Dating Game

By: Erik Schubach

Narrated by: Pamela Lorence

Length: 5 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

Crystal is straight. She went to an exclusive lesbian bar, the Ballyhoo Club, to cheer up her gay best friend after bad breakup. There Crystal meets Riley, a spunky and charismatic girl who mocks her about straight girl dating skills. The two bet each other that they could take the other on a better date, the loser has to humiliate themselves at Ballyhoo. In a battle of escalating seduction the girls take each other on a series of dates where the lines between the game and the heart are blurred. This is the third book in the "Music of the Soul" series, all books are stand alone novels.

©2013 Erik Schubach (P)2014 Erik Schubach

Great Easy Read

Would you listen to Dating Game again? Why?

I would definitely listen to it again. I've actually read it twice already and so it's nice to be able to just listen to it as well.

What does Pamela Lorence bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Pamela Lorence has a easy to listen to voice and brings the dialog to life nicely.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I definitely listened to it all in one go.

Another Great book in the Music of the Soul Series

This book introduces hints to many of the latter characters in this series and has a great theme and like all of his books the characters have enough flaws and make enough mistakes that they could be people you know. You don't have to read the previous books in the series too enjoy this book.

Dating Game Audio

What made the experience of listening to Dating Game the most enjoyable?

It was so cool being able to listen to Dating Game. It was the First book of the MOTS world that I read and hearing Pam give the characters a voice helped bring the story more to life

Which scene was your favorite?

I really like when crystal meets Riley at the Ballyhoo and tests kissing her then the random man to see who she likes kissing more

If you could take any character from Dating Game out to dinner, who would it be and why?

It would have to be Bev because she is very open and tells it like she sees it. which is the type of person who I enjoy being around

Schubach is brilliant at young lesbian stories!

Where does Dating Game rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Behind Raclyffe's books and the one Gerri Hill story but actual being 3rd to those to isn't bad at all. I would rate Schuback 1st among young Lesbian stories.

What other book might you compare Dating Game to and why?

Schuback other stories in the Music of the Soul series, They are all good.

Have you listened to any of Pamela Lorence’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I think she did the voice for the first two Music Of the Soul book but I am not sure, Who ever did them they are all good. I like they Schuback weaves the love of music through the story even when one of the woman is deaf in book two. The voice sells the story.

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

I like how they meet in the beginning of the story.

Any additional comments?

This is just fun young adult story that even old people like me can enjoy.

great feel good story

this reads like old movies used to show...the hint of intimacy is so much better than graphic detail...

Awesome romance

I got the book because the title interested me. It never let me down. I will have to reread this title again.

So relatable

Absolutely love this book! I love all of the Music of The Soul books!! He's done it again!

Enjoyable, but with a couple flaws.

The storyline was pretty neat. I enjoyed the characters as well as the events that took place throughout the story, even though it was pretty obvious where the story was going.
I enjoyed that it was an easy "read". It didn't take deep thought to follow along, and was great to listen to while doing mindless tasks and chores around the house. If I got distracted for a moment, it was easy to get back on track with the story.
I had a difficult time getting used to the narrator due to her voice being a higher pitch than I'm used to from other audiobooks. She sounded almost mechanical for the first couple chapters until either my ears got used to it or the editing got better.
I'm not sure I'll listen to another audiobook by this narrator, but I will definitely try out other Erik Schubach books.

Sitcom Storyline

Yet another lame story-line where both partners in a relationship assume, despite a ****load of evidence to the contrary that the agreement they made on the first night they got together is still in force. Not that either says one word that might clear up the confusion or is capable of asking the other the one question it would take to settle the matter. Excuse me but isn't one of the best things about a lesbian affair or relationship the communication. Forgive my Y chromosome ignorance but aren't women purported to be superior communicators?
On the upside this an audio filled with likable well drawn characters that you can't help but pull for as is usually the case this author's works. I also enjoyed that the setting is the Pacific Northwest; an under utilized point at least among the authors I'm partial to. Given that I'm a sentimental to the point of being a gooey romantic: I loved the happy ending. I rate this as a good listen despite the flaws.

Awful. Just awful.

Would you try another book from Erik Schubach and/or Pamela Lorence?

Maybe, if it weren't about a lesbian relationship. I just really did not like this story. It was predictable, some parts weren't believable, and some of the dialogue combined with Lorence's high pitched (and slightly mechanical, as someone else put it) voice made the book seem childish or immature.

What do you think your next listen will be?

If you're looking for a recommendation, Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult is way better at representing a lesbian relationship AND is better at creating an actual conflict in the story. Dating Game was a black and white story that could've been cut by 4 hours if Jane/Riley or Crystal just made a simple phone call, whereas Jodi Picoult creates conflicts without such a easy solution.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Dating Game?

To be completely honest, some of the dialogue seemed like the bad/awkward banter that you see before really bad lesbian porn scenes. No joke, some parts actually made me cringe.

Any additional comments?

I think what really annoys me about this book is that I really didn't think it was relatable or realistic at all. It was very clear to me that the author doesn't really *get* what a lesbian relationship is actually like, so I wouldn't recommend this at all.

loved it, was hooked from start to finish

i thought the book was well written with characters you could easily engage with. once i started listening i could't stop until it finished. Was'nt overly keen on the narrators voice but it grew on me by the end.

Absolutely wonderful, could not turn it off

Where does Dating Game rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Right up at the top

What did you like best about this story?

Its honesty and clarity and beauty

What about Pamela Lorence’s performance did you like?

Her voice is spellbinding and so varied too, You really feel the parts she narrates as if you were there.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely yes

Any additional comments?

A must read for anyone with a heartbeat who enjoys real, honest and above all deeply passionate love