“I thought you liked sex?”
“I do, but I want you to come back. You can get more, better sex with anyone. But you can only get the whole Dawson experience when you’re here.” – Amy Lane
Author: Amy Lane
Narrator:: Hugh Bradley
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 8 Hours
Rating: 5 Stars
Blurb: Blurb: Dawson Barnes recognizes his world is very small and very charmed. Running his community college theater like a petty god, he and his best friend, Benji, know they’ll succeed as stage techs after graduation. His father adores him, Benji would die for him, and Dawson never doubted the safety net of his family, even when life hit him below the belt.
But nothing prepared him for falling on Jared Emory’s head.
Review: Why buy an Audio Book of a story you have already read? Is there enough difference to justify the cost?
In the case of Behind the Curtain the answer for me is a resounding YES! It is worth it. Amy Lane is an amazing author, and with this eBook and audiobook, she draws you into the story with her humor: “You are like the King of Pretty. Do you collect Stars for a reason, or do they just gather around you ‘cause you’re so bright?” She can make you cry: “How many times you want to do that, Dawson? How many times before you realize I’m not worth it?” And Amy can make you mad with the simple statement, “My boyfriend broke my wrist.” And on a personal note, you also gain knowledge about the ballet; I had no idea what Andante, Chasse and Introit meant, but I do now! Oh wait, on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the Drag Queens would “sashay away”. I thought it just sounded good. (Well, I have to confess something here. I submitted this review and right away got an email back. “No! No! Kathie, on RuPaul’s Drag Race (I got that wrong too) it’s Sashay not Chasse). Oh boy, and I thought I was being cool, so not only did I learn about the ballet but I also got some education on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Every day people! Every day we should learn something. So, you can never go wrong with buying an Amy Lane book. You always learn something.
The narrator makes all the difference. Mr. Bradley brought to life Dawson, Jared and Benji. He gave them each their own distinct voice, and it was immediately obvious that he understood the character and their motivation. An example would be Jared’s Voice; as you read the story, you learn that Jared has had to endure a lot of pain for his craft, but I knew that from the minute Jared first talked to Dawson. You could hear it in his voice. If a narrator is good, you, as the listener, will become part of the story. You will share in the pain—Dawson’s as he struggles to understand Jared , of loving someone so much but not being able to protect them all the time; the friendship between Benji and Dawson , as they taunt each other and always have each other’s backs; and Amber with monosyllabic conversational skills, with such a rough exterior and a vulnerability that Dawson will protect to the end; you get to be a part of it and it’s an amazing journey. And that, my friend’s, that is why you buy the audio version of this book. Mr. Bradley doesn’t just tell us the story, he brings us with him on the journey.
You can buy Behind the Curtain here: