Leaning into the Look by Lane Hayes Audiobook Release Blitz

Grant Kostas made a career based on his looks before joining his family’s real estate firm. He may not love his job but he’s better at sales than he thought. And when he’s poised to bring in the biggest account of the company’s history, even his father is impressed. Unfortunately, the extra attention highlights Grant’s personal life. His parents accept that he’s gay. They just wish he’d meet a nice Greek man.

Miles Harrison is a fabulous red head going through a rough patch. Between getting dumped by his long-term boyfriend and finding a new place to live in the city, he’s nearing his wits end. He’s not sure why he thought rooming with his boss’s friend was a good idea. Miles has had a crush on Grant for years. However, he knows attractive people aren’t always pretty on the inside. As the two men grapple with external problems, they form an unexpected bond of friendship and trust that feels like the real thing. The only way to know for certain is to let go of fear and lean into the look.

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins
Narrator: Nick J. Russo

Book 6
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I stopped short when we reached the other side of the street and then backed him against the brick façade of a bank building and pressed my lips over his. It was a bold move and not one I’d ever tried on any man in public before. But I couldn’t help myself. It felt oddly freeing to share one of the bleaker parts of my past with him. I wanted to thank him somehow but that seemed awkward so I kissed him instead. I held his head and glided my tongue alongside his, loving the moment when he flung his arms over my shoulders and responded with fervor. When we broke for air, I rested my forehead on his and grinned.

“Your ass is pretty spectacular too, Mi.”

He chuckled good-naturedly. “Thanks.”

“No really. I think I’m love with it.” I lowered my hands down his back and squeezed his cheeks as I molded his pelvis to mine.

“That’s kind of romantic. But if you’re thinking about falling in love with me too…don’t.”

I backed up slightly to get a better look at him. “Okay. I won’t.”

“Pinky promise.” He held up his right hand and wiggled his fingers.

“What makes you think you’re so irresistible?” I asked, wrapping my pinky finger around his.

“I’m not and you’ll figure it out sooner or later. But I like you and I want you and…”

“And what you’re really saying is you don’t want to fall for me.” I kept my tone light, hoping a jocular vibe would steer us from turning this into an uncomfortable conversation.

“Maybe.”

“Look, Mi. I’m not—”

“No. Listen. Don’t make this into a big deal. It’s not. We’re going to have a grand adventure. Just me and you. We’ll do incredible things and have amazing conversations and lots of sex. And when it’s time to say good-bye, we won’t ruin it by pretending we were ever in love. What do you say?”

Nothing. I had nothing to say. All I could think was maybe he really was crazy because who said shit like that?

But when I looked past the lighthearted swagger I saw the cracks in his armor. He was scared and battered and raw on the inside. Kind of like me. And somehow I had a feeling it wasn’t an ex-lover that made him so cautious. I only knew he was right. We were a couple of oddballs who unexpectedly found ourselves inhabiting the same circle. Temporarily.

But love? I should have walked away. Or at the very least, laughed at his wild leap. Instead I cocked my head and squinted. “What kind of adventures?”

Miles grinned. A slow-moving, gorgeous upturn of the lips that morphed into something celestial. He literally took my breath away. I hoped the dizziness faded before I gave him a reason to think it was a good thing he’d issued a warning about getting too attached.

“All kinds! We’ll turn this town upside down being one hundred percent ridiculous.”

“Okay…” I gave a half laugh and pushed a stray lock of hair behind his ear. “What do you have in mind? Dancing, parties—”

“No. More like Trivial Pursuit marathons, Netflix binge-watching fests in our Pjs, the compare and contrast game and—”

“The what?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll have fun. You’ll see,” he assured me earnestly as he laced our fingers together and pulled me away from the wall.

I glanced down at our joined hands and briefly thought about joking that he should be careful about giving me mixed signals. But I knew my limits. My comedic timing was crappy and the last thing I wanted was to push him away. I might not love Miles but I liked him. A lot. And holding his hand while we wandered through town under a sea of rainbow flags on a random Sunday felt special. The way new beginnings sometimes did.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
Since getting to know Grant a little better in Josh’s book, Leaning into Touch, I was excited to cue up Leaning into the Look. Being as I didn’t read the blurb beyond learning it was Grant’s book, my excitement ratcheted up when I realized Miles was being positioned as his love interest. Normally, I would have carried on and enjoyed the ride, catching up with the other couples while watching Grant find his Mr. Right, but I HAD to run over to Audible to skim the blurb to make sure Miles had indeed been tapped for the role. I’ll admit to engaging in “goody, goody” hand claps and a massive grin before resuming the audiobook. I’ll also admit to having my exuberance dashed just a bit when Eric revealed why Miles was back on the market, even more so when he revealed he’d discarded his signature fashion accessories. Poor Miles. Yet I sallied forth, knowing that Lane Hayes would make it all work out in the end. And I was not disappointed, not one bit.

While it becomes apparent as the story moves forward that Grant’s friends know him very well, with most of their circle having had front row seats to more than one of his low points, Hayes has managed to keep Grant even more of a mystery than I ever expected. For the most part, Grant appears to be a dutiful Greek son whose life choices have been guided by and for his family and the family business – with Steroid Steve from Leaning into Touch being the break in that public persona. But as Leaning into the Look is told from Grant’s point of view, giving us access to his inner thoughts and demons, it becomes obvious rather quickly that how he presents himself to those outside of his family and inner circle of friends is one heck of an act. To put it simply, the boy is a mess. And that turns out to be something he has in common with Miles – the disparity between the public persona and the inner turmoil is tremendous and unexpected. Few people would suspect a former underwear model would have self-esteem issues, but Grant’s head is a minefield of self-doubt. That Grant sees a kindred soul in Miles, someone who is by no means perfect, yet is perfect for him, is what made their love story so believable for me. Listening to these two navigate a relationship they agree not to have yet can’t seem to avoid was a delight.

Also unexpected was the level of heat that Hayes unleashed this time around. I’ve found each of the couples’ bedroom gymnastics to be steamy, but Grant and Miles seemed to raise the bar… a lot. Maybe it was the naughty nature of their first hookup or the secret nature of their continued liaisons, but the sexual chemistry between these two was just so much hotter than the previous couples – and that heat was ratcheted up by Nick J. Russo’s performance. Russo always does a wonderful job at the mic, but he shined at capturing both men’s vulnerabilities, strengths, and sensuality. I actually had to stop the audiobook while listening to it at work because it got steamier than I expected… and I listen via earbuds, so it’s not like anyone was going to overhear. Cold drink and a fan, anyone? I was particularly impressed with how well Russo conveyed Grant’s frustration and desperation the night Tom showed up for dinner. Hayes penned one heck of a come-to-Jesus scene and Russo proved he was up to that challenge. Seriously, that scene wouldn’t have played out half as exciting in my head had I read the book instead of listening to the audiobook. It was so well done, I wanted to give Grant a standing ovation after he lost it. I’m already looking forward to listening to Leaning into the Look again… and again… and again. This entire series is on my re-listen list as I love spending time with the guys and watching them find their other half and right now, Grant and Miles are my favorite couple.

Also Available in the Leaning Into Stories

Book 1
Audiobook Buy Links

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Ebook Buy Links

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For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Leaning into Love Audiobook Release Blitz.

Book 2
Audiobook Buy Links

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Ebook Buy Links

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For reviews & more info, check out our Leaning into Always Audiobook Review post.

Book 3
Audiobook Buy Links

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Ebook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Leaning into the Fall Audiobook Blog Tour.

Book 4
Audiobook Buy Links

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Ebook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Leaning into Touch Release Blitz.

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 won first prize in the 2016 and 2017 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly 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.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Leaning into the Look (Leaning Into Stories #6) by Lane Hayes, narrated by Nick J. Russo to listen to and review for this tour.