From a Jack to a King

By: Scotty Cade

Narrated by: Kenneth Obi

Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling mystery writer Bay Whitman leads the life of a celebrity - at least on the surface. In public, he’s self-assured and in control. Women hang on his every word, while men envy his confidence and swagger. But in reality, Bay is a loner. He’s shy and introverted, and his life consists of sitting in a dimly lit room writing his famous Jack Robbins mystery novels. His one vice - gambling. Winning an escort in a poker game will change Bay’s life in ways he never imagined.

Matthew “King” Slater is one of the hottest tickets in gay porn. He spends his days in front of the camera and his nights as a highly paid escort to the rich and famous. Deep down, he craves romance and a real connection, but his past makes it hard to separate the needs of his body from those of his heart. For now, it’s easier to think of sex as just a job. But while doing a shoot in Vegas, King is hired for a tryst at a famous hotel and casino, and his handsome client might blur the line between work and play.

©2018 Dreamspinner Press (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press

Hmm...

I liked the idea of the story, I liked the issues that where touched on, over all I did enjoyed the story. That being said, there was something about it that just didn’t sink in well. I can’t really say what it was, but there just seemed to be something missing?

Didn't really work for me

This was a fail for me. I didn’t enjoy the MCs – I wanted to like Bay as a geek/loner and King as the confident opposite but it felt forced and not at all realistic. Which is fine – but not what I was after. I thought the self help stuff was interesting and unique from a “romance novel” standpoint but I didn’t connect with King and as a result I didn’t find his story compelling.

I think others have enjoyed this but I couldn’t get behind the characters so I wasn’t attached to their relationship.

I found the narration to be only ok, nothing to make me want to keep listening when the story wasn’t enough.

I think a lot of this is personal preference versus poor writing or bad narrating. None of this jumped out at me and had it not been on my review list I’d have stopped reading/listening.

2.5 of 5 stars overall

bloody LOVED this book and the narration!

Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted both the ebook AND audio version of this book.

First half of this review is from when I READ it, the second half is the audio bit.

Oh it's been a while since I had my Scotty Cade fix, and this proper hit THAT spot!

Bay is, by his own words, pretty much a recluse. Save for promoting his latest book and getting his gambling hit, he doesn't get out much. And when he DOES, he uses his character Jack as his alter ego. Winning escort King in a card game, and coming face to face with the spitting image of Jack knocks Bay off his axis. Just as meeting Bay knocks King off of his. King doesn't see Jack, he sees BAY. He also sees that Bay might be the one to halt his recovery.

I will be honest here, cos ya'll know I'm all about sharing, and tell you, I walked into this one a little wary. I've read a couple of other porn star books and had pretty much decided that I didn't like that particular troupe, and I wouldn't read any more. But this came up, and, I mean, its' Scotty Cade for heaven's sake! So I signed up and I was so very NOT disappointed!

What this one did, what made it stand out, was there was very little "work" time for King, once he and Bay had met. There is a scene before, and one after. But the one after is a huge part of the story; a necessary and integral part.

I loved that it's nearly to the end of the book before Bay and King come together properly. Loved that Bay put his research skills to good use; both for helping King with his recovery and watching all those videos to further his relationship with King.

Loved that while previously only ever having been with women, Bay didn't seem overly perturbed by his attraction to King. OH, he questioned his sexuality, many many times, but he wasn't particularly bothered by it!

There are some difficult topics dealt with here. Bullying and how that effects Bay as an adult. Sex addiction and how that makes King so very wary of what he feels for Bay so very VERY early on. Both topics are dealt with well and with sensitivity, but some readers may struggle with them.

I have just one teeny tiny niggle, but it doesn't affect my rating or my overall enjoyment of this book. It's just ME, being a little bit picky!

I would have liked, just once, while Bay and King are up close and personal, for Bay to have used King's given name, and not his "stage" name. That's all! Told you it was me being picky!

Mr Cade has a particular knack of writing with emotion; of being able to make you cry in really random places along with his characters; of being able to grab at your heart strings, tug them, snap them and put them back together again! And I bloody loved this book for that!!

I read this in one sitting, stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this! Loved it!!

5 full and shiny stars!

AUDIO REVIEW

Kenneth Obi narrates. And Mr Obi is growing on me for several reasons. As I see more and more books narrated by him, I can see his skill set growing. A quick search shows far more books that I expected, but the oldest is only November 2017, so he is still fairly new at this, and in the time since I listened to the other one he narrated that is in my library, I can hear a difference.

Obi's voice for Bay was. . . unexpected. I've no idea WHY, but that was my first thought. He sounds almost too young, but as I listened, I realised it fit Bay, PERFECTLY, it really did. I LOVED Bay's voice, I really did.

Obi's reading voice is clear and even, his voices for ALL the characters are clear and distinct enough for my crappy hearing to make them out. It was my only real criticism in the last book I listened to of his work, the voices were too similar for my crappy hearing to keep up. NOT so here.

The scenes for King and Bay getting up close and personal came over way more. . .what's the word. . . whats. . . .the. . .word. . . intense? maybe? I dunno, can't find that right word, and I hate not being able to do that, but they came across all kinds of different to when I read it. An AMAZING different though, cos Obi got out all the emotions that you don't always pick up when reading. The hitches and dips in the voices, the little noises, they don't always come across well on paper but HEARING them?? Oh yes Sir, intense is the right word!

I stand by what I said in my read review though! I would have liked, just once, while Bay and King are up close and personal, for Bay to have used King's given name, and not his "stage" name. That's all!

Watch out for Mr Obi, he's now firmly on my list!!

5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall.

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

shy authors, a porn star and fun story

Bay is an author that likes to Gamble. In a high stakes poker game, he wins a hooker for two hours and is surprised when the exact likeness of his main character is standing at his hotel room door.
Bay is shy but when he has to make public appearances he channels his inner Jack.
King is a famous porn star and a high price escort. He enjoys his job and makes good money. he has a secret too though and that keeps him from having a relationship.
Bay is a challenge to him. He wants to prove to Bay that he isn't as straight as he thinks he is.
This story is enjoyable. The characters are interesting, the storylines are fun.
I liked the narration and thought it brought the story to life.

Pretty decent

I had a hard time with King's profession relating to his addiction. It made no sense to me that he would have such a profession. I did like King and Bey as characters. I think they fit together well as a couple but it was completely unrealistic that King would end up with that movie role. Gay and a hooker playing a macho straight guy. Nah, not gonna fly. But it kept my attention and only began rolling my eyes ok once the addiction came out.