Leaning Into the Look

By: Lane Hayes

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

Grant Kostas made a career based on his looks before joining his family’s real estate firm. He may not love his job, but he’s better at sales than he thought. And when he’s poised to bring in the biggest account of the company’s history, even his father is impressed. Unfortunately, the extra attention highlights Grant’s personal life. His parents accept he’s gay; they just wish he’d meet a nice Greek man.  

Miles Harrison is a fabulous redhead going through a rough patch. Between getting dumped by his long-term boyfriend and finding a new place to live in the city, he’s nearing his wits end. He’s not sure why he thought rooming with his boss’s friend was a good idea. Miles has had a crush on Grant for years. However, he knows attractive people aren’t always pretty on the inside. 

As the two men grapple with external problems, they form an unexpected bond of friendship and trust that feels like the real thing. The only way to know for certain is to let go of fear and lean into the look.

©2018 Lane Hayes (P)2018 Lane Hayes

Perfect!

Lane Hayes writes emotionally rich stories. This narration brought another layer to the story that made the book even better. Nick Russo brought each character to life, giving depth and believability to the smarmy Tom, blustery Pappa, snarky Miles, and shy Grant. Highly recommended.

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Take control

This is book #6 in the Leaning Into series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. For reader understanding, and too avoid spoilers, I recommend reading this amazing series in order.

Grant & Miles know one another through mutual friends. One night, when Grant is at a party for friends, he needs Miles help. Following that night, he realizes how much Miles really could be.

Miles has always wanted Grant for himself. When he gets his chance he goes with it like a freight train without brakes. Later, when he and Grant discover there could be more, he wonders if he should have looked at this with caution.

Nick J Russo has the narration by storm. I love his voice, it is very soothing. I also love the changes in inflection and nuances that just make it more than just reading would have been. What a great edition!

The long awaited story about Grant was not just everything I wanted. It was really just a great read. There is humor, heat, & happenings. I love how Miles is the perfect balance to Grant. I loved it so much and it fits so well with this series. I also really loved the audio narration.


***This audible version was provided for an honest review only.

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Love the story, excellent narration!

I always like returning to this group of characters in the Leaning Into stories, they’re such a wonderful group of friends who are there for each other and support one another even when at times they might not think what you’re doing is a good idea.

This author is really good at crafting characters with depth and who are very easy to care about. With Miles, at first glance you might just think he’s just one of those guys who is a bit over the top—campy when he’s in the mood for it, snarky when it’s needed (or when it’s not). But often that’s really a protective mechanism for him…particularly when what he’s protecting is his heart. He’s happy with his chaos, which is quite the opposite of Grant who is someone who needs his calm. With his stereotypical big Greek family (if you’ve seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you’ve got the idea), and the pressure he feels to succeed and make his father proud—he’s really putting stress on himself, and at times he’ll just go along with his family just to keep the peace.

Miles and Grant clearly have chemistry together. Not just physical either (though holy wow are they insanely hot in that arena!)…they also click as friends, easily becoming each other’s rock and support. They slip into the roles of lovers and more like those roles were made for them—and they for each other.

There were some points that my attention did drift a little, and I really wish we could have had some of the story from Miles’ point of view. I think having insight to his mind and feelings on a deeper level than what Grant saw would have helped me become more immersed in their story.

Even given that, Leaning Into the Look was still a 4.5-star read for me, and I know fans of the series will really enjoy Miles and Grant together like I did. You could read this as a standalone, but I strongly feel you’ll enjoy their story a lot more if you read the other books in the series first since they both do appear in the other stories, but you’ll also get the background for the other couples that appear in this book. This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.

The narration: Nick J. Russo does another excellent job with the narration, continuing to give the characters of this series distinct voices that are consistent and make it easy to tell who’s who. I particularly enjoyed his voice for Miles, and the emotion he expressed with Miles’ exuberant personality. Steady pacing and great voices along with the consistency within the entire series for all of the characters made the narration 5 stars for me.

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One of the best for 2018!

There are audiobooks that I listen to without having read the ebook prior, and then there are particular titles which I've already had the pleasure of perusing but I'm also more than curious about when it comes to how it all translates when narration enters the picture. More often than not, both formats are equally good, and then there are those that falter when they become audio; but the rarefied few? Well, the addition of narration elevates everything to a whole new level of awesomeness, and that was exactly the case with Leaning Into the Look, the sixth story in the Leaning Into series by one of my favorite go-to authors, Lane Hayes. Lending his voice and storytelling expertise is Nick J. Russo, a narrator favorite of mine, and this was a showcase for why he's a favorite.

This is the story of thirty-four-year-old former model turned real estate agent Grant Kostas, who is the remaining single guy among his coupled off friends--the happily married Eric Schuster and Zane Richards, Nick Jorgensen who's in a committed relationship with Wes Conrad, and Josh Sheehan who found love with Finn Gallagher. While he may not exactly have a specific person in mind to share the rest of his life with, he's pretty sure it's not going to be thirty-two-year-old Miles Harrison. Yeah, the guy's made no secret of his crush on him, but Grant's made it a habit to keep some distance from Miles. When an unexpected hookup leads to a burgeoning friendship with sexy benefits, Grant finds himself happy with Miles, but is he prepared to stand up to his overbearing father for Miles?

I loved reading Grant and Miles's love story, but gah, how I adored listening to it even more! Lane Hayes, as always, has written a tale of love triumphing over anything or anyone that may stand in the way of a much deserved happily-ever-after. With Nick J. Russo giving voice to both Grant and Miles, I simply sat back as he made me fall in love with the story all over again. These two had me on a roller coaster of emotions, and yes, there were times when I seriously wanted to knock their heads together, but I remained always--ALWAYS--on their side because I had become absolutely invested in them. I love listening to this series, but I confess that it's Leaning Into the Look that's convinced me that the creative duo of Hayes and Russo is a mighty force to be reckoned with. Five-plus stars. ♥

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Superb!

I simply adore this beautifully written series and the stories featuring this diverse group of friends. Each story is superb, with plenty of feels and humour woven into the storylines. Eric and Zane, Nick and Wes, and Josh and Finn are all loved up. Now it’s Grant’s turn to find his soulmate. Except he’s already met him. Miles is just fabulous, but Grant has been doing his best to avoid talking to Eric and Nick’s work colleague for months.

My heart went out to both Grant and Miles as we discover more about their pasts. We’d had glimpses of their characters in the previous stories. I always thought Grant was the quiet one, rather aloof at times, almost the odd one out in the group of friends. He’s a successful real estate agent and a former underwear model. He’s now dealing with an overbearing father and a business colleague who wants more than a working relationship. I loved how Grant rose to this challenge, asserted himself, and stood up to both of these men. I also loved the angst this caused along the way, not only for Grant, but also for Grant and Miles as a potential couple.

Grant and Miles have very different personalities and physical features, but they just clicked. Yes, it was a little awkward at first, but their exchanges were often humorous. They moved from acquaintances to roommates quite easily. Their friends with benefits routine was fooling no one apart from themselves. I love how Lane Hayes leads them down this path and shows them falling in love, even though the characters are reluctant to admit it to each other. Their wonderfully steamy bedroom sessions made it clear their connection was more than just physical.

It was great to see the other couples are still very much in love and leaning into each other, as well as taking part in this narrative.

Superb narration from Nick J Russo as always. He provided great character voices with a range of emotions, perfect pacing and great storytelling of this fabulous story.

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My favorite in this series

This story was wonderfully written and masterfully narrated! Each character’s portrayal was distinct and well done! Gio and Mi won my hearts with their quirks and flaws! I just loved it!

5 stars = I freaking LOVED this audiobook!!!

I received a free copy of this audiobook to listen to and review for Wicked Reads.

Since getting to know Grant a little better in Josh’s book, Leaning into Touch, I was excited to cue up Leaning into the Look. Being as I didn’t read the blurb beyond learning it was Grant’s book, my excitement ratcheted up when I realized Miles was being positioned as his love interest. Normally, I would have carried on and enjoyed the ride, catching up with the other couples while watching Grant find his Mr. Right, but I HAD to run over to Audible to skim the blurb to make sure Miles had indeed been tapped for the role. I’ll admit to engaging in “goody, goody” hand claps and a massive grin before resuming the audiobook. I’ll also admit to having my exuberance dashed just a bit when Eric revealed why Miles was back on the market, even more so when he revealed he’d discarded his signature fashion accessories. Poor Miles. Yet I sallied forth, knowing that Lane Hayes would make it all work out in the end. And I was not disappointed, not one bit.

While it becomes apparent as the story moves forward that Grant’s friends know him very well, with most of their circle having had front row seats to more than one of his low points, Hayes has managed to keep Grant even more of a mystery than I ever expected. For the most part, Grant appears to be a dutiful Greek son whose life choices have been guided by and for his family and the family business – with Steroid Steve from Leaning into Touch being the break in that public persona. But as Leaning into the Look is told from Grant’s point of view, giving us access to his inner thoughts and demons, it becomes obvious rather quickly that how he presents himself to those outside of his family and inner circle of friends is one heck of an act. To put it simply, the boy is a mess. And that turns out to be something he has in common with Miles – the disparity between the public persona and the inner turmoil is tremendous and unexpected. Few people would suspect a former underwear model would have self-esteem issues, but Grant’s head is a minefield of self-doubt. That Grant sees a kindred soul in Miles, someone who is by no means perfect, yet is perfect for him, is what made their love story so believable for me. Listening to these two navigate a relationship they agree not to have yet can’t seem to avoid was a delight.

Also unexpected was the level of heat that Hayes unleashed this time around. I’ve found each of the couples’ bedroom gymnastics to be steamy, but Grant and Miles seemed to raise the bar… a lot. Maybe it was the naughty nature of their first hookup or the secret nature of their continued liaisons, but the sexual chemistry between these two was just so much hotter than the previous couples – and that heat was ratcheted up by Nick J. Russo’s performance. Russo always does a wonderful job at the mic, but he shined at capturing both men’s vulnerabilities, strengths, and sensuality. I actually had to stop the audiobook while listening to it at work because it got steamier than I expected… and I listen via earbuds, so it’s not like anyone was going to overhear. Cold drink and a fan, anyone? I was particularly impressed with how well Russo conveyed Grant’s frustration and desperation the night Tom showed up for dinner. Hayes penned one heck of a come-to-Jesus scene and Russo proved he was up to that challenge. Seriously, that scene wouldn’t have played out half as exciting in my head had I read the book instead of listening to the audiobook. It was so well done, I wanted to give Grant a standing ovation after he lost it. I’m already looking forward to listening to Leaning into the Look again… and again… and again. This entire series is on my re-listen list as I love spending time with the guys and watching them find their other half and right now, Grant and Miles are my favorite couple.

Great addition to the series!!!

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Story: 4.5 Stars!

Narration: 4.5 Stars!



Leaning into the Look is book 6 in the Leaning Into Stories, I guess it could technically be read/listened to as a standalone, however, I wouldn't recommend it. The books follow the lives of a group of friends and there are a lot of recurring appearances, plus the series is amazing and trust me, you don't want to miss out on it.

Grant is stressed-out over a multi-million dollar deal his real estate company could land. His father is determined to be a part of it, even if Grant is supposedly the head of the San Francisco branch and while it took them some time, his parents now accept that he's gay but want him to date a Greek man. He's always been slightly intimidated by Miles, Eric's secretary, but once he starts to know him better, he quickly changes his mind about him.

Miles has been crushing on Grant for years, but he's not exactly in the best state of mind after ending a 7-year relationship. However, he can't say no when Grant offers him the chance to be roommates and even less when they become friends-with-benefits.

While they fit well together, the two of them are going through several things that might end up straining their blossoming relationship if they don't let go of their fear and learn to trust in each other.

I loved Miles, he was fabulous and fun, but at the same time, had a depth to him that I wasn't quite expecting. I only wish we'd seen a bit more of what makes him, well, him, which was difficult considering the book is written from Grant's POV. I really liked Grant, he was nice and self-deprecating and I adored seeing the progression of his relationship with Miles. It felt realistic and inevitable. Even with as different as they were, they were able to complement each other and offer the support the other sorely needed to work on their respective issues. Nevermind that they were uber hot together. *fans self* I was just a bit frustrated by their inability to talk clearly about their feelings, but all's well that ends well, so there's that.

While I adore Nick J. Russo and his narrations are usually golden, I had a bit of a problem with his Miles's voice, it was just not what I expected. However, even if took me some time to get used to Miles's voice, I loved Grant's and I loved listening to this fabulous story. Mr. Russo did a fantastic job giving that extra-special something that just elevated Lane Hayes's words, especially near the end when he had me sobbing my eyes out at 1am this morning. LOL

Be it on audio or e-book, you simply can't go wrong with Leaning Into the Look, which was another fabulous addition to the series, so just pick it up, you'll love it.

Another good performance from Nick....

Good audio from Nick J Russo, but I must admit that listening to Grant dithering towards the end of the story made me want to smack him upside the head just as much as reading about it did. I liked his Miles voice, somehow confident yet at the same time vulnerable, and the slimy git in the story sounded exactly like the slimy git did in my head 😉. Happy that both guys got their HEA, and now looking forward to Geordie's story.