Audio Review: How to Deal by T. M. Smith, performed by Joel Leslie

13 April of 2018 by ButtonsMom2003

Reviewer's Rating: 5

5.0Overall score

T.M. Smith and Joel Leslie made me cry - again.

How to Deal By T. M. Smith, Performed By Joel Leslie

Genre: Contemporary Romance, GLBTQ, MM

Audio Released: November 4, 2016

Publisher: TTC Publishing

Series: All Cocks Stories, Book 3

Synopsis

Jon Brennan comes from a long line of men in uniform; all born and bred to both bleed and wear blue. His family and the majority of his co-workers support him every step of the way, so he doesn’t need to hide the fact that he prefers men over women. Between the job and his larger than life, loud and rowdy half Irish, half Italian family, there isn’t much time for dating, much less finding a guy who can deal with the stress and demands placed on the shoulders of an NYPD detective.

Kory White is cocky and abrasive with most people, but it is all a facade he hides behind to keep his heart safe. As a child, Kory lost his mother to an act of violence. Soon after, he and his baby sister Kassandra were separated by the system. Kassandra was immediately adopted, but Kory spent the next 10 years cycling through foster homes before moving to the Big Apple. In an effort to keep everyone at a distance, Kory has meticulously built himself an alter ego: Hayden Cox, All Cocks cockiest model.

These two strong-willed men definitely prove opposites do attract. Both are stubborn and hard headed to a fault, Kory more so than Jon. But Jon is used to being in control, the one calling the shots, and Kory fights him at every turn. Just when it seems they have found a way to navigate the unchartered territory that is love, tragedy knocks on Kory’s door yet again. Volatile and strong, even in the face of adversity, both men refuse to give up on each other – or their love.

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

T.M. Smith and Joel Leslie made me cry – again.

This review could almost be an exact copy of the review I did a few days ago for Fame and Fortune.How to Deal focuses on Kory White (aka Hayden Cox, All Cocks model) and his relationship with NYPD Detective, Jon Brennan. Kory isn’t the most likeable guy and he definitely isn’t known for his sweet disposition. However, when Jon lays eyes on him the first time, he’s a gonner.

It takes a lot of patience and convincing on Jon’s part to develop a relationship with Kory. Once he finally gets Kory to open up to him, Jon learns what happened in Kory’s past. Having that information, it’s much easier to understand why Kory’s not the happiest guy on earth.

OK, this paragraph is nearly word for word what I said about Fame and Fortune because I just don’t know any other way to put it: How to Deal invoked so many feelings while I was listening to it. Joel Leslie is brilliant at bringing T.M. Smith’s wonderful story to life. I love the accents he does and how easy it is to distinguish which character is speaking while listening to this story. In particular, his accent for Victor is just perfect. He also does a very good job with the female voices. Books that really touch me usually will bring on tears at some point while I’m reading. Joel Leslie did the same thing to me when he brought T.M. Smith’s words to life in this audio book. When I listened to this I felt like I was listening to and watching a play in my mind; I could totally picture the characters without actually seeing them.

I can’t wait to listen to the next book in the series, Dare to Hope which is about Jon’s brother, Tristan, who had a role in How to Deal.

♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

All Cocks Stories Series

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About Author

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or ticking away on her next novel.

Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people, Love is Love!

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