Title: Swann’s Revenge
Series: Dreamspun Desires 51
Author: Shira Anthony
Narrator: Peter B Brooke
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 5 hrs, 20 mins
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (23rd March 2018)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Blurb: Can a swan make peace with his ugly duckling past?
Chubby geek Jimmy Zebulon’s heart broke the day his high school crush, Danny Parker, looked on as his teammates tormented Jimmy. Fifteen years later, Jimmy is long gone, and from his ashes has risen Graham Swann, a movie-star-handsome law firm owner. Graham thinks Jimmy and his past are long forgotten – until attorney Dan Parker shows up for his first day of work.
Getting injured playing college ball was the best thing that ever happened to Dan. It turned his future in a better direction and allowed him to emerge from the closet that trapped him.
Graham wants to believe his childhood dream can come true, but he can’t bring himself to tell Dan who he really is – and their pasts might ruin any chance for a happily ever after….
Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Reviewer: Prime
Review: I approached this audio book with a little trepidation. Actually, make that a lot of trepidation.
I’ve recently had a rather, shall I say, mediocre experience with both author and narrator. Shira Anthony is a relatively new author for me, I’ve now enjoyed two out of three books I’ve reviewed. Likewise, for Peter B Brooke, I can’t remember the number, but I had one not so good experience and a few pleasant ones. And so, I cheated. I started to read the eBook to see how I would go before getting the audio. I am very pleased to say I was quite happy – with both the story and the narration.
Swann’s Revenge is very much an ugly duckling type tale. Graham Swann reinvented himself from the pudgy geek, Jimmy Zebulon, after a horrific time in high school. He had a massive crush on one of the star jocks, Dan Parker. But Dan had always stood and did nothing as Jimmy experienced merciless bullying from Dan’s team mates.
Now fifteen years later, Graham (Jimmy) has come a long way and turned his life around completely. It was so good to see that humiliated and bullied teen become such an awesome guy – sort of an F you to all bullies. He lost the excess weight, looks after himself well, has got a career that he has worked hard for and is insanely successful as the owner of law firm.
Things take a strange turn when Graham hires a new guy, who happens to be his high school crush, Dan Parker. Things have not entirely worked out well for Dan in some ways, an injury ended hopes of becoming a profession sportsman. However, the direct his life and career since took him has been nothing but great for Dan. Meeting his new boss, Dan is enchanted by the handsome man and is ready to do anything to take down his defenses and start something romantic. Dan doesn’t realize at all that Graham Swann is the kid he knew as Jimmy Zebulon – I mean, fifteen years later, he wouldn’t. But Graham has deep running scars from his time in high school and so Dan’s pursuit of the sexy guy is hampered without Dan realizing.
This is a super sweet book with a lot of heart. This is about redemption, getting over the past and finding (or rediscovering) love. That is exactly what I love about this story because the plot could have so easily become a horrible revenge story, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Dan also has a cute kid called Lacey and that was just the icing on the cake. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable and light-hearted read.