Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He's made a fortune in
the competitive high tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He
believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the
only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In
the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is
more certain than ever he isn’t relationship material.
Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.
Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Book 3
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook ~ Audible ~ iTunes
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself. However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.
Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Book 3
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook ~ Audible ~ iTunes
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Okay, I’m writing this review in reverse because I usually address the story first and then talk about the narration. However, in the case of Nick’s story – and I just chuckled because I realized that Nick is the name of both the main character and the narrator, but I digress – addressing the narration is the easy part. Nick J. Russo did an outstanding job of bringing Nick, Wes, and the rest of the characters to life. I absolutely loved the character voice he created for Nick Jorgensen, the genius of which becomes glaringly apparent once Nick’s “secret” is revealed later on in the story – which is part of the reason the storyline portion of the review is a little harder for me to write. But, here it goes…
We met Nick in book one, Leaning into Love, as Eric’s business partner and former friends with benefits/lover. The Nick we meet in Leaning into the Fall is an entirely different Nick, but not really. Because Nick’s story is told from his perspective, we’re privy to more information about Nick than was shared in book one. Some of which left me wondering if Eric knew Nick as well as he thought he did, but I doubt it because Nick is ashamed of his “secret” and I imagine it was easier and more comfortable for him to let Eric and the rest of their circle of friends think of him as the quirky, absent-minded professor or as a self-involved asshole. And this is the point where I have to say that in book one, I agreed with the self-involved asshole characterization, but as I got to know the real Nick, I began to suspect what his secret was… before it became obvious that there was a secret. In fact, when Wes said those two words to Nick, I actually shouted aloud, “I KNEW IT!” because I’ve worked with people in Nick’s situation and the more I learned, the more I suspected. Of course, this made me want to champion for Nick even more than I already was. The misunderstood genius. The absent-minded professor. The man with a mission and a one-track mind. I loved him as all of those, but his “secret” made him and his plight even more meaningful for me. And as much as I loved Wes for not letting Nick’s quirks and behaviors send him running the other way, it also made my disappointment in him for throwing in the towel when he did, that much worse. In the end, it worked out as it should, but I felt my heart breaking right alongside Nick’s when Wes walked away and then stayed away. But the ending that Hayes has penned for Nick and Wes made it worth it, well worth it.
I’ve already listened to Leaning into the Fall twice, so it’s earned its 5-star rating because I also know I’ll be queueing it up again in the near future. But I had to listen to it a second time for this review because I felt compelled to go back and listen to Leaning into Love again to see where my opinion of Nick had gone so wrong. But it hadn’t because it was based on the Nick that Eric knew, not the Nick we meet in Leaning into the Fall. My advice for series listeners: Don’t re-listen to book one first. Go in without the refresh and meet the real Nick. Then go back to Leaning into Love if you want to do a series listen. I think you’ll appreciate Nick more that way.
Also Available in the Leaning Into Stories
Book 1
Buy Links
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon Au ~ Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook ~ Audible ~ iTunes
For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Leaning into Love Blog Tour.
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in an almost empty nest.
Connect with Lane
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Nick is an award winning narrator with a fan following for his work in fiction, specifically in the romance genre. His performances in two of Amy Lane's books, Beneath the Stain and Christmas Kitsch, made him the recipient of Sinfully M/M Book Review's Narrator of the Year – 2015. When he's not in the booth, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessica, and kids, (aka their beagle Frank and cat Stella), drumming in his cover band, exploring rural back roads with his wife on his motorcycle, or being enthralled in a tabletop role playing game with his friends.
Connect with Nick
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads
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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Leaning into the Fall (Leaning Into Stories #3) by Lane Hayes, narrated by Nick J. Russo to listen to and review for this tour.
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