Audiobook Blitz ~ Leaning Into Love by Lane Hayes (Review + Giveaway)
Title: Leaning Into Love
Series: Leaning Into Stories, #1
Author: Lane Hayes
Narrated By:
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: August 16th
Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 2 hrs and 59 mins
Genre: Romance, Erotica, Friends to lovers, surfer, white collar, San Francisco, bisexual
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Synopsis
Eric Schuster is a successful guy. He’s part owner of a highly successful tech firm, he has a supportive family and a great group of close friends. But something is missing. Or maybe he’s reacting to his business partner and ex’s wedding news. He knows his former lover is making a big mistake but he also knows it’s time to move on. And hopefully avoid falling for another friend.Zane Richards is an avid sailor and surfer with a laid-back approach to life. He firmly believes there’s a time and place for everything if you’re willing to take a chance. Like letting his best friend know he’s interested in being much more than friends. Eric has always been half in love with Zane but going from friends to lovers isn’t an easy sell for someone protecting his heart. Eric will have to decide if he’s willing to risk it all by leaning into love.
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Excerpt
Zane refilled my glass and returned it to me with a naughty smirk. “You get kinda corny when you’re tipsy, Schuster. It’s cute.”“Cute?”
“Yeah. You get goofy. Your ears turn red and it makes the freckles on your nose stand out. Then you do that thing with your hair where you swipe your hand through it so many times that it looks like you just rolled out of bed.”
“Uh…okay. That’s embarrassing.” I searched for a reflective surface as I attempted to pat my unruly brown hair into some semblance of order. “I was going for debonair and I got bar mitzvah kid chic,” I grumbled.
Zane leaned forward and gave me an intense look I didn’t understand. “You don’t have to be anyone but yourself with me, Eric. I like you just the way you are.” He sat back again and cocked his head. “So let’s talk about this stupid engagement party. What’s the dress code?”
“Um… it’s probably dressy casual,” I replied with a furrowed brow. I wanted to back up a sentence or two and analyze his words and dissect the meaning of “I like you just the way you are”.
“The usual oxymoron,” he snarked. “You are going with me, right?”
“Sure. If you want.”
“I want. It’ll save us both the trouble of finding some poor unsuspecting sucker to drag to a fancy shindig.”
“True. Speaking of suckers, don’t you have a date tonight?”
Zane glanced at his watch and then stretched his legs out on the bench so his shoe nudged my thigh. “I’ve got time. Talk to me. What else have you been up to lately? I noticed there’s a new exhibit at the Modern Museum. Have you gone? I think it’s a midcentury retrospective with Motherwell and de Kooning. I know you like the scribbly art and…”
His conversation was easy. The gentrified version of his former surfer dude accent had a lilting quality I could have listened to for hours. I felt myself truly begin to relax and let go of the invisible hold I’d had on my emotions, like a swimmer grasping onto a ledge who finally realizes he can reach the bottom of the pool. Being with someone who knew quirky details about me and accepted them without judgment or reservation was a gift.
I treasured all of my friends, but Zane was special. Our friendship was rooted in geography and history and now time. He wasn’t making a romantic advance when he asked me to attend Nick’s engagement party with him. That was latent wishful thinking on my part. Zane was simply being who he always was. My oldest and best friend.
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Story: 5 Stars!!!
Narration: 4.5 Stars!!!
Overall: 5 Stars!!!
This book is special for me, it was my first Lane Hayes' book and I absolutely loved reading it and falling in love with Zane and Eric, so, of course, I jumped at the chance of listening to the audiobook, too, and man, you're all for a treat!
Eric is successful in every aspect of his life, except in the romantic sense, but now that his ex-lover is getting married, he realizes he's missing something in his life. He's crushed on his best friend Zane since he met him, but never thought it would amount to much, until one day they crossed the line and now he needs to decide if he's willing to risk their friendship for a chance at more.
Eric and Zane were amazing and I just adored them together. Everything from their banter, their easy camaraderie, how well they knew each other and of course, the dynamite chemistry between them was just perfect. And the hotter than hot sex scenes didn't hurt, either.
The progression from friends to lovers was very realistic, especially considering the length of the book and we were given enough background info to see that the attraction had always been there, even if neither of them had considered acting on it before.
I loved Seth Clayton's narration. He did a great job bringing Eric to life. He was too much fun to listen to. I think he did a good job with Zane, too, somehow managing to bring forth his more laid-back personality into the narration. My only problem with the audiobook was that sometimes Eric and Zane's voices were too similar and I had to rewind the narration a bit to catch who it was that was talking in certain parts (it wasn't a hardship, just inconvenient at times).
Overall, this audiobook was a great companion for my weekend, short, hot and sweet and truly, you can't go wrong with a Lane Hayes book and the audiobook was the perfect way to refresh the story in my mind in preparation for the next book in the series, which will feature Zane and Eric again!!!
Very recommendable!!!
*** Audible code provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my listening pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Meet the Author
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram |
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