Author: Amy Lane
Narrator: Philip Alces
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 6 hours and 48 minutes
At a Glance: Amy Lane and Philip Alces are perfect together. I hope the relationship lasts a long time.
Reviewed By: Kathie
Blurb: Rico Gonzalves-Macias didn’t expect to fall in love during his internship in New York – and he didn’t expect the boss’ son to out them both and get him fired either. When he returns to Sacramento stunned and heartbroken, he finds his cousin, Adam, and Adam’s boyfriend, Finn, haven’t just been house-sitting – they’ve made his once sterile apartment into a home.
When Adam gets him a job interview with the adorable, magnetic, practically perfect Derek Huston, Rico feels especially out of his depth. Derek makes it no secret that he wants Rico, but Rico is just starting to figure out that he’s a beginner at the really important stuff and doesn’t want to jump into anything with both feet.
Derek is a both-feet kind of guy. But he’s also made mistakes of his own and doesn’t want to pressure Rico into anything. Together, they work to find a compromise between instant attraction and long-lasting love, and while they’re working, Rico gets a primer in why family isn’t always a bad idea. He needs to believe Derek can be his family before Derek’s formidable patience runs out – because even a practically perfect boyfriend is capable of being hurt.
Review: Be warned, this audio will bring out a lot of emotion in the listener, hate and happiness the two that come to mind. But, it’s not your “oh, I am so happy for you, smilesmilesmile” sort of happiness. It’s the kind of happy that is gleeful and spontaneous. When Derek gets his man and Rico gets his family, it’s a celebration.
Hate is also a strong sentiment, and not a word I use very often unless it’s about Brussels Sprouts. Making a child eat in the garage because you think they don’t deserve a place at the table… Those are fighting words. That deserves hate. Amy Lane is a very smart storyteller; just when you get lured into what you think is a sweet love story and are enjoying listening to the love and sex, BAM! Out comes, “He’s a bad boy, Rico. Your grandma says he’s the one who made you gay.” My back would stiffen, my heart would pound harder, and I would start yelling. No one should ever hear those words coming from a parent, coming from anyone. Hate is a strong feeling, but in this case it was very deserved. I can’t even count how many times I had to tell myself, “It’s only a book, created in Amy Lane’s mind told to me by Philip Alces.” That’s also a really good indicator of a great storyteller—the characters come alive.
Amy Lane and Philip Alces are perfect together. I hope the relationship lasts a long time. Quality entertainment for the mere price of an audiobook is a win-win!
You can buy Bitter Taffy here:
