Life after Joe

By: Harper Fox

Narrated by: Sean Crisden

Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

It's not the breaking up that kills you, it's the aftermath.

Ever since his longtime lover decided he'd seen the "heterosexual light", Matt's life has been in a nosedive. Six months of too many missed shifts at the hospital, too much booze, too many men. Matt knows he's on the verge of losing everything, but he's finding it hard to care.

Then Matt meets Aaron. He's gorgeous, intelligent, and apparently not interested in being picked up. Still, even after seeing Matt at his worst, he doesn't turn away. Aaron's kindness and respect have Matt almost believing he's worth it - and that there could be life after Joe. But his newfound happiness is threatened when Matt begins to suspect Aaron is hiding something - or someone....

©2010 Harper Fox (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Disappointed that I couldn't get into the story.

I never felt connected to the MC's and the writing was too descriptive and dragged the story out. The narration was ok, but a little too deep, the MC's sounded like old guys. But I did keep listening to see what would happen.

Charming!

A short book, but charming as are all of Harper's stories. The narration is very Scottish, but also understandable.

Great Performance

The story was a bit sketchy at times, but none-the-less engaging. This was a total surprise performance fo Crisden. He is always a master of characters, but an entire performance with believable accents and brogue!

love the story, not the narration

I own both the text and audio versions of this story. Although it's a short story, it's still one of my favorite of all romances. Harper Fox is a very talented writer -- and you can see that here in her depiction of Matthew's despair and desolation, as well as in the vivid descriptions of Newcastle, the helicopter, and the oil rig in addition to the romance itself.

Unfortunately, the narrator doesn't do any justice to this great story. He is working hard to present a "Geordie" (Newcastle) accent, but it's pretty obvious that he isn't a native (I've been listening to a lot of genuine Geordie accents, and this one just doesn't cut it). And in his attempts to replicate that accent, the narrator has completely forgotten about the character of the story. Matthew, the main character and narrator, is in the final stages of complete disintegration -- he's coming apart at the seams. As another character tells him, he's "in bits". Yet the narrator here makes Matthew sound nearly cocky and bouncy. It's all wrong. And it's quite disturbing to hear a fine story being distorted in this way.

My advice is to stick with the text version on this one. If you appreciate good writing, you should check it out. Don't give up on Harper Fox just based on the bad narration here.

Good Story, Terrible Narration

Would you try another book from Harper Fox and/or Sean Crisden?

I love Sean Crisden, but I'm just not sure this is the same Sean Crisden I love. This was terribly difficult to understand.

What didn’t you like about Sean Crisden’s performance?

Very hard to understand

so good!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This was absolutely wonderful. Even though this was a short novella, it had so much heart and emotion. It was a bit angsty, sure, but that just made the happiness the main characters were able to find sweeter. And initially the narrator was a bit difficult to understand, but I quickly adapted, and I DO have to give the narrator a lot of credit for really putting his heart and soul into this narration. He breathed a lot of life into an already great story.

Enjoyable (extra angsty!) story

I really like Harper Fox and this was one of her first stories. It's heavy on the angst but I like that. I did not have any problem with Sean Crisden's narration. He is generally a good narrator and came through on this one too. He isn't actually Scottish but sounded a lot more like it than others I've heard on audible. To an American ear it can be difficult to understand at first but you get used to it. I don't at all think that Sean Crisdens performance detracted from the book. And since the characters are Scottish I would have been perturbed if the narrator had spoken in an American or British accent.

I tried I really tried !

I wanted to like this because I like Harper Fox and I like Sean Crisden ... but wow. I couldn’t . I just can’t make up my mind if it’s the writing or the narrator’s focus on the accent but ....
You know how when you you’re walking down hill and suddenly you’re going to fast and you struggle to figure out if you should give into the momentum or stop .. that’s what listening to this book was like ... the narrator’s tempo was just like that ... quick and then stop and I KNOW it’s partially the writing because there are details that are thrown at you like a mud pie and before you have time to register their meaning it’s over and something new is happening . For example .. he’s walking in the moor and then BOOM he’s engaged in a sketchy sexual act . But I’m thinking maybe the narrator is so focused on the accent he doesn’t pause where the action needs it.

Short but impassioned and beautiful

I love the author, and have read nearly all her books. This one was similar in quality. It was a rich story told succinctly.

great gem

If you could sum up Life after Joe in three words, what would they be?

Like opening a gift box to find a diamond, rather than a tie. great characters , altho I have to confess the first audio scene bothered me and I almost gqave up , not into exhibitionism etc. but wow once it progressed and I learned the reasons behind the occurrence; I'm glad I pressed on. It was a gem

What other book might you compare Life after Joe to and why?

trick of time. It had the same surprise under the wrapper. believable characters and strength in the story

What does Sean Crisden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

wow who knew how many accents he has. Great job , he brought the characters alive, didn't just read it, felt as tho he lived it as he read. fantastic treat

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

the flight to the sea platform. the realization one JUST must be there, that AH-ha movement and the reunion of the two. just felt believable , he hope the relief and the joy , when one Is willing to risk everything to reach their loved one.

Any additional comments?

over all it grabbed me emotionally. Brought alive the feelings of loss, betrayal, and the beauty of true love, for the first time.