Leaning into the Fall

Leaning Into Stories, Book 2

De: Lane Hayes

Narrado por: Nick J. Russo

Nick Jorgensen is a quirky genius. He's made a fortune in the competitive high-tech field with his quick mind and attention to detail. He believes in hard work and trusting his gut. And he believes in karma. It’s the only thing that makes sense. People are difficult, but numbers never lie. In the disastrous wake of a broken engagement to an investor’s daughter, Nick is more certain than ever he isn’t relationship material.

Wes Conrad owns a thriving winery in Napa Valley. The relaxed atmosphere is a welcome departure from his former career as a high-rolling businessman. Wes’s laid-back nature is laced with a fierceness that appeals to Nick. In spite of his best intention to steer clear of complications, Nick can’t fight his growing attraction to the sexy older man who seems to understand him. Even the broken parts he doesn’t get himself.

However, when Wes’s past collides with Nick’s present, both men will have to have to decide if they’re ready to lean into the ultimate fall.

©2017 Lane Hayes (P)2018 Lane Hayes

Loved Nick and Wes, excellent story and narration

When I read the first book in this series, Leaning Into Love, I said that Nick just rubbed me the wrong way. I also said I hoped he'd be redeemed in a future book, and I am so very happy to say that Leaning Into the Fall does exactly that (yeah, I'm a sucker for those kinds of follow-up stories). Here in this book, we get to see exactly why Nick acts the way he does, and everything more I learned about him endeared him even more to my heart.

There's an innocence to Nick that, combined with his personality, makes it almost impossible not to fall for him. For me, the fact that he's a genius and an analytical super-whiz is like icing on the cake (I love the brainiacs!) But it also makes it seem like he's not sure what he wants-at least to others. Wes was simply put-amazing. He's experienced, intelligent, savvy and knows exactly what Nick needs--and is ready to take care of him. The two of them come together so easily, but Nick's insecurity gets the best of him-something that doesn't bode well for their relationship.

I loved that their relationship and feelings develop over time, and felt that Nick and Wes fit together like the proverbial puzzle pieces. I was almost distraught at the thought that Nick's difficulty trusting others and his way of thinking might ruin such a beautiful relationship, as any outcome other than the two of them together just would have been...well...WRONG.

Oh, and I loved, loved, loved Geordie. A bit flamboyant, definitely emotional, and certainly heartbroken-yet he still plays his supporting role wonderfully and I cannot wait to get his story at some point in this series.

You can surely say I'm hooked on this series, and Leaning Into the Fall was a 5-star read for me. This series has turned Lane Hayes into an auto-buy author for me...and M/M romance fans will definitely want to add this book to their library. While it can be read as a standalone, I think readers will appreciate Nick a lot more if Leaning Into Love is read first. This book is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and some hot and steamy M/M sexual content.

The narration: Nick J. Russo is always a pleasure to listen to, and I thought he did a great job with this book. The voice he gave to Wes I thought was particularly apt and made it very easy for me to visualize him in my head, and it was the same with Wes as well as Geordie. The one for Finn though was a bit inconsistent and didn't come across as Irish to me. Regardless, the rest of the narration was spot-on, and made the story an enjoyable listening experience. 4.5 stars for the narration.

A favorite book by a favorite narrator means a ver

Leaning Into the Fall is my favorite book of the series (my review of the book), so I was eagerly anticipating the audiobook version.When Miss Hayes announced one of my favorite narrators, Nick J. Russo, would be the one to bring Nick Jorgensen’s story to life, my excitement level ramped up. Happily, it was everything I hoped it would be. Seeing as I read this book before listening to it, I'm going to incorporate some of my original review of the book into this review of the audiobook.

In the other books of the series, Nick comes across as slightly oblivious to social cues and generally self-involved. Oft-referred to as “the absent-minded professor” by his friends, it’s clear his attitude isn’t mean-spirited on his part. However, it didn’t necessarily endear him to me either. While I always expected there was a lot more to his character, I hadn’t anticipated just how well developed his character would be in Leaning Into the Fall. The raw emotion, confusion, and frustration Miss Hayes tapped into telling this story was incredible and the narrator gave life to each and every one. I found his delivery of Nick’s frustration over his self-perceived flaws and Geordie’s grief particularly poignant. Nick’s character come alive over the course of the book, and the listener experiences his ups and downs right alongside him. I don’t know that Nick was technically a character in need of redemption, but it felt a little like that. The amount of growth he went through in this book made it a story that will be impossible to forget. Although Nick stole the show for me, I can’t deny Wes was an equally incredible hero with an interesting story. I loved how he approached Nick’s moments of genius and uncertainty, and the steady presence he provided proved that he was the perfect partner for Nick. Beyond that I liked hearing his personality really shine as he and Nick found their way together. I enjoyed the ebb and flow of this romance so much. Though this wasn’t a love story teeming with angst, it certainly felt like every good moment was earned.

Speaking directly to the narration, Mr. Russo maintained a nice rhythmic tempo throughout the audiobook, making this a smooth, easy read. Sometimes when I listen to a book after reading it, I struggle with the voices or accents the narrator chooses because they don’t fit with how I originally envisioned. I was very happy this wasn’t the case in Leaning Into the Fall. Mr. Russo’s voices for the characters were pleasant and distinct, ensuring I could follow along with the narrative and dialogue without any difficulty and without ever feeling it didn’t measure up to my imagination. I loved reliving my favorite parts of the book and think fans of this book, series, or author won’t regret picking up the Leaning Into the Fall audiobook at all.

*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*

Totally fell for Leaning Into the Fall

I'd already read Leaning Into the Fall when it was released last year, but as is often the case when it comes to books that I consider favorites, I'm curious as to how they "sound" when they're released in audiobook. I loved Lane Hayes's first two audiobooks in the Leaning Into series, both of which were narrated by Seth Clayton, but for Nick Jorgensen and Wes Conrad's story, we've got listener favorite Nick J. Russo, and if I wasn't already a believer in the man's talent in other audiobooks that he's narrated, his performance in this latest addition to the audiobook would have done the trick. Any doubts I may have had about how this new partnership would turn out were totally, absolutely, and undeniably obliterated. I certainly wouldn't say "no" if Russo remains the narrator throughout the rest of the series because seriously? The guy brought something extraordinary to this audiobook. Five-plus stars! ♥

perfection

A beaufiful and touching love story between a man that is eccentic but brilliant and a kind vineyard owner. The performance was top notch and I highly recommend this perfect romance.

I can't wait to listen to it again!

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

Okay, I’m writing this review in reverse because I usually address the story first and then talk about the narration. However, in the case of Nick’s story – and I just chuckled because I realized that Nick is the name of both the main character and the narrator, but I digress – addressing the narration is the easy part. Nick J. Russo did an outstanding job of bringing Nick, Wes, and the rest of the characters to life. I absolutely loved the character voice he created for Nick Jorgensen, the genius of which becomes glaringly apparent once Nick’s “secret” is revealed later on in the story – which is part of the reason the storyline portion of the review is a little harder for me to write. But, here it goes…

We met Nick in book one, Leaning into Love, as Eric’s business partner and former friends with benefits/lover. The Nick we meet in Leaning into the Fall is an entirely different Nick, but not really. Because Nick’s story is told from his perspective, we’re privy to more information about Nick than was shared in book one. Some of which left me wondering if Eric knew Nick as well as he thought he did, but I doubt it because Nick is ashamed of his “secret” and I imagine it was easier and more comfortable for him to let Eric and the rest of their circle of friends think of him as the quirky, absent-minded professor or as a self-involved a-hole. And this is the point where I have to say that in book one, I agreed with the self-involved a-hole characterization, but as I got to know the real Nick, I began to suspect what his secret was… before it became obvious that there was a secret. In fact, when Wes said those two words to Nick, I actually shouted aloud, “I KNEW IT!” because I’ve worked with people in Nick’s situation and the more I learned, the more I suspected. Of course, this made me want to champion for Nick even more than I already was. The misunderstood genius. The absent-minded professor. The man with a mission and a one-track mind. I loved him as all of those, but his “secret” made him and his plight even more meaningful for me. And as much as I loved Wes for not letting Nick’s quirks and behaviors send him running the other way, it also made my disappointment in him for throwing in the towel when he did, that much worse. In the end, it worked out as it should, but I felt my heart breaking right alongside Nick’s when Wes walked away and then stayed away. But the ending that Hayes has penned for Nick and Wes made it worth it, well worth it.

I’ve already listened to Leaning into the Fall twice, so it’s earned its 5-star rating because I also know I’ll be queuing it up again in the near future. But I had to listen to it a second time for this review because I felt compelled to go back and listen to Leaning into Love again to see where my opinion of Nick had gone so wrong. But it hadn’t because it was based on the Nick that Eric knew. My advice for series listeners: Don’t re-listen to book one first. Go in without the refresh and meet the real Nick. Then go back to Leaning into Love if you want to do a series listen. I think you’ll appreciate Nick more that way.