Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: The Shutout
AUTHOR: Dianna Roman
NARRATOR: Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 13 hours and 16 minutes
RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2022
BLURB:
Sometimes love is where you least expect it, and sometimes it’s right where you left it in this witty, slow burn-to-steamy friends-to-lovers MM romance.
Widower, Max Hartwell, is barely keeping it together, being a single dad, managing his law firm, and navigating life’s chaos. Life after loss is too difficult for surprises, which is why Max would be lost without his reliable best friend and neighbor, Jack.
Best pitcher in the MLB, Jack Spears, is at the top of his game. He has it all, except for the one thing he wants most, which happens to be the one thing he can’t have if he doesn’t want his private life to overshadow his career: love. When an emotional evening reveals his biggest secret, he’s faced with losing everything that matters most to him.
Can Max see him for the man he truly is, or will Jack forever be doomed to live in the shadow of the image he created as America’s favorite pitcher?
REVIEW:
Prepare your book hangover remedies. You’re going to need them.
In The Shutout, Dianna Roman spins out a mesmerizing, unputdownable story of love and loss, hope and healing, friendship and family. Ms. Roman creates a touching, at times heartbreaking, but overwhelmingly reassuring story of two men learning to lean on each other, love each other openly, and solidify themselves as a family.
Max Hartwell staggers under the weight of single parenting his precocious daughter Emma while still mired in lingering grief over the death of his beloved wife Lainey. Their next-door neighbor Jack Spears is the best MLB pitcher in the league with all of the attendant accolades, including World Series rings and MVP awards. But while Jack has it all in baseball, he’s bereft of love and connection as he hides himself away, closeted by necessity in a sport where gay players aren’t out. Max and Emma are his surrogate family. His greatest joys are taking care of Emma and his friendship with Max. But Lainey had been Jack’s confidante and best friend, so her death has left him reeling as well. It’s also left him surprised by his newly recognized feelings for Max.
The fairly straightforward trajectory of this romance belies its complexity. It’s a careful examination of two men coming to terms with who they are and learning that they are allowed to embrace their true selves. Realizing that they are allowed to be happy again. Ms. Roman does this by leaning heavily into almost stream-of-consciousness introspection by Jack and Max in turn. We get a lot of internal monologues that are elucidating, emotionally impactful, often hysterical, and at other times devastating.
Max grapples with grief and guilt alongside a shocking discovery that he’s not as straight as he always thought he was. Jack wrestles with wanting and wishing for a family with Max and Emma, but not believing he’s worthy of receiving it. Ms. Roman does a superb job with character development. Jack is truly the perfect guy, so it’s especially heartbreaking to experience his inner turmoil, loneliness, and sacrifices. Max is loveable but flawed. The portrayal of his struggles is authentic and impactful. Especially in the early parts of the book, there are times when your empathy for him will be tested, especially as Jack suffers at his hands. This complexity is part of what makes The Shutout so captivating.
As excellent as The Shutout is on text alone, you haven’t truly experienced Jack and Max’s love story until you’ve heard it through the inimitable voices of Iggy Toma (as Jack) and Alexander Cendese (as Max) on the audiobook. These two highly skilled narrators work together often, and I have listened to many of their titles. Together, they successfully create an immersive experience that elevates an already extraordinary story. They each have a unique style and distinct sound, so they are readily identifiable. Yet they are able to portray their alternative characters (Max for Mr. Toma and Jack for Mr. Cendese) convincingly and in a way that feels seamless across chapters. Their synergy resonates when they are matched well to their roles. And here, they are perfectly cast.
Mr. Toma voices Jack with a matter-of-fact delivery and lower tone, capturing Jack’s burden and loneliness. There’s a resignation to his situation that comes through in Mr. Toma’s slower pacing and intuitive intonations. His delivery communicates Jack’s emotions accurately. His emotional investment translates to a feeling of deep connection with Jack, an endearing man that we want to wrap in bubble wrap and shut out everything that’s hurt him.
Mr. Cendese’s performance of Max is the best I’ve heard from him. He throws himself fully into his portrayal, and his energetic delivery captures Max’s overburdened psyche. This is a man on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Mr. Cendese conveys that in Max’s anxiety-laden stream of consciousness monologuing. He also gets the nuances of Max’s journey as his attitudes and feelings vacillate, grow and then blossom into something new and different. While I often find Mr. Cendese’s female voices to be somewhat caricature-ish, the interactions between Max and his sister Morgan are well-executed, mainly because the over-the-top nature of the interactions matches with the over-the-top nature of Mr. Cendese’s delivery.
The Shutout audiobook is a behemoth, clocking in at over thirteen hours of listening time. Yet I was left wanting more when it ended. My attention never wavered as the narrative flowed from chapter to chapter and thirteen hours moved by effortlessly and all too quickly.
I highly recommend The Shutout audiobook. Ms. Roman, Mr. Toma and Mr. Cendese deliver a memorable journey for two indelible characters that hits all the right notes and checks all the boxes. The story wraps up with a fantastic epilogue that jumps forward many years in the future, so we get to bask in the solid HEA for these two beloved men. The Shutout is one of my top listens of 2022.
RATING: 
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