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My Review:Title: I'm Your Guy
Author: Sarina Bowen
Series: Hockey Guys #2
Published by: Indie
Release Date: October 10, 2023
Format: Audio ALC
Narrator: Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan
Length: 9 hours and 55 minutes
Genres: LGBT, Romance, Sports Romance
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »
Source: the author
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 Audiobook Challenge, Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 3, Lenoreo's 2023 Diversity Reading Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:
Blurb:Tommaso
The furniture district is my personal hell. I don’t know my ass from an ottoman. But when a hot designer comes to my rescue, I realize my problems are bigger than the house I’m trying to furnish.
A scorching kiss over fabric samples makes me question all my choices. But is it too late to change my entire life to get more of them?
Carter
I need this gig, but my cocky new client leaves out a couple crucial details: He doesn’t mention that he's a famous hockey player. And he doesn’t own up to the way he’s always trying to undress me with his dark, broody eyes.
The man throws out more mixed signals than a broken traffic light. I've never been more sexually frustrated in my entire life. I need to back away before I do something stupid, like lose my heart.
Oops. Too late.
I received a free copy through the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.
4 stars — There were a few aspects/moments in this story where I had my reservations, but about a gagillion others where I was just grinning and so fucking happy with the romance.
It was nice to be listening to the duo of Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Morgan again as narrators. They were my first narrators with Him/Us, and I loved listening to them again in this one. I think the thing I loved is that even though I recognized their voices, not once did I think of other characters I’ve heard them voice (in particular Wesmie). They were completely Tommaso and Carter in this one. Great emotions, great pacing, great humour, great voices.
For the most part I loved our heroes. They each had a certain flaw that made them more believable, but for which I wanted more storybook development I guess. They were equally feeling like absolute messes as human beings, but really they were just dealing with life.
Carter was struggling with the fallout of his business, and impending financial doom, and feeling like an imposter for professionalism. And while his business acumen could definitely use some help, it was a delight to see his passion for interior design. I loved the way he worked with what little Tommaso gave him to try to truly make it a home that he would love. He wasn’t completely who I was expecting in some aspects…for some reason I was sad about the way he had viewed his previous relationship, even if that’s totally realistic. I can’t decide if I felt like he grew and was on the path to making better relationship choices or not…I’m on the fence.
Tommaso was so unbelievably confused. It was heartbreaking to see how his upbringing had trained him in so many ways. Again, I felt like he was such a realistic example of the effects of targeted bullying on keeping someone in the closet. I may not have always liked the choices that he made, but I understood what they stemmed from. And yet…and yet. I kind of wanted something more obvious for him in terms of growth. Especially given how little he talked to ANYONE about ANYTHING that happened to him. If not a counselor for anger management, even his family? Or maybe an expansion on the few moments we saw with Hudson? Or maybe nothing…*shrugs* It just felt…unresolved somehow. And maybe a bit easy on how open he started being at certain moments.
I really did love them together though. I can’t even tell you how many chapters just absolutely lifted my heart, or had me giggling quietly to myself. The moments of awesome were truly fucking awesome. And even their struggles felt real, and I understood both perspectives and how hard it was…how complicated being closeted can be in a relationship.
Obviously loved so many secondary characters, from ones we already knew, getting to know some hockey players more (<3 Stoney), Rigo (no idea how to spell that since I listened) and Buck, as well as Amelia and Gia.
So yeah. It was definitely a book I was needing right now — it had me sucked in, and I just wanted to curl up in this world.
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