Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Coddiwomple
AUTHOR: S.E. Harmon
NARRATOR: Nick Hudson
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 10 hours
RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2021
BLURB:
As a wildlife photographer, Journey “JJ” Sutton never stays in one place too long. The world is his classroom, and he’s living his dream. His only regret is that he had to sacrifice the love of his life to do it. But as the saying goes, you can never go home again. That’s until there’s a family emergency, and he has to…well, go home again. His easy breezy lifestyle gets complicated fast. It certainly doesn’t help that his ex-fiancé has bought the house next door.
After an unstable childhood, Cameron Foster loves small-town life. He has everything he needs in his vet practice, his friends, and his animals. Despite what numerous exes seem to think, he’s not still in love with Journey. And so what if they add “benefits” to their friendship? As long as he keeps his heart out of the equation, everything should be fine.
Too bad Journey’s not onboard with that plan. With summer ending, he has to convince Cameron that this is more than just a fling. This time around, he knows what he wants. He wants a second chance. He wants forever. Most of all, he wants Cameron’s heart.
Journey may have put away his passport, but things are just getting interesting.
REVIEW:
If you start reading S.E. Harmon’s Coddiwomple wondering about the highly unusual title, it won’t take too long before you’ll understand its meaning and significance as this lovely, second chance love story between Journey Sutton and his ex-fiance Cameron Foster unfolds. The story begins when Journey is unexpectedly called home after a decade away, but what’s essential to what happens next in the story is to understand what happened before he left.
Journey, apropos of his name, took off for parts unknown and far away and has been traveling as a wildlife photographer for the past decade. He’s now uber-successful and acclaimed in his field. But when Journey left, he left for a reason, a reason that so overwhelmed him at the time, that he was willing to leave his one true love, Cameron, behind.
Journey, the oldest of four brothers, was barely a teenager when his mother suddenly and tragically died. Yet was forced to push his grief into a box and lock it away because he had to pick up the mantle of responsibility for his family. His father disconnected from the world in his grief, drinking heavily. So Journey took on the burden of fixing everything for everyone, taking care of his three younger brothers, and keeping the family afloat.
Over time, that pressure became unbearable, especially since Journey never allowed himself time to grieve. When he discovers something unexpected, he interprets it as a sign that his mother would have wanted more for him than what his small Florida town has to offer. By that point, Journey personally felt the need to see and be more than his situation allowed. Like a trapped bird, Journey needed to escape.
Cameron, in contrast, had finally found a place he could put down roots after being shuttled from place to place as his father continually married and remarried. He just wanted to stay, to make a family and a home with Journey. His need to stay put was diametrically opposed to Journey’s need to leave and in the end, it broke whatever ties Journey had with his family and with Cameron.
Coddiwomple is all about journeys, not just Journey, but including his journey too. This is a sometimes painful but overwhelmingly heartwarming look at how people who love each other can find themselves divided and separated, but journey back to each other through communication, forgiveness, and healing.
This story, while serious and poignant, is also humorous, often in a dry sarcastic way (my favorite 😉). It is also overflowing with adorable furry animals and all-up-in-your-business family and neighbors. It makes for an intriguing mix of elements all working together to create a story you can’t put down.
Nick Hudson narrates the audiobook of Coddiwomple and he’s the perfect choice. This unusual story deserves an unusual narrator to bring it to life and it gets that in Mr. Hudson. His voice carries an undertone of wry humor, much needed to accurately convey this story. His inflections and intonations are spot-on, especially exclamations, which he delivers in a unique, authentic way. But it’s his distinctive narrative cadence that is the hallmark of his vocal performance. It stands out and the story stands out because of it.
His vocal delivery consists of rapid pacing, almost like he’s rushing to get to the end of the sentence. Then followed by pregnant, prolonged pauses. It creates a dynamic listening experience where we feel like we are going along for the ride, pushed and pulled with Journey and Cameron as they navigate the tumultuous emotional seas of their new relationship. His stopping points also emphasize the content he just delivered just before the pause.
Mr. Hudson also, atypically, uses a rising intonation at the end of many sentences. It’s the way you’d typically use your voice to ask questions. The inquisitive character of so many of his delivered lines serves as a reflection of the unsettled nature of Journey and Cameron’s relationship as they question and wonder, forgive and heal, trust and believe.
Mr. Hudson infuses emotional impact into the words, which are spoken with clear, precise diction that sounds and feels completely natural. He elevates an already exceptional story with his evident skill, thoughtful delivery, and engaging vocal performance.
I highly recommend the Coddiwomple audiobook. It’s the first book of Ms. Harmon’s that I’ve read, and it certainly will not be the last. I hope to hear Mr. Hudson back behind the mic in those other stories as well.
RATING: 
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