Edge of Living

By: H.L. Day

Narrated by: Chris Humphreys

Sometimes, death can feel like the only escape.

It's been a year since Alex stopped living. He exists. He breathes. He pretends to be like everyone else. But, he doesn't live. Burdened by memories, he dreams of the day when he can finally be free. Until that time comes, he keeps everybody at bay. It's been easy so far. But he never factored in meeting a man like Austin.

Hard-working mechanic Austin has always gone for men as muscular as himself. So, it's a mystery why he's so bewitched by the slim, quiet man with the soulful brown eyes who works in the library. The magnetic attraction is one thing, but the protective instincts are harder to fathom. Austin's sure though, that if he can only earn Alex's trust, then the two of them could be perfect together.

A tentative relationship begins. But Alex's secrets run deep. Far deeper than Austin could ever envisage. Time is ticking. Events are coming to a head, and love is never a magic cure. Oblivious to the extent of Alex's pain, can Austin discover the truth? Or is he destined to be left alone, only able to piece together the fragments of his boyfriend's history, once its already too late?

Trigger warning: Please be aware that this story deals with suicidal ideation and other dark themes. If this is a subject you find uncomfortable with, then this book is not recommended. Despite this, there is a guaranteed HEA.

©2018 H.L. Day (P)2020 H.L. Day

I loved it

This story is beautiful. I’m finding it hard to come up with all the right words to describe everything I like. I loved the characters, and the way they just belong together. I love how well written the story is and I think the narrator did a good job with the voices. There were a few tiny details that I found a bit unbelievable. I won’t list them because of spoilers but I wanted to say this is the only thing kept me from giving it five stars. This is a wonderful story and I highly recommend it.

Wonderful

I enjoyed this story. It was emotional and exciting. The storyline was great full of adventure. The characters are perfect together. With Alex's pain can Austin make everything all right! In the end they get there Great ending. I listened to this story on audible and th narration was great.

Tough read!

Minor spoiler at the end of this review!

well, that was tough. Please be aware of the trigger warnings before you pick up this book. While it is in some sense a heart warming hurt / comfort story, Alex's horrors and past takes up most of the book and it lends a horrible sadness to the entire text.

The narration is very well done and the writing is engaging. I was engaged all the way through the book and felt for Alex. Unfortunately the romance part of the book is slightly less well done, as it seems a tad unbelievable that Austin would fall in love with Alex. He is, in many ways, a completely empty shell. But if you accept that, it works.

It is not an easy story, nor is there any fluff. There are few moments of happiness at all, and almost all of those are in the past, up until the very end. In fact, I was worried at one point that we would not actually get a happy ending. For those that need that - like me - I'll leave the small spoiler that it does end well in the end - or at least on a very hopeful note.

Difficult but worth it

Alexander's story broke my heart. He went through a horrible event, we know from the beginning. We just don't know the details until they are slowly doled out in flashbacks. Meanwhile, we know from the very beginning of the book that he has a plan to end his life. Alex walks around in a fog, a mere shadow of the man he once was. Then he meets Austin.

Austin is a great character. He's caring, hard working, and incredibly patient and gentle with Alex. He is also a bit blinded by love, but I like that about him. It's lovely to see the cracks Austin is able to make in Alex's frozen heart.

The narrator's performance was perfection. I don't think any of the many narrators I adore could have done any better. I hope he continues along this path, as I'd love to hear more from him.

The combination of a wonderful story and a fabulous narrator make it easy to rate this story highly, and I have no qualms about recommending this audiobook to others. Be aware though, it does include violence and suicidal thoughts.

4.5 stars- Fantastic performance, memorable story

Edge of Living was the first book I’d read by this author and I haven’t missed a release by her in the year and a half since. I was excited to hear this title would become an audiobook and even more excited when I heard it would feature a new-to-me narrator. The narrator did an amazing job bringing this emotional, angst filled romance to life, reminding me of all the reasons Edge of Living made me fall in love with this author’s style and why it continues to be at the top of my list of recommended reads. His accent and fluid delivery fit the book perfectly, with an even tone that held all the emotion of the scenes without it feeling overdramatized.

There’s always an inherent risk with new narrators, especially when they are performing a favorite book, but I was impressed with this audiobook and very happy to revisit characters who had so much heart and a story that was incredibly memorable. If you like hurt/comfort romances that give you heart pangs as much as it warms your heart, I’d highly recommend Edge of Living.

*Received ACX promo code from author. The author and narrator had no influence over this review*