Not so Vanilla

By: Morgan Noel

Narrated by: Piers Ryman

Bartholomew's life is perfect. He's got a job he loves; he's in a committed relationship with his loving boyfriend who appreciates his neurotic tendencies, social anxiety, and general awkwardness. It's not "white picket fence and Golden Retriever" perfect, but their nice little apartment in the city and the cat they rescued from the shelter come pretty close.

The domestic bliss gets disturbed when his boyfriend Kyle brings a very hot friend from high school into their sanctuary, making both of them wonder if perhaps "perfect" is as relative as good sex.

©2018 Morgan Noel (P)2018 Morgan Noel

Cute and sexy Mew stole my heart.

I fell in love with super sweet and awkward Mew. I think Piers Ryman does really good in portraying Mew's awkward stuttering, although the tone of the narration seemed to be a bit flat in some parts of the narration, but he is a new to me narrator, so I may just not be used to his style.
In the beginning Kyle and Adam's behavior sort of annoyed me, because I felt like they were sort of mocking Mew, or prodding him to much. But then I felt the genuine love of Kyle for Mew.

Review: Not So Vanilla, by Morgan Noel

A quick read (listen, for me technically). Didn't end up enjoying it as much as I had thought going into it. I felt a potential for these characters to really go somewhere and develop, but much was left out for me. There's a great premise having a third guy come to live with a couple and there was conflict there. Mew had a chance to grow both sexually and socially, too. While he technically did by the end, it was a bit too easy of a conclusion and then the story was over. I think working this into a larger story could do all the characters justice and I would be interested in reading that book.

Still, with the potential I feel it had, I'll be checking out more of Noel's writing. I may stick to text over audio though. Mew came out as too whiny for being a sole narrator and maybe that shaped his character into an even less enjoyable one than he was created to be.

Love it in audiobook!

Not this is such a cute short story! When I read it I just fell in love with awkward Mew. So when I hear it was going to be an audiobook I was hoping for someone who could bring out Mew's awkwardness. And Piers Ryman did it perfectly! I just love how Piers bring all three of the characters to life and make me feel them. Just another great listen.

Fun and Sexy

This story was amusing and sexy. Though Mew occasionally annoyed me with his habit of being scandalized by everything, I still thought he was funny and cute. Kyle was sweet and loving to Mew, though his desire for something wild did show through. And Adam was unapologetic about being hot, horny, and interested in Mew. The fact that Kyle and Adam had lost their virginity to each other in high school didn't help with Mew's insecurities, but he didn't want to admit that out loud. Experiencing the three men spending time together was greatly entertaining. An added bonus was the put-upon cat. The narrator did a great job bringing all three men to life, and he made an already enjoyable story even better.

easy listen

Would I listen to it again: yes
Did the story keep me engaged: yes
Was I invested in the characters: yes
What did I like about the story? entertaining characters, fun and enjoyable story and a good pace. MMM relationship that develops over time and I liked that Adam and Kyle were respectful of Mew's boundaries.
Was there anything that didn't work for me? given Mew's anxieties, I was surprised Kyle would bring home Adam (a complete stranger to Mew) the way he did.
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Narrator comment: Piers Ryman has done a great job bringing Not So Vanilla to life. I had no problem distinguishing characters or feeling the emotions of the story. Mew's character was a perfect blend of awkward and endearing and had me laughing more than once. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable audio experience.