Owning Corey

By: Maris Black

Narrated by: J. F. Harding

Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's Summary

When introverted doctor Ben Hardy's high-maintenance girlfriend wants to introduce a little more kink into their love life, he doesn't expect it to come in the form of the hunky new EMT who just moved to Blackwood. Ben's not gay, but damn! He can definitely see why all the women turn to mush when he's around: tall, blue eyes, body of an underwear model. The prospect of being naked in the same room with him is horrifying. So why the hell is he considering it?

Corey Butler desperately needs to leave his shady past behind, and the microscopic town of Blackwood is just the place to do it. No drama, no danger, no sleeping under bridges. What he doesn't need is a huge crush on someone who's completely out of his league. When Dr. Hardy's gorgeous girlfriend propositions him for a threesome, he knows the smart thing would be to say no. Of course it would. But then, Corey's never been known for making smart decisions.

(A M/M Romance containing graphic M/M & M/F/M scenes.)

©2013 Maris Black (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

Even better the 2nd time with Audible!

I've previously read Owning Cory on my Kindle, but when Maris Black said it was being released on Audible with J.F Harding as narrator, I just had to get the audible version and read/listen again. I'm happy to say that story with the narrative makes it even more enjoyable! This a great mm story with a little angst, a little suspense and a whole lot of hot man action with a little m/f/m thrown in to get the balls rolling....definitely worth the 2nd read. Enjoy!

Outstanding read - from beginning to end!

Great characters run the range of funny to intense. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a book as much!

Loved this story!

I was so excited to see new author on audible with so many books to come out I couldn't wait. I was not disappointed. This story was great, the narrator did a great job also. I loved Corey and Ben a falling in love with touch of a past that can get in the way always makes for a good listen!!! Can't wait for the others to come out!!! I would recommend this book!!!

Loved it!

Would you listen to Owning Corey again? Why?

Yes, loved the story, loved the narrator. I will definitely be relistening.

What did you like best about this story?

Watching these 2 hot guys fall in love, when one of them was straight, was amazing!

Have you listened to any of J. F. Harding’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but I loved his narration.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

On New Year's Eve when they kissed at midnight and finally came out.

Any additional comments?

Beautiful love story, loved it!

Weird Book

Ok, so I borrowed this through audible escape & I didn’t notice the author when I first started listening to it. I actually stopped listening after Corey *spoiler alert* has sex with a woman to keep her away from Ben and they (Corey & Ben) go and have sex. I was just like wtf. I went back to read the description of the book & that’s when I noticed the author. She also wrote the Kage series with the boxer or whatever, which I started, but did not finish because I was so over the way the main character was treated. I listen or read books for HEA & I don’t like it when one of the characters hurts their love interest or other characters like in a significant way. I’m fine if the rival love interest or ex is a jerk, but I don’t want to hate one of the main characters. I ended up finishing this book because I was so far into it. Nothing else happened that made me want to stop. It was also a little over the top. Like I’m not a picky reader & I hate when reviewers are like there was no character development, etc., I can stretch my imagination, but everything in this book happens in two weeks, which includes: a doctor having a threesome with his gf & a new EMT, the EMT moving in at the doctor’s house, the doctor breaking up with his gf, the doctor kissing a random girl at a bar, the EMT kissing the doctor at the bar, the EMT becoming best friends with the random girl & telling her all about the doctor, the EMT having sex with a nurse & the doctor walking in on them & joining in (& no one seems to mind), the doctor adopts a little girl, the EMT & the doctor have sex at the hospital, the EMT is kidnapped by his ex-master & purchased by the doctor & then they have a new year’s party where they kiss in front of everyone.

So, if that sounds interesting, you should read this book. J.F. Harding kills it as always, that’s the real reason I selected this book in the first place.

Love it

Great books, love the story.
If you are a fan of m/m books than you will love this book. I highly recommend it

B rating overall....

My Review:
Overall.... 3.75
Performance... 3.75
Story.... 3.5

This is a hard book to rate. Overall, I did enjoy it, but there were a few wtf moments.

(First of all, you need to note that I "read" this book in audiobook and I'm not sure if all my reactions would have been the same if I had read the book, because the narrator definitely influences the characters voice.)

So...Corey...there were times when I loved him, his laissez faire attitude and his charming ways, but there were other times when he simply came across as skeevy and I had to wonder if this guy is a pure con artist. That's where I'm just not sure about the narration...because overall, Corey is a charming guy and the narrator used that voice for him, but that could have influenced the creepy feelings I got from him at times.

Ben is the opposite. He's cold, withdrawn, and doesn't make interpersonal connections...until he meets Corey. Their chemistry is instantaneous and that helps to bring Ben out of his shell. And surprise...wow, he isn't straight after all. There are ways to make gay-for-you work. I'm not quite sure this book hit that mark perfectly. Just know, you'll have to go into this one willing to suspend a bit of disbelief...or maybe a lot...things got a bit weird and crazy toward the end with the side story lines. While I liked the added drama, it just seemed to be a bit too much and over the top for the black moment.

I did not like the guys, especially Corey, using the women simply to make a point. Ugh...not hero material there, and that just motivated more of those skeevy, con-artist feelings about him.

But when the two guys were together on their own, I liked them. I liked the fact that they seem to really mesh, whether as friends or eventually more. That attraction between them worked for me...because they do compliment one another really well.

The narrator was pretty good. He did a better job on the first half than the second half in keeping Ben and Corey's inflections and voices completely different. But I will say I thought he was brilliant for the first two thirds of the book and then the voices got a bit murky.

So a bit of a mixed bag review, but overall, I did enjoy the book...and I'm glad I listened to it on audio.

Amazing story!

I loved every minute of this book! I never wanted it to end and I hope to read more about Ben and Corey!

WHAT A GREAT STORY!!

This story captivated me from the start and didn't lose steam once! the dynamic between Ben and Corey is awesome! I highly recommend this book, author, and narrator,!! 5 stars all the way!!

I would give it more stars if I could

so many reviews here got me worried I was going to hate the book. I found it pretty awesome, I don't want to give too much away other than the fact this book is worth every penny.

I enjoyed J. F. Harding's narration

I enjoyed J. F. Harding's narration and the scenes that portrayed Ben and Corey's attraction to each other.
Although it was well written, I found it hard to accept much of the plot and their background stories. So if you can suspend belief and reality, it's worth listening for a gay-for-you romance that develops between these two men.

Love he didn't know he wanted

Straight Doctor finds after 33years he's gay which changes his life he fights himself at first and then he can't fight anymore and all his fears slowely evaporate and he is left with only happiness and the love of his life and J F Harding narator does a great job.

Loved it!

I’m a huge fan of Maris Black so it’s not a surprise that I loved this book as much as the others I’ve listed to.
A heartwarming, and hot and sexy story, you will be glad you took a chance on this one!
J.F. Harding is Amazing as narrator as well!!

Doc Comes Out to Play

Started off so well, so funny, so sweet, so passionate: doctor and EMT, until at 5hrs the silliness and shenanigans start with the creepy friend, the blackmailer and the farce at the hospital, dashing in and out of rooms, turning tables, petty jealousy, Chilean drug lord, ill gotten gains etc it's as if the author is throwing everything at this tale to try to bring it to a moderately interesting close. She failed. It turned the story into a pantomime.

The POV kept changing between the MCs; with just one narrator it was very confusing at times to work out who is speaking. Was glad when it ended. HORRIBLE

Love the narrator, struggled with the story

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I will quite honestly listen to JF Harding raed a shopping list and bought this book because I'm a big fan of his, but I struggled with the story. The characters fell a little flat for me and acted more like frat boys than extremely successful medical professionals.

If you’ve listened to books by Maris Black before, how does this one compare?

I am a huge fan of the Kage series and know that Maris Black does not always write easy characters. They are often flawed and sometimes difficult to like. BUt in this instance I honestly felt as if I couldn't get a handle on them. They were two highly decorated medical professionals who acted inappropriate and unprofessionally, spoke like college students and jumped from in love to conflicted from one paragraph to the next.

Have you listened to any of J. F. Harding’s other performances? How does this one compare?

JF Harding only has one setting, excellent. He never disappoints.

If this book were a film would you go see it?

I'm not sure...