Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: I’m Your Guy
SERIES: Hockey Guys, Book 2
AUTHOR: Sarina Bowen
NARRATOR: Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan
PUBLISHER: Tuxbury Publishing, LLC
LENGTH: 9 hours and 55 minutes
RELEASE DATE: October 10, 2023
BLURB:
Tommaso
The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.
A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?
Carter
I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details: He doesn’t mention that he’s a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.
The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I’ve never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.
Oops. Too late.
REVIEW:
The New Guy and I’m Your Guy, the first and second books, respectively, in Sarina Bowen’s Hockey Guys M/M sports romance series sit like bookends in their take on the closeted gay hockey player trope. I admit to some fretting in the early stages of I’m Your Guy because it started to feel like the same “I have to stay in the closet for the game” story as the first book, but for the addition of the prototypical athlete falls for the out and proud artist/fashion designer, or in this case interior decorator, trope. But Bowen’s writing is sharp and clever as always and it quickly became evident that I’m Your Guy does not tell the same story at all. In fact, it comes at the closeted player coming out trope from the other end of the spectrum. It’s also low on the angst meter, provides plenty of cute and funny moments, and really builds out the found-family relationship of the teammates.
Where Bowen does a redo is in creating endearing characters you will embrace and celebrate. Like Hudson and Gavin before them, Tommaso and Carter are flawed and Bowen showcases that and uses it to fuel nuanced character development. I enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract romance and the physicality of their relationship is based on strong chemistry without unnecessarily dwelling on the first-times aspect of Tommaso’s journey.
Bowen enlists her oft-narrator, Teddy Hamilton (as Carter), and his oft-collaborator Jacob Morgan (as Tommaso) for the audiobook. They are well-cast here, Morgan’s pitch, tone, and attitude pairing well with Tommaso as does Hamilton’s brighter, more energetic portrayal of Carter. Hamilton can do no wrong as far as I’m concerned. He always throws himself fully into his performances and his technical skill is unquestionable. The emotional connection and nuances in his delivery create a full-bodied, absorbing performance. His side characters are also fully realized and given invested portrayals.
Morgan has a sexy, devil-may-care attitude that is distinctively his. He makes it sound so easy while still delivering thoughtful, engaged performances. Something about his performance here, though, felt almost too easy. Morgan didn’t seem to be giving his all. I’ve heard him do better with similar voices and dialogue. I also noticed a disconnect between Hamilton’s voices and Morgan’s when portraying the same characters. I quickly adjusted to it, but they’ve had better alignment on that in other performances I’ve heard from this duo. That being said, Morgan’s performance is undoubtedly skilled and enjoyable, if less invested than I would have liked.
Overall, I’m Your Guy is surprisingly different and I got hooked easily. Hamilton and Morgan give the story dimension and life, making these ten hours of listening pass by in a flash. Recommended.
RATING: 
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