Stay with Me

By: S. E. Harmon

Narrated by: Michael Stellman

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's Summary

Private investigator Mackenzie Williams' newest client is everything he's looking for in a guy--charming, beautiful, intelligent, and successful. There's only one itty bitty problem: the guy's not exactly gay. In fact Jordan Channing is looking for a PI to follow his fiance. The smart thing would be to thank Jordan for his time, turn Mr. Perfect away (don't let the door hit you on the rump, thank you very much), and forget he exists.

Of course Mackenzie has never been accused of doing the smart thing. Being a smart aleck is more his MO. Relationships aren't up his alley, never have been. So why's he so inexplicably drawn to his new client?

Jordan has always been the high achiever, a man who lives in a focused, controlled, and carefully constructed manner. But for the first time in his life, he has to admit the impossible: another man is getting his engine running on all cylinders. Despite Jordan's denial, it's not long before he can no longer resist the strong undercurrents pulling them together. Now Jordan must decide if he can go against everything he's ever known to have the only love he's ever wanted.

©2014 S E Harmon (P)2015 Dreamspinner Press

A Good Story...

I love sarcasm and the principle character, private investigator, Mackenzie Williams is one smarta** who could be my friend. There is a lot going on in this story and you have to pay attention to the narrative of the past to understand Mac in the present time. I found Mac's love interest, Jordan, to be very interesting if not a bit unrealistic...but it works for this story. Harmon did a great job telling this story with humor, wit, and the fear of love. The narrator, Michael Stellman, did a good job with the vocal inflictions for the most part. The only reason for a four rating is during the telling of this story, it dragged a bit--particularly in the middle and I am not sure if it was the story or the narrator. Either way, it is a good story that I would recommend...

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

I LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK. GREAT NARRATION!!!

Any additional comments?

This was a great listen. Let me say first I am a book hopper. If I get restless or irritated with a book or character I will flip flop between books. Then calm myself and go back. I couldn't do it with this one. Every aspect was really interesting. Annnnnddddd I love when a young man is a bit confused as to why he is attracted to a man. It's so hot when he accepts it. REALLY REALLY HOT🔥🔥☄️☄️☄️🔥 I loved this book but I would have really loved it if Trevor could have seen that Mac found a better MAN. It's the woman in me. Definitely a keeper. 😘😍😘😍😘😍😘😍

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Good listen

This book reminded me a lot of Dani Alexander's Shattered Glass (which is also available on Audible and I highly recommend it) without the cool crime adventure. The main character, Mack, is a wise cracking PI with abandonment issues. He has not been lucky in the love dept. He falls for the "straight" client and thus embarks on a GFY story; with an a**hole ex thrown in for good measure. The writing a narrator were engaging enough to hold my attention. Since not much else is going on in the story, it could have been really boring. But I am a fan of sarcastic characters, so I enjoyed it. The narrator, did a good job conveying the emotion of the story, but lost a star because all the characters kind of sounded the same. I like diversity in the voices and didn't find it in this narration. Still worth a listen.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Jordan 💗 Mac

My goodness! The misunderstandings Jordan and Mac had were enough to make me want to pull my hair out!!!

I was so worried there would be no happily ever after and Mac is a nut! An adorable, off the wall, crazy in his own thoughts nut! I couldn't help but love him.

Jordan was so freakin confused I wasn't sure which way he would turn and I hated how he treated Mac at times but it was an entertaining ride to see how these two would overcome the misguided and somewhat heart aching tribulations they faced.

Great audible!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Great story!

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

Yes, the audio was good except for the delay. You can hear the narrator stopping and starting. It was annoying at first, but you get use to it

What did you like best about this story?

The struggle through the whole book.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene at the car!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Totally Believable

If you could sum up Stay with Me in three words, what would they be?

Believable, Funny, Sexy

What other book might you compare Stay with Me to and why?

I'd probably have to compare it to the Holmes and Moriarity Series by Josh Lanyon. Both of them cover the real struggle of falling in love when you've been burned before, and all the other issues that come with life.

What does Michael Stellman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice was perfect for the character.

Who was the most memorable character of Stay with Me and why?

Mackenzie. He was funny, and sarcastic, and had so many issues.

Any additional comments?

I usually can't get behind the 'straight guy turns gay' or 'gay for you' stories because they're so implausible. Going from so straight to jumping in bed with a guy. But 'Stay With Me' wasn't like that. There was confusion, and hurt feelings, and uncertainty. It was completely believable.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Many People Loved this... Not my Favorite

Mac is a PI hired by Jordan to spy on his girlfriend, who he thinks is cheating. He is super attracted to Mac and the two end up in this very long, drawn out on again/off again romance that ends up in a very unsatisfying HFN.
In the middle of all that there is lots and lots of witty banter and really hot GFY/first-time-with-a-man sex… lots of it.
**
I never understood the relationship Jordan had with his girlfriend/fiancée/ex. Does he even like her? Why is he with her? Why is she so easy to abandon? Why is he spying on her? Why would he go BACK to her?
I got really, really tired of the “I love this”, “I can’t do this”, but “I love this”, but “I’m not gay”, but “I love this”… etc. There was a lot of funny dialog and hot sex but the emotional connection needed to make me feel something for either MC just wasn’t there.
The writing was good but it really could have been a shorter book. I enjoyed the characters and thought they were fun, including the secondary characters. I did not love the romance and felt it was mediocre at best. The sex was way hot but maybe (dare I say it?) almost too much.
2.5 of 5 stars

Narration
Michael Stellman did a fine job with the narration. He didn’t do anything really special with any of the voices or the emotions but managed to read in a way that the story was the focus and not the narration. 3/5 stars

Overall Impression:

2.5 stars – It was okay

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Gay-for-you with smouldering chemistry

If you could sum up Stay with Me in three words, what would they be?

Funny. Sexy. Enjoyable.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I really loved Mackenzie. The story is told entirely from his POV, and he has exactly the kind of sense of humor that cracks me up. He's sarcastic, a bit flakey, and prone to pop culture references. There were times when his tendency to jump to conclusions with regard to Jordan frustrated me, but the drama was never drawn out that much so it didn't get to the point where I wanted to slap him for being such a drama queen.

Also, every time he referred to himself as a butt-slut, I laughed.

What does Michael Stellman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved the tone of his voice. He kind of reminds me of Castiel (a character I love to bits ) from Supernatural. Pace was just right and he injected just the right amount of emotion so the narrative wasn't monotonous. I do wish he'd given Jordan and Mack more distinct voices because there were times when I had a hard time telling which one of them was speaking, but it wasn't so bad that it lessened my enjoyment of the story. I just had to make sure to listen carefully and keep track of the dialogue so I wouldn't have to rewind the scene.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh in a number of places just because of Mackenzie's inner voice and thoughts.

Any additional comments?

Will definitely be waiting for more from S.E. Harmon and Michael Stellman.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Solid Gay for You type story.

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

I would. It was a great listen.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jordan! I loved how he was uncertain but loyal from the start, finally figuring out exactly what he wanted and going for it without reservation.

What does Michael Stellman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He gives the characters a voice, that is something you don't get from just the written version.

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

Yes, but it is SO long that was impossible.

Any additional comments?

Mackenzie Williams, or Mack as most people call him, is a former cop turned PI after an accident left him with a permanent injury and his then boyfriend in a wheel chair. Fresh off his latest breakup, Mack fills his lonely days with work, surfing and quick one offs with a hot surfer he’s known for years, Asher. Everything changes on his latest case when he and his best friend slash business partner Drew, spot what they assume is another investigator crowding their stakeout.

Jordan Channing is smart, sexy, funny and oh, wait, he’s straight, and engaged. Jordan is, in fact, spying on his fiancé when Mack wanders up to his car and just makes himself at home. So of course, Jordan hires him to follow Rachel. From the start Mack notices that Jordan is a little bit more flirtatious than a self-proclaimed straight guy should be, but Jordan brushes Mack off when he asks, stating he just needs a friend. But the sexual tension continues to grow until it reaches a breaking point and Jordan is the recipient of a lovely blow job on top of Mack’s desk.

The two begin a whirl wind affair that is absolutely wonderful, behind closed doors. Jordan struggles with his sexuality, but he is so drawn to Mack and his eccentric personality that he just can’t stay away. And as much as Mack tells himself it is all good fun, just a fling, his heart attaches itself more and more to Jordan with every touch, every kiss, and every passionate tryst. The problem is that Mack is his own worst enemy. He tells himself that he is not going to give up on Jordan, he wants to fight for what they are building, that is what his heart says. His brain doesn’t get the memo.

I really enjoyed the odd couple pairing in this book, the opposites attract aspect. Mack goes through a lot emotionally throughout the story, and it was at times annoying the way he would deliberately set himself up to fail or walk away when he should have stood strong. But you have to hang on until the end, because he tells you exactly why he is like that in the last 10 minutes of the book. Jordon struggles as well emotionally, but he has a lot thrown at him in a short time. He learns his fiancé is cheating, meets this insane guy that grates his nerves in all the right ways, and he is insanely attracted to him, he doesn’t quite know what to do with that for a while. There is this one line in the book that was so perfect, “I’m trying to figure out if I’m bi, or if it’s just you.” So Jordan takes a little while to figure out that it’s actually both.

The chemistry and the passion between these two is electric and white hot. I seriously thought my ipod was going to catch on fire a couple times. The one thing these two have absolutely no problems with from pretty much the word go is sex. Jordan is having a blast figuring out how his body works in relation to being with another man and Mack is loving every second of that journey. There were just a couple little hiccups for me. A couple times the story slowed and started to drag, it always picked back up, but in all honesty I think this book could have been a couple hours shorter and been just as good, if not better.

Narrated by Michael Stellman and I will say his voice is very young and energetic but every now and then, a couple of the characters bleed together. For the most part, I knew exactly who I was with at all times, but I’d like to hear a stronger change in tone inflections between characters. Overall this was an entertaining read. If you are a fan of Mary Calmes, specifically Jory and Sam Kage, then I think you’ll see some similarities in characteristics in this book.

A must listen for anyone that likes those different kind of love stories where that happy ever after isn’t handed to you, it’s earned.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Abject means hopeless, NOT extreme!

Liked this quite a bit. However, the author seems to be under the incorrect impression that the word abject means extreme, not hopeless. Somehow her character experienced hopeless joy, admired someones hopeless beauty, and even more confusing, watched some one focus hopeless concentration. Other than that, sexy and fun. Never wanted to take my ear buds out.

Terrible

What would have made Stay with Me better?

This is perhaps one of the worst cliché romantic stories I've ever listened to and have finally given up. The 1 dimensional characters, the overused plot pre-fab (the failed-romantic lead who despite being an idiot of epic proportions captivates the attention of the object of his affections) and the anticipated set-ups finally got to me. Not worth listening to!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved it

I enjoyed this great story. loved the characters. Jordan was so hot. Great narration. The narrator had lovely sensual voice.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Stalking Michael Stellman

I've got to admit but if I had been reading the book, I probably would have struggled. The story is quite slow, good but slow. The narrator though, is absolutely excellent. His voice and character adaption is just brilliant. I'm finding myself serching for books with this narrator, I think I could listen to him read his shopping list.

If you love slow burn, sweet sexy stories, then you'll love this audio. I would definitely read more from this author and certainly listen to more from Michael Stellman.

Takes a while to get in to but worth it.

I was a bit disappointed by the first two chapters but it was well worth the wait. I liked the characters and the sex scenes are great. The story is strong and I was there through the tougher times. I would recommend it.

Loved it!

Narrator was brilliant.
Story was complex, funny, interesting and well-written.
Nice HEA, wish there was a sequel or epilogue to say how they worked out.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful