The Garden

Lavender Shores, Book 2

De: Rosalind Abel

Narrado por: Kirt Graves

Beautiful Gilbert Bryant designs jewelry for the rich and famous, and he made his escape from his gossipy little hometown of Lavender Shores. However, with so many friends and family, he keeps getting pulled back. When he attends his best friend’s engagement party, Gilbert can’t help but sample one of the new men in town. It’s just some innocent—or not so innocent—fun. Nothing that will even cross his mind once he gets back to his everyday life.

Walden Thompson dreamed about living in Lavender Shores since he visited as a child. He finally gets his chance, and he embraces the opportunity to start over, to become someone new. He leaves both hurts and dangerous habits in the past, where they belong. When Gilbert crosses his path, Walden gives in to his baser instincts. He can indulge in the carnal pleasures this once and still be okay. Their few hours together haunt Gilbert, the two-hundred-mile buffer from home no longer shutting out the past or the sexy man he left behind. Walden is just beginning to recover from the smoldering encounter with Gilbert when they are thrust together once more. This time, neither of them can walk away, no matter how hard they try. But when their pasts crash into each other as surely as the magnetism that pulls them together, walking away may be the only option.

©2017 Wings of Ink Publications, LLC (P)2017 Wings of Ink Publications, LLC

Hardcore sex mixed with sweet romance

It's unusual that a sweet romantic gay love story is combined with hardcore, kinky sex. I loved it. Such naughty, naughty boys bring the piquancy to a genre that can sometimes be a very predictable. The two beautifully created, charming, lovable, main characters overcome sad backgrounds by discovering that they are worthy of each others love. My twisted imagination was titillated by the unusual sexual taste of Gilbert and Walden. (Love the nerdy names) They certainly opened my eyes when they first discovered each other. I couldn't stop listening. Kirt Graves is a wonderfully calm narrator and never over acts. He gives just enough distinction to the different voices to easily know who's speaking.

3.5 Stars

The Garden is about two men with troubled pasts who aren't looking for, but both desperately need, someone special in their lives. Ultimately this is a sweet romance featuring a hookup that becomes a friends with benefits thing to something more.

The dual POV works beautifully here. There's a lovely thread of hurt/comfort throughout, and while there's lots of sex, it's supported through the characters getting to know one another...sometimes even when putting themselves out there makes them uncomfortable.

There is some humor that helps lighten the angst, and a lot of passion and emotion to the story that I wish were highlighted more in the narration.

Kirt Graves delivers a more subdued reading with different character voices, but only mild embellishment in tone to highlight some of the humor or passion.

In my opinion I think this audio will appeal more to those who prefer to have less "performance" or "acting" in their audiobooks.

Bottom line, this is a sweet and angsty romance with some humor, lots of hot sexy times, and a pretty awesome HEA.

Two broken men find love.

When you’ve been broken by life and feel unworthy of love finding a soul mate is unimaginable. Watching these two beautiful men fight their attraction until gradually lowering their walls made for a wonderful journey.
Kirt Graves is a superb voice actor who bought these gorgeous men and their friends and family to life.
A thoroughly enjoyable listen. Highly recommended.
Special mention goes out to the cover artist. The cover models were simple perfect for the characters!

Two Wounded Souls find each other

This is my fourth visit to Lavender Shores because I’ve been reading/listening to them out of order. So if you’re in the same situation, no worries. This book picks up after Book One with Andrew and Joel celebrating their engagement.

Gilbert is very close to Andrew, so he leaves his home and jewelry business in Tahoe for a few days and heads to his hometown of Lavender Shores. He plans to keep this visit as short as possible, because unlike Andrew, he has no desire to stay or, in his case, come back. Lavender Shores is a gay-friendly community where people are embraced and loved for who they are, not who they are attracted to. For good reason, however, Gilbert has tried to put the town in his rearview mirror. But the love of family keeps drawing him back.

Walden is the opposite. He has chosen Lavender Shores specifically so he can feel safe and welcomed for the first time in his life.

The two men meet with a bang, of sorts, only to later discover they know all the same people and have, in fact, been invited to the same engagement party.

As with many of my favourite romances, Ms. Abel has created characters with flaws. Flaws the men believe would turn the other away from him if he knew the truth. Both men have serious incidents in their pasts that have shaped who they are today. Those pasts are slowly revealed because despite initial hurt feelings and apparent rejections, there is an undeniable draw between the two men. They have the ability to help heal each other – if they can get that far. Because although the initial attraction was physical – specific body parts – the connection is two wounded souls finding each other.

In the end, they are almost kept apart by their own belief of unworthiness. I will leave the story of the garden for you to discover, but it is another magical and enchanted place in Lavender Shores, much as the Palisades was. Another heaven on earth where one can be made whole again.

I’m a sucker for a character who has endured, survived, and is – even if he doesn’t know it – seeking redemption. I believe in the power of forgiveness. It is the reason I love Ms. Abel’s books.

Kirt Graves narrated this book as well as the first in the series and I’m glad. He does a good job, bringing the characters to life and making the listening enjoyable. I look forward to the next release, hopefully sometime soon.

Sweet and Poignant Second Chance Romance

Okay, is official ! I am hook, line and sinker 💖💜💚

The Garden is book 2 in the Lavender Shores series ; it tells the tale of Walton and Gilbert, two fractured and damaged souls; two individuals with a lot of emotional baggage and low self esteem . Two lovable and good men who deserve a second chance to love.

A compelling , poignant and romantic story with lots of hot AF , sexually explicit , smutty sexy times . And just like book 1 , it have also a delightful fairytale , magical quality to it.

Kirt Graves narration gave me all the feels. His emotional performance was well paced and natural. He transported me to Lavender Shores and Walton's magical garden.

This series seem to be written in a continuous time line as Joel and Andrew story from book 1 continues in this book; as well as, the first families and the town people lives are all integral part of the overall story arc. My point on this is , books should be listen in chronological order.

I enjoyed and was entertained by The Garden and I'm looking forward listening the next audiobook in the series.