as great as the ebook

The story is always full stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook. I can't listen to an audiobook without knowing the book, that's not possible for me.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. Michael Pauley/Dean is one of the 8 narrators (so far), I can listen without break and have no problems to follow. I'm just not yet finish with the book, just over the half, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B

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All the best tropes in a well-written story!

Grant has always had a crush on his older brother’s best friend and former pro baseball player, Ian. When Grant returns home from college, Ian offers him a summer job. This really worked for me. The tropes - age gap, closeted sports star, big family / small town community, brother’s best friend - are all very familiar territory but they worked well together in this competently crafted, engaging, and steamy story. Both men have baggage which they help each other overcome and I loved the unfolding chemistry between them. Michael Pauley / Dean is alway such a compelling audio narrator - he speeds up and slows down so expertly to pump excitement, sorrow, or happiness into the text ... I’ve already purchased the second audio in the series!

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The youngest Rainier finds his hea!

Grant has had a crush on Ian forever. Ian is his older brother’s best friend. He left his team after they left him out for being gay and goes back home. Young Ian has grown into a sexy man and Ian can’t ignore that, although he is still in the closet. Grant is such a sweetie, very smart and goes for what he wants. Even when Ian thinks he is a burden, Grant won’t let him bury his feelings. I enjoyed the narration, bringing the book to life in my ears.

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Ian and Grant - a great listening!

Ashton Cade is not an unknown author to me and I really like her writing style.
The prelude to the Rainier book series surprised me in a positive way. I totally enjoyed the book and was absolutely hooked after a few chapters.
This was due to both the captivating writing style, but also the wonderful characters that you quickly take to your heart - I liked Grant and Ian.

Grant had a crush on his brother's best friend before. Now that he has his college degree in the bag, he's coming back to his hometown, a small quiet town, for the summer. What he didn't count on is Ian, the former professional baseball player, who also wants to spend the summer in town. Ian offers Grant a job and finds that Grant has grown up. Grant, on the other hand, finds that his fascination with Ian is still there. But where do things go from here with the two of them?

I really enjoyed the development of Ian and Grant's relationship and the chemistry between the two. There were nice and funny moments, but also moments that were sad. And the closer the two get, the better you get to know the two men.

Michael Pauley narrated the audiobook and he is a master at what he does. He conveys the different emotions with his voice. Whether it's joy, anger, disappointment or jealousy, Michael brings those emotions to life. He also has a good rhythm when speaking and his intonations are in the right places. As an audiobook, the book is just that much more fun.

Highly recommend and I'm already looking forward to the next volume in the series!

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Summer Love

Letting Go is the first book in the Rainier Family series, a contemporary romance series set within a small town surrounded by a big family. Letting Go introduces us to the Rainier family when Grant comes back to Umberland after college. Grant’s expecting to spend a summer in Umberland visiting with his family and searching for a new job in the big city. What he’s not expecting is to start a summer fling with Ian, his brother’s best friend. Ian has recently retired from being a professional baseball player, but although he’s done with the limelight, soon he and Grant realize the limelight is not done with him. This was a fun and enjoyable book with great characters and exciting drama. I love the chaos the media storm brought and how the characters navigated that stressful situation. There was just the right amount of angst and sweetness balance which made this a successful romance in my opinion.

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Ian & Grant... YAY!

Mr Pauley made an excellent job on this narration. He was perfect at capturing the essence of the amazing characters in the story, their ups and downs, and the heartwarming moments between them. His general performance and voice and acting skills, complemented beautifully the captivating love story written by Ms Cade. He made something that seemed impossible: To make the best book in the series, the one that started everything, even better. A lovely narration for a lovely reading! It is a must have for everyone that loves little town romances with a lot of heart and sweetness. I smiled a lot, cried a little bit but in general spent a wonderful time, rereading my favorite book in the series!

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