Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Love Always, Wild

SERIES: For Him Book 1

AUTHOR:  A.M. Johnson

NARRATOR:  Tim Paige and Kirt Graves

PUBLISHER:  Tantor Audio

LENGTH:  9 hours and 21 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  March 16, 2021

BLURB:

Wilder,

When I left that night, I had every intention of coming back to you. To us. But no matter how hard I wish for what I want, there are some things in life that aren’t meant to be. I don’t expect you to understand. You’ve already moved on, living your life. But mine ended that night, nine years ago, and I still can’t let you go. Not sure I ever will. I regret so many things, but hurting you, I’ll never forgive myself. I’m sorry for . . . everything.

Jax~

Jax,

If only you could’ve seen it like I did, the way you were when you thought the world wasn’t watching. How you’d change when I looked at you, when it was just us. But most of all . . . I wish you could’ve seen how much it hurt me when you disappeared. Regrets are for cowards. It has always been my belief you should chase after the things you want with actions, not words. There is no such thing as never meant to be.

So this apology . . . not accepted . . .

Love always, Wild

REVIEW: 

A.M. Johnson is a relatively new author to me.  I’ve only read one other book of hers, Book 2 in this For Him series, Not So Sincerely, Yours, which was amazing.  Having read that book, Love Always, Wild retrospectively pales in comparison. 

But to give context for that statement, you need to understand I’m comparing the excellent to the very good.  Love Always, Wild is definitely well written, emotionally nuanced and impactful.  It is an angsty, well done, worthwhile read.  However, unlike Not So Sincerely, Yours, I struggled with some plot points of Love Always, Wild that just didn’t make sense to me. Wilder came across as superficial and selfish, particularly when we view his relationship with Anders.  Jax’s interactions with Ethan were, at times, confusing. Additionally, I never quite felt I had a grasp on the depth of Jax and Wild’s relationship from 9 years earlier, pre-breakup.  I knew they were together, but the book doesn’t reveal the extent of it until additional details are provided piecemeal through flashbacks or memories over the course of the book.

I then “reread” Love Always, Wild in audiobook form, and holy cow, what a difference two great narrators can make.  Kirt Graves and Tim Paige are terrific narrators in their own right, but together, they’re a powerhouse duo.  They manage to take a 400+ page book and make it move along quickly and effortlessly with their engaging voices pulling you from chapter to chapter.

Kirt Graves narrates Wilder.  Mr. Graves’ vocal performance gave context for the superficiality I felt towards Wild when I read the book the first time.  I’ve listened to Mr. Graves’ narration before and he consistently demonstrates undeniable vocal skill as well as an inherent ability to spin out a compelling story.  I struggled to really “get” on-page Wilder, but Mr. Graves translated him for me through his intonations and pacing.  This allowed me to better appreciate that what appeared as superficial was really masking emotional turmoil brewing beneath the surface.  Mr. Graves delivers that and it made all the difference in my understanding of Wild.  

The superstar of this audiobook, though, is Tim Paige, who narrates Jax.  I’ve always found Mr. Paige’s narration to be very good.  But here … wow.  His voice just about melted me.  I don’t mean that in a “this was so hot, I combusted” kind of way.  I mean that his voice created this simmering heat and fluidity that made me feel like warm chocolate.  His delivery was consistently smooth with a lovely southern accent.  It envelops you like being wrapped in a cocoon.  His pacing created dynamics of the events of the story and he effortlessly infused a myriad of emotions into Jax’s lines.  While I enjoyed and appreciated Mr. Graves’ narration, I couldn’t wait to get to the next Jax chapter so I could fall into Mr. Paige’s hypnotic voice.

I recommend Love Always, Wild as a solid, enjoyable story.  I highly recommend you read it paired with the audiobook, or just listen to the audiobook alone.  These two narrators’ delivery will not only enhance your appreciation and enjoyment of this story, but will provide meaning and clarity in the places where you may not have appreciated it before.  That is the hallmark of a great audiobook.

RATING:    

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon 

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