Title: Heart Untouched

Series: Hearts Entwined 03

Author: Andrew Grey

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 5 hrs, 38 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press LLC (27th June 2019)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Prime

Blurb: An accident crushed Duncan’s Olympic dreams and landed him in a chair, but he knows it’s time to get his life back on track – and he has a plan in mind. Working with his friend Todd, an Olym-pic skeleton racer, on a promotional campaign will not only help Duncan regain some direction, but it’ll give Todd the financial boost he desperately needs. The sport Todd loves is draining his resources – so much so that he’s thinking of giving up racing just to make ends meet.

As the two men work together, their friendship blossoms into much more, and suddenly the future is looking brighter than it has in a long time. But just when love, happiness, and success seem within their grasp, the USOC steps in with plans to stop their campaign. That’ll mean an end not just to Duncan’s business, but to Todd’s dreams…and Duncan isn’t about to let that happen to the man who means everything to him.

Purchase Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK 

Review: Heart Untouched is the third book in Andrew Grey’s Hearts Entwined series. You don’t necessarily have to read the series in order. However, since the couples of the previous books feature heavily I think it would make more sense to read the series in order, but that is only my opinion.

Andrew Grey is a go to author for. I could gush for a long time about how much I love his writing. I love the knack he has to make deeply emotional characters, with equally emotional and relatable storylines. I also love the knack he has with characters which are either differently abled or single fathers – I’m truly a sucker for those types of books in general.

The audio narration was performed by Greg Tremblay. Tremblay is a brilliant narrator and I have enjoyed many of his performances of Grey’s work. I love how Tremblay enhances a book by just changing his tone, giving characters their own voices and sometimes making audio experience more relatable and easier to connect to characters than just reading the book.

Part of me was a little disappointed that I didn’t love the book as much as I normally would an Andrew Grey book, and I got no idea if there has to do with either the story itself or the narration. Nonetheless, this was still an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable read. I just hold Grey to higher standards, haha.

The story starts with Olympic skeleton racer, Duncan. Unfortunately, a major accident during competition has not only shattered his dreams of competing in the Winter Olympics, but he is also now confined to a wheelchair. Duncan is lost now, but his friend and one of his fellow skeleton racer teammates, Todd.

Being an Olympian is not an easy thing. Obviously, one has to be absolutely awesome at their chosen sport. But there is also the endless need for funding so that they can take months at a time to train and meet whatever other requires are set by the US Olympic Committee. Back home, Todd is making money but is feeling the noose of tight finances threatening his Olympic dream. Add to that his friend Duncan has had his life shattered, receiving very little help from the sport governing body that had dictated their lives for so long, leaving Todd with rather mixed feelings. But with Duncan struggling, Todd also needs to help his friend. Lucky for Todd he works as a mechanic for a man who employs both a blind man and a deaf man, so he has the support of his wider group of friends to help Duncan find his way through his new normal.

The romance between Duncan and Todd is sweet and slow-burning. The fact that these guys are friends and have great chemistry is a plus. While there were times where the story felt a little flat, it was OK because these guys felt like your normal, down to earth sort of blokes. This is a real sweet, heart-warming and generally just filled with hope.

Title: Heart Unheard

Series: Hearts Entwined 02

Author: Andrew Grey

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 6 hrs, 2 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (8th March 2018)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts

Blurb: The attraction between Brent Berkheimer and Scott Spearman peels the wallpaper, but Brent is Scott’s boss, and they’re both too professional to go beyond flirting. Their priorities realign after Scott is badly injured in an accident that costs him his hearing, and Brent realizes what is truly important…. He wants Scott.

Scott pushes Brent away at first, fearing a new romance will just add to his problems, but perhaps he will find unexpected strength and solace in Brent’s support as he struggles to communicate with the world in a new way.

Just as they decide the chance of a happy future together is worth the risk, Scott and Brent discover darker challenges in their way – including evidence that the “accident” Scott suffered may not have been so accidental.

Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: As I always say at the start of every Andrew Grey book review I write – I love Andrew Grey’s books. I find it so easy to connect emotionally with the words on the page (or in my ear in the case of audiobooks), as well as with the wonderfully flawed characters Grey introduces us to.

Heart Unheard is the second in the Hearts Entwined series. Heart Unheard is everything that I have come to expect from Grey’s books. This is a slow burn, sweet romance that is totally relatable. One thing that I really love about this series is that one half of the featured couple has some sort of physical disability, once again lending towards my thought that all the heroes are perfectly flawed.

Heart Unheard is about Brent and Scott, Brent is the manager of the garage where he and Scott work. They’ve been attracted to each other for years, however, Brent has worried over the fact that he’s Scott’s boss and that he is older. All that changes when fate steps in. Scott is injured in a car accident. He is lucky to be alive, getting away with only a brain injury that has caused Scott to become deaf. This brings Brent to his senses and what follows is a wonderful little romance of two ordinary guys dealing with a less than ideal situation. Scott is a survivor and he needs to learn that even though he doesn’t see himself as whole anymore, Brent doesn’t want to lose his chance for a happily ever after.

I’ve become familiar with Greg Tremblay’s narration through his work on a few other of Andrew Grey’s books. The timbre of his voice really does suit Grey’s writing and I like how he manages to get the tone of the characters, especially when they are going through trauma.

As I said, this is a sweet romance, there is plenty of emotion and love without the need for melodrama or unnecessary angst. I’m not a fan of books that make a song and dance out of age gaps (to me 10 years or less is not a big deal) and that is just another thing for me to like about this book. My only criticism I have of this book is that sometimes I thought the pace dropped off a little and I found my attention wandering. However, I feel that the narration made up for this and enhanced the slower sections.

Title: Heart Unseen

Series: Entwined Hearts 01

Author: Andrew Grey

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 7 hrs, 10 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (10th August 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: As a stunningly attractive man and the owner of a successful chain of auto repair garages, Trevor is used to attention, adoration, and getting what he wants. What he wants tends to be passionate, no-strings-attached flings with men he meets in clubs. He doesn’t expect anything different when he sets his sights on James. Imagine his surprise when the charm that normally brings men to their knees fails to impress. Trevor will need to drop the routine and connect with James on a meaningful level. He starts by offering to take James home instead of James riding home with his intoxicated friend.

For James, losing his sight at a young age meant limited opportunities for social interaction. Spending most of his time working at a school for the blind has left him unfamiliar with Trevor’s world, but James has fought hard for his independence, and he knows what he wants. Right now, that means stepping outside his comfort zone and into Trevor’s heart.

Trevor is also open to exploring real love and commitment for a change, but before he can be the man James needs him to be, he’ll have to deal with the pain of his past.

Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: I first read and reviewed this book when it was first released. I absolutely fell in love with the characters and their stories. Firstly, Andrew Grey is one of those authors I will read and/or listen to anything he writes. I love his relatable and perfectly flawed characters. I also enjoy that he often adds a kid into the story. His romances are sweet and well paced, no insta-love to be seen. To put it simply, he embraces the everyday differences, not everyone is perfect and that is the attraction. Part of these everyday differences is also that we have an MC in this book who is blind. I love reading these types of stories because the disabled characters are quite often the most strong and resilient and inspiring characters. Or they may be wallowing in self pity about some tragedy that happened to them, but as a reader we get to see them grow as love takes hold.

The story is about James and Trevor. James is the blind the MC. He’s fine with who is but being blind for most of his life meant, for him at least, that his social interactions with “sighted” people has been rather limited. The story highlights wonderfully just how dependent on touch James’s world is. James’s world is always ordered because that is the only way James can get by independently – nothing can be moved, he needs to accept help when he enters a new place, etc. Trevor, I suppose in my mind he is something of a gentle giant. He has his own sad story which makes his wary of love – his parents divorced when he was young, his mother died when he was still a teen. However, he has an awesome stepdad, Larry. I totally love Larry and his plotline!

Both guys are reticent in their own way, but it’s Trevor that needs to step up and make the first step. This is where I have to applaud Greg Tremblay’s narration. His voice is so natural and nails both James and Trevor’s story. This isn’t an angsty story or some quick insta-love story, this story has deeply developed characters and plot. I felt every moment and didn’t want the book to end! Trevor and James are wonderfully realistic and relatable – and they chemistry is off the charts. Any Andrew Grey fan will love this story. It’s full of heart, with a good dose of suspense and drama to go along with it.