Author: Wade Kelly
Narrator: Jack Amber
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 11 hours and 18 minutes
Category: Contemporary Romance
At a Glance: Overall, this was a well-crafted and enjoyable love story.
Reviewed By: Amy
Blurb: What if sexuality wasn’t a definable thing and labels merely got in the way?
Nick Jones can’t remember a time when he wasn’t part of the in crowd. Everywhere he goes, he stands out as the best looking guy in the room, and women practically fall into bed with him. Then, after kissing Corey on a dare led to much more and on many occasions, Nick’s “screw anything” reputation escalated, but he didn’t care.
When Nick meets RC at the restaurant where he works, it throws his whole life out of whack. RC lives up to his dubbed nickname “Scruffy Dude.” He seems Nick’s complete opposite, but Nick can’t get him out of his head.
Because of peer-pressure and his fears about defining his sexuality, Nick struggles with stepping out of his comfort zone and caring about someone different than himself. If he’s lucky, somewhere between arrogance and ignorance, Nick might find out what it means to be an adult, but if he’s wrong, he could lose everything.
Review: I am very torn about this book. I adore the message and the ultimate conclusion and message of love and inclusion and looking beyond the outside to find the inner beauty of what is inside.
I adore Nick and his cluelessness. His easy going personality drove me a bit nuts when it came to him actually making a decision, but he was very loveable and sweet spirited. In contrast, I enjoyed RC’s idealistic personality and his ability to love Nick but hold him accountable for his lack of ambition and direction.
Honestly, there isn’t much I didn’t enjoy about this book, with one exception; it took too long to get to where the story got interesting. I completely understand building Nick to the reader; however, I feel the beginning 25% of the book could have been 10% and we still would have gotten Nick’s personality.
Overall, this was a well-crafted and enjoyable love story. I personally loved RC and seeing his transformation in Nick’s eyes. I do believe he didn’t change as much physically as it was beauty being in the eye of the beholder.
Narration: Jack Amber is a new narrator to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed his delivery. He did a great job of conveying Nick and his complex simplicity.
You can buy Names Can Never Hurt Me here:
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