Reviewed by Larissa
TITLE: Austin
SERIES: Learning to Love, Book 4
AUTHOR: Con Riley
NARRATOR: Cornell Collins
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 9 hours and 9 minutes
RELEASE DATE: December 5, 2023
BLURB:
Can Austin learn to love the opposite who attracts him?
Austin Russell doesn’t belong at a small school like Glynn Harber. He’s meant to be a highflyer in finance, not a book-keeping bursar. Now there’s only one renovation project left to budget, it’s time he toughened his soft heart and got back to climbing the corporate ladder.
The truth is he’d rather climb Maisie Dymond’s father.
That urge doesn’t add up—Dom Dymond is his polar opposite—but when a near-miss brings them together, Austin discovers there’s more below his laid-back surface, especially as Dom’s determined to win the bid for the school’s last rebuilding project.
Working in proximity means Austin can’t deny that they’re opposites who don’t only attract, they combust whenever they’re close. Telling himself it’s only a fling doesn’t ring true when Dom opens up about what keeps him in Cornwall. He’s there to heal his fractured family, and he wants Austin as part of it.
That openness makes Austin want to share too, but will Dom still feel the same attraction once he knows what drives Austin to keep climbing his ladder?
Contains mature themes.
REVIEW:
Austin Russell is the character I didn’t know I needed, or would come to love. He first appears in Sol as Sol’s ex-boyfriend, and that first look isn’t flattering. He abandoned Sol and his nephew Cameron, and then he arrives on the scene in Luke to nitpick Glynn Harber’s books and records with an eye towards its closure. And yet, Con Riley works her magic, seamlessly integrating Austin into the overarching Learning to Love storyline, while unfolding the many layers of his complicated character.
I’m so happy Austin gets his own HEA and his full-circle, all-in, head-over-heels romance with single dad, Dom Dymond, is so very satisfying. Their scenes together are sexy, yet tender and emotional, full of meaning. You can feel their love rising from the pages. Even better are Austin’s scenes with Maisie and Dom. The guy who ran scared, and feels the urge to run even now, may find another path that will make him happy and keep him close to Glynn Harber, the place he surprisingly considers home.
Like Sol and Luke before it, in Austin, Riley showcases the importance of the arts and alternative education to meet the needs of those who learn differently or need extra support, be it social, emotional or academic. Threaded throughout is the strong message about family, born, made, or found, and its importance in learning to forgive and love. Riley wraps this mesmerizing story within her vivid, detailed descriptions of Glynn Harber, its classrooms, lodging, gorgeous grounds, and the surrounding Cornish countryside. It all adds up to something truly breathtaking.
The match to Riley’s lyrical writing is British voice-actor Cornell Collins’ always-excellent narration on the Austin audiobook. Collins is the real deal, the full package. His performance is compelling, authentic, and honest. Credit his top-notch acting and myriad tones and accents for the many characters inhabiting this fictional universe.
Austin has heart, humor, hurt/comfort, and heat, and perhaps most importantly, Collins’ sublime portrayal of Charles Heppel. *chef’s kiss* It is a fabulous story brought to life through Collins’ inspired, nuanced vocal performance. This is must-listen material.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
[…] Reviewed by Larissa […]