Another roller coaster

My fellow reviewer called this book a roller coaster and I thought ‘yeah, that’s so accurate’. My mind kind of struggled to keep up sometimes because just so much was going on. As with other Gregory Ashe books, the mystery was brilliant. I didn’t see all the pieces until they came together at the end. And man, what a ride.

I’ll start with the improbable heroes. Auggie is an undergrad student and Theo is a doctoral candidate. Their initial relationship was frowned upon, but the campus has sort of moved on and accepted the two are together – despite the previous inappropriateness of the relationship and the not insignificant age gap. Auggie’s older brother in California – who is footing the undergrad studies in Missouri is, rightly or not, really annoyed. But he tries to be more understanding, especially when, in the middle of the book, Auggie comes home after having…broken up with Theo? Well, after a big fight.

Now, the improbability of this story starts immediately – the athletics director of the university tasks Theo and Auggie to find the missing football coach. Now, these two are eminently unqualified for the job. And the last two missing people they were looking for turned up dead.

Well, they hit the trifecta when the coach turns up dead.

But then there’s the missing laptop and, more importantly, his missing daughter.

Auggie and Theo just can’t give up and, as the mystery unravels, they meet more and more nasty people. I was also lulled by the fact these men aren’t law enforcement (Hazard and Somerset). Or professional detectives (North and Shaw). For me, the violence was completely unexpected. Then I thought, DUH. This is a Gregory Ashe book – of course there’s violence. It’s not gratuitous, but it is stomach-churning. And there are also traumatizing events that made me so very uncomfortable.

But that’s the brilliance of Ashe – I sit in the discomfort because I want to know how the story ends. I’ll sit impatiently waiting for the the next quarto book to come out on audio because I want to know what happens.

To cap off this review, I’ll just say how much I adore J.F. Harding. He’s brilliant as a narrator and uniquely qualified to bring these great stories to life. Well done and I’m so glad I listened.

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Intense and Wonderful

The Fairest Show is the third book in The First Quarto series, a contemporary romance series set within the world of Hazard and Somerset. This series stands on its own, but you need to read it in order otherwise you’ll be lost. Each book builds upon the next, although the main mystery in the book is solved by the end. I absolutely loved the mystery and plot of this book – I did not see it coming and loved that twist. Auggie and Theo’s relationship is also growing stronger and stronger – they are maturing not only as a couple but also as individuals.

The audiobook was narrated by J.F. Harding who does a superb job. I adore how he voices all the characters and really brings out their personalities.

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A tough and complex listen

I was given this audible book as an advanced listener.

To say that I enjoyed this audiobook does not accurately describe my experience. What I had for much of the book was a feeling of dread as to what would Auggie do next.

This time Gregory Ashe has Theo and Auggie pulled into the world of university football's darkest side for their sleuthing; which on more than one occasion puts them near to death and at risk of sexual assault. Could some of this be avoided? Possibly yes for most of us, but Auggie's increasing sense of self means putting himself forward to do the right thing even if there is the potential of harm to himself. This means faithful Leo has to stay by his side to stop this from happening.

The world of College sports is not shown in a flattering light, In fact, we are shown a dark world where we see what people will do to stay at the top and how others cater to their needs whether this is right or wrong. Power at all levels has been misplaced in its' execution. Gregory Ashe has drawn some of his darkest characters to date.

As well as the crime story, we learn a lot more about Leo and Auggie's backgrounds and this is essential in understanding why they do not react the same to a situation and why they need to open up more if a place of mutual understanding and respect is to be found. This means them exposing some of the hidden complexities of their lives, which is painful for them and us as listeners. We can see that the age difference can be a problem but that there is much more holding them back.

Once again Jeff Harding's narration is right on the money. His narration really embodies the characters.
As for Gregory Ashe, I hope he gives Auggie and Theo an easier ride in the next book

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A tough but worthwhile listen

Gregory Ashe isn't afraid to put his MCs into difficult circumstances, and in this book we see Augie and Theo putting themselves into some really reckless situations. Ashe's plotting is quite clear for these characters...when a normal person would walk away, Ashe forces Theo and Augie run into danger. This makes for a gut churning, angsty listen. The relationship is growing slowly and they're talking the time to get to know one another,which is refreshing.
I have to say that with an hour left to go August and Theo were in a horrific situation and I had to put the audio aside for a month before I was in the headspace to complete it. I really enjoy Ashe's writing and the fact it challenges me. JF Harding's narration is, as always, perfect 🥰

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