The Greek Tycoon's Green Card Groom by Kate McMurray Audiobook Review

Marriage gets less convenient when love is involved.

It started simple: Ondrej Kovac marries Archie Katsaros so Ondrej can stay in the US, away from his judgmental family in eastern Europe. Archie marries Ondrej in exchange for the money to bail out his failing company. It’s a fraud neither man is convinced he can pull off.

But as Archie introduces Ondrej to New York society and Ondrej proves his skill in the office, they start to discover a connection between them. Can they overcome the rocky foundation their relationship was built on, meddling immigration agents, gossip columnists determined to out their deception, and an aggressive executive set on selling Archie’s company out from under him? Only if they can prove to each other their love is worth fighting for.

Length: 5 hrs, 3 mins

Narrator: Rusty Topsfield

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Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible  ~  Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
McMurray has added an interesting twist to the green card marriage theme in The Greek Tycoon’s Green Card Groom. Not only are both partners in the marriage men, but the money exchange is far above the “going rate” and the American groom, by all appearances, doesn’t need the money. Unbeknownst to the public though, Archie Katsaros’s business is failing due to his father’s poor decisions. As such, both men have something the other needs – an American spouse for Ondrej and money for Archie’s business. What neither man knows is that they both want the same thing from their new spouse – the chance at a real relationship. Granted, in the beginning, the sexual attraction seems easy enough to admit to and indulge. Yet as they spend more and more time together at the office, at home, and in bed, they each learn that there’s more to the man he married than he ever expected to find or dared to hope for.

My biggest issue with the book was Archie. I understand wanting to protect one’s heart, but there are times when he is so bullheaded and convinced he’s right, that he forgets that Ondrej isn’t America. There was one scene when Ondrej was having trouble explaining himself, goes so far as to tell Archie that he’s having a hard time saying what he means, yet Archie gets his feelings hurt and sulks. That peeved me off, but what really ticked me off was that when Ondrej tried to explain it better, Archie blows him off, refusing to listen. It’s as though Archie forgets that despite Ondrej’s grasp of the English language, English is not Ondrej’s native language and things get lost in translation. As a man who engages in international business dealings, his failure to give his spouse the benefit of the doubt regarding his misspeaks seriously irritated me. However, despite Archie’s “the world revolves around me” attitude, the romance between him and Ondrej was enjoyable, once Archie got out of their way and let it finally happen.

In regards to the narration, once again, Rusty Topsfield has impressed me. I had completely forgotten who was narrating The Greek Tycoon’s Green Card Groom until I reached the end of the audiobook and it was announced again. His vocal talents are such that I don’t always recognize his voice and there have been times I haven’t been able to listen to an audiobook because the characters’ accents were too good, too realistic, and thus, too annoying (for me). Topsfield did a great job creating voices for Archie and Ondrej, as well as all the side characters, making this a truly enjoyable listening experience. I found The Greek Tycoon’s Green Card Groom audiobook to be very entertaining and I look forward to experiencing more of McMurray’s and Topsfield’s work.

Kate McMurray is an award-winning author of gay romance and an unabashed romance fan. When she’s not writing, she works as a nonfiction editor, dabbles in various crafts, and is maybe a tiny bit obsessed with base­ball. She has served as President of Rainbow Romance Writers, the LGBT romance chapter of Romance Writers of America. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Greek Tycoon's Green Card Groom by Kate McMurray, Narrated by Rusty Topsfield to read and review.

The Cattle Baron's Bogus Boyfriend by Nicki Bennett Audiobook Review

It might be a sham to his boss, but it's all too real to him.

Administrative assistant Jonah Hollis has nurtured a hopeless crush on his boss, millionaire cattle rancher Lincoln Courtwright, ever since he started working for him. But hope is kindled when Linc and beautiful rodeo star Melissa Cutler break up just weeks before the biggest event of the Dallas social season, the Cattle Baron’s Ball, and Linc asks Jonah to accompany him in her place.

Is it all a ploy to make Melissa jealous? Can Jonah fit into Linc’s world? It takes some encouragement from his roommates and his best friend, Caylee, for Jonah to agree. Before long, Jonah dares to believe Linc might just feel something for him… until interfering family and a series of misunderstandings threaten his fragile dream of happiness.

Length: 5 hrs, 15 mins
Narrator: Rusty Topsfield

Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible  ~  Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆
The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend is a M/M take on the classic romance theme of the wealthy boss falling in love with his secretary, who has been secretly pining for him. It makes for a sweet romance, but is relatively angst free other than the vindictive ex and the predictable “he’s a gold digger” accusation thrown in by Lincoln’s stepmother about Jonah. Because the romance is between two men, it enables Bennett to add a twist to the story regarding Jonah’s best friend, Caylee, but even that scenario is ultimately low angst. Although it’s well written, had I only read the book instead of listening to the audiobook, I would have given it 3 stars because while it’s entertaining and I did enjoy it, it didn’t grab me enough that it made a lasting impression.

For me, the narration made The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend truly enjoyable and is what earned the audiobook edition the extra star. With that said, Rusty Topsfield’s narrative talents were evident as he excelled at making it apparent when Jonah was speaking versus thinking to himself – which actually occurs a lot in the story. Initially I found Topsfield’s use of whispering to indicate Jonah’s internal monologue to be annoying, but as it became clear that Jonah internalized a lot – especially snarky comments – the whispering intonation became “my best friend” in the audibook as I would have been extremely lost as to when the young man was speaking versus thinking. Topsfield also does a great job of bringing the other characters to life and, as much as I disliked her, I thought he did a wonderful job of conveying the different sides to Eloise’s character, especially her change in attitude from her initial introduction to how she engaged with the other characters in the epilogue.

While I liked both Jonah and Lincoln, there were times that I found Jonah off-putting. Several times in the beginning of the book, prior to him learning that Lincoln was bisexual, he had to remind himself not to read anything into Lincoln’s praise and acts of kindness because his boss was straight so it couldn’t mean anything. Crushes are fine, it’s what provides fodder for our day dreams, but to need to remind yourself repeatedly that the object of your affection is straight and the guy is just being nice, well it just felt off to me, as though the author had forgotten she’d already given the reader that information. I’m not sure if it was Bennett’s way of laying the foundation for why Jonah reacted to Eloise’s vitriol as he did later in the book, but it felt overdone. Fortunately, the chemistry between Lincoln and Jonah was obvious and went a long way in combating Jonah’s insecurities. Overall, The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend was an enjoyable book that was, for me, made more enjoyable by Rusty Topfield’s narration.

Growing up in Chicago, Nicki Bennett spent every Saturday at the central library, losing herself in the world of books. A voracious reader, she eventually found it difficult to find enough of the kind of stories she liked to read and decided to start writing them herself.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of The Cattle Baron's Bogus Boyfriend by Nicki Bennett, Narrated by Rusty Topsfield to listen to and review.

Undercover Boyfriend by Jacob Z. Flores Audiobook Review

Two men, one lie, and a whole bunch of trouble.

Marty Valdez is in serious trouble. His sister’s wedding is around the corner, and everyone expects to meet Marty’s super-successful underwear model boyfriend—whom Marty invented. Now Marty has to produce a half-naked hottie or suffer the worst humiliation of his life.

FBI agent Luke Myers is in serious trouble. He’s been working undercover to take down a dangerous drug cartel, but his cover’s blown and he needs to disappear. Luckily, a geeky yet intriguing comic book artist gives him the perfect opportunity. Luke just has to pretend to be his boyfriend, and pretending is what he does best. But between Marty’s mother and his ex, Luke might’ve bitten off more than he can chew, and Marty’s knack for finding trouble might ruin more than just his sister’s wedding.

Length: 5 hrs, 51 mins
Narrator: Rusty Topsfield

Book 1
Buy Links

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Amazon Audiobook  ~  Audible  ~  Dreamspinner Press

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
I really enjoyed Undercover Boyfriend. Flores has penned an enjoyable romantic suspense story that contained just the right mix of romance and suspense for my tastes. Marty is an endearing young man whose tendency to fib his way out of uncomfortable and confrontational situations proves to be quite amusing and makes for a great setup for the book. As his sister’s wedding day quickly approaches, Marty finds himself in a pickle because he cannot produce the boyfriend he created shortly after breaking up with his then boyfriend, Christian, whom he’d found cheating on him… again. But when fate intervenes and Marty’s path crosses with Luke’s, an agreement is forged that may not only save the day for Marty, but also his heart and his life.

Despite the fact that the book takes place over a short period of time, Flores creates a connection between Marty and Luke that allows their “relationship” to progress quickly without it feeling rushed or based on insta-love. It’s actually quite impressive because more than once I found myself forgetting that they had JUST met days before, the connection between the two men was that solid – even if everything started out as a lie. While the storyline is outside the realm of the everyday, I still found it plausible. What better way to lay low after your cover’s been blown than to allow yourself to be “blackmailed” into posing as the made up boyfriend of the man whose car you were about to steal in order to flee the area. I could see a desperate undercover FBI agent who suspects a mole in his office taking advantage of such a situation presenting itself, especially when he can tell that his “blackmailer” doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body – and he’s kind of cute in a comic book geek sort of way. Luke was merely exchanging a sanctioned undercover assignment for an unsanctioned one. That the arrangement led to more than either man expected it to was extremely fortuitous for them, and me, because it made for an extremely enjoyable story. As for what transpired, you’ll have to read or listen to Undercover Boyfriend yourself as the romantic suspense angle features quite a tangled web of events that I’m afraid to mention any of the details for fear of revealing a spoiler.

I have to talk a bit about Rusty Topsfield’s narration. This is the second audiobook I’ve listened to that Mr. Topsfield has narrated, but I feel compelled to reveal that the first book I listened to was the one I listened to immediately before Undercover Boyfriend and I had no idea that I was listening to the same narrator. It wasn’t until I was writing up this review and pulled up my audiobook library to verify that this was the first audiobook narrated by Topsfield I had listened to, that I discovered it was not. Imagine my surprise to learn that I listened to two books, back-to-back, narrated by the same man, and had no clue. None. To say I was surprised doesn’t even cover it. But my shock didn’t end there, not at all. I also discovered that Topsfield had narrated another audiobook that, with the publisher’s permission, I ended up returning because he did such a good job with the characters’ accents, that I couldn’t listen to the book because after an hour, the accents were grating on my nerves. And again, I had no idea that it was the same narrator. Simply saying that Rusty Topsfield is a talented narrator is an understatement of epic proportions. His narration of Undercover Boyfriend made an enjoyable story a thoroughly entertaining experience and I cannot wait to check out more of his narrative talents.

Gay romance that is sinfully charming Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hardass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world. Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Undercover Boyfriend (One Fine Day #1) by Jacob Z. Flores to listen to and review.