The Edge of Heaven

By: E.M. Lindsey

Narrated by: Oliver Guinn

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

"And really, what kind of fool goes and falls for their escort?" 

In a fit of panic, reclusive English teacher, Julian Pedalino, lies about a boyfriend when he's coerced into attending his ex-husband's wedding. And when he realizes he has to follow through and actually bring someone, he's left with only one option.  

Hire a stranger. 

He's expecting the weekend to be a disaster, he's expecting everyone to see through him, he's expecting them all to know the truth - that he could never get someone as gorgeous as that to fall for a person like him. 

What he isn't expecting is Archer, the charming man who can play the part of astrophysicist with an endless love for the wonders of space, and gentle words that could sweep anyone off their feet. 

Even Julian, who vowed never to let another man close to his heart, ever again. 

It would be a romance made in the heavens....if only Archer wasn't keeping a secret of his own. 

The Edge of Heaven is a stand alone romance with no cheating and a happily ever after.

©2020 Elaine Lindsey (P)2020 Elaine Lindsey

outstanding!!

This was a phenomenal, beautifully romantic, love story!! Julian needs a boyfriend. His best friend hires him an escort. Archer is an astrophysicist who agrees to be Julian’s escort. Both men are genuine, raw and gritty. I loved everything about this story!! So many secondary characters, some were amazing, and some were horrible. I hated Julian’s mom with a passion!!! I loved how Archer could out snark Bryce. This was such a beautiful, swoon worthy, romantic love story!! This was the first time I had ever listened to Oliver Guinn, he did a fantastic job!!

Liked it.

I Really enjoy listening.
the last hour was a bit to cliche, the ending was nice a bit too much for my sweet tooth.
But is a HEA and good narration.

In the Stars

Another great touching story by EM Lindsey. She always adds such warmth to her stories and includes aspects like different sensory ailments. I love that everyone has the right to get their HEA and this fake boyfriend tale is another example of that. Oliver did a wonderful narration to this book as well. The one thing that caught my attention was his cadence. He speed up or slowed down to help the book flow so much better. This story was just wonderful!

Lots of pain, lots of love

Archer and Julian have both been abandoned by people who should have loved them, and are blindsided by the connection they form under unpromising circumstances. Their story made me sad many times, but there was continually dawning hope to keep me engaged. I also enjoyed the side characters, both good and evil, and detected some promising future romances!

Fake Relationship with all the feels

This was a wonderful book about a very broken man and the man that helps him get over that and fall so deeply for someone you only just met. It is not hard to fall for someone who is just so comforting and stands up for you and has no issues with your disability in hearing. Julian was a broken man who was constantly tore down by his partners in relationships and even his family. Then, to make matters worse his husband decides to not only cheat, humiliate, demean, belittle and just be all around an A-hole, he decides to cheat with Julian's cousin and then marry said cousin...well then Julian finds himself in need of a boyfriend to bring to this week long affair. Enter Ilan, Julian's best friend, and wonderful character to save the day and find the perfect date in an escort. Turns out, the wrong number is texted, and thus we find Archer. Sweet, smart, funny, protective, sexy Archer. He is a bit on the younger side, but he is everything and more, as he uplifts Julian and helps him stand on his own two feet. They fall for each other during this farce at the wedding, and it is just perfect. It is a slow-burn, which is rightfully so, but it just works so well. I loved Archer's brother as well, and was happy whenever they were interacting with each other. Bryce, Julian's ex was literally the worst along with his mother, but in the end it was background noise in comparison to the wonderful characters everywhere else. Of course there is a bit of a breakup and falling out, but the way they find their way back to each other fit as well. Then we get an extended epilogue, courtesy of the author, and it was bliss. I just love this author's work!! Satisfying HEA for sure!! Audio was performed by Oliver Guinn, and he does a wonderful job.

ARC provided and this is my voluntary, honest review.

Intriguing

What a great adventure. I liked this storyline it was intriguing when Julian hired a date for his ex’s wedding. He gets more then he expected when Archer appears to be his date. They have problems and secrets but in the end they get there HEA. Great storyline. The narration was good.

Fake boyfriend to real boyfriend

I loved this audiobook! Julian’s ex husband is getting married... to Julian’s cousin. At a family dinner he tells his family he will be bringing his boyfriend to the wedding. And it’s not just a day event it’s a week long celebration. Julian’s BFF comes up with a solution, hire someone to play this boyfriend. Archer life was in Paris but his brother was in the US. And his brother really wants to see him so he comes home. One night while hanging out with his BFF he receives a weird text talking about being someone’s fake boyfriend at the wedding of his ex husband. At first he wants to say no but Ilan talks him into doing it. Julian is very insecure. He was born with a cleft lip and is partial deaf. So we he meets the handsome Archer he worries no one will believe that Archer would want him. His mother is an awful human being. I loved his dad. Archer really loves spending time with Julian. But Julian doesn’t know who he truly is.
This was my first time listening to Oliver Guinn and he did a great job!
If you’re a fan of fake boyfriends you should check this one out!

Lovely!

I really liked this story. The romance was very sweet and even as the MCs knew each other for a short time it felt like they fell in love in a slow but steady way.

I think that it felt like that because the author managed to create a sense of intimacy between them through the fact they were strangers, together just for that weekend. They allowed themselves to be honest with each other and that vulnerability made it easier to get close.

I loved the whole space's chats and the Shakespeare quotes, and the fact that these two were the loveliest nerds I've seen in a long while :P

I love the trope, too, which didn't hurt, either. And Oliver Guinn's narration was wonderful :D

So yes, this is a really nice romance, truly worthy of your time :D

The Edge of Heaven - delightfully different characters

I enjoyed the listen. There was a lot right going on in the book. I loved the characters' authenticity and the way the differently-abled were portrayed. Not everyone being perfect shouldn’t be such a different breath of fresh air, but alas. When done right, it’s perfection. The narration was good. While the right by far outweighs the issues, I did find a few. The narration as well had some as well. I did speed it up a little, which helped, but it stayed a little robotic-sounding little - sounded like maybe a postproduction glitch. Definitely a recommendation, though.

Brilliant take on fake boyfriends

Story: Well, I am speachless! At least I was right after the book was finished. I have to say the story took me by complete surprise! Yes, it is a well worn and tried fake boyfriends trope, but in such a unique version! I loved both the MCs and all the angst the author packed into the story! It's not VERY angsty, but there is a lot of family drama for sure! The emotions are all right there for us to see and almost touch. Emotional, heartfelt stories are EM Lindsey's trademark and this one sure fits into the portfolio beautifully! The array of secondary characters promises a lot of other awesome stories to come and I'm all there for it!

Narration: Very well done! The voice was smooth, the characters easy to follow and emotions played up just right.

Fake date drama

I appreciated the characters in this story. The challenges both men faced made it easier for them to forge a meaningful connection in a short time. I loved Julian's dad and both character's best friends (and I hope each of the best friends gets a book too since there was some definite chemistry going on to set up future stories for them). The way their careers and interests were woven into the romance worked well for me. The extended families were kind of awful. I appreciate how EM Lindsey does a wonderful job of bringing different deaf experiences to her characters when she write deaf characters (and other disabilities). The realness of diverse characters who don't often get the spotlight while still keeping the focus on the romance and showing that everyone can have a HEA is one of my favorite things about her writing and that message shines through in this book too. Great read, solid narration.

Love the Cute Science Moments

I am a big fan of the fake-relationship trope – especially when the people in the fake relationship actually fall in love with each other, which is why I enjoyed The Edge of Heaven. This is a contemporary romance that features two lost and semi emotionally broken men. Julian and Archer were interesting and fascinating characters – especially Archer. I loved how brilliant and confident Archer could be – especially standing up to Julian’s family. Julian was a bit harder for me to like. He’s an extremely emotionally fragile man who is need of therapy to help him heal from the emotional trauma he went through thanks to his mother and ex-husband. There were points in the book where I thought that Julian didn’t need another romance but intensive therapy to help him from self-sabotaging. There was a point where I was really fed up with Julian, but he was able to redeem himself later on. I honestly think this redemption was a bit weak, but it was necessary to achieve the happy ever after so I was able to overlook it. Despite the trouble I had with Julian at points, I truly enjoyed the plot – there was mistaken identity due to a wrong number, fake relationships that become real, and a second chance at finding the love of your life. This book is a 3.5 star for me, but rated up to 4 stars because Archer was so adorable when he talked about science.

The audiobook was narrated by Oliver Gunn who did a decent job with the narration, but there were points that the dialogue felt stilted and didn’t flow quite as smoothly as it should. Other than that, I thought Oliver did a good job with the narration and kept all the character voices distinct. The audiobook production was well done and overall I enjoyed the audiobook.

Heartbreaking and beautiful and such a great HEA

Absolutely lovely. I loved everything about this book. From self conscious, Shakespeare quoting Julian, to nerdy, star-loving, astrophysicist Archer. Lindsey writes in such a way that’s heartbreakingly beautiful and makes you ache for the HEA. And you will ache with this one, there are a lot of really terrible side characters, but there are also some that make me you want their books more than anything. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, but I enjoyed every single minute of it.