Reviewed by Lisa
TITLE: Underdog
SERIES: In Vino Veritas
AUTHOR: LA. Witt
NARRATOR: Nick J Russo
PUBLISHER: Heart Eyes Press
LENGTH: 11h 58m
RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2022
BLURB:
Life in foster care wasn’t easy. Life after prison? Unforgiving. But I’m determined to stay out of trouble, and I’m gaining a foothold on the closest I’ve ever known to normal.
Then, thanks to a pair of escape artist dogs from the sanctuary where I’ve found work, I cross paths with my boss’s neighbor, Ty Adams. He’s a horse trainer, and winter is his quiet season. It’s also the season when he gets restless and lonely—two things I know all about. He’s not interested in love or romance. I’m just happy someone’s interested in me at all, even if emotions are strictly forbidden.
When we’re not together, I’m thinking about him. When we are together… Well, I’m definitely thinking about what he does to me and what I want to do with him.
As we keep each other warm through the Vermont winter, this feels a lot more than physical. Somehow he soothes my pain, and I wonder if I’m touching something deep inside him too. But Ty won’t let himself love anyone. I never had a chance. And now, with my past closing in, I could lose the one man I hoped I could count on. The one I thought might be different.
When his present and my history collide, is it too much to hope he’ll choose me?
CW: Sick horse and a minor accident involving a horse—no animal deaths or serious injuries/illnesses.
REVIEW:
I’m a huge fan of both LA Witt and Nick Russo so I was looking forward to listening to this audio. This is the fourth book in the Vino Veritas series which I have really enjoyed, so I was really excited to listen this book.
You only have to tell me there’s a dog in a book and I’m in, so I knew I was on to a winner. Also, horses! Houdini is a joy to read. This is a great take on the friends with benefits trope between men who are both at a place in their lives where they are not expecting to fall in love.
As part of a series, it links in well with previous characters and the feel of the series as a whole. As expected in a Lori Witt book, the chemistry is off the charts but this time, the angst isn’t overwhelming, which I appreciated. Life’s hard enough at the moment, right?
The world building is incredibly good, and I learned so much about horses and horse training that I didn’t know I wanted to know.
Nick J Russo does a great job with this book. He’s the king of the sexy drawl and Ty, his horse trainer, is all about the drawl. His sexy times voices add so much to the text. This book is very steeped in emotion and Russo’s range as a voice actor is very apparent.
Very romantic with a lot of unresolved sexual tension and emotional,sensual scene.
RATING: 
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