Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: The Nothingness of Ben 
SERIES: The Austin Trilogy #1
AUTHOR: Brad Boney
NARRATOR: Charlie David
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2013
LENGTH: 6 hours, 33 minutes
BLURB:
Ben Walsh is well on his way to becoming one of Manhattan’s top litigators, with a gorgeous boyfriend and friends on the A-list. His life is perfect until he gets a phone call that brings it all crashing down: a car accident takes his parents, and now he must return to Austin to raise three teenage brothers he barely knows.
During the funeral, Ben meets Travis Atwood, the redneck neighbor with a huge heart. Their relationship initially runs hot and cold, from contentious to flirtatious, but when the weight of responsibility starts wearing on Ben, he turns to Travis, and the pressure shapes their friendship into something that feels a lot like love. Ben thinks he’s found a way to have his old life, his new life, and Travis too, but love isn’t always easy. Will he learn to recognize that sometimes the worst thing imaginable can lead him to the place he was meant to be?
REVIEW:
I don’t know you guys…. I know it’s gotten more than a few raving reviews in the past, I just didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel for Ben, and for me it’s tough to enjoy a book when I dislike one of the main characters. Sure I’m all for redemption, growing up and in general realise there’s another way. But I have to believe in the transformation. I need to believe and feel something for the character and with Ben I just didn’t.
Hot shot lawyer Ben Walsh is living life in New York. He has what he wants, he has plans for the future. Plans that comes crumbling down when his parents are killed in a car crash and he suddenly finds himself in charge of his three teenage brothers. Brothers living in Austin, Texas – as far as Manhattan that it might as well be in another world. And it kind of is. During the funeral Ben meets their neighbour Travis, a family friend and honorary big brother to the teens. Travis is there for Ben in the beginning and they form a friendship. It’s not long after that until that relationship reaches another level.
All of this sounds good – in theory. But it didn’t work for me, and especially Ben. I mean he was so selfish throughout the book, only thinking of how things would impact him. The way he treated Travis made my blood boil. He never stood up for him in any way. Never tried to make things work. Never made an effort. Travis had to make all the concessions, all the changes, all the fighting in their relationship. Ben was kind of there, making the demands and doing nothing other than care for himself and his needs. I mean, more than once he puts Travis down for being blue collar and “only” works as a mechanic. Not always in so many words, but it’s there in his actions and words. I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t want for a relationship between them. Travis deserved much better.
For all of this coming from a tragedy I’s surprisingly light and fluffy. Too light. I mean we have a loving and close knit family with two parents and three teenage boys. Suddenly both parents die and in swoops a long lost older brother they only see once a year. There’s going to be trouble, pain and friction, sorrow. But there never really was. It was all smooth sailing, sure there were a few minor things, but they were easily resolved. And I’m sorry but I just don’t believe that. Where was the grief and pain from the loss? Sure I don’t need it to be all encompassing and always full front and central, but some mention would have been nice – especially in the beginning.
Then there is the long lost brother suddenly in charge of three teenage boys. They’ve barely spent time together in the past, and suddenly in the middle of supposedly grief of their parents, they end up living together. After a few harsh words the first few days it all seemed friction free. Instead of trying to make the new family work, the focus is on the budding romance, lust fest really, between Ben and Travis. Too much and too fast and just not enough.
So the story sure didn’t work for me, but Charlie David did. He did a good job narrating this book. In a perfect world I would have loved for the characters to have a Texan accent to go with their origin, but then again you can’t get everything. And “settling” for an awesome voice, great pacing and a lot of feelings is no hardship for me. So all in all I don’t think I’ll pick up more books in this series, but leave it as is.
Story: 1,5 hearts
Narration: 4 hearts
RATING: 
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