Title: Love You So Hard
Series: Love You So: Book 1
Author: Tara Lain
Narrator: Ry Forest/Stephen Kurpis
Release Date: July 17, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Length: 2 hours, 55 minutes
Craig Elson’s life has hit rock bottom. Even though he’s one of the best strategic planners around, a more confident guy takes credit for his work, and despite being a good-looking man, he suffers insults from the slimiest creep at the bar. Taking care of his beloved mom, who has Alzheimer’s, uses all his funds, leaving him in a plain, depressing car… and a plain, depressing life.
Until he sees gorgeous grad student Jesse Randall and his T-shirt that reads “I Would Bottom You So Hard.” The message seeps into Craig’s soul, and he asks Jesse to teach him to top.
Jesse’s had his eye on the quiet hottie who comes into the coffee shop, and he’s more than eager to perfect his tutoring. He sets out to get Craig a new job, a new apartment, and a new life so far outside plain and depressing that it’s unrecognizable.The problem is, Craig loves his lessons—and his teacher—too much to want to graduate. How can Craig reach the top without losing his sassy bottom?
First Edition published by Love Has No Boundaries, June 2013.
Second Edition published by Tara Lain, October 2013.
3.5 Stars overall
This book is on the shorter side, super light and cute, with no angst. It’s also pretty funny and interesting. The storyline and character personalities are a little over the top ridiculous at times, but I think that makes this book worth the time to read and/or listen to, since it will get you out of your head and keep you amused for a few hours.
Craig is a dork - I mean he’s smart and awesome in his own way, but he’s just not confident in anything he does and tends to let people walk all over him. He just doesn’t know what to do in life to move past his depressing/negative attributes. He is totally clueless about everything that happens to him that I simply don’t know how he has survived up to this point in life.
That’s where Jessie comes in. Jessie is confident and outgoing and knows exactly what to do in order to get what he wants in life. Since he’s had a crush on Craig from the moment he sees him, he offers to “tutor” Craig to help him become more confident in going after everything he wants. Jessie is basically a force of nature that Craig never sees coming. And I really do like how they have an instant connection but neither of them seem to know quite what to do with it. They are just kind of adorably awkward about the entire situation they get themselves into.
Audio - I really did appreciate the narration of this book in audio too. The narrator, Ry Forrest, does a great job with the voices of both characters, making them unique and making it easy to follow the storyline. I think he did a great job getting us into this audiobook for such a short story and I would be happy to listen to more of his narrations in the future.
*** Audiobook copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Title: Love You So Madly
Series: Love You So
Author: Tara Lain
Narrator: Ry Forest, Stephen Kurpis
Release Date: September 14, 2018
Category: Contemporary
Length: 4 hours, 36 minutes
Ben Shane has it all… and he’d like to give some of it back. While he loves his job heading a foundation that funds worthy causes around the world, his engagement to one of America’s wealthiest men leaves him feeling more like a trophy wife than a valued partner. The first warning that his relationship might not be designed to last is his irresistible lust for Dusty Kincaid, the golden-haired, bright-eyed handyman for his company.
Though Dusty is odd for a twenty-three-year-old—no liquor, no sugar, and he can’t even drive—the more Ben gets to know Dusty, the more he admires him. But is Ben going to give up a guy who drives a Ferrari for one who takes the bus? He must be mad. Dusty knows he and Ben can never work. After all, Ben’s perfect… and Dusty isn’t. But Ben might surprise everyone with proof that he’s only mad in love.
4 Stars, book & narration
Well, this book runs right along the lines of Tara Lain’s others, being an overly sweet romance with just the right amount of cheesy-fun characters. All of them are really light, fluffy books with likable characters and this one was no different.
I do need to talk about the audio narration first. I am really not quite sure how to express my feelings for this one. The narrator, Ry Forest, gave a really great performance with this book, and his voice really was perfect for each of the characters. I do think sometimes it was just so over the top ridiculous sounding, but at the same time, it was completely perfect for the characters and for what the situation called for at the time. Although I didn’t quite love it, I am ultimately totally impressed by how much effort he obviously put into this one.
Dusty was a cute character, he’s kind of a jack of all trades when it comes to work and school and everything he’s got going on in life. I really disliked his mother throughout the entire book. I felt like she was way too up in his business and needed to back off a lot and let him live his own life, even with his medical issues.
Ben was an OK character. I didn’t really feel too much for him either way, but I’m glad he came to his senses regarding Alan - that guy was a total tool and completely full of himself! I didn’t like him at all.
This is a slow-paced relationship build-up tale that needed to happen that way, no instant love here. Cute book with cute characters and an interesting narration.
*** Audiobook copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
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