Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Starting from the Top
SERIES: Starting From Series Book 5
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
NARRATOR: Michael Dean
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 8 hours and 43 minutes
RELEASE DATE: March 12, 2021
BLURB:
The guitarist, the dad, and a band on the rise….
Johnny
A quiet place to live and some time to recharge before my band heads out on the road again sounds amazing. I wouldn’t mind a distraction, too, but my new neighbor is off-limits. There are rules about not getting involved with your bandmate’s ex, right? And Sean isn’t my type anyway. He’s too bossy, too commanding, and he has way too much baggage. I’ve learned that it’s best to let go of the heavy stuff. So why am I so drawn to him?
Sean
Coming out later in life has taught me to protect my privacy at all costs. And while juggling a handful of businesses and two kids isn’t easy, I excel at the art of multitasking and keeping everything separate. But Johnny blurs those lines. He’s easy-going, sweet-natured, and cool. In short, he’s everything I’m not. I want to know all about him…starting from the top.
Starting from the Top is a MM, bisexual romance with some rock and roll, an age gap, and a little family fun! Each book in the Starting From series can be enjoyed as a stand-alone.
REVIEW:
Lane Hayes never disappoints. Starting from the Top is the culminating book in her fabulous, addicting Starting From series and this book definitely falls in the category of “saved the best for last”. Ms. Hayes regales us with a sweet and sexy age gap, opposites attract, single dad romance between Johnny, uber talented Zero band guitarist, and Sean, a successful businessman who happens to be Tegan’s ex.
Because of the prior Tegan relationship, Johnny and Sean already know each other, but in a casual acquaintance sort of way. When they meet again at the beginning of this story, it’s with a wary inquisitiveness. You can tell they are intrigued but taking each other’s measure. They’re suddenly realizing there’s attraction there when it never crossed their minds before. Even while puzzling out why and how can that be the case, they’re succumbing to the inevitable pull of a simmering, undeniable attraction.
It takes a little time for the attraction to percolate until it brews into a complex mix of stubbornness, caution, curiosity, admiration, desire and need. Johnny and Sean are taut with unresolved sexual tension until … it finally snaps. After giving in once, it becomes futile to resist the pull for more than a one time only. So they land on friends-with-benefits as the solution. A perfect arrangement for them both because they’re both emotionally unavailable for different reasons.
I don’t want to tell you too much about the story because Ms. Hayes’ expert writing keeps you in a low-level of suspense, just waiting for the other shoe to drop. You never know exactly where she’s going to go with a story, but wherever it is, I’m there for it because you know it’s going to be engaging. Letting her stories unfold organically is the best way to enjoy them, and here, it’s especially true.
Starting from the Top is a true slow burn romance. Johnny and Sean progress from acquaintances to FWB to friends (even without the benefits) to falling head-over-heels in love, and it all happens under the radar so they don’t even know where their relationship is going until they get there.
Johnny and Sean are as opposite as can be, yet they totally work in a way you would never expect them to. The sex scenes are hot as hell, the family scenes are adorable and heartwarming, and the emotional punch overall is strong.
An added bonus to this already engrossing story is Michael Dean on the mic for the narration. Mr. Dean brings vast experience with him into the recording booth and you can hear it in every word he says. He gets these characters. He understands Johnny and Sean and when he vocalizes their thoughts and words, we hear Johnny and Sean because Mr. Dean simply inhabits them.
Mr. Dean thoughtfully selected and faithfully executed the voices for these two men. His voice is crazy versatile so it really shouldn’t be surprising that he got their voices just right. But he does manage to surprise me every time because his well of vocal characteristics is deep and full of complex, subtle differentiations: pitch, inflection, intonation, pacing, timbre, volume, etc. He takes advantage of all of those distinguishing characteristics to make every character’s voice original and uniquely theirs.
Here, he’s given Johnny this laid back almost “surfer dude” type voice that is so spot on perfect for Johnny’s character. I say “almost” surfer dude because Mr. Dean knows his characters and he knows Johnny may be easygoing, but he’s also stubborn. There’s a power exchange with Sean that Johnny thrives on. He wants his freedom and doesn’t like to be told what to do, except when he does … with Sean. Sometimes he wants Sean to give him strict instructions on what to do and then follow through. Especially if it’s in the bedroom. Mr. Dean captures that perfectly by going into his higher register with Johnny’s voice and infusing it with an edge. Johnny is not a pushover, but he is lots of fun, energetic, engaging and eager to please. All of that comes through in Mr. Dean’s narration.
In contrast, Mr. Dean gives Sean’s voice a deep timbre that’s authoritative. Yet he changes the pitch slightly and varies the inflections and intonations so we hear when Sean’s self-doubt creeps in. Sean has constructed tall walls around himself. He doesn’t let people in and he carries his burdens alone. Yet somehow Johnny, this young gorgeous guy, full of life and possibility, wants him. Sean’s wonderment over why Johnny wants him and whether he deserves to have him all comes through in Mr. Dean’s narration of Sean due to those subtle vocal changes.
Mr. Dean also softens and smooths out Sean’s voice when he speaks to or about his kids, reflecting his obvious affection for them, and also in those moments where Sean lets his guard down and let’s Johnny into his heart. You hear his love for, and wonderment about, Johnny – like he can’t quite believe how he got so lucky. Mr. Dean effortlessly layers all of these nuances within Sean’s deep, smoky tones.
Mr. Dean rounds out his vocal performance with apropos dynamics and mood. He inherently understands how the characters would feel and how they would deliver a line and he narrates it with the perfect pacing and emphasis. Emotional content is packed into every word and yet he is still vocally nimble enough to deliver humor laced dialogue.
I adored Starting from the Top from start to finish and the audio just takes it to the next level. You will fall into this story, not to emerge until Mr. Dean speaks the last word of the book. Johnny and Sean may be my favorite couple of the series (although I still have a soft spot for Bobby J and Cody) and I savored every minute with them. Ms. Hayes’ top notch writing paired with Mr. Dean’s euphonious tones creates an irresistible romance you don’t want to miss.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: