Author: Skylar M. Cates
Narrator: Hugh Bradley
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 8 hours and 7 minutes
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: This is a nice book and a fine addition to the series.
Reviewed By: Mike
Blurb: How can you lose one dream and still find another?
Owen King is a lonely history teacher who wants to be braver. So when Owen learns about the deceased brother he never met, he breaks free of his safety net and risks answers. Despite his loving, adopted family, Owen wonders if there are missing pieces inside of him. Visiting the seaside town of Ocean Vista, where his brother lived and died, will be no vacation.
Andrew Teagan wants to be a winner. After being dumped by his last boyfriend, Andrew is through letting others dictate his life. To prove that dreams are possible, he’s going after his ambitions full force. Having signed on for a cooking reality show, Andrew’s ready to make his small café into a sizzling success.
When Andrew aids Owen on the beach, what starts off as an act of kindness turns into a hot temptation. But can a sweet budding romance survive when the time comes for Owen to leave town? Both men must learn to trust each other if their love will conquer the miles between them.
Review: This is the second book in the Sunshine and Happiness series, and there has been some time between audio releases. While the stories are standalone and different, it would be a good idea with this series to read or listen to book one, Here for You, so that all of the action and some of the characters have a firm base for the listener to build on.
Owen is a history teacher at his old high school. It was the only place he’s ever felt at home after a childhood of travelling and moving so his family could follow his professional baseball playing dad. He leads a full but mostly lonely life.
Andrew owns a café and lives with friends who are all recovering from the senseless death of one of their roommates. But even in a room full of close friends, Andrew’s life is missing something. Until he meets a sleeping, sunburnt Owen on a local beach.
Owen is in town to meet the friends of a late half-brother he never got a chance to meet, a brother who died in a senseless accident. Unknown to Owen, Andrew is recovering from that same death. Both men find themselves drawn to one another before they realize their deeper connection.
When Andrew competes in a reality cooking show, Owen realizes he’s fallen hard. They overcome a series of obstacles to find their perfect ending.
Hugh Bradley’s narration of this book is fine. The audio quality is great and all of the character voices get a great range by a talented voice. I have only heard a few Bradley narrated books, but this one is great. The material is well covered and the voice is smooth and even. He has the proper intensity when called for and the proper lightness when needed. He plays humor as well as drama better than most. This is a nice book and a fine addition to the series. As the title implies, there are ups and downs, like any romance, but it is nice when a voice equals or bests the material, as it does here. That’s always a treat for the listener.
I recommend the book if you like Cates’ work, or if you enjoy Bradley’s. Buy it, enjoy the ride, and if possible, pick up book one and enjoy them both.
You can buy Lovers, Losers, and You here:
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