Review: Audiobook Review by Caroline
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 22, 2014
My Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars OverallStory Rating: 3.5 of 5 starsNarration Rating: 3.5 of 5 starsFor original review see The Prism Book Alliance Blog onlineStory ReviewWhen Tanner Wallis meets Mason Seidel he is lying in a field, next to a dead cow, beaten, in pain and with not much to live for. The last few weeks have seen him assaulted, in hospital and mugged. When the initial confusion about whether or not he killed the cow is cleared up Mason takes Tanner home with him to his ranch to recuperate.Mason has lived on his own for 10 years but has returned to the family ranch to help after his father is incapacitated after a stroke.  The same father that disowned Mason and threw him out of the house for his sexuality and hasn’t spoken to him since. Needless to say there is an awful atmosphere at the Siedel ranch with everyone walking on egg shells and never mentioning the elephant in the room.This is a slow story with a slow burn romance. I liked both the main characters. Tanner is unsure of himself, constantly questioning himself and feels responsible for things that are out of his control. Mason has been treated poorly by his family in the past but he feels it is his duty to just pack up his current life after 10 years and return to look help. I felt like Mason should be applauded for walking back into an atmosphere that was so negative and hateful towards him.There was nothing at all likeable about Masons father. He was a conniving, nasty, bullying bigot. I found it quite hard to listen to at times. He destroyed any feelings of self worth that Mason had about himself. Thank god Mason had Tanner to turn to for some comfort and to let him know he was worth something. Masons sister was not much better!Regardless of the hatred around them the two men manage to not only start a relationship but provide each other with support. It’s not easy, it’s not quick and at times it doesn’t seem at all possible. Everything works out until Masons father learns about Tanner being on the ranch and then things change forever!Narration ReviewThis was the first book I have listened to narrated by Jason Clearfield and I have two opinions of it. When it is just the story being narrated you could not find anyone better. His voice is smooth and very easy to listen to just carrying the story along. I didn’t enjoy his depiction of individual characters quite so much. His tone altered and I felt the characters sounded much older than they were depicted, hearing Mason sound so old kind of threw me a little. That said I would certainly listen to this narrator again