OK until the end

Like other reviews I agree this could have been two different books; one about two men with social anxiety and one about two men on a farm building a life. I generally enjoy John Inman books. His writing is witty and smart with enjoyable characters. And that is what I thought this book would be . . right up until near the end. OMG I hated what happened to Stanley so much I can't even tell you. Yes he was an a**hole throughout the story, but my god no one deserves that. And the reaction horrified me even more, they laughed and treated it like a joke!! WTF!! And as a parent I can tell you that no matter how much of a jerk your child is, that is NOT what you would want to happen to them. So honestly that is the whole reason for giving this story 3 stars. The narration was pretty good; not a lot of diversity of voices, but the pace, timing and emotions were there.

3 people found this helpful

Another fun story by John Inman

Any additional comments?

I have some mixed feelings about this story. First, I love John Inman’s writing style. He makes it so easy to just jump right in to the mix and feel like you are part of the scene. Second, I thought the two MCs were hilarious and sweet and so cute together it almost gave me a cavity! Third, I didn’t mind their insta-love one bit. I thought it suited their characters and fit in with their own desperate need to find someone to be an anchor in their lives. But…

I really, really, really didn’t like the way Stanley was handled. First, the fact that Jerry was with him and he was such an obvious dick made me question Tom’s judgment- especially since apparently their “marriage” was dismissed so easily and casually by Jerry. Why, why, why would Tom still be Jerry’s friend??? It sounds like he was an idiot who dumped a wonderful guy (Tom) for a psychopath! Second, Stanley went from your basic home-wrecker to deranged, druggy, greedy psycho pretty quickly. Even his own father thought he was a dick. I would have appreciated just a little bit of explanation how Joe (super awesome dad) and Frank (the nicest guy in the world) could be related to the psycho. Finally, the pig eating the brother. ICK! I did not like that part at all. I was sad for his death and even sadder that no one else was sad. Sure, he was a dick, but really – he’s dead! And he’s Frank’s brother and Frank is a sweetie. I think Frank would be torn up more.

So… most of me simply loved this and found the quirkiness of the characters (especially the judgmental Pedro) to be hilarious, but I was a bit shocked by how Stanley was portrayed and a little put off by his demise.

I thought the narrator, Tommy O’Brien, did a nice job with the narration. Nothing too crazy or over the top, good at the pacing and mostly letting the story tell itself.

2 people found this helpful

Overcoming shyness with good lovin'... on a farm

I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. This book was fantastic. I am a sucker for anything funny, throw in a decent plot, and entertaining characters, and I'm hooked. Oh Tom and Frank, I don't know where to begin. I just think they both are utterly adorable. I can't recount the number of memorable moments that lightened my heart, or made me bust a gut. I LOVE FLAWED CHARACTERS. And these two were flawed beyond belief, but in cute, and meaningful ways. Another thing I loved about this book was the idea of comfort... we're always feeling our best when we're comforted by the familiar and such... So when someone who's very UNcomfortable stepping out of their comfort zone, is thrust into an environment WAY beyond his comfort zone, with a jerk named Stanley (I HATE that name. HA) it's bound for some hilarity.

I have to say I wanted more. Thanks John.

2 people found this helpful

Great Story

Narration was kinda bad. But the story itself was great. Something Wonderful at that. Fell in Love with Tom, Frank, and His Father.

1 person found this helpful

Don't 'Shy' Away From This One

Would you listen to Shy again? Why?

Yes. I plan to many times. It is a hilarious, but heartwarming story about two socially
disfunctional people who find each other and fall in love under very stressful circumstances. It hit all of my emotional buttons.

What did you like best about this story?

The love story was great, Pedro is adorable, but the coup de grace was Stanley's comeuppance.

Which character – as performed by Tommy O'Brien – was your favorite?

Frank's dad, Joe.

If you could rename Shy, what would you call it?

I can't think of a better title at this time.

Any additional comments?

The narrator used just the right tones to express what each character was like and I hope we hear more from him. John Inman is great. Please publish all of his book in audio format.

1 person found this helpful

Love this book

Well-written, totally believable. Will have you engaged for hours. Can’t wait to find other books by John Inman.

Best ending ever!

This is my second time listening to this book and that is a rarity for me. I loved it so much, I made both my Mom and best friend listen. the characters are so amazing and I absolutely love the animals having their own tiny voices. Or in Samson's case, not so tiny.

Love the story

I’ve never read a book by John Inman that I didn’t absolutely love. This one is no exception when I read it myself. Tom and Frank are both very lovable characters. Though they have insta-love, it seems enduring. The story gets much better when they get to the farm.
There are many laughs, as usual with a John Inman book. Some tears and very little angst.
The narration is awful. The characters aren’t given different voices and the funny, sad and sex scenes are read with all the enthusiasm and inflection of a rock. I’m just glad he hasn’t narrated any of Mr Inman’s other books.

Really nice story

What a great story. There were surprises, regreats, and conflicts. I thought the author did a wonderful job of drawing me into the story to actually care about the characters.

Narration was fine as well.

Best gay book I've ever read.

Oh my where do I start, this book was so amazing that I just couldn't stop listening to it. Lol. I loved the whole story and it was almost all predictable for me but the ending for "Stumpy" was shocking for me. I also loved the narrators voice. He sounded just as sexy as the characters he was reading about. Yum. Lol. I just wish it would have been longer that's the only thing I didn't like per-say, was that it wasn't longer.