Welcome to the January 2020 Audio Book of the Month Poll!
Here are all our Audio Reviews rated 4.5 & 5 hearts and up 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 week. The actual closing time will vary depending on blog staff schedules….
Conspiracy Theory (Hamarsson & Dempsey #1) by Elle Keaton (Author) & Michael Dean (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Hamarsson & Dempsey #1
AUTHOR: Elle Keaton
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 6 hours, 42 minutes
RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2019
BLURB:
Years of grueling police work have left Niall Hamarsson jaded and disillusioned with life…although it’s likely he’s been that way all along. The last straw lands when the DA refuses to try a case Niall worked for years to bring to justice. Within hours he finds himself heading to the only place he’s ever been able to call home – a place he knows he doesn’t belong.
Mat Dempsey returned to Piedras Island after his father’s death. These days he’s Island County’s sheriff. He’s happy enough, even if moving home from San Francisco effectively forced him back into the closet. Mat’s well-ordered universe collapses when a local’s body is discovered floating in the cold waters of Hidden Harbor’s marina. All hell breaks loose in the community, and accusations fly…all coinciding with Niall Hamarsson’s return.
Niall and Mat have a history, and it’s not one Mat’s proud of. He owes Niall an apology, even if it means getting down on his knees. However, Mat’s first priority is investigating the murder before his community tears itself apart and he may have to ask the aloof Niall Hamarsson for help.
Push apart, pull together, yes or no…The chemistry crackles between them but will the two men be able to put aside their pasts and embrace a future?
Why We Fight (At First Sight #4) by TJ Klune (Author) & Sean Crisden (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: At First Sight #4
AUTHOR: TJ Klune
NARRATOR: Sean Crisden
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 12 hours, 18 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2020
BLURB:
Do you believe in love at first sight?
Corey Ellis sure doesn’t. Oh, everyone around him seems to have found their happy ending, but he’s far too busy to worry about such things. He’ll have plenty of time for romance after he survives his last summer before graduation. So what if he can’t get his former professor, Jeremy Olsen, out of his head? It’s nothing more than hero worship. And that’s the way it should stay.
Except bi-gender Corey – aka Kori – is interning at Phoenix House for the summer, an LGBTQI youth center. A center that recently hired an interim director until someone can be found to fill the position permanently.
Because life is extraordinarily unfair, the director just so happens to be a certain former professor, now turned current boss.
Desperate to keep things professional as he and Jeremy grow closer, Corey makes a major mistake: He turns to his friends, Paul Auster and Sanford Stewart, for help.
But Paul and Sandy have some ideas of their own….
Object of Desire (Bitter Legacy #2) by Dal Maclean (Author) & Gary Furlong (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Bitter Legacy #2
AUTHOR: Dal Maclean
NARRATOR: Gary Furlong
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 12 hours, 51 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 14, 2020
BLURB:
Tom Gray is one of the world’s top models – an effortless object of desire. Self-contained, elusive, and always in control, he’s accustomed to living life entirely on his own terms. But when Tom comes under suspicion in the gory death of his employer, his world spirals into chaos.
Someone’s framing him. Someone’s stalking him. And as old secrets come to light, Tom finds his adversary always one step ahead. Will Foster is the only man Tom trusts to help. But Tom brutally burned all bridges between them two years before, and Will paid a bitter price.
If he wants to survive, Tom must prove his innocence to Will – and to the world.
Vespertine by Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn (Authors) & Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
AUTHOR: Leta Blake & Indra Vaughn
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo
PUBLISHER: Leta Blake Books
LENGTH: 14 hours, 18 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 16, 2019
BLURB:
Can a priest and a rock star obey love’s call?
Seventeen years ago, Jasper Hendricks and Nicholas Blumfeld’s childhood friendship turned into a secret, blissful love affair. They spent several idyllic months together until Jasper’s calling to the Catholic priesthood became impossible to ignore. Left floundering, Nicky followed his own trajectory into rock stardom, but he never stopped looking back.
Today, Jasper pushes boundaries as an out, gay priest, working hard to help vulnerable LGBTQ youth. He’s determined to bring change to the church and the world. Respected, admired, and settled in his skin, Jasper has long ignored his loneliness.
As Nico Blue, guitarist and songwriter for the band Vespertine, Nicky owns the hearts of millions. He and his bandmates have toured the world, lighting their fans on fire with their music. Numbed by drugs and fueled by simmering anger, Nicky feels completely alone. When Vespertine is forced to get sober, Nicky returns home to where it all started.
Jasper and Nicky’s careers have ruled their lives since they parted as teens. When they come face to face again, they must choose between the past’s lingering ghosts or the promise of a new future.
Signs of Life (Resilient Love #2) by Melanie Hansen (Author) & Robert Nieman (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Resilient Love #2
AUTHOR: Melanie Hansen
NARRATOR: Robert Nieman
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 8 hours. 22 minutes
RELEASE DATE: March 21, 2017
BLURB:
Successful lawyer Jeremy Speer has it all—a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a cherished dream that’s about to become reality. He’s learned not to take happiness for granted, meeting the challenges of life and love head-on with unwavering commitment and fierce devotion. A series of tragic events leave Jeremy shattered, adrift on a sea of unimaginable pain. He’s able to piece his life back together, but instead of embracing it, he merely exists, using isolation and punishing physical exertion to keep the world at bay.
High school teacher Kai Daniels has a heart for at-risk kids—he was one himself, and a teenage brush with the law and some troubled years behind bars left him scarred inside and out. With courage, hard work, and the support of friends, he’s built a fulfilling life that leaves no time for a relationship.
An intense encounter with Kai at a gay club ignites a spark in Jeremy that he thought was extinguished forever, but he’s unwilling to destroy the fragile peace he’s managed to create, and he leaves Kai humiliated and disappointed. Things should have ended there, but a bizarre occurrence brings the two together in a way neither of them expected.
Reaper of Souls (SPECTR #3) by Jordan L. Hawk (Author) & Brad Langer (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: SPECTR #3
AUTHOR: Jordan L. Hawk
NARRATOR: Brad Langer
PUBLISHER: Widdershins Press
LENGTH: 3 hours, 50 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 26, 2013
BLURB:
When an incubus murders the powerful ally of an anti-paranormal senator, it’s up to hotshot Federal agent John Starkweather to catch the demon before it can kill again. Fortunately, he has backup, in the form of his boyfriend Caleb, a telekinetic possessed by the vampire spirit Gray.
As the political pressure mounts and bodies pile up, John discovers an old enemy protecting the incubus: the Fist of God, a group that believes all paranormals are evil. But why would the Fist work with a demon? And why would they let it kill one of their own allies?
John and Caleb need to find out fast. Because the incubus lurks at the intersection of love and longing, and it’s willing to turn their deepest desires against them.
Diagnosis: Death (Paul Monroe Mysteries #2) by A.P. Eisen (Author) & Kale Williams (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Paul Monroe Mysteries #2
AUTHOR: A.P. Eisen
NARRATOR: Kale Williams
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 6 hours, 21 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2020
BLURB:
When a body is found in the park, Paul Monroe knows two things: This isn’t a simple mugging, and the weekend he has planned with his boyfriend is officially over before it begins. With no murder weapon but a slew of suspects at the ready, Paul and his partner, Rob, begin the tedious task of piecing together the few clues they have.
Happier than he’s ever been, Cliff knows there’s more to Paul than the tough exterior the man shows to the world, but Cliff is determined to take things slow. An unexpected phone call forces him to revisit the pain of his past, and now he needs Paul more than ever, but he’s hesitant to ask, unwilling to pressure Paul into a decision he might not be ready to make.
Paul’s investigation means more long nights away from Cliff, who is grappling with his unsettling news. Not being able to support Cliff isn’t sitting right with Paul, and for the first time his personal life is as important as his job. Knowing he has Paul to lean on gives Cliff the courage to speak and to heal old wounds as they navigate the minefield of building a relationship. Meanwhile, a killer walks the streets of Thornwood Park, and Paul won’t be satisfied until they are caught and justice served.
Blaze (Unbreakable Bonds #5) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliot (Authors) & Kenneth Obi (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Unbreakable Bonds #5
AUTHOR: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliot
NARRATOR: Kenneth Obi
PUBLISHER: Drake & Elliot Publishing
LENGTH: 7 hours, 50 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 24, 2020
BLURB:
The rings have been selected.
The champagne placed on ice.
The cake decorated.
And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts….
Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem.
A ghost from Lucas’ past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected.
Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”
Collide (Out for Justice #2) by Reese Knightley (Author) & Tristan James (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Out for Justice #2
AUTHOR: Reese Knightley
NARRATOR: Tristan James
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 10 hours, 2 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2020
BLURB:
Ex-hacker Seth O’Leary enjoys the hell out of being part of an elite team of operatives known only as Phoenix. In fact, he’s pretty much made it his whole life. When things go horribly wrong with his deadbeat boyfriend, Seth is surprised to find help coming from an unexpected source. The man he’s secretly fantasized about for years finally takes notice. Asher Grayson, code name Frost, is everything that Seth wants in a man, but the player is gun-shy about relationships. What will it take to capture the man’s icy heart?
Phoenix operative Frost thought he had it all figured out. Scratch an itch with the newly single and hot Seth O’Leary, and the craving would be over. Best laid plans and all that, Seth gets under his skin like nobody ever has, and without warning, Frost finds he can’t seem to walk away so easily. Which is completely out of character for him. He doesn’t do relationships because of his past. So, the question remains, will he let long-ago events drive him away from the best thing that has ever happened to him?
Mix in tragic turns of events and ruthless acts of violence, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. With evil forces hell bent on destruction, the pair are on a collision course that leaves them reeling.
The Secret (Love in O’Leary, #3) by May Archer (Author) & Iggy Toma (Narrator) & Alexander Cendese (Narrator)
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The Secret
SERIES: Love in O’Leary
AUTHOR: May Archer
NARRATORS: Iggy Toma & Alexander Cendese
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 58 minutes
RELEASE DATE: October 8, 2019
BLURB:
Micah: Constantine Ross is a cocky, provoking little…yeah. And I swear, I’d think that even if his family’s business wasn’t my biggest competition. It’s time someone taught the man a lesson or two about life. At least that’s what I tell myself when I offer him a job. Call it my good deed for the year…maybe the century.
But now he’s in my shop. In my space. In my every damn thought. In. My. Bed.
And how the hell am I supposed to resist him?
Constantine: I’ll be the first to admit I’ve royally screwed up, but what can I say? I was a stupid teen who lost his dad and spiraled out of control. Almost a decade later, I’m still trying to make amends. The last thing I need is my family’s arch-nemesis wading into my life like he’s got all the answers. Except…I really need money, and the arrogant jerk offered me a job.
I can deal with Micah’s attitude. My attraction to him? That’s different. He’s my boss, not my boyfriend. And he’s way too old for me. But God, he’s gorgeous. Dominant. Compelling.
I don’t want to want him…. But I can’t turn away.
The ABCs of Spellcraft Collection (The ABCs of Spellcraft #1-5) by Jordan Castillo Price (Author) & Nick Hudson (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: The ABCs of Spellcraft Collection
SERIES: The ABC’s of Spellcraft books 1-5
AUTHOR: Jordan Castillo Price
NARRATOR: Nick Hudson
PUBLISHER: JCP Books
RELEASE DATE: November 15, 2019
LENGTH: 13 hours, 46 minutes
BLURB:
Dixon Penn’s family wasn’t terribly shocked when he announced he was gay, but they were devastated to learn he’s the only one without the gift of spellcraft. Fortunately, that doesn’t stop spellcraft from reaching out to him.
Dixon’s prospects have gone from bad to worse, but a contest at the biggest greeting card company in the tri-state area would be just the thing to turn his luck around. So what if he’s not technically a Spellcrafter – he’s been scribing pretty words and phrases all his life. How could anyone possibly write a better verse than him?
Yuri Volnikov, the taciturn Russian security guard at Precious Greetings, is determined to keep the charming contestant out. But Dixon has always been a sucker for big guys with exotic accents, and he won’t take no for an answer.
Whether or not Dixon wins the prize he hopes for, when he and Yuri work their magic together, it’s clear that luck is on their side.
The ABCs of Spellcraft is a series filled with bad jokes and good magic, where M/M romance meets paranormal cozy. A perky hero, a brooding love interest, and delightfully twisty-turny stories that never end up quite where you’d expect.
This collection contains the first five stories in The ABCs of Spellcraft series: Quill Me Now, All that Glitters, Trouble in Taco Town, Something Stinks at the Spa, and Dead Man’s Quill.
A Dye Hard Holiday (Curl Up and Dye #5) by Aimee Nicole Walker (Author) & Joel Leslie (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Curl Up and Dye #5
AUTHOR: Aimee Nicole Walker
NARRATOR: Joel Leslie
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 5 hours, 10 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 14, 2020
BLURB:
It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of year for Gabe and Josh Roman-Wyatt as they celebrate their first holidays as fathers, but someone’s war on St. Nick threatens to ruin their holly jolly Christmas.
The Norman Rockwell holiday they had envisioned implodes and shenanigans ensue in true Josh and Gabe style, but that only makes the couple more determined to rejoice in the love and joy they have found in one another. A Black Friday showdown, two foul-mouthed birds, one lumbersexual, ugly Christmas sweaters aplenty, four invading grandparents, and a sexy twist on an advent calendar lead up to oh, holy nights. Catch up with your favorite characters and meet some new faces in a tale that is sure to make you feel as warm as Josh’s creamy, hot-buttered rum concoction.
A Dye Hard Holiday is a funny story about two fathers trying to hold it all together as they juggle busy careers and family life while planning the perfect holiday season. Will they be rocking around the Christmas tree or will it be a blue Christmas?
From Ashes (Heathens Ink #3) by K.M. Neuhold (Author) & Kenneth Obi (Narrator)
Reviewed by Anna Lynn
SERIES: Heathens Ink #3
AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold
NARRATOR: Kenneth Obi
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
RELEASE DATE: January 18, 2018
LENGTH: 6 hours, 7 minutes
BLURB:
It started with an anonymous post by someone who didn’t want to live anymore. I read it over and over again, unable to get it out of my mind. What if my brother Johnny had posted something like this before he’d taken his own life? Would someone have been able to save him?
“When I was so far down I couldn’t even see the light, a stranger reached in to save me”~ Nox
I didn’t have anything to live for, until a kind stranger pulled me back from the brink. With physical and emotional scars I have nowhere to turn now but to that same stranger who saved my life without realizing it. But as my feelings for Adam grow, will I ever be anything other than a surrogate for the brother he couldn’t save? Am I even worthy of his love?
Passing Through by Jay Northcote (Author) & Matthew Lloyd Davis (Narrator)
Reviewed by Annika
AUTHOR: Jay Northcote
NARRATOR: Matthew Lloyd Davies
PUBLISHER:
RELEASE DATE: December 12, 2015
LENGTH: 3 hours, 58 minutes
BLURB:
Leo is a lonely workaholic with no time for romance in his life. His job in London takes all his energy and commitment. When he goes to Cornwall to stay with his terminally ill uncle, Edwin, love is the last thing Leo expects to find. Tris lives in a cottage on Edwin’s land. Gay, but still half in the closet, he and Leo bond over their affection for Edwin, and the pull of attraction between them proves too strong to ignore.
In Tris’s arms, in the wilds of Cornwall, Leo finds a peace he’d forgotten existed. On his return to London, Leo finds himself grieving for more than just the loss of his uncle. When some unexpected news gives Leo the chance to return to Cornwall, he’s afraid it will be too late to rekindle things with Tris. But having learned much from his stay with his uncle, Leo doesn’t want to look back and wish he’d done things differently. It’s time to seize the day – if it’s not already too late.