Rough Canvas

By: Joey W. Hill

Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell

Length: 16 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

Book six in the Nature of Desire series.

When his father dies, Thomas is forced to abandon a burgeoning art career in New York. As difficult as it was to give up his lifelong dream, it's nothing compared to walking away from the man he loves. Marcus taught him to embrace who he is, a sexual submissive who responds to the touch of only one Master. But why would the sophisticated Marcus need some farm kid from the South?

Then Marcus shows up and offers him a way to continue his art career and help his family. There's only one hitch - he asks Thomas to spend a week with him in the Berkshires. Thomas knows he should refuse. But he's never been able to say no to his Master.

©2007 Joey W. Hill (P)2013 Audible Inc.

So disappointed........Why? Audibles Why?

This is a GAY romance and it's narrated by a woman. I am seriously disappointed in this audible book. I Love this story, I was so looking forward to having this in my audible library as well as my ebook library. I have read it many time - Its one of my all time favorite Gay Romance novels. Hell, its one of my all time favorite romance novels regardless of genre. A go-to read when I want a pull your heartstrings romance with HEA. And I just can't listen to a woman read it, I could just weep. I do understand having the same narrator for a series when the same lead characters are the main in each book, but the same narrator just because the Author grouped the books as a series is totally ridiculous! Joey's complete series is a number of different couples and their relationship, but somebody decided because it was a "series" they only needed one narrator. Sigh........Didn't anybody take the time to find out what the story line was before contracting the narrator? I love this story so much that I tried to overcome a woman's voice reading for male characters, but I could not take it. I will be asking for my money back. I hope that Audible will realize their error and will re-release this book with a male narrator. I will gladly repurchase if that ever happens.

One of my favorite books...HORRIBLE AUDIOBOOK.

Would you try another book from Joey W. Hill and/or Maxine Mitchell?

I love Joey W. Hill books. Love.

How could the performance have been better?

A woman reading m/m sex scenes DOES NOT WORK. How anyone in their right mind ever even had the IDEA this would work, much less listened to it and said, "Yep! That's what I want!" boggles the mind. I've loved this book for some time. I've read it over and over. I wanted to scratch my eyes out listening to a woman, with a high voice no less, reading it. And, like a fool, I kept at it, hoping eventually the bleeding from my ears would stop. Spoiler: It didn't.

Honestly, it's actually made me like the written version less now too. Took away the magic of how I'd imagined it. WHOSE IDEA WAS THIS??? I want my money back.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The actual written version is great. Buy that. You'll love it. Avoid the audiobook at ALL COSTS.

Just couldn't finish!

I just couldn't finished. I got bored... Ok start, but too way to long to get to the action... I guess I bore easily...

Maybe a credit if you have the whole series. Narration was ok..

DNF for me

Why do you use a female narrator for a M/M romance. This was horribly painful to listen to. I could not finish chapter 1. Its so irritating it’s actually funny 😆

Surprising Listen

I chose this book to branch out and try a new author and I was very nervous to listen to this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found myself connecting with Marcus more as the book went on and event though there were parts of the book that felt slower than others I am very pleased with this pick.

GREAT ANGST FILLED LOVE STORY

I wasn't thrilled about a woman narrating an MM novel, but overall the performance made up for the lack of masculine voice. I still can't give it 5 stars though.

Over-the-top Intensity

My experience of this book was only okay because it seem to be—both the story & the narrator’s depiction of it—at the highest level of emotional and mental intensity without end and not in a good way. Life generally works in ebbs & flows, and I just didn’t experience the book in that common and, apparently, at least for me, desirous way. One positive is the author’s verbal style; it added to the extreme nature of my experience of the book, but the high degree of explication & explicitness—not just sexually—was also a minor source of beauty. Though some might experience it as just wordiness or unnecessary descriptiveness. As a result of the level of intensity, what was depicted was less love and more an unhealthy interdependency. Plus, I quickly grew tired of hearing the dominating “endearment” Pet. Things improved some in the second half b/c it focused a little bit less on sex and much more on character development and answering questions about Marcus’ past, but this improvement was not enough to sustain or meaningfully ignite my interest. And Marcus’ history was pretty predictable just b/c, unfortunately, it happens too often in real life. That’s the last positive; the book is very plausible. I will likely not be returning to this author.

Marcus and Thomas - a must read story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Now that Audible has grouped many diverse books under the Contemporary Romance banner I have found myself straying off into genre's I would not normally preview.

I read Rough Canvas because of the recommendation of other reviewers- it was a leap of faith because until FSOG (which I know most of the female population have read) I would never venture into the section where the books are usually kept under the counter. But after discovering this series I know I will be reading many more of Joey Hill's books.

Rough Canvas is a book of many levels - BDSM , the D/s lifestyle, family love and dynamics, friendship and commitment, violence and misunderstanding, and the most surprising for me - God and faith.

I would recommend this book because it is harsh and loving, brutal and beautiful, full of hope and despair but ultimately of completed by love and acceptance.

Who was your favorite character and why?

It is really hard to choose between Marcus and Thomas. Marcus is the Dom and the Master and yet Thomas is the strength and the power.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't possibly put it down to one scene. This book was complex - each scene relying on the next to bring us further intrigue, frustration, tears, love, anger and finally acceptance.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

To be able to take on all that was going on in this book it would be impossible to read/listen to it in one sitting. In some places it was so confronting that I needed to walk away and regroup. This is a book I will need to listen to again because I'm sure there are parts that will become more clear the second time around.

Any additional comments?

This book mentions Josh and Lauren from Holding the Cards (first book in the series) and so I guess I will need to download that book which I know in turn will lead onto the reading the whole series.

If you want to read a really thought provoking book then this is the one for you. If the BDSM scenes are too much - just skip them - no foul in that!

romantic

excellent writing, mesmerizing way to thread a love story. and the narration over the top.

Perfect!

What made the experience of listening to Rough Canvas the most enjoyable?

The voice actor did such a great job of this book. It sucked me in and I never wanted to stop listening. I would listen at night and then in the morning re-listen to everything again because I didn't want it to be over

Who was your favorite character and why?

Thomas and Marcus were so perfect for each other I don't think there is any way I could choose between them. I am going to say that the side character of Julie was very interesting. I would love to have a story about her. She was feisty but also fun. And you can tell she is caring because of the way she treated her friend Ellen.

What about Maxine Mitchell’s performance did you like?

Everything!

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

You just can't say goodbye to your real Master

Any additional comments?

Buy anything written by this author!

Beautiful and steamy!

I love a book with a solid storyline, well developed characters and beautiful writing. Throw in some "please fan me" sex and oh wow! Instant favourite!

Spoilt by one word!

This is a superb story and was relatively well narrated.
I too, like one of the previous commentators, felt it should have been read in a male voice. One word spoilt it for me. When I first heard the word 'pallm' instead of 'palm' I passed it off as a mistake but the word palm is in the book numerous times. Each time it was pronounced wrongly it irritated me. I even googled the US pronunciation in case that is how it is said in America!