Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Taxes and TARDIS
AUTHOR: N.R. Walker
NARRATOR: Nick J. Russo
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 3 hours and 8 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 11, 2020
BLURB:
Brent is a jock; Logan is a geek. These men are a world apart. But if opposites attract, maybe it’s the differences between them that make it worth the fight.
Brent Kelly is a laid-back electrician whose only concerns are drinks with friends and which man to bed next. In need of a new accountant to sort out his nightmarish shoebox of tax receipts, he’s referred to Logan Willis.
He doesn’t expect to be intrigued by the science-fiction-loving, geeky guy with dark-rimmed glasses and a blue TARDIS shirt. So his fascination with the soft-spoken Englishman surprises him, and their mutual attraction is completely unexpected. He most certainly never expects to fall in love.
One a jock and the other a geek, both men know the differences between them are vast and could cause problems. But in this opposites-attract erotic drama, maybe it’s the differences between them that make staying together worth the fight.
REVIEW:
Taxes and TARDIS is an adorably perfect, perfectly adorable, opposites-attract romance with a jock/geek pairing in Brent, an electrician, and Logan, his new accountant. N.R. Walker is at her finest in this short, sweet, seemingly simple love story. Her exceptional writing is on full display, and then she amplifies that on the audiobook with Nick J. Russo’s stellar vocal performance.
Taxes and TARDIS tells an uncomplicated story given exceptional depth and emotion through Ms. Walker’s superb storytelling. Brent owns his own business but is a horrible record keeper. So he shows up with his shoebox of disorganized receipts for his annual tax return only to discover his usual accountant had taken ill. He’s been referred to new (to him) accountants who are “quite old and reputable”. So he expects a stodgy old man, but to his surprise, his new accountant is Logan, a young adorkable Englishman with an enchanting soft British accent, dark-rimmed glasses, and a penchant for Doctor Who-worthy TARDIS-blue.
Brent initially presumes Logan to be a typical geek, bean-counter. Yet, after looking at his sweet face and gorgeous eyes behind those glasses, he finds himself attracted to Logan and, shockingly, flustered. Logan similarly feels the pull, but neither can put their finger on why. They are about as opposite as can be, yet both are inexplicably drawn to each other.
The challenge to Brent and Logan’s relationship is nothing particularly novel. They both grapple with overcoming past traumatic experiences involving their sexuality. For Brent, family issues have made him bottle up his feelings. In Logan’s case, his “geek” factor, combined with him presenting as more “feminine”, made him the butt of jokes, ridicule, and harassment at the hands of jocks like Brent. So, no matter how much he grows to like and trust Brent, there’s a skepticism inside that has him waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The story’s simplicity is belied by the complex emotional journey for Brent and Logan and the strong connection we feel with these two endearing men. I loved everything about it, and once Nick J. Russo gets a hold of it, concurrently channeling his best Texas and British accents, it becomes an out-of-this-world experience worthy of the most devoted Whovian. To that point, you do not need to know a thing about Dr. Who to understand and enjoy this story. Dr. Who is the context for the story, not its substance. In fact, despite the tropes at work here, the story doesn’t feel very “tropey” at all.
Mr. Russo gives one of his best vocal performances here. He contends with two very different accents and nails them both, particularly Logan’s sweet, breathy British accent. His inflection work throughout the story is superb. He accurately captures the tone and weight of the scenes, be it humorous, sexy, or poignant, in how he emphasizes the words and uses intonations. I’ve noticed that Mr. Russo tends to use one moderated pace for his narration. He doesn’t vary the speed despite the content he’s delivering. Sometimes that’s problematic in a story, but it isn’t here. It perfectly matches the tenor of Brent and Logan’s love story.
Overall, this is a refreshing, sweet, charming story told in the way only Ms. Walker can. I highly recommend the Taxes and TARDIS audiobook. It’s impeccably done, an immersive experience, and absolutely irresistible.
RATING: 
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