Handyman

Gay Romance

By: Claire Thompson

Narrated by: Josh Walker

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

What can a sophisticated Wall Street trader and a simple handyman possibly have in common?

Handsome, sexy and gay, Will Spencer uses and discards lovers as easily as he trades stocks. He is used to taking what - and whom - he wants.

Jack Crawford, a recently widowed handyman, never thought of himself as gay. Frightened by an erotic encounter years before, Jack has never embraced his deepest sexual longings. In an unlikely pairing, Will and Jack explore an incendiary relationship, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, always scintillatingly erotic.

Jack is forced to confront feelings he's hidden for a lifetime. Will is faced with something he isn't sure he can handle - love.

Warning: hot, delicious male/male erotic romance. Danger: explicit m/m sex.

©2015 Romance Unbound Publishing (P)2016 Mars Audio Books

Very sexy, yet deep

Such a great story, reminiscent of my own life. I'm sad I'm finished with the book, and will look for more by the author.

"I feel like singing"

this book was sooooo gooooooood. instead of the main characters just jumping into the bed with little thought, the author took the time to make them human, describing the thoughts that people really have when entering a new relationship, and there's even some social commentary which made me feel for them. very different from most stories I've listened to.

So glad to see this as an audiobook!

Jack was married to the first woman he had dated, his high school sweet-heart. On that fateful night she got pregnant and locked Jack into two decades plus of marriage. He wasn’t sad about this, loved his children and his wife, but he’d had other plans. Plans that never got to see the light of day due to his need to see his family get a good life.

Now she’s died of a sudden brain aneurism and his kids are gone to college and he’s alone and re-evaluating his life. Though he’s never done anything with anyone but his wife, he did have a moment with his high school buddy that ALMOST led to something.

When Jack meets the out and proud Will, the thoughts he thought he’d buried long ago surface, reminding him that at one time in his life he’d had a glimpse of passion and he’d like to explore that again.

Will is unsure what to make of Jack at first. He comes across as very straight, but occasionally gives him these glimpses. When, after some wine, Jack expresses a desire to see where things could go between them, Will has to decide if he’s willing to put his heart on the line because – by now- he really cares for Jack and he’d be devastated if he was just a failed “experiment”.

**

This was one of the first m/m books I’d ever read and I remember it fondly. I loved how Jack had led this sheltered life with a very cold (in bed) wife and now he finally gets to explore this other side of himself.

I didn’t love the ending. I wish we’d gotten to see these guys later down the road.
There is a super sweet valentine’s day that shows them a bit down the road on her web site. It's lovely!

All in all though, it has a lot that ticks my boxes, GFY/OFY, older MCs, gay virgin, lots of feels and an alpha male with an equally alpha lover.

4.5 of 5 stars

Audio:
Josh Walker is a new narrator to me and YUM he does a great job with Jack as well as Will. He was VERY easy to listen to and I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. I can see myself listening to this over and over and over…

Highly Recommended!

5 of 5 stars

Overall 4.75 rounded to 5 of 5 stars

Great story

I really enjoyed this listen. First let me say I have to disagree with the title and cover of this book. When I first saw it, it looked like it was a "porn without plot" about getting it on with the handyman. That is so far from the truth; this book is so much more. It is a story of two men fighting years of conditioning in order to love one another. One has major commitment issues and is only comfortable with random, nameless hook ups. The other was deep, deep in the closet without even knowing it and was married for over 20 year. The marriage was tragic and passionless, but he stuck with it because of his sense of obligation. This story is told in a very realistic way as the men seem to take two steps forward and one step back while struggling with their feelings and family. The only small criticism is I think the "L" word may have been said a bit soon. But it didn't really take away any of the enjoyment of the book. It had a great pace and the writing was beautiful. The narrator did a good job, especially with the couple of accents the story required. I wish he had distinguished the two MCs voices a bit more, but I think he got the emotions of the men correct. I think this should have been called something like "From there to Here"

It's about the romance

This is about a romance, it takes the time to build the character and has a good deal of back story. I will say it's more like a movie of the week story then a cable movie. If your in the mood for a solidly written sexy love story with meaning this will work. The narrator did a good job. The only reason this is not getting the highest marks is because it's not something I will listen to more then once in audio.

women should not attempt to write about gay males

I started out enjoying it. but as the story went on, even I grew annoyed at Jack's insecurities and stopping and stalling "during sex", and than breaking into a long drawn out explanation on why again "during sex"! Really?! No gay man EVER!! stopped in the middle of sex and started a discussion. but, when his character stopped during sex to describe the act itself, that's when I knew the author had to be female. I have read numerous gay stories and I must say y hat stopping while having sex to describe the sex as being so good, wait for it...that they wanted to sing!!!! yes, that's right. Hahaha! it was the most ridiculous passage that I've ever read; unless it was a musical, of course. I couldn't finish it. but, I must go now to write my own ovel, because apparently anyone can publish a novel these days. I have never read "gay erotica" that had so much talking and analyzing and talking; and more talking about sex! has she ever read a gay novel? it was terrible, just terrible.

Ugh

Sorry. Way too angsty for me. And the characters spent too much time in their heads instead of actually talking with each other.
Narrator was ok, but sounded a bit too old for these characters.