Joshua's Rainbow

By: Victoria Sue

Narrated by: Darcy Stark

Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rainbow Key - an idyllic island retreat off the west coast of Florida. Think wedding destination, white sandy beaches, lurve…except at the moment Joshua is struggling to pay the electricity bill, they’ve no paying customers, and even if they did they can’t afford the repairs from the devastating hurricane that struck three years ago – and to top it off they have to take in Daniel, a grumpy businessman who has been ordered by his doctor to take some time off before he has a heart attack from too much stress.

Funnily enough, Daniel owns a very expensive hotel chain that has been trying to buy the island for the past two years. Not that Joshua knows that yet, and boy are sparks gonna fly when he thinks he’s been set up.

Of course, sparks of a different kind are also soon flying between them.

Then there’s Matt who just got let out of prison, Charlie who ran away from home, and Ben, a famous model until a devastating house fire destroyed his face.

Welcome to Rainbow Key – held together by love, family, and sticky tape.

©2018 Victoria Sue (P)2018 2018

Love is the greatest forgiveness

Wow, this is one powerful story. 😱 It really blew me away. ❤️ First of all, from the blurb, you think that you are going to get a feel-good, low-angst, fluffy story. Well, you are not getting fluffy. What you are going to get is a meaningful and heartwarming story with amazing depth which will explore the ugliness and beauty of the humans and the society. 😊



Joshua is a very fascinating human being for me. It simply broke my heart to learn what he had to go through before he even became 18. The world can be a cruel place and humans even crueler. This story teaches us the importance of love, forgiveness, family and most importantly, acceptance. His life changed for the better when he was rescued by Clive and got to Rainbow Key where you can be just as you are. Now Joshua dreams of giving home to misfits and outcasts like him and running a successful hotel that will benefit everyone who works at the hotel. And just when he thought love is not for someone like him, a dashing and kind man who attracts to him like a magnet arrived to his rundown hotel.

Daniel has been simply living until now. After his parents passed away in a sudden accident, he’s been investing his life in making money and expanding his business empire. Home is not the place but the people you love. But the thing is despite being 40, Daniel still hasn’t found his “the one and home” yet. After collapsing at an event due to over-working and stress, he was instructed by his best friend and personal doctor to go on a vacation where he can completely rest his body and soul. Thus the story of our Rainbow Key island getaway begins.


When these two love-starved men met, both thought they are not good enough for each other. 😁 And when they finally hooked up, they both thought the other person wanted only a vacation fling. The ridiculous thing is because the truth is very far from it. 😁 They both want a serious relationship where they can utterly commit to and love each other. As they started to find their common ground and things started going well, Joshua’s ugly past fast caught up to them. Now Daniel must show Joshua how love can heal anything.

The story really blew me away. It was interesting, enthralling and most of all, authentic. And the love making scenes? Though not plenty, they were smoking hot! 🔥 The second thing that blew me away was the narrator Darcy Stark. 😍 I was very skeptical about listening to him because well, I have never listened to any of his audio before but boy, the man can narrate! 😱💙 His performance of Joshua and Daniel was so vivid and powerful and his female impersonations really fascinated me. Great job choosing the narrator Victoria Sue. 👏 I’m sure I’ll definitely listen more of him. I love how everything worked out in the end. It was a very heartwarming and beautiful HEA. I hope to see more of these two in the upcoming books in the series. 😌 A great book and a lovely narration! 💗 Thoroughly enjoyed it! 👍



5 love is the greatest forgiveness stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️




Audio rating

Story 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Narration 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Performance 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Beautiful story, good narration

This is lovely story about overcoming family betrayal, creating a family and finding love/acceptance. Joshua has had an unhappy past, but due to one act of kindness shown to him, he is trying to help others who have had troubled pasts. Daniel, a hotel magnate, is forced to go on holidays for his health. He finds himself at the hotel Joshua is trying to run. Both men are somewhat damaged - Daniel less so - but together, they begin a tentative friendship fueled by a mutual attraction. Both men had their insecurities which, of course, lead to misunderstandings, but they were not protracted. I really enjoyed the story.
The narration was solid; Colin Darcy differentiated between the characters and he kept me engaged throughout. It's definitely a good way to enjoy the story.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wonderful start to this series!!!!!

I was pleasantly surprised with this audible as I had never even heard of this narrator before. I thoroughly enjoyed this narration. This book, in my opinion, was a wonderful start to this series. I felt like I was introduced to all of the characters but none of them overpowered the two MCs at all. I was able to get just enough of their back stories to look forward to their turn at being an MC while feeling like the main concentration was on Daniel and Josh. I felt an instant connection with Josh since I have always been heavier than I should be and to see the relationship between him and Daniel grow was beautiful. I enjoyed this story line alot, even more than I expected to. I found myself wishing this island was somewhere I could go for relaxation, frienship, and so I could give Josh a big hug. I can't wait for the rest of this series to be available on audible, I may have to read them before that :)

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazing!!

So when I read this book I was in love! Victoria Sue has a way with words that I just absolutely love. Josh and Daniel are just prefect for each other. Now this is the first time I have listened to Darcy Stark and I got to say that it isn't going to be the last. Darcy does an amazing job in bring these characters to life. I can hear every emotion that each character is feeling. I can't wait to hear more by Darcy Stark!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Second Chances

This book had a lot going on. This is the first time that I have read a book from Victoria Sue and I am glad that I did.

This story had a couple of dark elements that I was not expecting at all. I knew what Joshua went through but I was not expecting the event to be told so graphically. I do not have any issues with graphic content but I was just confused that it was told in this book, which did not give any indications that one of the main characters had certain things done to him. Aside from those few moments I enjoyed this book.

There were certain events where I thought Joshua and Daniel just needed to get over. There was a lot of miscommunication occurring and at times I wanted both of them to spill their guts. It seemed as though they were never on the same page or when they were they would not let one another know they wanted the same thing.

Their love story was sweet. Daniel sensed Joshua went through somethings and made sure to let Joshua know it was up to him if he wanted to continue their relationship. Every time Joshua was uncomfortable Daniel understood and helped calm him down. I loved what Daniel did for Joshua in the epilogue and I cannot want to see what the future holds for them.

I am really looking forward to diving more into Rainbow Key. I am really interested in Matt. We only got a couple of hints of who he is and I am looking forward to figuring out why he was in prison for.

Great intro to the series!

Joshua's Rainbow is book 1 in the Rainbow Key series and it's a great intro to this great group of friends, who are more of a family composed of broken people who cared deeply for each other.

I absolutely adored Joshua, even his insecurities about his weight made him even more endearing to me. He was selfless and loving and caring and I just wanted to hug him and make things better for him. It took me longer to warm up to Daniel. *sighs* You see, while I love May/December romances, I have a pet peeve that is fairly common in this trope, the older MC acting more like an immature jerk than the younger one and that happened here. Yes, Daniel was dealing with his own insecurities, but somehow they didn't seem as poignant as Joshua's and I just wanted to punch him and scream at him to stop being a twat and just be there for Joshua, which he ultimately did, thank God. Despite this, I felt they had a good chance of making their relationship work, they seemed to fit well together when Daniel wasn't being difficult.

I loved Charlie and Ben and the rest of the crew and I'm very interested in reading or listening to their stories. While I felt the ending was a bit rushed in regards to Clive's son and his lawyer, it was still a pretty good read.

Darcy Stark did a fabulous work with the narration, bringing the characters and the story to life, especially the last third of the book, which was so full of emotion that it nearly brought me to tears. I'll definitely be checking the other audiobooks in the series!

A new-to-me author and narrator... 4.5 stars!

One of my good book friends has been on me to read AND listen to the Rainbow Key series, telling me how amazing the three currently available stories were, and after having read AND listened to (hooray for WhisperSync!) the first one, I've come to realize that she was right (but don't tell her I admitted that!). Joshua's Rainbow was a great introduction to the Rainbow Key series as well as to Victoria Sue's writing and Darcy Stark's narration, both of whom were new-to-me going into this. I am officially hooked, and as I'm writing this review, I'm currently listening to the second audiobook, Charlie's Rainbow (but more on that when I'm done and start working THAT review).

A health scare has forty-two-year-old property developer Daniel Morgan taking his best friend--who also happens to be his personal physician--up on his suggestion to take a long vacation, specifically at the Rainbow Key, a resort located at Paradise Island, both privately owned, in Florida. When he gets there, Daniel can't help but take note of the potential the place has once given a major influx of funding and undergoes renovations. It's managed by Joshua Dryden, and Daniel is immediately taken by the man twenty years his junior. After some hesitation, the two give in to their connection, but will either one want the other once their secrets are brought to light?

I'm a self-confessed angst addict, so I more than appreciated the amount of angst that this story had. I liked both Daniel and Josh, and that affection extends to the rest of the cast of characters on Rainbow Key, and I know that Charlie and Ben already have their stories out, but I'm hoping we'll be getting even more, especially one for Matt--after all there are seven "official" colors of the rainbow. Victoria Sue has created a memorable setting and a fabulous introduction to what already looks like an inspiring series, and Darcy Stark did a wondrous job bringing the story to life with his voice. I can't believe it's taken me THIS long to discover Sue and Stark. SMH. Time to remedy that grievous error in judgment! I'm giving Joshua's Rainbow 4.5 stars and can't wait for more from this series and S&S . ♥

Everything to love

This was a great book,perfect narration and writing made it hard to turn it off. Joshua's struggles with his body image and past was both heartbreaking and made you want to keep listening to see/hear how it was overcome.

Stunning book

I read the kindle version of this book when it came out a few months ago and I loved every page of it. So when I heard that there was now an audible version I knew I had to listen to it. Darcy Stark has done an amazing job with the narration and the audio version is just divine!!

The MC’s in this book are gorgeous souls. Joshua has a past that haunts him and has to shoulder more responsibility than an average 22 year old. He is so caring and has the biggest heart for those he loves and wants to protect. These include his favourite guests and the other staff at the hotel who he “inherited” from the previous owner Clive. As Charlie so beautifully put it “Clive collected broken things” meaning people and the staff there may have been broken by circumstance but on the island they are allowed to heal, flourish and form a family with each other. Victoria Sue has created a stunning set of characters at the hotel and I can’t imagine anyone not falling in love with them.

The other MC Daniel has been sent to the island by his doctor for some much needed R&R. Although his company has tried to buy the island Rainbow Key is on several times, he finds himself falling in love with the band of misfits that are the staff and he goes out of his way to help them succeed wherever he can. I adored the interaction between Daniel and Joshua - Daniel was so caring and loving with Joshua, always trying to make him feel good about himself and never being remotely pushy about sex. Joshua just cared for Daniel so much and he could see the lost man behind the workaholic businessman. They are perfect for each other. In summary 5 stars is not enough for this audiobook!!

I received an arc of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review

Beautiful Story, Darcy Stark is Wonderful

A beautifully written hurt/comfort story with a delectable age gap, Joshua’s Rainbow is the first in Victoria Sue’s Rainbow Key series. Narrator Darcy Stark’s rich, warm voice pulled me in right from the get-go, and this story flew by much too fast. Luckily for me, there are two more episodes to come and I can’t wait to listen to them.

I really enjoy the compelling backstories Victoria Sue develops for her characters, and the powerful connections she establishes between them. When Josh and Daniel click, damn do they click!

These are wonderful characters and I challenge anyone not to fall in love with Joshua. After everything he’s been through in his life, he still has such a huge heart - I couldn’t wait to see him get his happily-ever-after. And slightly flustered, overworked Daniel needs to re-prioritize, and watching him find something of value in his life is very rewarding.

The way Daniel breaks down Joshua’s walls and helps him overcome his fear of intimacy is very romantic. And I love the way he shows his support of Joshua’s continual journey of recovery. Josh is a strong man and he’s working hard to make a new life for himself and others who need a safe place.

Victoria Sue always tells an amazing story, and she gives me everything I need in a romance with Joshua’s Rainbow. It's wonderful, and I’m moving right on to Charlie’s Rainbow which is also narrated by the wonderful Darcy Stark.

an audiobook copy of Joshua’s Rainbow was provided to me for the purpose of my review

A wonderful beginning to an exciting series

I love Victoria Sue's writing and I adore her as a person, so I was really hoping that I would love this book. Phew, I shouldn't have worried, it was FANTASTIC! Joshua's story is so heartbreaking, and he deserves the happiness that Daniel offers ... if only they could be brave enough to accept how they feel. The characters are all so complex and fragile, and they were all handled with sensitivity and respect. I'm very excited to see how they develop and how on earth Victoria is going to give them an HEA is beyond me - which is why she's the writer and i'm the listener. The ending of the book - oh my heart!
I hadn't heard any of Darcy Stark's work before this, but I loved his style. His narration flowed beautifully and the characters were well differentiated. His emotional breadth shone through.
If you like a sweet romance with angst, heat and an HEA, this is one for you.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Island Paradise

This is a gentle feel good book, perfect for when you want a little boost. Who doesn’t love the idea of beautiful beaches, an island to escape to and falling in love. This is the first book in a series and focuses on Joshua but also introduces two other intriguing characters, Charlie, Ben and Matt. All of them have sought a new start at Rainbow key. Daniel however goes there to rest and recover from a busy schedule. He never expected to meet the love of his life. I loved that neither Joshua or Daniel were looking for love and it swept both of them up. There are bumps along the way, but that’s what makes it so interesting. Each of them have secrets they just don’t want to get out, which of course they do.
I haven’t listened to a book narrated by Darcy Stark before but I will lookout for them. He has a good style and is able to bring out the personality of each character. They all have their own distinct voices and I was impressed with the voices he gave the female characters.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderful and engaging story

Loved how the listener gets sucked into the story. Absolutely spellbinding. Can’t wait to listen to the next book in the series.

Emotional listening!

I fell in love with this book and I fell love with these characters. This is my first narrative by Darcy stark and it won't be my last!

Loved It

I really enjoyed this book.
It was a great beginning to a new series.
The story was great, and the narration really took it to the next level.
I am looking forward to listening to more of this series.

Sweet story about over coming odds

I enjoyed this one more than I expected to actually. It was a little predictable but not in a bad way and there were a few good surprises in there too. Each plot point was handled well and I really like all of the characters. I found their connection to be really believable and organic. Joshua is so lost and broken but really trying to hold it all together for is pulled together family and then Daniel comes in and just helps, catching Joshua completely off guard and tearing down his walls. The two are so sweet together and I adored them both. I also really enjoyed getting to meet all of the supporting cast and can't wait for some of their stories!

A Promising Start To A New Series

This is a good start to a new series by Victoria Sue. The character development is in-depth and all of the central characters have some past life experiences which have brought them together on Rainbow Key to find a home, a refuge from their pasts. I’m looking forward to hearing each of their stories.
Compared to some of her other books, Rainbow Key is probably a little more of a ‘feel good’ read. Low angst and moderate steam but a satisfying HEA.
I have given this 4 stars only on personal preference as I much prefer a her Enhanced World Series and The Alpha Heir Series.
Darcy Stark does a great job narrating.

A really good book made great

Darcy Stark is a new narrator to me, I’ll be looking out for him in future and can’t wait to hear him narrate the rest of the series. I loved Joshua’s Rainbow when I read it and was putting my own voices in. But hearing the distinct changes for each character added that something extra.
Definitely a recommended listen.

Loved this book

New narrator to me did a great job. Loved the premise of the book and all the hotel groups dynamics. So glad Terry is getting what he deserves.

Island retreat

This May-December romance certainly has its ups and downs. The characters are such a lovely band of misfits that somehow work together in the face of adversity and a conniving heir who wants to sell the island out from under them. I enjoyed taking the journey with Joshua and Daniel as they figure out if they can have a HEA