It Was Always You

By: L.A. Witt

Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo

Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Tyler Schaeffer’s whole world has been yanked out from under him. Job? Gone. Marriage? Kaput. With nothing to keep him in Chicago, he’s headed home to Seattle to lick his wounds and start over. To his surprise, his high school best friend—the man he ghosted five years ago—swoops in to help him pick up the pieces.

Justin Tucker still stings over Tyler vanishing, but when his old friend needs help, saying no is out of the question. Justin’s got a spare room, and he’ll do anything he can to help Tyler get back on his feet.

As the guys find their way back to friendship, Justin’s old feelings find their way back to the surface. He long ago made peace with Tyler being straight, but that doesn’t make twenty years of longing any easier to bear. Now he’s wondering if he can really handle having the man of his dreams living under his roof and out of his reach.

Except maybe Tyler isn’t as far out of reach as either man thinks…

©2018 L.A. Witt (P)2018 L.A. Witt

Best by far

OMG. So excellent. The balance the story the performance.

Some of l a Witt’s books are over balanced on way too similar slight variations on sex scenes.

This was an elegant balance of story romance sex and joy. Amazing!

This audio book

The narrator as usual is awsome, I love!!!!! this mans voice, can't get enough of him.

Best Friends to Lovers

I enjoyed listening to this book. It’s about best friends Tyler and Justin who drifted apart for years because of Tyler. But when Tyler’s marriage and career fell apart, it was Justin who anchored him.

This story is low angst, high in snark & steam level is medium but the story pacing is great.

Between LA Witt’s writing and Michael Ferraiuolo’s narration, this book is all sorts of awesome.

OMG this audio is fantastic!

I am in love with Michael Ferraiuolo's audiobook performances. I have yet to listen to one that wasn't a 5 for me for his performance and he will often times elevate a so-so book from a 3 or 4 to a 5 overall. I think that he and L.A. Witt make the perfect couple. (Don't tell her husband, Eddie. 😊) OK, maybe change that to the perfect pair? 😊

It Was Always You is a sort of a second chance story and it is definitely an "out for you" one – two of my favorite romance tropes.

I made the mistake of starting this audiobook fairly late in the evening assuming I could stop when it was time for sleep. Boy was I wrong. I am a night owl but I needed to get up early for an appointment. As a result of this book I had only 4 hours of sleep but I regret nothing.

The blurb describes the book better than I ever could. Two guys who were best friends in high school over twenty years ago haven't been in touch for five years. One is gay and has pined for the other since high school knowing that his friend is straight.

The story is told in first person, alternating chapters between Tyler and Justin. I really felt the connection between these characters. Tyler is really remorseful about ghosting Justin five years ago (you find out why in the story). Justin wants to help him now but is finding it too difficult to keep his feelings hidden.

Why do I have such a hard time expressing why I loved this book so much? I know that a lot of it has to do with Michael's performance but I still think I'd have loved it even if I'd read it instead. Once Tyler wakes up and realizes he loves Justin things really heat up. The only thing that could have made this more perfect for me is an epilogue just to let us see the happy couple a year or so down the road.

This was okay

"It was always you" is not as good of a read as I have come to expect from L.A. Witt but it was a respectable 'friends to lovers' m/m romance. I think part of the issue is Michael Ferraiuolo's performance. I have never been a huge fan but he does a respectable job...his voice is pleasing but every character sounds the same so it feels like their personalities are getting lost or blurred; they just aren't as flushed out as much as they need to be - especially for character driven stories. Unfortunately, the one love scene (at the end of the book) I found myself yawning. Michael is probably more suitable for one of those ASMR sites for people who need assistance with going to sleep.

I am glad to experience Justin and Tyler's HEA but you know those books that have you thinking about them for days, weeks, months - maybe even years later? Well this isn't one of them. By the time I finish this review I won't give it much thought.

2 stars - I won't listen again