In the Middle of Somewhere

Middle of Somewhere, Book 1

By: Roan Parrish

Narrated by: Robert Nieman

Daniel Mulligan is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in - not at home in Philadelphia with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates looked down on him. Now, Daniel's relieved to have a job at a small college in Holiday, Northern Michigan, but he's a city boy through and through, and it's clear that this small town is one more place he won't fit in.

Rex Vale clings to routine to keep loneliness at bay: honing his muscular body, perfecting his recipes, and making custom furniture. Rex has lived in Holiday for years, but his shyness and imposing size have kept him from connecting with people.

When the two men meet, their chemistry is explosive, but Rex fears Daniel will be another in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in can be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia, where he discovers a secret that changes the way he understands everything.

©2015 Roan Parrish (P)2016 Dreamspinner Press

A different kind of love story

If you could sum up In the Middle of Somewhere in three words, what would they be?

Different, unique, thorough

What did you like best about this story?

Everything, from start to finish

Which scene was your favorite?

Christmas morning

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes I did, I was so engrossed I lost track of time and forgot what I was doing.

Any additional comments?

Daniel Mulligan has spent the better part of his life either going out of his way to impress his father and three brothers, or going out of his way to avoid them once he was old enough and he realized, some things will never change. Daniel worked hard to pay rent and put himself through college and has finally found a job at a college in a small town in Michigan. It's not the dream job he was hoping for, but it is the type of job he worked so hard to get a degree for. On the night of his interview, Daniel drives his rental car into a tree so as not to hit a dog in the road and is rescued by one gorgeous, quiet, recluse... Rex.

Rex Vale has no family to speak of, his mom was his best friend and the light of his life until she passed. Not only does Rex suffer from Dyslexia, he's a very large and intimidating presence and that doesn't always work in his favor. When Rex was seventeen years old, he feel in love. A random act of violence took that love from Rex and he swore he would never be that vulnerable again. He worked out, bulked up and built a wall around his heart of impenetrable steel. From the start the sparks ignite between these two. But when Daniel wakes up alone in Rex's bed, he assumes he's being given the brush off. Six months pass where all either of them do is pine over each other before Daniel is back to start his new job at the college. Again, he and Rex cross paths and the spark becomes a storm.

This book drew me in from the start. The storyline was different and unique, the characters are perfectly flawed and though they both have scars, they don't pull any punches with each other. I loved this approach to the story, just the way Daniel and Rex are with each other and the story being told from Daniel's POV. It really removed a lot of the angst that would normally be filler in a story like this. I was literally so engaged in this book that I would loose track of time, it's so good! What I enjoyed about this book most was the character development and personal growth with both Daniel and Rex. Much more so with Daniel. Living with a verbally and emotionally abusive family since birth, always being ignored, told he wasn't good enough and being ridiculed because he wanted to go to college. All if that made him wary of any kindess, so it does take a lot of tender love and care for Rex to prove to Daniel he isn't going anywhere.

Narrated by Robert Nieman and he thoroughly owned this story. Each character is perfectly voiced, their tones and inflections and those subtle nuances really make for a incredible audiobook. I could feel Daniel's pain over the way his family treated him, could understand why he wouldn't want to be around them, much less contact them on a regular basis. And Rex, oh my god, when he's telling Daniel what happened in high school, I could hear the desperation and pain in his voice. I could almost feel his need to build himself up so he would never have to endure such pain again. It's Daniel's inability to trust and Rex's iron clad fortress that cause these two to butt heads more than once.

I highly recommend this book. If you like stories with an edge, hard sought HEA, figuring out who you truly are while your partner does the same, going on that journey of self awareness together... you'll like this book.

More than expected…in the best way.

In the Middle of Somewhere starts where you feel like you may know where it lands. But…buckle up because it’s quite the journey.

Whether from the Midwest or City, this is a book that relates to most in someway.

The narrator does a great job. I only wish I had the printed copy now!

Beautiful story and narration

What did you love best about In the Middle of Somewhere?

Loved David and Rex's story and how they both develop through out the story. This was my first (and will not be the last) book I listen/read from Roan Parrish. I also enjoyed Robert Neiman's narration.

Worth a listen

In amongst the erotica there’s a pretty good story here about finding love and learning how to love and better yet be loved. And my old high school teacher would have cringed with that sentence! Seriously, a good “gay” novel with a couple of interesting twists to it. Best of all it didn’t have that “Greek Tragedy” ending. Hey, there’s even a dog that gets rescued too! One issue was left unresolved, but I guess that’s just life. Fodder for a follow up book?

WOW!

Absolutely sensational! I find myself caring deeply for the characters. Good luck in Getty this one out of your system.