Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: The List
SERIES: Second Chances
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
NARRATOR: Denis Lambert
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 7 hours and 47 minutes
RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2021
BLURB:
Elliot Hansen never falls in love with the right guy, so his friends have decided to take that over.
Meet Elliot’s perfect man:
- Those abs
- That V
But a boyfriend should be more than the sum of his parts. Shouldn’t he?
Elliot’s not so sure once sexy NYPD Detective Win Rogers bursts into his bedroom to apprehend a criminal.
A new series with a touch of angst and a whole lot of swoon.
REVIEW:
Elliot Hansen keeps making the same mistakes. He reminded me of one of my best friend’s sisters. She keeps dating the same guy – they just have different faces and names 😉 He falls too fast and wants a forever after the first meeting. Why he’s starving for this kind of love and relationship is not immediately clear to us. It’s not even clear to his BFFs who have known him since college – so for many years! But they do know that Elliot continues to let people take advantage of him and when things fall apart, he’s more miserable than he was after the last breakup. This has been going on for years. So after the last bad breakup, his friends try to help him by making a list of things Elliot is looking for in his perfect man.
Win Rogers has had a tough time. He’s suffered a tremendous loss. He’s definitely in a better place than he has been over the years, but his family and friends are pushing him to date. So far THAT’s been a disaster. But on his way home from work one night, he spies something definitely wrong at his neighbor’s house and decides to pursue it. He’s right – and it’s one of the most unusual meet cutes ever 🙂
Elliot is grateful to Win and Win finds Elliot adorable. He runs a bit hot and cold with Elliot – he’s just not used to interaction with people outside of work and his family and he’s not sure what to do with this attraction. Because he hasn’t felt it for so long. And then there is the guilt. But he and Elliot agree to a bit of friends with benefits arrangement. Except that it’s pretty clear pretty early that this is more than just sex. With Elliot trying to hold himself back and not make the same mistake he’s made so many times before and Win trying to protect himself and not hurt Elliot and also not turn this into something more, you know the opportunity for crossed signals and miscommunication are rampant.
On top of all this, Elliot’s friends continue to butt into his life. They are full of advice for him and in many ways treat him like a child. He’s tired of it. Then there are Win’s family and work partner who want Win to move forward with his life. And they really like Elliot. But the really tough parts are the things that they are each holding back from sharing. Elliot’s got a heartbreaking story made all the worse because of his family’s dysfunction. Win’s not been honest with Elliot about something very significant in his past and when he loses control of the narrative, he could very well lose Elliot too. Unless they can find a way to be honest about their pasts and their feelings, their relationship will not weather the storm.
Well this is so exciting! First I absolutely ADORE the covers of this series. Bravo Reese Dante for this gorgeous artwork! Then this wonderful new narrator, Denis Lambert! *swoon* I loved this audio and I’ve been hoping to find another narrator that I enjoy since there are so few and some of my favorites aren’t narrating audiobooks anymore. This story has ALL the feels. Childhood trauma and family dysfunction that lead to a lack of confidence and a yearning for belonging and love. Tragic loss that nearly pulls Win under. An awesome group of friends that only want what’s best for Elliot – even though they sometimes really misfire in their handling of things. And Elliot – what a sweet wonder he is. I was rooting for him all the way. I so wanted him to get closure for all his past hurts and get the man of his dreams too. I really wanted Win – who is really such a wonderful guy- to get a second chance at love and finally find the love and contentment that he never thought he’d have again. This is just a wonderfully touching story that kept me listening and hoping and dreaming of an HEA. I cannot wait for the rest of this series. Highly recommended for a fantastic narration and wonderful story.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Audible