John Solo Narrates Andrew Grey's "Inside Out"

Author: Andrew Grey

Narrator:: John Solo

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Run Time: 6 Hours, 35 Minutes

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Blurb: Former mercenary Bull Krebbs now heads up security at his nightclub in Harrisburg, PA. Working the door night after night, he’s seen it all. Though tough on the outside, he’s a little hurt that people find him unapproachable. Then he pulls a cute twink out of line to perform a random search, and he’s surprised when the guy giggles and squirms.

Zach Spencer, graphic artist, twink, and seriously ticklish, isn’t intimidated by Bull. He’s in awe, and when Bull saves Zach from being trampled on the dance floor, Zach finds his inspiration for the superhero in his graphic novel.

Soon Zach wants more and makes his move by asking Bull on a date. Though small, he has a backbone of steel. He’ll need it—their happily ever after is thwarted at every turn, including by Bull’s interloping mother showing up unannounced and enemies from Bull’s past threatening to pull him to the other side of the world.

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 Andrew Grey’s Inside Out, no, I didn’t feel it was worth the cost.

I bought this e-book on pre-order; to be honest, I buy all of Andrew Grey books. I like his style of writing and I especially like that I always learn something new. His books are like cotton candy for me: sweet, (his characters are very likable), colorful (each character has his own personality), and the sugar sticks to your fingers (the characters and the story stays with you even after you have eaten all the candy).

The characters in Inside Out are so likeable, and as the story unfolds we learn that Zach is more than just the “tickle boy”, as Bull first described him. Zach’s life was no picnic, and when Uncle Hiram comes to visit to convince Zach to give up the deviant lifestyle, we start to realize just how strong Zach is, and he keeps showing us his strength throughout the book. Bull tried very hard to convince Zach that he was a tough-guy, bu it didn’t work, not when his mother calls him Marvin and he has a smile that he can’t seem to hide from Zach. (Let’s all pause here too say AWWWW. Bull is such a big softie!!!!)

Each character in Andrew’s book are colorful and have depth. In Inside Out, Harry, Bull’s business partner, has a story, a sequined tuxedo and a boyfriend named Juan. Bull’s mother, Charlene has a story and a parade of husbands, and don’t forget Uncle Hiram…I can just see the black cloud hanging over his head. I hope lightning strikes him.

And then there’s the sticky sugar in this story: I learned about the laws of Pennsylvania liquor sales. Each state is so different, and it was interesting to learn about those differences. And when Bull tells the other bouncers to talk loudly, telling them the force of their voices and an icy towel on the back of their necks can prevent them from using their hands; unless you are a bouncer how would you know this stuff?

But sadly, this review is about the audio version of Inside Out. Is there enough incentive if you’ve already read the book to justify the cost? No, I don’t think so. In my opinion, a narrator is doing his job if the voices he uses allows the listener to empathize with the characters, especially as the sexual tension increases. John Solo’s voices sounded so alike that I found after a while, it seemed as though he was just reading me the story. Mind you, it’s a good story, but I don’t feel it’s worth the cost of the audio book if that story is one you’re already familiar with. I’d definitely recommend listening to the sample of this audio before you make the decision to buy. The narrator makes such a difference.

You can buy Inside Out here: