Gentleman Nine

By: Penelope Ward

Narrated by: Sebastian York, Andi Arndt

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

From New York Times best-selling author Penelope Ward comes a new, sexy standalone novel.

Growing up, the three of us were friends. He was the nerd. I was the playboy. She was the beauty.

Deep down, I only ever wanted her. I kept it inside because Rory and I made a pact that our friend, Amber, was off-limits.

He lied.

I went off to college, and he got the girl. Amber never knew how I felt. They were together for years - before he broke her heart.

Through it all and across the miles, she and I casually stayed in touch. When my job sent me to Boston for a three-month contract position, Amber let me stay in her spare room.

Still reeling from her breakup, she’d sworn off men. One night, I opened her computer to find the shock of my life. She’d hesitantly contacted a male escort company. Afraid to date and get her heart broken again, she was looking for sex with no strings. Every emotion imaginable ran through me: protectiveness, jealousy - curiosity.

Amber had chosen Gentleman Number Nine and sent him a message. She opened up to him, confessing, among other things, her physical attraction to her friend - me. But she considered me off-limits - and she thought I was a man-whore. (Ironic, considering the circumstances.)

Eventually, she set up a date to meet Gentleman Nine at a hotel. When she showed up several nights later to meet him, she was stunned to see me standing there - with an offer I hoped she wouldn’t refuse.

©2017 Penelope Ward (P)2018 Penelope Ward

OMG! The narration!

5 Crazy Ass Must Listen/Read Stars!!!!!

Okay, I started reading this a few days ago but the craziness that is my life didn't let me keep my kindle in my hand very long so when I saw that the audiobook had released, I snatched it up. OMG! The narrators really brought me more into the story than I was when I was reading. They really made this story for me. Talk about hard core voice-crush here, too. SebYo is my absolute favorite. He could read the phonebook (if those still exist) and I would be swooning and going all kinds of gooey. And Andi Arnt is one of my favorite female narrators. She just does an amazing job with all characters and telling of the story.
I really enjoyed listening to this story, though I'm not sure I would have the same rating had I just read it. Chandler and Amber's story was another great one from Penelope Ward. I really don't like love triangles but the lead up to that and the angst of it all kept me reading.

Not for me.

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

This was really just a sex book. I didn't realize that when I purchased it. My mistake.

Has Gentleman Nine turned you off from other books in this genre?

Perhaps

Any additional comments?

I wish I had stopped listening after the first 5 minutes. Instead I got halfway through before I quit.

🌟🌟 5 Stars 🌟🌟

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Seriously this book touched on so many sensitive subjects that it hit home for me completely. I love friends to lovers and I also love an honest relationship and this book had it in spades. I get tired of the unnecessary immature drama added to most stories to make them interesting and this book didn't have that imho. The characters were all a little damaged by life but they all acted like adults and that is exactly what I love in romance books. I could personally relate to one of the "things" that was going on in this story so I think maybe that is what made this feel real to me. This book almost felt like 2 stories, it starts with the friends secret attraction and Gentleman nine but once that part breaks apart it's like a whole new story.

The narration was great as always.

PS Channing is my kind of book hero <3

A DEEP BEAUTIFUL BITTERSWEET JOURNEY OF FRIENDS

I’ve really really reeeeally enjoyed Penelope Ward’s previous audiobooks.. but, for me, this one stands out above all the rest and it gave me butterflies, goosebumps and that awwwwe sweet feeling at the end. However, she threw in some heartbreaking and nerve wracking curveballs too because this talented author certainly knows how to mix things up, pull at your heartstrings and leave you reeling just when you think the happy ever after is in sight.

It’s the story of three teenage best friends.. two boys who were in love with the same unsuspecting girl, a pact was secretly made and one left, one stayed broke the pact and got the girl. Nine years later the boys are twenty-seven year old men, the girl’s a twenty-five year old woman.. and one man broke the her heart and left room for the other one to slowly claim it. He would be her shoulder to cry on, her comfort.. and then he’d become her salvation, her temptation, her lover.. and eventually much more. But Fate, the past and Destiny weren’t finished with any of them yet.

The combustible chemistry had always been there between the wonderful multi-layered hero and heroine - however it was the depth of their feelings that had a chance to surface and bloom into more once given proximity and the opportunity to grow. And it took shared times, sexcapades, humor, a surprising guest and a jaw-dropping twist to bring out heartfelt passionate words of love, tender words of devotion, heartbreaking words of regret, bitter-sweet words of pain.. and sighworthy words of hope. Each scene had me riveted with expectations.. with hope.. with happiness.. with droolworthy delight.. with dread.. and with tears because Ms. Ward’s emotional rollercoaster reached such highs and then such lows. The dual POV storyline was brought to life by Sebastian and Andi whose talents injected all the right feels and made a good book into a powerful listen.

Worth a credit? Oh boy.. I’m holding a virtual megaphone shouting into it YES I loved it.. YES get it now.. and YES it’s abso.freakin.lutely creditworthy.

If You Love Someone; Set Them Free.....

What a Beautiful story! It had all the great elements you'd want in a Romance book without going over the top. There is No Unbelievable Plot, No one is filthy rich, No Deep Dark Secrets or over exaggerated sex scenes. This Book was Sweet, Raw and Real.... It was so relatable, The Author did such a great Job of expressing the emotions of all the characters. so Much so That some of you will feel and remember the pain that you felt when it had happened to you. I Don't want to go to much into the story because I don't want to give anything away but like I said before it has all the great elements you love about Romance Books... Second Chance Love, First Love, Childhood friends, Friends with Benifits, Friends to Lovers, Love Triangle, Baby drama, Reconciling, Letting go, holding on, Heartbreak and of course Wise old ones with words of Wisdom!

it was ok

I guess I'm not a huge fan of wimpy women and Petty men. it's a little nauseating.

A real joy

I haven't completely enjoyed a book in a long time. So worth any credits. It was fun, romantic, touching, heartbreaking & heartwarming....

Not Rememberable

This book has been in my library for a few months now. Not only have I not listened to it again, which is unheard of. I don't even remember what the book is about. Reading the synopsis didn't even jar a memory. I'm not saying the book sucks. I'm just saying I'm not calling up every friend I have telling them their life won't be complete until they read this book.

I AM DISAPPOINTED...THIS WAS JUST MEH FOR ME!

I am beginning to think maybe I dont Love Penelope Ward as much as I thought I did! This was just ok...it had some unnecessary parts...and the story was laid out weird to me...I do love these narrators, but I have heard them as a team SOOOOOO Much now...I am kinda over it...Separately....They are still some of my faves...I do Think Andi, is the stronger of the 2 though....no offense Sebyo you sexy thang!! This was a sweet story, nice HEA....but not her best...and I am really starting to think I may just have outgrown this author...her books all tell the same story now to me...They are cute...and a little bit sexy...but the last 2 have not done it for me...Just My Opinion...but I give this a 3.5...

Channing is a control freak.

He decides that neither friend can date Amber when they are teens.
He decides to alienate himself by sleeping with her friends when the other guy brakes his rules.
He decides to not talk to her for a decade.
He calls her and rents her room.
He uses her computer and decides what she is doing is 'too dangerous'. That her expressing herself against his approval and intervenes.
He coaches her in how to get a new guy he approves of.
He catfishes her and lures her into a meeting.
He confesses only to make himself feel better.
He decides on the new arrangement and how it works.

Seriously, this guy is cray, but he's handsome, so it's forgivable? Amber seems like a pushover and I never cared enough about her as a character. She was framed as just being a goal for Channing, so he could have someone to sleep with? Her job was more interesting than she was. I guess I lost all respect for her as a character when she just was cool with him catfishing her, because handsome. Her job as more interesting than she was. Eh.

Penelope Ward does it again!!

When Penelope Ward writes something you know that it's going to be good and this was no exception.

It was a fun, sexy and emotional story with enough angst to make this a pretty much perfect listen.

Andi Arndt and Sebastian York did an amazing job narrating as usual.

Can't wait to read Penelope Ward's next book.

Lovely

Another good book by Penelope ward , I enjoyed reading and listening to her books , the narrators are brilliant.

Best friends to lovers!

Amber is heartbroken when her boyfriend dumps her. Not wanting another relationship she decides to hire a male escort to fill her needs. But when her best friend and room mate Channing finds out, he has other ideas.
It's fun, sexy and angsty! Great characters, great storyline and great narrators. I loved it!

A MUST READ, FRIENDS TO LOVERS, I LOVED IT !!

You know when someone mentions a book and you can say without a doubt, "OMG you must read it!!"... well this is one of those books.



Channing and Amber had a bond and that was a loss of losing someone. Channing lost his sister while Amber lost her best friend.

The two of them became best friends and along with that friendship also came Rory who was Channing's best friend, so the three of them went through their teenage years together.

Rory and Channing both developed feelings for Amber and so they made a pact to keep their friendship with each other and that meant neither of them would make a move on Amber and just be her friend, however when Channing went to college for a year he came home to discover Rory had broken that pact, a pact Amber knew nothing about. Channing was hurt and became the playboy of the school and backed off from his two friends altogether, it hurt too much to be around them.

Nine years later and Rory and Amber's relationship has suddenly ended with Rory's shocking admission that they should experience other people.
Amber is heartbroken and when Channing hears he news he is still there for his friend Amber and visits her in Boston.

Amber begins to move on, Channing is staying with her while he is temporary working in Boston but they very much try and stick to just being friends although Channing has always loved her, Amber is now only just having feelings for him.

The Gentleman nine comes about when Amber begins to feel horny with Channing around, she puts it down to not getting laid in a while and out of desperation contacts a dating agency to rid herself of these feelings, move on and begin her single life only it doesn't go to plan and this is when and the plot really heats up..

I loved this story, I feel like I have been on a journey with these characters, I have shed a tear, felt the dilemmas and laughed along the way.

Gentleman nine is everything I love about a contemporary romance read, a friends to lovers romance with twists and revelations, there's hotness in all the right places, and interesting plot, likable characters, and a heartwarming hea.

I listened to this on audio and I loved the narrators who really brought the characters to life

Told in dual pov and leads to a hea.

Absolutely fabulous!

A great romantic story, perfectly narrated, very likeable characters and refreshing that the neurodiverse characters were drawn with empathy and some of their difficulties subtly included in the tale.
Loved Channing … so swoony,handsome and sensitive.
Off to look for another audio book by the author

fun easy and sexy

I liked all the characters in this one and there was no crazy unnecessary drama which made this a fun read with a satisfying ending.

very predictable

for those who want an easy light read, without too much drama. The male voice way off the mark- too mature for the character.

Amazing

Loved listening to this book. Definitely a must listen again. The chemistry between them both was so sexy.

Brilliant

This was a very good story characters were Amazing Penelope ward is a excellent author Sebastian york and Andi Arndt are very good at bringing the characters to life would highly recommend this book

THis book was lovely

Great story, loved it so much. Love the narrators and could not stop listening. Channing was very sexy!