Title: The Teddy Bear Club
Series: The Teddy Bear Club: Book One
Author: Sean Michael
Narrator: John Solo
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press/Dreamspun Desires
Run Time: 5 hours and 9 minutes
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: John Solo has a lovely voice for this kind of work; he has a slow and gentle style that works really well with this book. Enjoy the book for what it is meant to be. Enjoy the narration for its companionable style.
Reviewed By: Mike
Blurb: Two lonely men. One perfect family.
Aiden Lake adopted his institutionalized sister’s two daughters, and he’s a good dad. He works nights on websites and gets in his adult time twice a week at the Roasty Bean, where he meets with other single gay parents.
Devon Smithson wants to be a good dad now that his sixteen-year-old sister asked him to babysit her newborn… three months ago. But he’s overwhelmed with the colicky baby. An invitation to the daddy-and-kid gatherings at the café is a godsend. The pot is sweetened when his friendship with Aiden develops into more—maybe even something that can last.
But the mother who kicked Dev out for being gay wants to get her claws into the baby, and she doesn’t care if she tears Dev, Aiden, and everything they’re building apart in the process.
Review: Devon Smithson was tossed out like trash by his parents when he came out. Years later, his teen-age sister arrived with her baby and asked Devon to please watch him for a while. That was months ago.
Aiden Lake adopted his sister’s two children when she had to be institutionalized for mental health reasons, at which point his former lover ran for the hills. Aiden and Devon meet at a local get-together for gay dads and immediately form a bond, and the other men in their group encourage them to go out and see what could happen between them since they have a lot in common.
The romance is quick and the pair become nearly inseparable in short order. This is a romance story, so those looking for deep explanations will miss out on the fun that these books are meant to be. The children are lovely, but they do have their moments, as children are wont to do. After a series of day-long dates, Devon and Aiden find themselves unwilling to let the other go home. When Devon’s mother suddenly arrives trying to claim her grandchild, Devon and Aiden spring into action to secure the adoption of Devon’s nephew and to make him Devon’s son. The end of the story is pure romance. Those who love that will not be disappointed.
John Solo has a lovely voice for this kind of work; he has a slow and gentle style that works really well with this book. Voices are clear and the children are characters rather than mere voice affectation, which too many voice actors do. If you are a fan of the Dreamspun Desires series, this book is a good fit in that lineup. It is light, sweet, and short. Enjoy the book for what it is meant to be. Enjoy the narration for its companionable style.
You can buy The Teddy Bear Club here:
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