Beautifully written emotional story ❤️

I absolutely loved this!
A beautifully written, expertly narrated, emotional insight into mental and physical health issues.
Aiden and Ludo meet at a time when they are both incapacitated. They form a friendship, with the delicate promise of more, when they are separated. Each to try and live their lives as best as they can.
A chance meeting brings them back together. That budding promise formed in a hospital ward,begins to flower. As it does,these two young men begin to accept and love each other for who they are.
I don't really like to give spoilers for books, I love it when readers or listeners, discover just how good a book or audiobook is.
And this is exceptional and I am definitely more than happy to recommend it.
This is the first book that I have listened to, narrated by Dan Calley and I must say that he has done a brilliant job. The subtle differences in the voice characters is superb. My only gripe,if you can call it one,is that I would have loved this book to have been longer.

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An Emotional Story, Nice Performance by Dan Calley

Absolutely lovely, what a story! So much emotion.
Both of these guys have heartfelt stories to tell, and watching them build their relationship over the course of the novel is a real experience.

Audio by Dan Calley who does a great job capturing all of the emotion. I love the variety of accents Mr. Calley uses, it really adds to the experience of this audiobook. Nice performance!

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His Love Comes With Acceptance.

MM, Contemporary, Romance. An edgy, sweet, witty story with tender tearjerker moments that makes for compelling listening. This story features two men that meet at a difficult time in their lives but realise that there's something there, some feeling between them...then they meet again! fantastic thought provoking story with angst and true love. Brilliantly narrated by Dan Calley.

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Angsty goodness!

Overall: 4.25 Stars!

I haven't read all that many books by Garrett Leigh, although her books in the Porthkennack series are my favorites in that particular universe, but after Kiss Me Again, I definitely will be checking out her previous works. 

This book is hurt/comfort at its best, with two broken main characters dealing with some heavy issues, especially Ludo, as he was bipolar. While I don't have deep knowledge about bipolar disorder, I found the story to be well-researched, interesting and heartbreaking. I think Ms. Leigh did a fantastic job at portraying both Ludo's episodes and Aidan's desire to make things better for him. Not that Aidan wasn't on quite a journey himself, seeing as the book starts right when Aidan suffers an accident that lays him up in bed with several injuries, including a broken leg, for which he eventually needs surgery and will never be the same after. 

Aidan is gruff and closed-off from his coworkers and his cousin, a byproduct of an abusive father, and he drinks quite a bit after being let out of the hospital, feeling sorry for himself. Ludo is a bit more open, but he's very self-conscious of his bipolarity and how difficult it could be for others to be with him while he's in one of his episodes. However, they bond while in the men's ward in the hospital and they help each other, maybe not heal, but start taking better care of themselves. It's a work in progress and I loved that it was very realistic in that sense. 

It took me a bit to adapt to Dan Calley's accent. I'm more used to the US accents, and English is not my first language, so Aidan's thicker accent was harder for me. Still, Dan's performance was really good and I enjoyed it a lot. I was really impressed that he could go from Ludo's more educated accent to Aidan's so flawlessly. 

Overall, this is an audiobook (and a story) that I have no trouble recommending.

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Wonderfully real and genuine

Garrett Leigh writes wonderfully down to earth stories. Ones that feel so real and genuine I can’t help but be pulled into them. It was the same with Kiss me again. I had to keep listening to know how the seemingly mismatched Aiden and Ludo find their way. This story does not hold back. It gives the reader a glimpse into all the human frailties both of them have. I was sorry when the story ended. Dan Calley is fast becoming my choice for any British based story. His voice has the smoky grittiness to it that makes the characters three dimensional to me.

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Sets the bar high to my Garrett Leigh experience

Garrett Leigh is not a new to me author. I’ve seen her around and I’ve featured her books here on the New Release Blitz. Kiss Me Again is my first official book from her. I’m so happy I finally took the plunge!

This is a story of two people who made each other’s life just a little bit more extraordinary. Ludo and Aidan were both complex characters fighting their own battles. I loved how they lend each other their strengths. They were drawn towards each other the first time they met in the hospital. They were never the same since.

The author was able to bring the two men to life in a way that completely captivated me. I loved how their connection was established and how it blossomed into something selfless and unconditional. I was rooting for Ludo and Aidan all the way and not just their romance.

The story takes the reader through a gamut of emotions. There were the beautifully written hospital scenes where I was so sure things were going to go well only for it all to disappear. There was the painful separation and the fateful reunion that seemed almost unreal. That’s only the first parts.

This is a highly emotional book without any unnecessary drama. We spent a lot of time in Ludo’s and Aiden’s head. There were a lot of angst, doubts and pain but there was never a moment when it became melodramatic. Every emotion was played just right. I greatly appreciated that there were no petty misunderstandings used as a plot device.

I was also super impress with how Ludo’s mental condition, bipolar disorder, was portrayed in the story. It’s a struggle that hits close to home. I know that one’s experience with the condition is different from another’s but all in all, Leigh was able to write about it with accuracy and respect. I especially liked how the story emphasized that Ludo is so much more than his bipolar disorder.

Narrator Dan Calley is a new to me narrator. At first I was confused with his voices for Ludo and Aiden because they sounded very similar so I didn’t know who was talking. Later on, I grew used to his style, plus the story was really outstanding, that I didn’t mind the similarity too much. More importantly, he hit the right notes when it comes to the emotions of the characters. I also enjoyed the accents.

Kiss Me Again definitely sets the bar high to my Garrett Leigh experience. If this is how good her books are, I really, really need to get my hands on more.

Recommended if you like intense, angsty stories about grumpy tree surgeons with big hearts and battled-scarred survivors with beautiful souls.

P.S.

Thank you to Signal Boost Promotions and Audible UK for giving a me copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

Soundtrack: All The Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands
Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: Seven Swans

check out more reviews and giveaways on my blog: http://neverhollowed.wordpress.com

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Trust and Love

Kiss Me Again is a beautiful and emotional book that deals with some heavy issues. Aidan is an arborist who ends up in the hospital when a freak accident sends him hurdling thirty feet from the top of a tree to the hard concrete below. Stuck in a hospital, miserable, and feeling like he’s lost control of his life, Aidan meets alluring Ludo, another man stuck in the hospital with him. Aidan and Ludo have instant chemistry, although they don’t realize that’s what it is at first. All they know is that they are drawn to each other. Ludo is battling his own demons. He’s bipolar and alone except for his dog Bella. Until Aidan comes into his life. Both men have to figure out how to adjust to being in a relationship with each other, but the sacrifices and compromises are worth it.

There are so many wonderful things about this book. First, Garret Leigh is an incredible writer who builds and develops his characters with care and makes them feel genuine and real. The plot pacing and transitions were superb and the entire writing style was smooth and a joy to read. Second, he tackled mental illness with respect and understanding. Ludo didn’t suddenly become better because he fell in love with Aidan. Aidan wasn’t a band-aid that “fixed” Ludo. Instead, Aidan and Ludo became a team with both of them learning how to work with each other and support each other through their highs and lows. And lastly, the romance was gorgeous and their relationship just kept growing in these sweet and tender layers. It was quite lovely.

Dan Calley narrated the audiobook and he was a perfect fit for these British characters. Dan has a wonderful deep and resonating voice that really embodied the characters. I had no issues telling the difference between Aidan and Ludo and all the other characters. It was a real pleasure to listen to this audio performance and sink into the story. The audiobook production was well done and there were no glitches or errors.

I highly recommend this book.

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An unusual pairing in a very down to earth story

Story: Garrett Leigh wrote a very down to earth, gritty story of two complicated men trying to get by. There is no sugarcoating their surroundings and issues, and I really appreciate how much more genuine the story is thanks to that. The intricate details of the MCs' mental states and challenges are really well described, guiving the reader a great chance to really understand their interactions and behaviors.
Narration: Dan Calley has a very deep, pleasant voice. I am not a native English speaker, so it took quite a while for me to get used to the accents. The narration is true to the characters and I do appreciate that. The only beef for me is that I had a hard time differentiating the speakers multiple times. I usually prefer a bit more of a distinction between the voices used, as it's not always easy to just go by accent intricacies alone.

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Painful and yet joyful

I’m always hesitant to read books with main characters who have a mental illness. I’ve read some truly horrific books where the inaccuracies piled up, and nothing was authentic. Where the characters were defined solely by their illness and that wasn’t even portrayed accurately. I’ve read stories where the only options are apparently suicide or a total cure. A total cure would be great, but often not realistic. If someone is suffering from depression that is treated early and is transitory, that’s one thing. If a character has severe PTSD, it’s not going to turn around because they fall in love.

As someone with diagnosed bipolar, I am truly appreciative of authors who do the research and accurately portray the illness. I understand each person’s experience is different, and mine won’t mirror each character’s, but there is an authenticity that can ring true when the author has done the work.

Garrett Leigh had obviously done the work from her book Kiss Me Again. I loved this book. The story was great, but the characters pulled me in and held my attention.

Aidan lives a simple life. He’s an arborist who spends his days amongst the trees he loves. He’ll head to the pub for a pint, but other than that, he’s a solitary soul. Man, could I relate to that. Doing something I love and then coming home to be alone at the end of the day. He seemed quite content with his life until it all went sideways. An serious accident lands him in the hospital where he’s incapable of doing anything except enduing the pain, and wanting to get out as soon as he can. He’s facing a huge uphill battle to return to some semblance of normalcy – if it’s even possible – but he has his faculties about him, so that’s something.

Ludo is in the hospital because they need to fix a previous physical injury. The doctor is also monitoring his meds, ensuing compliance. Ludo doesn’t like the side effects, so he’s not always taking the dosage he needs. I can understand that. Drugs meant to stabilize the mind can have side effects that, in that moment, feel worse than the illness. Plus, when you’re feeling better, your mind tells you that you no longer need the drugs. Society also often sends that message. If you just have a better attitude, you won’t need the meds. Ludo is lucky he has a good team behind him. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have setbacks.

While the two men are in the hospital, they cross paths. Ludo is, ironically, the more lucid of the two and he takes it upon himself to help the cute man who can’t do anything for himself. The nurses aren’t pleased, but Aidan finds this younger man fascinating. He’s appreciative of someone who knows how things work, since he’s never spent time in the hospital. One day, though Ludo is gone. Aiden figures he’ll never see the man again and it seems like that’s that.

Of course they do cross paths again, only it’s a few months later. Ludo is fairly stable on his meds, and Aidan is on his way to recovery. Once they make the connection, things move from there. This is a slow burn book, as it needs to be. Aidan worries about upsetting Ludo and is willing to take all the time in the world. He just wants to spend time with the younger man. As for Ludo, he has his mind to contend with:


Deja-vu often haunts me. Keeps me awake at night. Takes my days with doubt. But I like it with Aidan. It’s as if there are whole parts of our friendship that might come back to me later. Like shoring up my stash of medication for a rainy day.

I don’t need space. But that’s not true. A valium and a top-up dose of him hasn’t changed the fact I’m frightened of how much I like him. “I’m sorry,” I say instead.

“It’s okay,” he says. “You don’t owe me your time. I was just worried in case you needed me.”

I start to say that I don’t need him – that I can’t need anyone ever, but that’s a lie too, because I do need him. I needed this. The quiet conversation that doesn’t have to make sense. “Sometimes…sometimes I get a bit lost in my own head. I’m scared of things I like in case I lose them.”


I understand that battle. When things are going well, you wonder if it’ll end or if this will be the new normal. You wonder if maybe this time it’ll work out. You wonder if you can be stable enough to have a normal relationship.

This book offered no easy solutions, which I appreciated. It was a journey of exploration where Aidan is taking time to get to know Ludo, and Ludo is learning how to let someone in. He’s been alone for a long time and isn’t used to getting help from anyone except his medical team. Allowing Aidan to see him when he’s manic is a huge deal. Accepting Aidan’s help is something he probably never envisioned doing. But sometimes we meet the right person at the right time and everything falls into place. Even those of us with a mental illness deserve love and happiness.

On that note, I want to move to the narrator, Dan Calley. I’ve listened to a number of Dan’s books and I have to say I’m enjoying his performances. He has a deep and resonant voice that works for these men. He differentiates the characters perfectly and gives each a slightly different accent. For some listeners the differentiation may be too subtle, but it worked for me. Plus, I love Brits.

This book was the real deal for me. I was pulled into Ludo and Aiden’s worlds quickly and my attention was held. I’m glad I listened and I look forward to more from both Ms. Leigh and Mr. Calley.

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