Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Under the Boardwalk
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 3 hours and 56 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 13, 2018
BLURB:
Beneath the famous Brooklyn landmark, love is hidden but not denied:
All his life, Alexi Kharpov has dreamed of traveling to unknown exciting places instead of working at his family’s frozen custard stand on the famous Coney Island boardwalk. Every year is the same until a gorgeous man picks a spot in front of his stand to sing, captivating him with his beautiful voice. After two summers of listening, it might finally be time for him to cross that boardwalk and take a chance.
Opera singer Cameron Maxwell has traveled the world, but the sight of the beautiful man serving custard to tourists touches his heart like nothing ever has before. A summer fling might be exactly what he needs to put his problems out of his mind, but the last thing Cam expects is to want the summer to last forever.
It’s a season of discovery for both men who learn to dig deep within their heads and hearts to decide whether secrets old and new should remain buried, or if love is too important to keep hidden under the boardwalk.
REVIEW:
Alexi feels a bit stifled by his family, his job, and school. He has a desire to travel the world and see lots of things – more than his neighborhood and Coney Island where he works the summers at his family business. His father has had the custard stand for years, but now Alexi and his cousin Dmitri work their summers there. Since the previous summer, Alexi has had eyes only for the guy with the beautiful voice who sings for tips just down the boardwalk from the custard stand. But he knows he can’t actually approach him. He’s deep in the closet where his family is concerned and if they ever found out about it, well, let’s just say things might not go well.
Little does he know that Cam, the man doing the singing, has also been watching him as well. When Cam approaches him and asks him to walk with him, Alexi is surprised, but eventually agrees – once they are away from the Boardwalk. They enjoy walking and talking and a little bit more – away from prying eyes under the boardwalk 😉 They act on their attraction, but Alexi is still worried. As the summer goes on they spend more time together, getting closer and enjoying themselves. Then Cam gets some news that derail his plans. Alexi also gets news – and they try to figure out how their paths will more forward – either together or separately. There is family drama and family support and ultimately the guys make decisions together, considering each other and their futures.
This was a really enjoyable audio book. I’m a huge fan of Nick Russo and as usual he does a great job with the voices in this story – both the main characters and the rather large cast of supporting characters that include both Cam and Alexi’s families. Alexi and Cam learn to trust each other in this story and also learn how to be true to themselves. Alexi has the tougher road with his family, but Cam has his own struggles that he needs to overcome – with his family’s and Alexi’s support. I thought the family drama and the burgeoning relationship were handled very well and were totally believable. Both guys are willing to stand up for each other and truly want what is best for the other as well. I also really adored the ending 🙂 Recommended.
RATING: 
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