Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Turnabout

SERIES:  Vino & Veritas

AUTHOR:  Laurel Greer

NARRATORS:  Gary Furlong

PUBLISHER:  Tantor Audio

LENGTH:  8 hours and 15 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  March 1, 2022

BLURB:

I don’t have time for an unplanned visit home to help out in my father’s struggling letterpress shop. My stint in Vermont will have to be short, for a couple of reasons:

One, I’m a busy executive trying to climb the corporate ladder.

Two, my ex is still my dad’s right-hand man in the shop. And I am not over him.

Nothing has changed at the Burlington shop. Auden still has his infuriatingly sexy Scottish accent. He’s still hot, and still stubborn. Between operating the antique press with his shirtsleeves rolled up, and moonlighting at Burlington’s hottest inclusive wine bar, he pushes every one of my attraction buttons.

My falling-in-love-again buttons, too. Except I’m his polar opposite. I love change, and taking chances. Everything he avoids in life.

So why am I trying to convince him to reach for more than we’ve ever dreamed of-the possibility of forever?

Contains mature themes.

REVIEW:

This is SUCH a good story.  This is the first book I’ve read by this author who seems to write mostly Het romance.  This is a story set in the Vino & Veritas series in Burlington, Vermont which revolves around/has ties to the local LGBTQ+ friendly wine bar and bookstore.  Carter Prescott’s father owns a printing business there that has continued to do thing the “old fashioned” way – both in the artistry and the printing itself as well as the business.  There is no web presence, social media, everything is done the same way it’s always been done.  There is no arguing that the output is gorgeous, but at what price?  When Carter’s father calls him at his job as newly minted VP of a large office supply company in Montreal to tell him that his wife has left him and that if he doesn’t do something she will divorce him.  She’s tired of him working all the time and there is nothing left of their relationship if he doesn’t make changes.   She’s left for Paris and if Francis wants her back, he’s going to have to go after her.  But that leaves only Auden, Francis’s assistant and Carter’s ex to try to keep the business going which is already on shaky ground.  So Carter agrees to help out for a week and takes family leave right at the launch of an important campaign in his new job.  UGH!

Auden is surprised when Carter shows up at the shop.  He knew that Francis has left to go after his wife, but he had not expected his ex to show up the help.  They haven’t seen each other in some time.  When Carter finished his MBA, he had done a project that would bring the shop into the 21st century.  His father was furious, wouldn’t even look at it and so Carter left Burlington behind.  And Auden too.  Auden was hurt and quite unhappy.  But he loves his job.  He tends bar a couple days a week to help out his mother in Scotland because his father lost the family farm and left them, so she doesn’t have a lot after putting Auden through college. He has a lot of guilt and he’s extremely risk averse because of his family situation.

Carter is happyish to see Auden.  He still totally does it for him.  But they are going to be coworkers and Carter will do what he can with his dad’s mess of an office and try to get things a little bit on track.  Auden is busy working on orders and Carter is trying to make heads or tails of the business stuff, but they find time to chat while Auden is bartending and Carter is hanging out at the Vino & Veritas.  Carter is absolutely charmed by the little side project that Auden has done of the bookstore and he knows they could be big sellers if they were online as well.  But here is where Auden is much more like Francis and he also knows Francis’s mind about on-line business, etc.  His sell point is the beautiful work that they do on the beautiful paper stock in gorgeous colors, etc.

Things get a bit heated between them as they can’t really resist each other.  But it’s a short term thing, right?  But then Francis calls and he’s not coming back for at least another week.  So Carter extends his time.  This doesn’t go over great with his team leads in Montreal, but it can’t be helped.  Then as Carter and Auden go on a trip to pick up a vintage press, they get stuck overnight at a B&B run by a friend of Carter’s very nosy aunt.  The night goes really well.  But what does it mean?  Francis isn’t going to change his ways and Carter won’t be pulled back in to the old ways.  And what’s Auden supposed to do caught in the middle?  He can’t risk his secure job and he’s sure that Carter will not want him forever.  Will he have to watch him walk away a second time though because neither of the Prescott’s can give?

Carter and Auden are such lovely characters.  Opposites in so many ways, yet they seem to fit.  Both have tried to protect their hearts with this reunion, but it’s obvious that there is still something there.  And that something grows throughout the story.  I loved the business and the personal parts of this story.  Carter’s family is a hoot – between his sister, his aunt and her wife, his niece and his parents, there is a LOT of butting in and nosiness and unasked for advise 🙂  Auden has a lot of baggage – that he hasn’t share with Carter even, so it’s understandable that he’s really struggled and continues to struggle.  He has severe abandonment issues between his father and Carter – I mean how can he be so easy to leave unless he’s unworthy?  Despite Carter’s attempts to try to come up with a solution, it’s at least half on him.  The resolution was sweet and also showed that not everything will be resolved so easily and relationships and communication are always a work in progress.  Really well done and I’ll be looking for more from this author.

Gary Furlong is an amazing narrator.  Not only was his Scottish accent on point, but his Canadian French?  *swoon*  Sooooooo good.  I adored every single bit of his performance in this wonderful story of second changes for two men who have never stopped caring for each other but come to respect each other as adults and fall in love all over again with the person in front of them now.   I particularly enjoyed Mr. Furlong’s wonderful take on Auden as a man who is outwardly assured but is coming from a place of trauma and insecurity because of his family’s past.  The striking performance of Francis Prescott, the stubborn father of Carter was inspired.  Carter is also outwardly confident – he knows what he wants and all the good ideas he has, but inwardly he’s still seeking approval from the two people who don’t give it to him – his father and his former boyfriend.  I loved the way this narrator was able to convey both the frustration and the love behind these relationships.  Honestly not sure how this could have been done better.  One of the best narrations I’ve listened to this year.  Highly recommended!

RATING: 

BUY LINKS:

Amazon

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