Seaspray

By: Rick R. Reed

Narrated by: David Allen Vargo

Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Winslow Birkel is a sweet young man in his first relationship. But his boyfriend, the charming and fiery Chad Loveless, has become increasingly abusive to the point where Winslow fears for his life.

Everything changes in a single night when Winslow, fleeing yet another epic fight, goes out to a local bar and finds a sympathetic ear in a new friend, Darryn Maxwell. But when he comes home, Chad’s waiting. He’s got it in for Winslow, whom he wrongly accuses of being unfaithful.

The stormy night sends Winslow off on a journey to escape. The last thing he recalls is skidding off the road and into the river. When he awakens, he’s mysteriously in the charming seaside town of Seaspray, where people are warm and welcoming, yet their appearances and disappearances are all too inexplicable.

Back home, Darryn wonders what’s happened to the new guy he met during his first outing to the local gay bar, the Q. Darryn knows Winslow’s been abused, but he also feels he’s quickly fallen in love with Winslow.

Can Winslow and Darryn decipher their respective mysteries? Is it possible for them to reunite? Is Chad still lurking and plotting to make sure Winslow never loves anyone else? The answers to these questions await you in Seaspray, where you may, or may not, ever leave.

©2022 Rick R. Reed (P)2023 Rick R. Reed

Fascinating & Moving! Amazing Story & Narration🎧

Rick R. Reed is a gifted author and that gift truly shined in this novel, an original story that enthralled me from start to end. I enjoy his writing style, and it is great to see another side of of his brilliant mind, a fantasy or, in his own words, magical realism. The characters are realistic, facing real-life issues, including domestic violence and drug issues. It is best to go into this book with an open mind and to just roll with it. I do not want to say much because the less you know going in, the better it will be. That said, the story drew me in like no other, it was thought-provoking and captivated my attention from start to end. My heart went out to Winslow Birkel, who was stuck in an abusive relationship with Chad Loveless, a very fitting last name. When Winslow finally gets fed up enough, he stands up to him and tells him he is leaving. It may have been his new friendship with Darren Maxwell who helped him realize he deserves better, but Chad will not Winslow go. The events that follow are fascinating and mystical. There is never a dull moment in this original and uniquely told and plotted story. Rick R. Reed, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧 And for the wonderful narration, David Allen Vargo does an amazing job bringing these characters and their story to life. His portrayal of the characters is spot on, gives each a voice that fits that character’s persona and his believable in every role he plays. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures the character’s emotions and projects them into his performance and has you feeling every single one. Vargo is a versatile voice artist and an entertaining storyteller, and his narration and sound effects enhance the story to another level. Thank you for another exceptional listen.

Well, It was something

Definitely not what I expected from the blurb but honestly having listened to it I'm not sure there really is a way to describe it. It's interesting but a little difficult to follow along. there is so much back and forth it's all a little muddled but the narration is done well and I did enjoy the added effects.

Good Story

This is the first book of this author's that I've encountered. Honestly, it wasn't what I expected from the blurb- at least not from the beginning. You start with a domestic abuse situation, and then Winslow finds himself somewhere else in a place he doesn't recognize. There's a lovely, mysterious quality to it that keeps you guessing. Is he really in this place? Is it a hallucination of some kind? Did he die and he's in the next life? I love looking for clues in books or movies like this; to try and pay attention to the details and figure it out. But it wasn't the romance I was expecting going into it, and I must admit, I did lose interest after a while and stopping listening (I listened to this as an audiobook). I'm not saying it was bad, but it was not what I'd been looking for/expecting, and six-plus hours is a long time to dedicate to something I'm not fully invested in.

This book was narrated by David Allen Vargo and he did a fantastic job with the different voices- some of them I was very impressed with. I especially loved the older woman's voice. I can't wait to listen to more of his work! This is the first audiobook I've listened to that had background music and sound effects, and honestly, I didn't like it. Sometimes the music gave a soft ambiance that created a dream-like quality to a scene that was very dream-like. But most times I found the background music and sounds distracting from the narration itself. I wish there was an option to chose to have it or not. And I feel a bit bad saying that because obviously time and effort went into it, but I wish it wasn't there.

This is probably an audiobook I'll go back and listen to again in the future, and in it's entirety.

Overall: 4 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 3.5 stars

Smooth flowing and easy listening

I loved the mystery of Seaspray and the realness of the life of abused partners. Of course I loved the ending also

Clever, dreamy and wonderful

I was drawn in immediately by the language of this book and its clever use of time and other things to disorient the reader without ever taking them out of the story. Winslow is in an horrific relationship with Chad and definitely needs to escape. His connection with Darryn at The Q makes you hopeful that is immanent and that these two will get together. What follows, however, leaves them separated but searching for each other to re-establish their connection. No spoilers from me, you must read this one for yourself and get drawn into the dreamy, yet totally believable work the author has created. Not at all what I expected but an amazing book that will definitely be getting a re-listen. I read this one first, and in my desire to find out "what happens next", I knew I'd missed some details along the way. I was delighted to get a chance to listen to David Allen Vargo's wonderful performance to pick up some of them.

An entertaining story

The production on this audiobook was very unique. I’ve not listened to many (or any) audiobooks which include a soundtrack of sorts. It was effectively used and really added to the atmospheric feel of this book. The narrator also has an engaging style, which makes it very easy to get absorbed into the plot. Winslow finds himself in the strange town of Seaspray after fleeing his abusive boyfriend. The town is filled with kind and interesting characters. It’s very mysterious as its a place Winslow has never visited before and he has no idea how he got there. This was completely different than what I expected from the blurb, but no complaints. An interesting plot, well written and well told.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this audiobook.

David Allen Vargo made this story come to life!

This is the 4th book I've listened to by Rick R. Reed that was narrated by David Allen Vargo. These two are a match made in audiobook heaven. Unfortunately this particular story didn't receive a 5 star review from me like the other 3 stories.

The premise was interesting and the story was different from anything I've ever read/listened to. I just had trouble getting into it for some reason. Maybe this is truly a "it's not you, it's me" kind of thing. Some of the sound effects were a bit OTT and distracting.

Give it a listen and see what you think!

Out of body experience for the ears!

I would label this as an out of body experience for the ears! It has domestic violence as the cause and a chance meeting with a concerned man. The author had me stumped on what was going to happen next!

Beautiful Story

Narrator David Allen Vargo delivers a spell-binding performance about self-acceptance, patience, forgiveness and hope. These characters are endearing. The storyline premise is unique and is beautifully written. This story touches on the realm of a dimension of self discovery in the time of almost death. I love the additional touches of audio voice and music to accompany the narration. It enhances the listening experience.

Romance, Supernatural, Gripping

Winslow Birkel is in an abusive relationship with his partner, Chad Loveless. Winslow meets Darryn Maxwell one night at a local bar where they share a drink or two and talk. Faithful, Winslow is taken aback when accusations fly of infidelity. To escape the growing abusive Chad, Winslow drives off into a storm where he crashes his car. The wreck and what follows redefines life for Winslow, Chad, and Darryn forcing change into their lives.

The author, Rick R. Reed, encapsulates life with an abusive partner in vivid detail from physical to emotional violence. The romance of meeting the one combined with emotional and physical trauma plays out in different ways allowing the listener to see some depth into each character. The town of Seaspray was folded into the story in a meaningful and connected manner. Reed addresses many different issues in this book through his characters – unloved, abused, shame, fear, love, and acceptance.

The narrator, David Allen Vargo is perfect for this book. As usual, he delivers a mesmerizing performance that enhances the storyline and brings the characters to life. I love his tone and unique voice. Vargo clearly and vividly projects through his voice the pain, love, longing, and more that the characters feel. Truly a masterful narrator, David Allen Vargo makes this a must-listen audiobook.

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook.