A Boy Toy for Christmas

By: Mark A. Roeder

Narrated by: Roy Wells

Length: 4 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

Chauncey Cadbury is rich, young, and appears to have it all, but lives under the shadow of his family. He wants only to live his life in his adopted hometown of Bloomington, Indiana, but his domineering grandfather will not let him be. Desperate to get his grandfather off his back, Chauncey devises a plan to so shock his family that they'll never want to see him again.

He searches for the perfect boy for the job and discovers Cole, a teenage prostitute and Goth who despises the over-privileged. Together, the mismatched pair enters the insincere, backstabbing world of the Cadbury family and shares an adventure that changes their lives forever.

©2012 Mark A. Roeder (P)2013 Mark A. Roeder

I got about a sentence in!

What would have made A Boy Toy for Christmas better?

If it were Narrated by anyone other than Roy Wells

What could Mark A. Roeder have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Yeah, I dont know because i only got a sentence in before i had to shut it off. I don't know why i didn't listen to the sample before purchase...LISTEN TO THE SAMPLE!!!!!!

Would you be willing to try another one of Roy Wells’s performances?

UH NO

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

incredulity at the voice.

Any additional comments?

no

An Uncomfortable Listen

What would have made A Boy Toy for Christmas better?

A new narrator and less use of the words "boy toy"

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I can't react to the ending without spoiling it, so I will just say that I liked it.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His voice was creepy and uncomfortable. A distinctly older man reading the words of an 18 year old Goth just doesn't work. In fact, both of the characters wouldn't sound anything like the author and it came across as a real distraction and made it uncomfortable to listen to.

could of used a higher voiced male narrator

Where does A Boy Toy for Christmas rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would rank A Boy Toy for Christmas as a three. I think a higher voiced male narrator would of given some credence to the main character. The narrator of the story sounded like a very old man instead of some young man who wanted a boy friend who just turned 18.

The reader's voice, the narrator's personality

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

There could have been more erotic moments. The reader's voice was so gravelly that it's hard to imagine the narrator as less than 65 years old with a 45 year cigarette habit.

What was most disappointing about Mark A. Roeder’s story?

Not as sexually exciting as his other book I read.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Roy Wells?

I'm not sure.

What character would you cut from A Boy Toy for Christmas?

This is not my point.

Great Story wrong choice for narrator

Would you listen to A Boy Toy for Christmas again? Why?

Probably not. I will be reading the story again but the narrator's voice reminded me of an older gentleman, more fit for a classic book or epic fantasy story than a gay romance. Made me think of my Grandfather reading. The performance wasn't bad just not the type of voice I would associate with this kind of book.

What did you like best about this story?

The over the top family drama and watching the two main characters have fun messing the the greedy family members.

What didn’t you like about Roy Wells’s performance?

Just his voice and at time it was a little flat.

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

Nothing really moved me too much. It was just a fun read or in this case listen. There is a nice ending where everyone gets what they want except for the bad family members so it ends on a good note

Really struggled to get into this linear story

What disappointed you about A Boy Toy for Christmas?

Narrator choice and probably the first half of the story.

What was most disappointing about Mark A. Roeder’s story?

The story is very linear and repetitive. For the first half, it was quite frustrating to hear the protagonist's ploy over each chapter and each scene. It was only in the second half where issues arose that I felt it got interesting. The whole idea of a wealthy man trying to ruin his family's reputation as a "coming out" device, also didn't win me over.

Who might you have cast as narrator instead of Roy Wells?

Roy's performance was fine but I felt constantly throughout that he did not suit the role of the character Chancey. Roy portrays Chancey as a very old character. It did not help that the "poshness" of the character was on the likeness of an older gentlemen. However, it is stated a few times that he is 28 years old. I found it difficult to imagine this with Roy and thus kept picturing an older gentlemen instead of someone who I would consider still young.

What character would you cut from A Boy Toy for Christmas?

Nicholas (one of the cousins?) I'm not quite sure if he had anything substantial to contribute to the story.

Any additional comments?

I can't say that I enjoyed listening to this at all and wanted it to finish as soon as it started. The concept and narration just bothered me throughout.