Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Scratch the Surface 
AUTHOR: Mary Calmes
NARRATORS: Tristan James & Tim Paige
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 8 hours and 42 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 11, 2022
BLURB:
Sometimes things look one way, but when you scratch the surface, there’s more than meets the eye.
Jeremiah Wolfe has always done what was necessary to survive. On top of working two jobs, he’s going to school to become a social worker so he can give kids the help he never got when his mother left years ago. When a rare night off finds him with the chance to make a quick buck, he jumps on it. But his evening goes sideways, and he’s about to head home when he’s propositioned by a stranger. A meaningless one-night stand is simple and easy, so he steps into the hotel room—as he has many—without expectation. But the man behind the door is a surprise, as is the instant connection that builds along with passion and a glimpse of his heart. Small wonder that Jere can’t get the nameless man out of his head.
Cameron Gallagher has never been accused of being spontaneous. He’s an introvert whose life is about schedules, plans, and lists. He’s always been the careful one, so inviting a stranger into his bed on the lure of his gorgeous smile and warm brown eyes isn’t only out of his comfort zone, it’s entirely out of character. Surprisingly, when he wakes in the morning alone, it’s not regret he feels, but the need to find the man who held him in his arms all night. It seems crazy, but he can’t get the man out of his head.
When they’re brought back together, each man believes it’s more than luck. They feel as though they’ve gotten a second chance. Sure, love at first sight is just a myth, the stuff of romance novels, but the more they scratch the surface, the more they realize they’ve got a shot at something lasting.
REVIEW:
Jeremiah Wolfe is just trying move forward. He’s got a goal and he’s worked hard to get where he is and he’s making it happen. Never mind that his bike is on it’s last leg and that he’s not sure where he’s going to get the money to fix it. When he does a favor for a friend and goes to meet a man to make a quick buck one evening as an escort, things go sideways when the guy doesn’t show and Jeremiah ends up spending the evening with a man who gets very very drunk. He helps the guy back to his room and ends up spending the night with the man’s business associate in the next room. He connects with the nameless guy like he’s never done before. He can’t get the guy out of his head, even though he has no idea who he is.
Cameron Gallagher is a numbers guy. He’s in Sacramento at the behest of one of this clients. His coworker gets drunk and passes out and as an unknown man tries to get the colleague back into his hotel room, Cam wakes up and he’s none too happy about it. After the colleague is put to bed, the guy is leaving. But Cam stops him and asks what he’s really doing. Then they end up having the best sex of Cam’s life. When he wake up alone, he’s none too happy that he didn’t have the wherewithal to at least get the guy’s name.
Serendipitously, at a client meeting Cam and Jeremiah meet again 🙂 Neither lets on and they do finally exchange contact details. But as they are about to meet up, Cam has a family emergency and has to leave. But neither want to lose touch and so they begin a tentative relationship because they both are aware that their connection is something special.
In the meantime, Jeremiah has to deal with blasts from the past, a change in his job status and his work at the community center where he acts as a youth counsellor. He’s determined to make a difference for kids like himself who didn’t have anyone after being abandoned by his mother at a young age. It’s pretty clear that this is the work he’s meant to be as he works with a kid who experienced great trauma and achieves a level of progress that no one anticipated.
Cam has to deal with his family stuff. His family is extremely wealthy and they are very close. Jeremiah is nervous to meet them. Cam went through a bad breakup with a cheating ex, so his family is very protective. It’s definitely a lot of work for both of these guys to overcome the protective shells they’ve built – for different reasons. But they are determined to figure out a way to make it work 🙂
Tim Paige and Tristan James are two of my favorite narrators and they do a great job with the duo narration of this book. Jeremiah is a bit of a gruff guy who is really a teddy bear and I think that comes across in the narration. Cameron is a serious and buttoned up introvert who has experienced heartache and humiliation. The last thing he expects is to connect with a guy who is definitely not what he appears to be on the surface. Again, Mr. Paige’s voice choices for Cameron I thought really captured his vulnerabilities. Both men have to overcome their fears and share their pasts, which are completely opposite. They’ve each been making their own way and when they come together, they are amazed at the difference in their lives. Both are happier than they’ve ever been and feel accepted and loved in a way they have never felt in the past. Yes, there is an instant connection. Yes there is some drama and some extraneous kerfuffles with the police, but I really enjoyed their story and their coming together. Recommended.
RATING: 
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