Title: Blue Days
Author: Mary Calmes
Series: Mangrove Stories, #1
Narrator: Greg Tremblay
Length: 2 hours and 49 minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (01-13-15)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: Falling for a coworker is rarely a good idea, especially for a man getting a last chance at salvaging his career. But from the moment Dwyer Knolls sees the beautiful, but socially awkward Takeo Hiroyuki, he seems destined to make bad decisions.
Takeo’s life is a string of failed attempts to please his traditional Japanese father. Unfortunately, succeeding in business turns out to be just as difficult for Takeo as changing from gay to straight. In fact, the only thing Takeo seems to truly excel at is taking notice of Dwyer Knolls.
When Dwyer and Takeo head to Mangrove, Florida on a real estate buying trip, their tentative friendship combusts and becomes much more. Is their sudden connection real enough to bank their futures on, or should they chalk the whole thing up to the daze inspired by the blue ocean breeze?
Purchase Link(s): http://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Blue-Days-Audiobook/B00S5DZELY
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6050
Review: Dwyer Knolls already has one foot out the door when his company is re-envisioned by its Japanese owner. While Dwyer is elated he gets to keep his job, he’s a little miffed that he isn’t partnered with the mysterious and brooding son of the owner.
Regardless of partners and pairings, Dwyer seems to have a way with Takeo that no one else does, the two become friends of a sort all while they both harbor feelings for the other. A business trip to Mangrove, Florida changes everything, and these two become lovers in the time it takes to slam the bedroom door.
They can’t hide out in Mangrove forever, and a phone call from Takeo’s unreasonable father threatens to burst the perfect little bubble they’ve surrounded themselves with. Life offers them a reprieve and while Dwyer knows he wants to keep Takeo where he has him, in his life and in his bed, he’s not quite sure Mangrove is the place to do that.
Calmes has laid the foundation for another amazing series of stories all about love and acceptance. I especially like the tie in with Aaron of Duncan from the Matter of Time world. Calmes has a knack for pairing polar opposites and making the road they travel to happiness, while often times bumpy, believable, and attainable.
Now we have the marriage of Calmes writing and Greg Tremblay’s narration, I assure you its perfection. Tremblay is very fluent with Asian cultures, phrasings, nuances and the language. His voice flows seamlessly from Dwyer with his dry, witty sense of humor to Takeo and his abrupt, unflinching attitude. But I think my favorite aspect to their relationship was the bond of communication they built before they became lovers.
Short, sexy, fast read that had me smiling the entire time.