Kiss and Ride

By: Teodora Kostova

Narrated by: Dan Rider

Length: 4 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

What happens when you meet the right guy at the wrong time?

When Vincent Alesi's estranged father dies, he gets on the first plane from New York City to Rome to be at the memorial service. Even if he has to max out his credit card. Even if he hates the man for leaving him. Even if it's a day before Christmas.

Everything that can go wrong does go wrong, and Vin ends up trusting a complete stranger with all his secrets, even the ones he didn't know he had.

Luca Romano's job as a flight attendant takes him all over the world. But a jet-setting lifestyle is not what he wants. His dream of opening his own restaurant is being placed on hold over circumstances beyond his control.

Timing is everything....

When Vin bursts into Luca's life, both men fall fast and hard. But their lives, their dreams, even the cities they live in couldn't be more different.

Their few days together in Rome are romantic, emotionally intense, and leave them both wanting more.

Can a fleeting love affair change their lives forever?

©2016 Teodora Kostova (P)2016 Teodora Kostova

Love it!

To be honest, when I first offered to do an Arc for this I didn't even read the summary. I thought--oh I have time to listen to books now while I work and it is m/m, I'll do it! I'm so glad I did! I loved the narrator, the characters, and the story! First of all, the narrator gave animation to his characters and different voices-not something many do on audible with m/m books! The story was easy to follow but captivating and real-the ending was perfect! But I think my favorite part was the reason behind the main character's father being out of the picture. It was so real and as we learned later, raw. This is a great listen and I fully recommend it.

I was given this audio in exchange for an honest review.

Sweet Romance

This was a sweet short story. Great backstory for both characters that added to their romance. Great narration.

Kiss & Ride

Any additional comments?

*Copy provided by the author for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

I love the story of Luca and Vin's love that Teodora Kostova created and it really came alive through the audio version. Vin and Luca are at a difficult time in life when they connect in Rome. Vin has flown to Rome to attend his absentee father's memorial service and meet his aunt. As further proof, he wasn't invited to his father's funeral that was for family; he was invited to the memorial service for the public. He sits and listen to all these wonderful stories about his father and his good works, and all he can think is that this man walked out on him and his mom, and when she died allowed him to be raised in foster care instead of caring for him. Vin shares these feelings with those in attendance, until Luca takes him heartbroken from the service. When Vin meets his aunt, he's bitter and angry and unwilling to accept what she's offering. With Luca's support over the holidays, Vin is willing to be open and to learn about his father.

Luca is happy to have someone to spend the holiday's with. When his parent's found out he was gay, they kicked him out and have done everything they can to stop him from getting his inheritance. He goes all out with cooking and decorating so that both he and Vin get an enjoyable holiday. Unexpectedly, Vin and Luca discover something more than friendship while spending the holidays together. There lives are not ready for the love they've found, and they make plans for their future, after they both do what needs to be done. Vin goes back to the U.S. and plans on finishing his degree. Luca continues to work, but continues to fight his parents for his inheritance. They keep in contact as much as they can and continue to support each other long distance. And a year after they met, they're finally ready to begin their lives together.

The narrator of this story is Dan Rider. When I first read Luca and Vin's story, I knew that they were young but it was easy to forget in the reading, but Dan's voice is so young, it was a continuous reminder. He did a great job with Luca and Vin's characters! The story was well-paced, and the characters voices different enough to allow it to be easily distinguished.

Honestly, this is a must-read or must-listen to story, whichever you prefer! It's such a beautiful story that may have started out as insta-love, but develops into something so much more.

Fun little story

What did you love best about Kiss and Ride?

I loved the characters of Vin and Lucca. They were perfect for each other. A stranger helped another stranger out and passion ensued.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the passion that the two men had for each other. The lust between Lucca and Vin was electric.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

I liked the voice was steady. I was annoyed by his tone. I cannot really explain it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Find love in an elevator

Any additional comments?

I received this as an ARC and voluntarily left an honest review.

Fun holiday romance

Vin has maxed out his credit cards to go to Rome for his father’s memorial though he doesn’t know why, the man left when he was a baby and when he reached out to him after his moms death he was turned away again. Plus it’s two days before Christmas.
He finds himself stuck in an elevator and nearly late when the man stuck with him offers help.

Luca doesn’t know what made him help the man and even go inside for the memorial with a total stranger but something just called to him. Then he even offers him to stay with him since he had one reservation besides he was alone and welcomed company for Christmas

Oh man, where do I start? This up above is my perfect idea of romance but there are so many fun, cute, then sexy scenes. I can’t say much more but what seems like love at first sight slows down and blooms over a year with a promise to meet at the romantic fountain on Christmas Eve if things are meant to be.

The narration is amazing with good voices, lots of excitement and had me sighing and drooling and wanting more!

4.5 Stars

Any additional comments?

I loved this. I loved the characters, the dual POV, the sweetness, the pace, but most of all I loved Dan Rider's narration.

Even though he was a bit nasally in a couple of areas, overall his narration fit this story like a glove. I loved his character voices, and the way he handled the emotional bits of the story. I just loved it!

This was a total surprise for me, as Dan is a new narrator to me and the book I just happened to pick up on a whim because of the whispersync deal...but it all worked for me.

Thoroughly enjoyed every minute. I can absolutely see this getting rotation at Christmas each year. <3

Kiss And Ride

Cute Story about Vin and Luca. It takes them a little time to realize how good they are for each other and how much they actually need each other. But they get there in the end. HEA. Good Narration by Dan Rider. .

So sweet!

I loved this sweet book where Luca and Vin find each other unexpectedly and never let go of each other again. There is no big misunderstanding, no unnecessary angst and even when the two men are apart, they are always together.
I adored the narrator, Dan Rider, who is new to me, but I think he was great at portraying Luca and Vin's youthful voices.

Great setting, likable characters, unique story

I had high expectations for Kiss and Ride. The blurb sounded great- a unique plot, an interesting setting, an unexpected romantic connection, and some holiday magic. While I did enjoy it and liked all the aforementioned elements of the book, I wasn’t quite as enamored as I anticipated. I’m unsure if this was due to the slower start, the quick romance, the narrator, or a combination of things, but it took me a long while to really fall for this book. That said, I did like it and I quite enjoyed seeing it come together in the end.

Kiss and Ride definitely had a great setting. I loved seeing Italy through the characters’ eyes, and I think there was a nice balance between the way it appears to a visitor (Vincent) and to a born and raised Italian (Luca). I liked the inclusions of insider stories and backgrounds about the places the characters visited throughout the book. I also thought the meet cute was unique and pretty sweet. Luca and Vincent seemed well suited for one another from the start, and I enjoyed the bond they shared. Things did develop rather quickly between the men and physical chemistry was never lacking, so I was a little surprised when the relationship took an unexpected left turn. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was forced conflict and angst. However, I ended up liking the way the story developed as it gave time for the relationship to deepen and the characters to mature a bit. By the time the resolution rolled about, I found myself much more invested in the relationship than I was initially. Much like my feelings for the story, it took a while for me to really like this narrator. His youthful tone and delivery fit the characters well and I think he did a good job, though the flow never felt as seamless as I expected. Overall, Kiss and Ride is an enjoyable romance with likable characters in a beautiful setting, and despite the slow start, it won me over.

*Received ACX promo code. The author had no influence over this review*

Sweet Romance, Dan Rider Is Wonderful

What an incredibly sweet story! From the moment these two meet in the elevator they have great chemistry, and watching their relationship evolve is a real treat.

Audio narrated by Dan Rider who has an absolutely adorable voice. He imparts just the right level of emotion and adds a layer to these characters that I don't think I'd have gotten from just reading alone.