.
I fell in love with the Spencer Cohen series and was waiting excitedly to experience the latest installment, Yanni’s Story, on audio. I am so glad I waited. N.R. Walker and Joel Leslie are simply a match made in heaven and provide some of the most beautiful audiobook experiences out there, in my opinion. I would strongly recommend the reader/listener enjoy the first three books in the series before they read or listen to Yanni’s Story, as important characters and a good deal of the foundation of this story are laid forth in those books.
Yanni’s Story is a wonderful addition to this excellent series and gives the reader/listener a lovely narrative that focuses on what is happening in Yanni’s life while Spencer and Andrew’s story plays out in the previous three books. Spencer and Andrew make appearances, as well, and their relationship continues to develop to a certain degree in this installment. Other peripheral characters, especially Andrew’s parents, Yanni’s therapist, and other lost and abused souls (um…will we see more of Collin and Tyler, perhaps, in future stories?) are vividly drawn and create rich layers to the narrative. Further, the daily life of Yanni’s acting school and the positive work of the Acacia Foundation add authentic and well-crafted backdrops to Yanni’s character development, allowing the reader to gain even more satisfaction through Yanni’s growth and healing.
At the center of the story, of course, is Yanni and Peter’s relationship. With light touches of daddy kink and a great deal of understanding, patience, and desire for hope and healing, the slow build for these two feels genuine and incredibly gratifying. N.R. Walker takes her time here, allowing the main characters to take baby steps forward with their relationship and for a gradual healing to take place. This growth and its pace are carefully crafted, lending an authenticity to the development of the relationship and the plot. Yanni and Peter are simply beautiful together, the characters complementing one another and proving time and again that the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It is pure joy to watch them grow and heal together, and I am so grateful to the author for sharing Yanni’s Story with her readers/listeners.
NARRATION REVIEW:
I don’t know what more I can say about Joel Leslie that hasn’t already been said. I feel he is a truly gifted performer, a storyteller of the highest caliber. He doesn’t simply read a story. He becomes the characters, portraying a wide range of emotion and a clear enthusiasm for the narrative and for his craft. He is one of my absolute favorite narrators, and I always look forward to listening to his performances. His ability to transport the listener directly into the story is a talent he has displayed over and over again. Well done, Mr. Leslie, and thank you for yet another outstanding listening experience!
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Read More » […]