Welcome to the March 2021 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….
In The Name of the Father (Father #1) by Morticia Knight (Author) & Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
Welcome to Love Bytes to our new reviewer Stephen
Reviewed by Stephen K.
TITLE: In the Name of the Father
SERIES: Father #1
AUTHOR: Morticia Knight
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: Knight Ever After Publishing
LENGTH: 6 Hrs 9 Min
RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2020
BLURB:
Seth was a good Christian son raised in a very conservative church.
He learned early on that the world is evil and filled with sinners—but the most horrible thing you can be is gay. When his shame is discovered, he’s shipped off to a special camp that fixes deviants like him. Years have passed since then, yet he still runs from himself every day.
Malcolm was a good daddy for almost 10 years before his boy died.
No longer daring to be too close with another man again, he’s avoided clubs and old friends that remind him of a life filled with a joy he can no longer have. Unable to find a purpose in his lonely existence, he spends night after night in a dive bar at the edge of town. However, witnessing a scared young man being harassed by two bullies jolts him out of his misery.
No one messes with someone vulnerable and helpless on his watch…
Audible
Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha (Blue Moon Series) by A.E. Via (author) & Tim Paige (narrator)
Reviewed by Anna Lynn
TITLE: Blue Moon III: Call of the Alpha
SERIES: Blue Moon Series
AUTHOR: A.E. Via
NARRATOR: Tim Paige
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
RELEASE DATE: January 05, 2021
LENGTH: 7 hours 18 minutes
BLURB:
It’s been a couple years since Commander John Marion – the US Navy’s most decorated SEAL – hung up his dog tags, choosing his cherished Alpha over war.
Call and Alpha have settled comfortably into their carefree lives nestled in the mountains of South Carolina. No more combat for the commander, and no more ordered killings for the deadliest assassin in the world.
However, nothing stays peaceful forever.
When Alpha’s brother Omega comes to their secluded home with a distressing message from their order, Alpha has to answer the call. But what neither of them expect is for the order to send them a new assassin, one just as deadly as both of them, to seek their counsel and bring them back Persia.
Lion’s commanding presence was not at all what any of them anticipated. Especially Omega. Lion realizes what Omega is to him right away, but the stubborn man fights his every advance. Lion knows he and Omega have to connect if they’re going to be victorious. He was sent to bring back an army, but if he can’t get his cherished to yield to him, they are sure to fail.
How to Lure a Hunter (VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #3) by Alice Winters (Author) & Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)
Review by Sadonna
TITLE: How to Lure a Hunter
SERIES: VRC: Vampire Related Crimes #3
AUTHOR: Alice Winters
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 10 hours and 2 minutes
RELEASE DATE: March 10, 2021
BLURB:
Alexei
When Marcus Church brings his brother Claude in to help solve an unusual murder, I’m positive he did it just to disrupt my monotonous life. None of my coworkers in the Vampire Related Crimes unit seem to understand that I want to keep a wall between me and everyone else – especially Claude, who does everything he can to break through it with an annoying smile. After more vampires begin to die, Claude pinpoints the actions of the killers to a group of vampire hunters, leaving us in a race to stop them. When I discover that I have a target on my back, I’m surprised that Claude insists on staying by my side, even when things go from bad to worse. I’m determined to keep him out – I’ve lost enough people in my life – but I can’t stop feeling something every time he breaks through.
Claude
When I reunited with my brother, I never imagined it’d throw me right into Alexei Karsynov’s path. He’s short-tempered, stubborn, and dangerously adorable whenever he smiles – he just doesn’t realize it yet. When Marcus asks me to help with a case, it gives me the excuse I need to get closer to Alexei, but what I discover threatens to change everything. Suddenly, I find myself wanting to do anything to protect Alexei and to see him smile, despite his efforts to keep his distance from others. I’m determined to show him that he can’t live in the past when his future is so much brighter.
How to Lure a Hunter is a 107k word book that contains: clothes so bright they could cause retina damage, a ridiculous amount of gifts showered on a reluctant recipient, a cranky Russian with a soft spot he tries to hide, a library full of books that need to be treated with the proper respect, some possibly unhealthy sibling teasing, and a sunshiny 300-year-old vampire with an unexpected protective streak.
Audible
Until the World Stops by L.A. Witt (Author) & Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)
Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Until the World Stops
AUTHOR: L.A. Witt
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 7 hours and 2 minutes
RELEASE DATE: February 25, 2021
BLURB:
Their plan was perfect…until the world stopped.
After the navy boots him out, Tristan is screwed. Without an honorable discharge or a college degree, his job prospects are grim. If only he knew a service member who was willing to get married, make Tristan a dependent, and transfer his GI Bill. Such as, say, a former coworker who’s single, gay, and wants his family off his back about his refusal to settle down…and who maybe feels guilty for his role in Tristan losing his career.
Casey has never liked Tristan, but the plan is irresistible. In fact, it’s perfect. Now, Tristan has health insurance and a place to live, and he’s going to school. Meanwhile, Casey’s conscience is assuaged, and he’s still sleeping his way through town while his family is none the wiser. The guys stay out of each other’s way, and it’s all good.
Right up until a pandemic locks everything down.
Suddenly, it’s just Casey and Tristan…and maybe that’s not such a bad thing. In a time when they’re both desperate for strength, support, and human contact, they find them in the most unexpected place: each other.
But when feelings come into play, is it something real? Or just two lonely men making the best of terrifying times? And how in the world do Casey and Tristan tell the difference?
Until the World Stops is a 72,000-word, stand-alone gay romance.
A note from the author:
As the events of 2020 have unfolded, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve debated when and how to incorporate that reality into my work. It’s not something I want to make light of or capitalize on, but it has become a part of our lives, and one that doesn’t look to be going anywhere any time soon.
There comes a point when – if I’m to write about life – I need to write about the ugly parts, too. For that matter, writing is how I process the world around me, and as time has gone on, I’ve found myself needing the catharsis of looking this reality in the eye and putting it into words as best I can.
Most importantly, however, this is a time when we all need hope and even moments of peace. While pure escapism is important to me, so too is finding that hope and peace when everything feels so bleak.
So, it’s with that in mind that I give you a couple of guys finding a little bit of light when all the world feels dark.
Audible
The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot Without Getting Shot (The Hitman’s Guide) by Alice Winters (Author) & Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)
Review by Sadonna
TITLE: The Hitman’s Guide to Tying the Knot without Getting Shot
SERIES: The Hitman’s Guide
AUTHOR: Alice Winters
NARRATOR: Michael Ferraiuolo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 9 hours and 37 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 29, 2021
BLURB:
Leland
Is a nice little wedding with Blow-up Randy and Jackson My Love too much to ask for? Clearly, because someone’s trying to kill one of us… again. Generally, this would be my thing and I would jump right in singing my murder song, but they want Jackson dead and I will do anything (and I mean anything) to keep him alive—including and not limited to: ten Dobermans, bulletproof glass, and dragging Cassel in with the promise of more Jerebear. These people have no idea what they’ve done targeting the man I love because I’m coming after them. But when it feels like everything might be lost, I start to understand that I have a family now who will stand by my side and do everything they can to make sure we end this on our terms.
Jackson
When someone attacks me, it’s clear they want something from me. The issue is that I have no idea who they are or what they’re after. And if I don’t figure it out soon, I’m afraid Leland is going to smother me with his overprotectiveness (or put me in a bubble at the top of a tower). The issue is that time is ticking and with the price tag on my head, there’s no telling who is coming for me or when. Together, Leland and I have to decipher who is telling the truth in this game of life or death because I have plans to marry the man of my dreams and no one is going to stop me—especially with Leland by my side.
This 100k word book contains humor, action, romance, bad behavior on a golf course, sort of abducting a child who lacks kung fu power, enough car chases and shooting to make even Leland happy, and spontaneous singing.
Audible
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