Ache

By: Marley Valentine

Narrated by: Gomez Pugh, Teddy Hamilton, Emma Wilder

Length: 6 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

From USA Today best-selling author Marley Valentine comes a brand new emotional MM romance.

I couldn’t tell you when I fell in love with Gael Herrera, but I wish I knew how to make it stop.

Falling in love with a straight man is a rookie mistake. But falling in love with my soon-to-be-married-to-a-woman best friend is nothing but heartache.

Through all the years, and all the men I’ve fooled around with, he’s always been at the back of my mind. An unrequited crush I wish I could shake. A dream that was never going to come true.

When I whisk him off to a surprise bachelor party weekend in Vegas, I surrender to the idea that this is an opportunity for me to finally let go of my feelings for him and say goodbye.

But after a heated exchange and an even hotter kiss, everything I thought I knew about our friendship changed.

Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe, after all this time, we were more than best friends. Maybe, just maybe, he felt it too.

Ache is an MM Romance narrated by Gomez Pugh and Teddy Hamilton with a supporting performance by Emma Wilder. This is not a ménage romance.

©2021 Marley Valentine (P)2021 Marley Valentine

50% Perfection

Long story short:
The first half of this story is absolutely flawless. The characters are compelling, the performances are exciting and dynamic, the sex is so hot. Then an incident occurs (no spoilers but it's a huge trope) that makes the second half feel like a slog. Still, I recommend you give this a read. I HATE love triangles and despite that, this story won me over.


Long story Long (spoilers included):
First off Teddy Hamilton and Gomez Pugh did a spectacular job with their performances. Their emotion was so raw, the tension so visceral I was on the edge of my seat every second. The voice actor's commitment to their role was so complete everything else fell away and I was right there with them.

(SPOILERS Below )

However, nothing could make up for that second act surprise.
He got into a car accident and got MEMORY LOSS!?!? Are you flipping kidding me with this sawdust (curse word alternative)?
Up until this point, "Ache" was an M/M romance that was emotionally compelling, it challenged the reader's ideas about right and wrong, every moment of them together was painfully sensual. But most importantly it was so very human. Both Gael and Jordan were two very imperfect people whose flaws made the story feel so real.
So when that car came careening down the track it wasn't just the car that broke to pieces, it was the second half of the book. (in my opinion only of course)
Suddenly the whole story becomes some kind of parody of an old soap opera "what would happen if your lover had an accident and couldn't remember you anymore?" It was so outlandish it completely broke the spell for me, I can't tell you how disappointed I was.
The second act (post-accident) had basically no sex or sexually charged scenes like the first half. There was no excitement like in the first half. Now the story was exclusively a family drama, which was hard to put up with at times because of the ridiculous situation.

HOWEVER, the first half is so freaking good I still recommend you read this. Especially if you have a spare credit, I frequently will go back to re-read this one but only the first half.

Well done

I wasn’t planning to purchase this so soon but I made the mistake of listening to the sample and I was hooked. The premise isn’t new but it was done in an original way; a very emotional way.

perfect love story

Marley Valentine has become my go-to for excellent angst-y emotional MM, and Ache doesn't disappoint. Part friends to lovers, part forbidden love. My second time diving into Jordan & Gael's world, and the narration adds so much.

Good Story but also torn

I thought the premise behind the story was very good and well thought out unrequited/friends to lovers story, however the narration for Gomez Pugh as Gael was decent but his other voice inflections were very hard to listen too, the Hispanic accent just wasn't good at all, he tried too hard to change his voice to the different characters which made his performance suffer to me. When he was just Gael he was good and Teddy Hamilton was great, if it had not been for Teddy's performance I probably would not have finished the story based on narration only.

Loved it! A Must Listen!

Another amazing book by Marley Valentine. Perfect unrequited love/friends to lovers story. I absolutely loved Gael & Jordan’s story. There were so many highs & so many lows. I throughly enjoyed the journey into their world. I’m sad the book is over. I’m already missing them both! Amazing Narration by Teddy Hamilton, Gomez Pugh & Emma Eilder.

Seriously??? My pet peeves at their worst!!!!

Spoilers (and ranting) ahead....



Oooh no no no no noooooo!!! Why didnt I read the spoilers before hand?! I never would've spent my credit with this book 😭 Cheating (both MCs, with no guilt whatsoever) and then amnesia? Worst plot devices ever!
What a waste of great narrators! Now i want my credit back 🤨

Narrators are important

This story broke my heart and then restored it. Had it not been for TeddyHamilton I wouldn’t have finished the book. Gomez Pugh was really bad. Every time he read I wanted to give up the book. Then Teddy Hamilton came and restored me. It was a sweet story but it’s very true… the narration is the make it or break it person. I wish authors would truly search out really good narrators like JF Harding, Teddy Hamilton,Aaron shedlock, Iggy Toma, Hamish McKinlay,Joel Leslie and my favorite Jack DuPont. It’s a good story. Just fast speed it through Gomez Pugh.

This was spicy

Good story. Spicy. Overall I give it three stars. Heartache is something the author is known for, so expect that going in.

Had potential

Honestly, my favorite part of this book was the cover and the reason I ended up finally caving and buying it because it was relentlessly suggested. The cover is deep and heartrending and speaks to a meaningful story, but I was left wanting. It felt like any character development was lazy and throw away, I felt like I didn’t know or care about them as people. It also felt rushed, and predictable. I knew everything that was going to happen as it happened. I’ve read one book by this author that I think I really loved, maybe a couple, I can’t remember which ones. But this one left me wanting.

what a wonderful love ❤️ story

I enjoyed this book. All the characters/narrators were awesome. I love love, and the fact that these guys got their love on in Vegas made it all worthwhile. After Guyale, memories were lost due to the car accident his muscle memory kicked in and brought him his Happy Ever After with Jordan Yeahhhhh love.

Meh...

It started GREAT, but it's annoying when the main problem can be solved with one simple talk. It kinda make them sound like teenagers and not successful grown-ups.
Also, it takes like 4-6 chapters on topics that aren't as fun or as exciting to hear and as soon as it gets good, it jumps to the next week and to the next boring subject.

Superb

I loved this book. The story did make my heart ache for them all. Great HEA. Great narration. This is my 2nd book by this author and pouting to hear it also has a bonus epilogue that I have to read read when I prefer to listen read.

Conflicted 3.5-4 stars

I've read the original short story. For the first 50% I kept thinking longer is not necessarily better. At 50% we get new material. I was happier with new stuff but the plot just wasn't speaking to me and places felt awkward. I think I enjoyed the original better and should have left it at that and started a new story.
Oh and don't get me started on just talking to each other and it would have solved the Ache

Triggers- cheating!

I think the narration was what made it better than just reading the story.

What a rollercoaster

I love everything about this performance.

The voice actors are perfect for the characters they portray and the emotions had me laughing, crying, cheering them on every step of the way.

Perfectly written and can highly recommend to everyone

So beautiful!

This book broke my heart and put it back together in the best possible way!
As the title suggests, I ACHED for Jordan, for Gael, and even for Elena, and for their situation and circumstances which seemed impossible at times. But underneath the ache, the impossibility, the difficulties, underneath it all, is the strength of a love impossible to ignore, impossible to break, and great as the whole world!
Beautifully narrated by Gomez Pugh and Teddy Hamilton (I loved them both and so much, they were perfect for Gael and Jordan) and featuring Emma Wilder as Elena, the audio was a real hit!

loved it

loved Gael and Jordan. hadn't read the book but was hooked on the audio. after Gael had his accident desperate to finish.
beautifully narrated, best friend to lovers .

Earache

Horribly narrated. How such fine narrators made a dog's breakfast of this is hard to know; perhaps the imitation of the Spanish accent and foppishness of the characterizations? The narration creates a picture in the mind of the MCs: this was not favourable. Gave up before I finished hour 1. DISAPPOINTING

Good from start to finish

MM romance. I love the characters in this book. A little bit of cheating but they are in Vegas so does it really count? I really enjoyed this entire story and didn’t want to stop listening. The narration was great, I definitely recommend this book. 🎧Audiobook Obsession

Worth persisting till the end

At first I didn’t really like this, not sure if it was the characters or the story. But I’m glad I carried on.

The middle was brilliant, great story and perfect performance and full of angst, romance then heart break.

Really DID NOT LIKE the whiny female voice and tbh it really did not need it. It didn’t add anything to the story or the characters development.

The very end ruined it for me. It felt rushed. And a shame given the first 3/4 felt like time was dedicated to really slowly let the characters develop.

I still enjoyed it, but definitely not without its flaws.

Beautiful story

Wow, what a truly beautiful and heart-felt story. Really emotional to listen to but perfect ending.