Review of 2 Audio Books: Rebound and Assist by L.A. Witt, Performed by Michael Ferraiuolo and Nick J. Russo

Rebound-Story: 5

Rebound-Performance: 5

Assist-story: 4

Assist-Performance: 5

4.8Overall score

Two fantastic stories, each can be read as a standalone..

Rebound and Assist By L.A. Witt, Narrated By Michael Ferraiuolo and Nick J. Russo

Rebound Cover Image

Synopsis

A forty-something single dad, a twenty-something hockey star, and a whole lot of baggage. No, this couldn’t possibly blow up in their faces.

Officer Geoff Logan has his plate full. His cop’s salary and Marine retirement aren’t enough to make ends meet. He’s got war wounds and demons that are in it for the long haul. His teenagers are, well, teenagers, plus they’re pissed that he left the boyfriend they loved. Can’t a guy catch a break?

Seattle Snowhawks center Asher Crowe has it all. A seven figure salary. A literal house on a hill. A stable, loving relationship with an amazing boyfriend. At least, that’s what the world sees. Behind closed doors, he’s been living in a private hell, and when he finally works up the courage to end things, his boyfriend refuses to go quietly.

One call to the cops, and suddenly Geoff and Asher’s paths cross. But is the connection between them simple chemistry? Kindred spirits? Or just a pair of lonely hearts looking for a hot distraction?

And even if it’s more than physical, is there really a future for two men from such vastly different worlds? Especially when the past comes knocking?

Genre: Contemporary, Sports, Romance, Hockey, GLBTQ, MM

Released: ebook: March 27, 2019; audio October 21, 2019

Publisher: ebook: Self-Published; audio Author’s Republic

Series: Pucks & Rainbows, Books 1

Length:Rebound: 429 pages, 9 hrs, 20 min

Assist Cover Image

Genre: Contemporary, Sports, Romance, Hockey, GLBTQ, MM, Menage

Released: ebook: December 26, 2019, audio coming soon to Audible, available now from other retailers

Publisher: ebook: Self-Published; audio: Author’s Republic

Series: Pucks & Rainbows, Books 2

Length: Assist: 458 pages / 12 hrs, 34 min

Synopsis

A rookie, his teammate, and his best friend from a rival team. What could possibly go wrong?

Seattle Snowhawks rookie Justin Reid has it bad for his teammate Shawn Kelleher. It’s just his luck that Shawn’s got a crush too… on Justin’s best friend, Vancouver Narwhal center Keith Adams.

When Shawn lets it slip at the worst possible moment that he wants Keith, Justin is hurt, but what can he do? He steers Keith in Shawn’s direction and lets chemistry do the rest.

What Justin doesn’t know is that while Keith is into Shawn, he’s also secretly wanted Justin since forever. After some stumbling, they realize there’s something very hot and very mutual going on between all three of them. It’s fantasies coming true left, right, and center, and it just doesn’t get any better than this.

Except this scorching hot triad is anything but simple. Not while the closeted son of a hockey legend is fighting to make his own name in the shadow of his deeply homophobic father’s legacy. Not in the midst of grueling schedules and a team’s fraternization rules. Throw in pesky emotions showing up where they aren’t wanted, and it’s a play that’s doomed from the start.

Shawn, Keith, and Justin all fought their way into professional hockey. Is what they have together worth fighting for too? Or will fear let heartache win this game?

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

Two fantastic stories, each can be read as a standalone.

I am a huge fan of L.A. Witt’s writing and maybe an even bigger fan when her books are narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo or Nick J. Russo. So, I was in heaven when I listened to Rebound and then Assist. Both of these audiobooks are done in dual narration by Michael and Nick. Dual narration means that the voice actors take turns reading each chapter. Assist has three main characters so Nick does two chapters for every one chapter that Michael does.

While the books are part of the Rainbows & Pucks series they easily stand on their own. Characters from book one appear in book two but not in such a way that you will feel lost if you missed reading book one first.

Rebound is an age-gap story but the age difference isn’t beat to death – which I think is a good thing. Geoff Logan, a forty-something, single-dad cop, left his rich ex-boyfriend because he was being manipulated and emotionally abused. Unfortunately, his teenaged son and daughter don’t know everything that was going on and they aren’t happy about the split.

Geoff and his partner are called to the scene of an altercation between star hockey player, Asher Crowe and his ex-boyfriend. Geoff recognizes something in Asher and can tell that his boyfriend has been abusing him. Geoff and Asher end up making a romantic connection but it’s not all smooth sailing.

I loved both of these characters and the voices that both narrators used for the characters were great. I’ve never been disappointed by anything I’ve listened to by either Michael or Nick. The story is pretty emotional in places. It’s hard for Asher to admit that his ex-boyfriend was abusing him. Geoff has to face up to the fact that he needs to tell his kids about how his ex was using his money to control all of them.

I really liked that Geoff had a good relationship with his ex-wife and her new husband and that it continued after he and Asher got together. Rebound is a nice, meaty story and it held my attention, not just because of the fantastic narrators, but the content and writing were great, too.

Assist is a ménage story with a bit of a love triangle in the beginning. Shawn and Justin are teammates and Justin has a thing for Shawn but he hasn’t told him. Shawn is lusting after Justin’s best friend, Keith, a star player on a rival team.

I have to admit that when I first started listening to this book, I was pretty confused. I couldn’t keep the three main characters straight in my head. I think it was because Nick J. Russo was narrating the chapters for both Justin and Shawn, while Michael Ferraiuolo was only doing the ones for Keith. I’d not read the book before listening to the audio so I opened up my digital copy and scanned through it a bit. This helped me understand the three main characters better. After that I was able to go back to the audiobook and enjoy it with no problem.

While I absolutely love both Michael Ferraiuolo and Nick J. Russo, I kind of think I might have liked this audiobook more if there were only one narrator, or maybe three narrators. Both Nick and Michael are excellent at doing different voices but having Nick do two of the characters, and Michael only one, was a bit distracting until I got a few chapters into the book.

As for the story, this book is long and the plot to get Justin, Shawn and Keith to their HEA is filled with many ups and downs but that’s what kept the story interesting. I really felt for Keith. He has a lot to live up to with his father being a hockey legend; he’s also horribly homophobic which is why Keith is so afraid to come out to him.

While I didn’t like Assist quite as much as Rebound, I thought it was still a great story and I’m glad I listened to it.

Rebound

Story: ♥♥♥♥♥

Performance: ♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Assist

Story: ♥♥♥♥

Performance: ♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Reviews for L.A. Witt

Reviews for Michael Feraiuolo

Reviews for Nick J. Russo

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About Author

L.A. Witt

L.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters. Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they “have books to write” and “need to focus on our careers” and “don’t you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?” They’re probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.

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