Title: Ebb and Flow

Series: Love’s Charter 02

Author: Andrew Grey

Narrator: Greg Tremblay

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 5 hrs, 48 hrs

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (18th October 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts 

Blurb: To achieve happiness, they’ll have to find the courage to be their own men.

As first mate on a charter fishing boat, Billy Ray meets a lot of people, but not one of them has made him as uncomfortable as Skippy—because he’s drawn to Skippy as surely as the moon pulls the tides, and he’s almost as powerless to resist. Billy Ray has spent his life denying who he is to avoid the wrath of his religious father, and he can’t allow anyone to see through his carefully built façade.

Skippy is only in town on business and will have to return to Boston once he’s through. After all, his father has certain expectations, and him staying in Florida is not one of them. But he doesn’t count on Billy Ray capturing his attention and touching his heart.

Billy Ray doesn’t realize just how much he and Skippy have in common, though. They’re both living to please their fathers instead of following their own dreams—a fact that becomes painfully obvious when they get to know each other and realize how much joy they’ve denied themselves. While they can’t change the past, they can begin a future together and make up for lost time—as long as they’re willing to face the consequences of charting their own course.

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

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Ebb and Flow is the sequel to Andrew Grey’s Setting the Hook, the first two book in Love’s Charter series. Although this story is about a different couple’s courtship I recommend going back to listen to the first book, Setting the Hook, first to get a feel for the world, characters and overarching themes. One of the more fun aspects is that we get to catch up with the lives of William and Mike who we met in Setting the Hook. Those two guys have wonderful chemistry.

That said, Billy Ray (I know, sounds so hillbilly) and Skippy, the MCs of Ebb and Flow, also have wonderful chemistry. There is a lot of uncertainty on both sides and a boat load of emotion, but these guys work together so well, they have hot chemistry and they are just so damn sweet together.
Billy Ray is first mate to Bubba on a fishing charter boat (FYI and totally not a spoiler, Bubba got a promotion at the end of Setting the Hook). Billy Ray is stuck in a bad situation that he cannot help – his father is a small town preacher who is all about fire and brimstone. His father is over bearing, not only to his son but also to the locals (though no idea what the locals feel about that), and Billy Ray is resigned to the fact that no matter how hard he tries he will never meet his father’s lofty expectations.

On a charter, Billy Ray is drawn to Skippy (aka Harcourt Anson III, so snobby!). Skippy is in town from Boston for business, but he wants to make it fun. As a partner of his father’s law firm, his father works him all hours to the point of exhaustion and having zero time an actual life. And so we start, with instant sparks of attraction, the story of two guys unfortunately has to deal with the pressure of trying to please their impossible (and homophobic) fathers.

There is some slow burn and maybe some low key angst as Billy Ray and Skippy wallow in unrequited love. The guys are both worried about what would happen if they even thought of making a life together. Both of them expect retribution from their fathers, they do occur in different circumstances but overall, the story line for Billy Ray and Skippy is the same. Nonetheless, it was a joy to listen to them as they overcame their individual obstacles. I think that shared element both enhanced the story for me.

Greg Tremblay has done a tremendous job narrating both books in this series. His tone had me ensnared from the start. He conveyed the turbulent emotion of these troubled men so damn well.

For lovers of Andrew Grey, this story is another fantastic reason to love the man’s writing. If you started with Setting the Hook, you’re going to love Ebb and Flow. For me listening to the audio has enhanced the whole experience and enjoyment of this series for me.

Title: Setting the Hook

Series: Love’s Charter 01

Author: Andrew Grey

Narrator: Grey Tremblay

Genre: Contemporary

Length: 6 hrs, 22 mins

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (26th June 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Blurb: It could be the catch of a lifetime.

William Westmoreland escapes his unfulfilling Rhode Island existence by traveling to Florida twice a year and chartering Mike Jansen’s fishing boat to take him out on the Gulf. The crystal-blue water and tropical scenery isn’t the only view William enjoys, but he’s never made his move. A vacation romance just isn’t on his horizon.

Mike started his Apalachicola charter fishing service as a way to care for his daughter and mother, putting their safety and security ahead of the needs of his own heart. Denying his attraction becomes harder with each of William’s visits.

William and Mike’s latest fishing excursion starts with a beautiful day, but a hurricane’s erratic course changes everything, stranding William. As the wind and rain rage outside, the passion the two men have been trying to resist for years crashes over them. In the storm’s wake, it leaves both men yearning to prolong what they have found. But real life pulls William back to his obligations.

Can they find a way to reduce the distance between them and discover a place where their souls can meet? The journey will require rough sailing, but the bright future at the end might be worth the choppy seas.

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

Reviewer: Prime

Review: I will listen to or read anything by Andrew Grey, his stories make me laugh and/or make me cry and always have a whole lot of heart. All his characters are realistic with very human flaws and it’s always a pleasure to read and see them develop throughout the course of a story. To put it simply, he embraces the everyday differences, not everyone is perfect and that is the attraction. That being said, while I loved Setting the Hook, it wasn’t my favorite book by Grey. However, since I rate them all so highly, this is still pretty damn good. I enjoyed it from start to finish, devouring every single word hungrily.

William Westmoreland books the same fishing charter in Florida twice a year. He needs to get away from the hustle and bustle and the stress that comes from his life in Rhode Island. His parents – who at first are very unreasonable people with stupid high expectations – practically rule his life because of his devotion to the family business and always wanting to make them happy. He loves Mike Jansen’s fishing charter because it is the place he feel he can relax and be himself, at least for a little bit, while enjoying the beauty of being out on the water. He’s definitely attracted to Mike but not about to make any moves.

Mike on the other hand is a very stoic character. He supports his mother and daughter, not allowing any room for being himself – he fears that stepping out of the closet would ruin him. (Seriously, William’s father gives him some awesome advice to put things into perspective regarding this).

For me it is the narration that makes all the difference and makes me need to give this book a 5 star review. I’ve not heard an audio by Tremblay that I do not like and this was no different. Greg Tremblay does an absolute fantastic job, particularly of the tone and voice he gives to the character of William. He gives whole lot of feeling to the story, which I think I missed when I read the ebook of when Setting the Hook was first released.