Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Caregiver

AUTHOR: Rick R. Reed

NARRATOR: Taavi Mark

PUBLISHER: Rick R. Reed

LENGTH: 6 hours and 49 Minutes

RELEASE DATE:  December 5^th  2013

BLURB:

It’s 1991, and Dan Calzolaio has just moved to Florida with his lover, Mark, having fled Chicago and Mark’s addictions to begin a new life on the Gulf Coast. Volunteering for the Tampa AIDS Alliance is just one part of that new beginning, and that’s how Dan meets his new buddy, Adam.

Adam Schmidt is not at all what Dan expected. The guy is an original – witty, wry, and sarcastic with a fondness for a smart black dress, Barbra Streisand, and a good mai tai. Adam doesn’t let his imminent death get him down, even through a downward spiral that sees him thrown in jail.

Each step of Adam’s journey teaches Dan new lessons about strength and resilience, but it’s Adam’s lover, Sullivan, to whom Dan feels an almost irresistible pull. Dan knows the attraction isn’t right, even after he dumps his cheating, drug-abusing boyfriend. But then Adam passes away, and it leaves Sullivan and Dan both alone to see if they can turn their love for Adam into something whole and real for each other.

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Scoring with Him

SERIES:  Men of Summer Book 1

AUTHOR:  Lauren Blakely

NARRATOR:  Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan

PUBLISHER:  Lauren Blakely Books

LENGTH:  8 hours and 6 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  July 6, 2021

BLURB:

An emotional, sexy, forbidden romance performed by Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton! Scoring with Him is the first novel in the utterly addictive Men of Summer Series!

As a pro athlete, I’ve spent my life playing by rules, on and off the field. Especially this one – don’t date another baseball player. Following that ironclad rule has been as easy for me as hitting a lazy pop fly on a summer afternoon. Especially since I’ve got far too much trouble in my past to want to bring any into my present. Until the day a hotshot rookie walks into my locker room.

Outgoing, affable, and sexy as sin, Grant has confidence and talent for miles. Doesn’t help that he’s easy to talk to, that he seems to get me, and that we each have our fair share of secrets and scars – ones we’ll both fight to protect. All the more reason to resist the kind of trouble his lips and eyes promise. Even after I plant a scorching, hot kiss on the rising star one night after a game. Even after he sends me the world’s sexiest selfie. But when Grant reveals his biggest secret and asks for my help, I’m so damn ready to rip up the rulebook. Turns out he’s a virgin, and he wants me to help him get around all the bases. As long as I don’t fall in love with him as we go.

Scoring with Him is book one in the Men of Summer Series. This romance between two professional athletes spans five epic years and continues in Winning with Him, also performed by Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Vengeance

SERIES:  The Protectors

AUTHOR:  Sloane Kennedy

NARRATOR:  Michael Dean

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH: 10 hours and 43 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  January 24, 2019

BLURB:

“What if you didn’t have to stop kissing him, Memphis? What if you didn’t have to choose me over him?” (Brennan)

Memphis

At 34 years old, ex-DEA agent Memphis Wheland has lived, loved, and lost…everything. The ultimate betrayal by the man he gave everything to has left Memphis with no family, no career, and a bone-deep bitterness that refuses to release him from its icy grip. His work with an underground vigilante organization is the only light in his otherwise bleak existence. That and the occasional no-strings hookup with men whose only focus in that moment, and for as long as Memphis wants them, is him and only him. No clingy exes, no unrequited love, no relationship drama. Period.

Brennan

With his entire life ahead of him, graduate student Brennan Devereaux wasn’t expecting it to change in the blink of an eye. But when a case of mistaken identity nearly costs Brennan his life, it isn’t just his future that’s about to change, but his past too. Because for years he’s been in love with a young man who only sees him as a friend and nothing more. And while he was content to love Tristan Barretti from afar, he hadn’t expected to be drawn to the mysterious stranger who saved his life and changed it with a simple promise.

I’m not letting you go.

Tristan

At 19, Tristan Barretti should have had the world at his feet. His musical gifts have garnered him prestige as well as admission to the famed Julliard School in New York and he has a family that most people would kill for. But the protective bubble his fathers have kept him in has burst and he’s discovered that life outside his unconditionally loving family isn’t as accepting of a kid born with HIV. A poor decision to find answers to questions better left unasked, along with the complications of living with his disease, have Tristan returning to Seattle and the solace of his family.

Choices

Even though a physical relationship with Brennan was supposed to be just that, Memphis finds himself unable to refuse his young lover’s request to help put a stop to the threat against Tristan. Even knowing full well that Brennan’s heart lies with the man he claims is nothing more than a friend, Memphis accepts the challenge of ensuring Tristan’s safety.

But when the quiet music student stops being a “job” and starts being something much more, Memphis is torn between his growing feelings for both young men and the fear that he’ll be facing an even greater betrayal that he’ll never be able to come back from.

Except none of that matters when the threat that Memphis never saw coming puts Brennan and Tristan in the crosshairs….

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Off Key

SERIES:  Whispering Key Book 3

AUTHOR:  May Archer

NARRATOR:  Michael Dean

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  10 hours and 21 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  July 2, 2021

BLURB:

I’m about to sing you the saddest song in the universe, and it’s called “The Man of My Dreams Married My Sister.”

It’s kinda my theme song. And trust me when I tell you, it’s heavy on the violins.

Because the man in question? He’s not just any guy, he’s Rafe freakin’ Goodman.

My former best friend.

The boy who made my summers on Whispering Key magical. The guy who inspired every love song that led to the chart-topping music career I have today. The man I always sort of figured would wait for me, while I pursued my dreams and finally found a way to tell the world I was gay…

But instead of waiting, he married Aimee.

Rafe and Aimee’s marriage has been over for a while now, but it doesn’t really matter. He doesn’t love me even though I feel like I’ll love him until the day I die. Trying to be “just friends” would tear me apart.

We’re a broken chord. A blue note. Hopelessly out of tune.

Or so I thought.

But when circumstances throw us back together on a crazy cross-country road trip, suddenly all kinds of secrets come to light that make it seem like maybe our show’s not over yet.

If I want a life with the man of my dreams, though, I’ll have to be honest–with Rafe and the rest of the world, too–and find the courage to write us a new song.

One that’s exactly like us: perfectly imperfect… and a little off key.

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Audio Assault

SERIES: Codename: Winger #3

AUTHOR: Jeff Adams

NARRATOR: Kirt Graves

PUBLISHER: Big Gay Media

LENGTH: 8 hours and 7 minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 29^th 2021

BLURB:

Theo Reese is just like any other seventeen-year-old—with one small exception.

This summer all he wants is to spend time with his boyfriend, Eddie, and work on his MIT research project. His parents have other plans.

An old friend needs the help of Theo’s family. Oliver Glenwood is an ’80s music star who runs his own label. His wife and his daughter, Sofia, now a chart-topper herself, are the targets of kidnappers. Oliver hopes they can eliminate whoever is behind the threat.

When Theo uncovers an even more insidious plot, the covert agency the Reeses work for, Tactical Operational Support, swoops into action.

Song files have been modified to steal personal data from devices and emit a tone that drives listeners into a homicidal rage. Theo and his parents race against the clock to stop this mysterious enemy from releasing the music on an unsuspecting populace and causing worldwide chaos.

Just when Theo thinks the mission couldn’t be more complicated, Eddie shows up in New York looking to hang out with his boyfriend.

No one ever said being a teenage secret agent would be easy.

Reviewed by Anna Lynn

TITLE:  Forsaken

SERIES:  The Protectors #4

AUTHOR:  Sloane Kennedy

NARRATOR:  Michael Dean

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH: 8 hours and 33 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  October 22, 2018

BLURB:

Eli: I didn’t know how to tell him how afraid I’d been that I’d never have this moment with him. This moment where it was just the two of us. This moment where he made me feel whole without even trying.

Abandoned. Abused. Betrayed.

Ex-cop Maverick “Mav” James needs only three things: his Harley, an open road, and his work in an underground organization that delivers justice when the law can’t.

Family? They left him long before he left them. Friends? A liability. A place to call home? Doesn’t exist.

Mav’s motto is simple: Get done and get out. Work, sex, doesn’t matter. No emotional connections. Simple. Until he meets him. Alone. Hiding. Broken.

At 15 years old, Eli Galvez had nothing. No family, no friends, and only his body as a means to make enough money to survive. But a chance meeting changed all that, and eight years later, he’s well on his way to having the life of which he could once only dream. He’s been accepted into medical school, and he’s finally returned home to Seattle to be closer to the men and women who don’t share his blood but are the only family he’s ever really known.

Only things aren’t what they seem, and the secrets Eli has been hiding are about to come to the surface with dangerous consequences.

One final chance at a real future.

Guys like Eli just aren’t Mav’s type, period. Yet he can’t deny his intense attraction to the younger man who only looks at him with fear in his eyes. Until the day there’s something else in those eyes, too. Something that draws Mav in and refuses to let go. Something that makes him want to forget his rules. But Mav’s learned the hard way what happens when you get too close to something. And while he vows to protect Eli after a violent attack leaves the younger man shaken, protection is all he’ll offer.

Because anything else would just cost too much.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Fandom

SERIES:  Famous #3

AUTHOR:  Eden Finley

NARRATOR:  Iggy Toma

PUBLISHER:  Tantor Audio

LENGTH:  8 hours and 42 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  June 22, 2021

BLURB:

Denver: Everyone remembers the night the boy band Eleven broke up. Hearts shattered around the world, including my own.

I made a mistake, and I’ve been avoiding bandmate Mason Nash ever since.

At first it was hard, but 18 months ago, he made it easier by leaving Hollywood and disappearing.

When Eleven reunion talks start, I’m against it completely. I could really do with the publicity, but I don’t want to face Mason again. I’m sure he won’t want to see me either.

Mason: I don’t miss LA or anyone in it. Not even the guys from Eleven. So, when they turn up on my doorstep talking about reunions, the last thing I want to do is hear them out.

I hold strong, too. Until my eyes land on Denver Smith. My ex-best friend.

Two and a half years ago, he ghosted me, and I still don’t know why. I want answers – I miss him – but I don’t want to let him back into my life if there’s a chance he’ll walk away again.

Contains mature themes.

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Steele My Heart

SERIES: A Bridge to Abingdon #1

AUTHOR: Tatum West

NARRATOR: Alexander Cendese & Tor Thom

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

LENGTH: 6 hours and 27 minutes

RELEASE DATE: July 2^nd 2019

BLURB:

I was tired of working the police beat in Northern Cali. Exhausted – my whole body was yearning for a place I hadn’t been in years, my old home. When my mama died, I knew I had to come back, and a pay bump and new job as police chief sealed the deal.

I got away from heartbreak. From being so tired. From the constant, never-ending world of crime I’d come to know.

In Abingdon, I can relax, see all my old friends from Jackson Academy. Maybe I can even change this place a little, make it better for all the kids like me. The ones who were different, who always needed a place a little bigger and broader than a small mountain town could provide.

I always promised myself I wouldn’t come back. But Kendall Vincent – he might just get me to stay for good. When I’m in his arms, I feel complete, whole again, like a man reborn to the world.

Everything seems perfect, right up until the moment that it’s not. When two gay kids get hurt bad by a gang of thugs, I realize that Abingdon needs me far more than I thought. And I’m here to protect the town – and the man – that I’m growing to love.

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  Hot as Heller

SERIES:  Aster Valley Book 3

AUTHOR:  Lucy Lennox

NARRATOR:  Michael Dean

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  8 hours and 53 minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2021

BLURB:

The man asked me to valet his damn car.

Look, I left LA for a reason. I’ve had my fill of big Hollywood stars and their even bigger egos. I want something genuine. Something real. And it doesn’t get any realer than being the new sheriff of Aster Valley, Colorado.

That is, until entitled Finn Heller appears on the scene, handing me the keys to his convertible like I’m his personal servant. The former child star and wannabe action hero is the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. He’s also a snarky party animal with legions of adoring fans and attitude for days.

Or so I thought. The longer the film crew stays in town, the more I begin to wonder if Finn is hiding his true self, one that’s as beautiful inside as out. He’s a star alright, but the kind that shines bright enough to light up the night sky…the kind I want to make a wish on. A wish Finn will find a way to make things work with me, even if it means his next role is my very own leading man.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The List

SERIES:  Second Chances #1

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:

1. Those abs
2. 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.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Luca

SERIES:  Gentlemen of Emerald City #1

AUTHOR:  L.A. Witt

NARRATOR:  Michael Ferraiuolo

LENGTH:  8 hours and 14 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  June 21, 2021

BLURB:  

Ethan

Hockey season is over, and that means one thing – returning home to my empty condo. With nothing to distract me from this loneliness, it’s going to be a miserable summer.

Then I hire Luca for one night.

At least, it was supposed to be one night.

Luca

Ethan isn’t like my other clients (not that I have many these days). He’s nice. He’s genuine. He doesn’t treat me like I’m here to earn my pay.

When he asks me to make this a regular thing for the summer, my wallet doesn’t leave me much choice.

But I’m pretty sure my heart isn’t supposed to get involved.

Gentlemen of the Emerald City

Luca is book one of Gentlemen of the Emerald City, a sexy series centered around the high-class, high-dollar gentlemen of Seattle’s most exclusive escort service. Each book is full of snark, sass, and sweetness, and like any Emerald City client, you’re guaranteed a happy ending.

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Schooled

SERIES: Codename: Winger #2

AUTHOR: Jeff Adams

NARRATOR: Kirt Graves

PUBLISHER: Big Gay Media

LENGTH: 8 hours and 7 minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 15^th 2021

BLURB:

Secret agent and teenage computer genius Theo Reese lives in two separate worlds—and they’re about to collide.

Theo’s high school computer-science club is gearing up for a competition, and Theo agrees to lend his knowledge of cyber-security to help them win. The covert agency he works for also needs his talents. An encrypted key that allows access to the nation’s electrical grid has been stolen. Theo’s skills are crucial in its recovery before disaster strikes.

When the file shows up at the competition as one of those to be decoded, Theo must find a way to be both an average high school student and Winger, his secret identity. The file must be secured—all while protecting his teammates from those who will use any means necessary to get the file for themselves.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:   The Queer Principles of Kit Webb

AUTHOR:  Cat Sebastian

NARRATOR:  Joel Leslie

PUBLISHER:  Harper Audio

LENGTH:  9 hours and 12 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  June 8, 2021

BLURB:  

“The Queer Principles of Kit Webb kept me up all night! I simply couldn’t put it down.” (Tessa Dare, New York Times best-selling author)

“Sharp, smart, and oh-so-swoony, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb reminds me that Cat Sebastian is an author at the absolute top of her game.” (Rachel Hawkins, New York Times best-selling author)

Critically acclaimed author Cat Sebastian pens a stunning historical romance about a reluctantly reformed highwayman and the aristocrat who threatens to steal his heart.

Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires.

In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying.

Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit.

But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts overcome the impediments in their path?

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Brave Boy

SERIES: Perfect Boys #2

AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold

NARRATOR: Tim Paige & Liam DiCosimo

PUBLISHER: K M Neuhold Publishing LLC

LENGTH: 5 hours and 49 minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 9^th 2021

BLURB:

As long as LonelyDaddy is on the other side of the computer screen, there’s a chance he could be the man Emerson has been dreaming of.

I’ve gotten used to being alone, to disappearing inside the fictional worlds between the pages of a book and letting my lonely life fade away.

Books have never judged me for the stutter I can’t control. Books have never abandoned me. Books have never let me down. Then again, books have never hugged me or told me they love me either, so my plan is far from perfect.

The first time I lay eyes on the tall, red haired Kiernan with a beard for days and shoulders made for scratch marks, I wanted to crawl into his lap and call him Daddy. The only problem is, I can never seem to string two words together around him… heck, I’d be happy to manage to get even one word out, like maybe “yes”, preferably over and over again.

I thought making an online dating profile would be the hardest part, but it turns out getting up the courage to meet the man I’ve been messaging is even more difficult. Could LonelyDaddy be Kiernan? And if he is, is there any chance he’ll want to keep me? Can I be his brave boy?

Reviewed by Stephen K.

TITLE: Tracker Hacker

SERIES: Codename: Winger #1

AUTHOR: Jeff Adams

NARRATOR: Kirt Graves

PUBLISHER: Big Gay Media

LENGTH: 8 hours and 7 minutes

RELEASE DATE: June 1^st 2021

BLURB:

High school student. Hockey player. Computer whiz kid. Covert agent?

At sixteen Theo Reese is the youngest agent for Tactical Operational Support. His way with computers makes him invaluable. He designs new gadgets, helps agents (including his parents) in the field, and works to keep the TOS network safe. But when a hacker breaches the system TOS uses to track agents, Theo is put to the test like never before.

Thrust from behind the safety of his desk, Theo must go into the field to put a stop to the hack. He’s scared but resolved because one of the missing agents is his father. And just to make it more interesting, he has to keep everything a secret from his boyfriend and teammates.

Can Theo get the job done, save his dad, and make things good with his boyfriend?

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Concealed Hearts

SERIES:  A Hometown Jasper Novel #4

AUTHOR:  Nicky James

NARRATOR:  Nick J. Russo

PUBLISHER:  self-published

LENGTH:  8 hours and 32 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  May 10, 2021

BLURB:

Two closeted men in one rumor-hungry small town have no chance of keeping their love a secret.

Chief of Police Windsor Elkhart is a master deceiver. Not a single person in Jasper has a clue he’s gay, which explains the endless suitors all vying for his attention. Happily married to his job, he’s convinced life is good enough. Twenty years of abstinence is the price he chose to pay, all because of a secret he’s too ashamed to reveal.

Until Tomi Lee returns to town after a two-decade-long absence.

Shame and self-loathing have kept Tomi away from his home town, but can a simple message from a lonely police officer bring him back for good?

The people of Jasper prey on gossip. Everyone is watching everyone. No one is exempt. Falling in love is easy, but do two closeted men have any chance of building a sustainable relationship when they’re always trying to hide?

Concealed Hearts is a low/medium angst MM romance novel with two severely closeted main characters. It is part of the Hometown Jasper Series but can be listened to as a stand-alone.

Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE:  The King and Jai

SERIES:  Royal & Reckless Book #1

AUTHOR:  Isla Olsen

NARRATOR:  Joel Leslie

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  3 hours and 58 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  May 28, 2021

BLURB:

One young American tutor + one dangerously sexy widowed king = conflict, chaos, misadventure, and lots and lots of sexy times.

Jai

For the record, sleeping with my boss was not part of the plan when I started this new job. A job I desperately need to get my parents off my back about my chosen career path.

But the second I catch sight of Lukas Romansky in the flesh, I know I’m in trouble. The guy is pure sex wrapped in a three-piece suit, and not even his stuffy attitude or the way he seems to despise me on sight is enough to stifle my attraction.

But I’m here to work, not to hook up. It doesn’t matter how sexy Lukas is, or how sweet he is with his children – sleeping with the boss is never a good idea.

Oh, and did I mention my boss also happens to be the king?

Yes, King Lukas III of Korova, the man voted World’s Sexiest Head of State three years in a row. Hooking up with him wouldn’t just be a bad idea, it would be an international scandal.

So believe me when I say I didn’t come to Korova with the intention of seducing the king. But sometimes things just happen. And is it my fault I’m impossible to resist?

The King and Jai is the first book in the Royal & Reckless series. It spins off from Virtually Screwed, book two of the Love & Luck series – both books can be listened to as stand-alones.

Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  If Only for Today

SERIES:  Deerbourne Inn #25

AUTHOR:  Gabbi Grey

NARRATOR:  Michael Ferraiuolo

PUBLISHER:  self-published

LENGTH:  4 hours and 39 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  June 18, 2021

BLURB:

Jared Langford is a happy man. The desk clerk at the Deerbourne Inn knows everyone in his cozy town in Vermont. He is accepted and loved by the community, but he’s missing someone special in his life.

Devastating news has brought journalist Xander Fortier to Willow Springs for some much-needed rest. He’s photographed every major conflict in the world for the last 10 years, but being stateside has forced him to reassess the solitary life he’s been living.

Something in Xander’s gruff demeanor calls to Jared’s caring nature. Soon the men are spending time together, but Jared’s kisses might not be enough to keep Xander from leaving. Can the men find a happily ever after if they only have today?