Reviewed by Lisa
TITLE: With a Kick: Collection No. 1 
SERIES: With a Kick
AUTHOR: Clare London
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Jocular Press
LENGTH: 8 hours and 40 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2018
BLURB:
This collection includes the charming London-based novellas of the With a Kick series – A Twist and Two Balls and Slap and Tickle. Also included are two short stories featuring the characters in these titles.
A Twist and Two Balls: Eduardo Mancini is going to be a star of the London stage. Unfortunately, his alter ego, Eddy March, hasn’t gotten further than a bit part in a TV series. One ghastly day, he’s late for an audition, can’t pay his taxi fare, and is chased across Soho by the irate driver, Nuri. But maybe being caught by Nuri is exactly what Eddy needs.
Slap and Tickle: Bryan is an accountant who admires order and self-discipline. When he literally bumps into Phiz outside With a Kick, Phiz’s lifestyle and behaviour appear totally chaotic. But they each recognise something in the other that they need. Bryan needs a lover who welcomes his secret desire, and Phiz needs a firm hand – in every way. They both agree Bryan may be just the man to provide it.
REVIEW:
A Twist and Two Balls – Actor Eduardo Mancini is late for an important audition one day. While in Nuri’s taxi cab on the way to the audition, he realizes he doesn’t have enough to pay the fare. So he exits the cab and has Nuri chasing him down to collect the fare. As embarrassed as Eddie is about being unable to pay, he talks Nuri into going to the adult ice cream shop, With a Kick in order for Eddie to request money from one of his friends.
The story continues with Eddie and Nuri developing a friendship then romance. The couple seems like an unlikely pair at first but with the exception of a few roadblocks, they support each other nicely. Nuri’s calm acceptance is a perfect foil to Eddie’s dramatic flair. And Eddie shows a lot of growth by learning to think before he says hurtful things in the heat of anger. I found the characters believable, fun, and realistic; like people I’d want to be friends with. And I thought the story was well-fleshed out.
Rating: 4 hearts
Slap and Tickle – Bryan and Phiz also seem like an unlikely couple at first glance. It would seem like Bryan’s quiet control should clash with Phiz’s noisy chaos. Yet they each find something in the other they need. Phiz helps Bryan learn how to let go and have fun while Bryan helps center Phiz and helps him control some of his impulsiveness.
Although this is a different couple from A Twist and Two Balls, some of the secondary characters make repeat appearances.
I would have liked something more from this story. The characters felt believable, yet they weren’t as endearing. I found Bryan too uptight for my taste, especially in the beginning of the story. And Phiz seemed immature. I also needed more from the story: more depth or more background information.
Rating: 2.5 hearts
Nice and Snow – This short features Eddie and Nuri again. It focuses on the couple’s first Christmas together. I enjoyed the couple making new traditions for themselves and again thought they were fun and engaging, but didn’t really care for the supernatural aspect of the story.
Rating: 3 hearts
Smack Happy – The second bonus short included in the audio revisits Bryan and Phiz as they celebrate their first Valentine’s Day together. This was more of a drabble than anything else and since it was so short it’s difficult to say much without telling spoilers. There wasn’t more character development or plot, simply a few scenes with the couple giving each other Valentine’s gifts related to their style of kink. I don’t have any strong feelings either of love or hate, it was an ok story.
Rating: 3 hearts
I’ve read and enjoyed quite a few of Clare London’s drabbles and this collection has been part of my TBR/wishlist for a long time. I enjoyed getting to spend time with these two couples and look forward to reading more in the With a Twist universe. I really loved the concept of an ice cream shop that’s specifically developed flavors just for adults and wish this was something that really existed close to my location.
I would recommend this collection to anyone who likes low-angst, mild kink, contemporary novella/short stories.
Joel Leslie does a great job with the performance of the audio and has a wide range of character voices. I’ve never had the opportunity to visit London yet feel like Leslie brings the atmosphere alive for the listeners. I also feel like he makes the characters feel like real people and makes them feel like people I’d enjoy knowing.
RATING: 
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