Where He Ends & I Begin

Home Collection, Book 3

By: Cardeno C.

Narrated by: Alexander Collins

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

Aggressive, physical, and brave, Jake Owens is a small town football hero turned big city cop who passes his time with meaningless encounters believing he can't have who he really wants: Nate Richardson, his best friend since before forever. Thoughtful, quiet, and kind, Nate is a brilliant doctor who has always known who he is and has never been able to shake his crush on loyal, courageous, straight Jake.

After a passionate night together, Nate realizes Jake isn't as straight as he assumed, but he worries that what they shared was a fluke, a result of too much closeness for too long. For Jake, the question isn't how they ended up in bed together because he has always known that Nate holds his heart; it's how he'll convince Nate that he wants and needs to stay there.

©2013 Cardeno C. (P)2015 Cardeno C.

Are you kidding me right now?!?!?!

Any additional comments?

Why in the world aren't fans of Cardeno C. who have not only purchased audio books from this author but ebooks as well, not given the heads up that this is a story already released a while ago that was narrated by Sean Crisden who did a fabulous job?!

If I'm going to listen to a book that I already paid for and listened to, I shouldn't have to purchase it again. Having a different narrator doesn't mean the material is different, and in this case it's not!!!!

I mean I have the previous ebooks and audio book to this story and I'm unbelievably annoyed that I wasted money on a product I've already purchased!!!!!

Now, if I've missed the message that says, this story has been previously released, then that's my bad for not paying attention but I honestly haven't seen that message anywhere on audibles for this story.

I'm so disappointed in the author and whoever published this re-release of this audio book without informing fans they may have the previous version already!!!!

NOT GOOD

It was the most boring story and really I forgot I had it on. The narrator is horrible, really its just not my cup of tea. I will definitely send this book back!!!!

Sweet and OH-SO-HOT!!

Any additional comments?

Where He Ends and I Begin is a super-hot sexy, no angst, sweet and fluffy romance about two best friends who become lovers and are, at their core, soul mates.

~~
"We've always been almost like one person. I've never known where he ends and where I begin."
~~

Told in Jake and Nate's alternating dual POV, we learn Jake and Nate have been best friends literally from birth. Their mothers were the only girls in their big families and became best friends as children, sharing their lives together, marrying within weeks of each other, getting pregnant at the same time, and even giving birth on the same day.

From the moment Jake and Nate were placed together in the hospital basinet they've been together. They've never really spent any time apart, nor wanted to. That doesn't mean they're the same, though. Jake is rough, tough and can be a dick, and Nate is sweet, smart and almost always kind. Even though Jake can be a tough nut he has always treated Nate like gold. Mainly because it turns out Jake has been in love with Nate all his life, but never known how to really tell Nate that his "love" isn't a platonic brotherly love, but that he's actually "in love" with Nate.

It took me a little to get into the swing of the story. It's not only told in dual POV, in the beginning the same scene is replayed from both perspectives, which had me a little off balance. Once I got used to it though, I enjoyed seeing how each man dealt with a situation, and what his inner thoughts on it were.

I enjoyed Alexander Collin's narration for the story. He has a way of pulling me in and keeping me charmed throughout. He really made me believe Nate's reluctance to believe that the one man he's always wanted really does want him back and this isn't a fluke, or a fling. I loved Collin's depiction of Jake, who's determined to make sure Nate knows he's in this relationship for the long haul and that he loves him totally and unconditionally.

I absolutely love the emotion and romance in this; the way they both so vulnerable in different ways, the way Jake takes care of Nate, and how they both interact with one another...it just absolutely made me melt.

I also love all the sex. And a friendly warning: there is a lot of sex. I don't think there's a single chapter without some, and it's all SUPER HOT. I listened to this at work, and I was blushing.

Bottom line: Narration is good, the story is HOT, and I loved all the sweetness!

Recommended!

What did I just listen too? Obsessive couple alert

*2.5 stars*

This story was legit bananas. BANANAS!

Just when I thought I've read the gooiest, mushiest Cardeno C. books, I stumble upon this one and this one puts all other CC books to shame. TO SHAME.

This book is like a marshmallow exploded over two sweaty, naked gay guys. It is gay fluffernutter smorgasbord!! It's feast time, baby!

I honestly would have rolled with the crazy obsessive jealousy, co-dependency, and totally bizarre psychic connection if it wasn't for a few details. I mean, I KNOW what to expect with Cardeno C., and I think I could have made allowances for the relationship to bend reality so hard that it snaps and shatters in a million little we-are-one-forever-and-ever- and-ever-OMG pieces.

But the details really killed it for me.

Picture this: you read a scene (or in my case, listen) in a book from one perspective, then you listen to the EXACT same scene from the other person's perspective. Back and forth, the same scenes over and over again. It was crazy! So repetitive, so annoying. I'm a HUGE fan of alternating POVs, but when you have déjà vu from the SAME story being told again and again, it becomes really trying.

Also, this book is all about the flashbacks. The whole plot is just an almost nauseatingly sappy series of flashbacks and then jumps to present day. I'm not a huge fan of flashbacks, and I felt like so much of this story was told that way.

One really bright spot was the narration. I enjoyed Alexander Collins's narration a great deal. He read those sex scenes (which came one after another- these guys were like smutty, smutty bunnies!!) with gusto without over acting, and I liked the differentiation between the two MCs' voices. He made the audio very enjoyable, even if I was eye-rolling at the plot the whole time.

This book was so redonculous that I don't think any other story can top it in that department. If you are into a story with some small misunderstandings followed by insane amounts of sex and sweetness, and like the idea of two guys who are probably clinically obsessed with each other and have a psudo-incest vibe going on, this story is for you. For me, it wasn't my favorite CC book, but it also wasn't my least favorite. However, I know Cardeno C. can really knock it out of the park when the stars align, so I will forever read CC's stuff. Hopefully my next CC is a hit.

*Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Sweet romance

If you could sum up Where He Ends & I Begin in three words, what would they be?

Hot steamy sweet

What was one of the most memorable moments of Where He Ends & I Begin?

When Nate and Jake got together

Have you listened to any of Alexander Collins’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

They're all awesome

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

Loved it

Any additional comments?

Another hit by C.C. I absolutely love these stories and never disappointed by this author.

Fantastic Soul Mates story.

What made the experience of listening to Where He Ends & I Begin the most enjoyable?

The relationship between Jake and Nate, how they grew up together, how they love each other so whole heartedly and unconditionally.

What other book might you compare Where He Ends & I Begin to and why?

Any other book in the Home series, they all have the same type of feel and story lines.

What about Alexander Collins’s performance did you like?

The way he completely emersed himself into the story, every emotion could be heard in his voice.

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

Where He Ends and I Begin... why mess with perfection?

Any additional comments?

Jake Owens and Nate Richardson have been inseparable since birth. Their mother's were best friends that literally got pregnant, carried and delivered at the same time. It was natural that Jake and Nate be best friends as well. Somewhere around puberty things changed, each young man wanting something more from their best friend, while certain the feelings would never be returned. Unwilling to risk that, each young man never said a word. That is until Nate has a little too much saki with his sushi and wakes up naked next to Jake.

This book was so much fun! This could have been an angst riddled travesty, with each guy holding onto their unnecessary unrequited love for far too long. Instead, what the Author did was wrote each chapter from either Nate of Jake's perspective, so not only does the reader get each guys thoughts and actions for every situation, but they actually have conversations about things without the teenage angst. It was fantastic. The alternating POV throughout really gave this story more depth and character development as it showed how each person reacted to a situation.

Narrated by Alexander Collins and what he lacks in tone he makes up for in inflection. Initially, he set a certain tone for Nate and Jake, but several times the tones blended together and it was hard to decipher which guy was talking until a name was said. Oh but his inflections, just wow. I mean moaning, groaning, crying out, the frustration... Collins can truly relay emotion with his voice and that took the story to an entirely different level than just reading the words could give.

I highly recommend this book. It's a story about soul mates and how they navigate their lives to stay together before they are together. It's flawlessly written and wonderfully told and I was just completely engaged in the story from start to finish, in fact, I was sad at the end. I wanted more. Well done CC!!

Love the new narration, too

Nate and Jake have literally been best friends all their lives. They were practically brothers and raised in neighboring houses by mothers who were best friends.
Nate has identified as gay since he was quite young and Jake has always supported him, but Nate has always thought Jake was straight.
In a series of POV changes we see a story unfold of one basic misunderstanding that kept these two friends from becoming lovers for years. In one explosive and slightly drunken encounter, Nate lays his feelings out on the table and Jake reciprocates.
What they find out is that both have been harboring feelings of romantic love for the other but thought the other didn’t return the sentiment. As they begin to explore this new component of their relationship there are hidden fears and desires that crop up along the way which cause some minor (very minor) angst but are quickly allayed.
**
This is a very easy book to read in that there is very little angst. There are some sad and tough scenes in the story, but since we are reading them as a past event in most cases, it is fairly easy to get through.
What I love about this book is that it is so comforting. I loved the dual POV and how it demonstrates so beautifully how one situation can be so misconstrued depending on the interpretation.
There is a lot of very hot sex in this book, including a delightful fantasy of a boyhood masturbation session with a kinky twist that also makes this book a joy to read. Because Jake is essentially gay for Nate, we get to experience several of his “firsts” and if that’s is your thing you will be very excited!
Another of my favorite book themes is the jock/nerd combination and this is a classic! Jake is very tough and physical while Nate is the epitome of the cerebral scientist.
Because this is a series we get to see many of the other MCs from the other books again and that’s always nice. I also enjoyed the completeness of this in that we get to see them literally from birth to now, as a newly formed family.
This is probably my second (close second, mind you) book in the series and I have read it (and listened to it) countless times.

audio

Cardeno is having several of the audiobooks re-done by Alexander Collins and this is another wonderful narration. I loved the previous audiobook, and I love this one too. There are subtle differences in the emphasis of words which give this a slightly different flavor and in this edition we get the bonus material as well.

I like what Alexander does with his voice modulation and I find him very easy to listen to.

I highly recommend the book and the narration and give them both 5 of 5 stars.

Favourite re-read!

I have lost count of how many times I have read and re-read this book since the first time almost four years ago.
It is and remains one of my favourites and my go-to when I need a comfort read!
Nate and Jake belong together and the layers of their relationship are so many and so entangled that you can really never imagine one of them without the other.
I loved how this book is written: a dual POV which often overlaps, meaning that we get to read the same scene from both character’s POV.

Good Addition

This is a good addition to the series. I really love the MCs and their story., I do have a couple issues with the book as a whole. First its a little confusing to follow with the constant retelling between POVs it made the timeline disjointed and was hard to get used too. Secondly the voice for Jake just didn't fit what I had in my head for him from his introduction to the series in the previous book. Overall it's a lovely story of friends to lovers with good narration.

Loved the story.

Story of two life time friends. Such an emotional book. The narrator did a great job. Loved it.

Exagerrated style

Iwould haveen much better if the reader had just used his normal voice. The reading is creepy.

as good as the ebook

The story is always full stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook. I can't listen to an audiobook without knowing the book, that's not possible for me.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. It took me a little bit, to come into the narrator, but at the end, it worked. I only have to take a few breaks between. I'm just not yet finish with the book, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B

Hot tale of infinite love and connection

If you could sum up Where He Ends & I Begin in three words, what would they be?

Sexy
Loving
Infinity

What did you like best about this story?

The writing is funny and cute, but character driven. The men are very clearly portrayed and the depth of their connection is absolute. The story spans the early life of the pair, from their birth on the same day to their homecoming.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

All the scenes are wonderful, and as it has a dual point of view, the listener is aware of both main character;s thoughts. When Jake declares his love for Nate, but Nate is too afraid to respond in kind, it really bugged on the heart strings!

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

Definitely! It a very sexy book, and very emotional. There are many parts that made me cry happy tears.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful gay romance with strong characters that have a unique connection.