Yet a Stranger

The First Quarto, Book 2

De: Gregory Ashe

Narrado por: J.F. Harding

When Auggie Lopez returns to Wroxall College, he’s determined that his second year will be different from the chaos he faced as a freshman. He’s living in the Sigma Sigma house, he’s got a good group of friends, and his social media presence is growing. Meeting a hot older guy on move-in day is just the cherry on top. All he has to do now is avoid getting dragged into another murder.

That last part, though, turns out to be easier said than done, especially when Auggie’s ex-roommate, Orlando, asks for help. Orlando’s brother Cal has gone missing, and Orlando wants Auggie to find him.

Auggie knows he’ll need help, but recruiting his friend - and crush - Theo is not as straightforward as he expects. While Auggie was gone for the summer, Theo has started dating someone, and neither Theo nor Auggie knows how to handle the shift in their relationship.

Finding Orlando’s brother dead only makes their situation more complicated. Although the police are quick to write off the homicide as a drug deal gone wrong, Auggie and Theo aren’t so sure, and Orlando begs them to keep investigating. To learn the truth, Auggie and Theo will have to untangle a web of lies while keeping each other safe from a killer who is determined to stop them.

As Auggie and Theo dig deeper, they realize that Cal was a stranger even to the people who thought they knew him. And Auggie and Theo both begin to fear that they are also strangers to each other.

©2020 Gregory Ashe (P)2022 Gregory Ashe

Great story. Great narration.

This story was intense. So many events crash together at once that Theo and Auggie spend a great deal of the story spinning.

I struggled to write a review for the first book. I couldn't find the right words to express how I felt about the events of the first story. Maybe the Shakespeare theme generated subconscious mental block for me. This book is a bit different. It felt like the Empire Strikes Back of the series. Big reveals, traumatic events, and fast-paced action scenes turn this story into an emotional rollercoaster.

The book has quite a few tidbits to contemplate after you are finished reading/listening. The parallels between a certain Shakespearean play, the mystery that Theo and Auggie are trying to solve, and the events unfolding in their lives, leave plenty of ideas to process. Seeing glimpses of Somerset's life before Hazard returns to Wahredua made me want to reread all of the Hazard and Somerset books. Trying to remember how to spell Wahredua made me want to throw a brick at a map of Missouri even though it is a fictional town. Listening to JF Harding narrate this series made me want to hunt down everything he has narrated so far. I should stop here. I have more to contemplate while I toss some clothes in the dryer, then I am going to listen to book three.

Gaah!

I love Theo and Auggie so.much. How long must we suffer? lol Gregory Ashe is now firmly at the top of my favorite authors list. He is such a great storyteller! Most of all I love his characters even the ones I dislike... Please have JF Harding narrate all of your stories until the end of time!!!! He is simply a perfect fit and makes the listening experience unforgettable and impossible to pause! Thank you for another fabulous book and PLEASE hurry and produce book three in audio... I am going to begin reading the Kindle edition now but I'll look forward to.the audio production!

another 5 star reaf from Mr Ashe

Mystery, emotions, and the unmistakable banter of Theo and Auggie all delivered with JF Harding's stellar narration. He brings the cast of characters to life making the listening experience 5 star.

MM Romance Amateur Detectives Shakespeare Themes

A phenomenal quote about longing from the book:
“For a moment, Auggie wanted to tell him everything about Theo too. About watching the back of Theo’s neck in class and knowing the exact instant Wagner said something that Theo disagreed with. About the times he’d walked outside and headed toward Theo’s house without even realizing it. About the weirdest things that would remind him of Theo: the weave of the upholstery on the couches in the third-floor lounge; peanut butter toast; the sound of a page being turned in a quiet room. Mostly he wanted to tell Fer that he didn’t know what to do to stop hurting all the time.”

February 2023. Book 2 in a MM romance mystery series about two amateur sleuths, a college freshman and a grad student who find themselves embroiled in a missing persons’ case that ends up being far more complicated than it first appears.
Book 2 has Auggie in a Shakespeare class focusing on Romeo and Juliet and Theo working on his thesis chapter related to it, and elements of the story and their thoughts on it pop up several times and inform discussions on relationships, miscommunications, etc. in insightful and interesting ways. Hence the title being part of a line from the play.

As always, 5 out of 5 stars. This one had a lot of hard and frustrating moments but also a lot of growth for the characters. Angst, grief, trauma, long, warmth, humor, growth, and a couple injuries requiring the hospital.

“Yet a Stranger” by Gregory Ashe. Book 2 in the 4 book series “The First Quarto.

Great second book

I loved this book. I need the third book so freaking bad. I'm even tempted to read it but I know I won't because then I won't get the full JF Harding experience. Frick, Auggie and Theo are such hot messes and if you think in book 2 they get it together then your wrong. Gregory Ashe keeps his title of King of the Slowest of Slow Burns. This book has all the twists and turns that you want. It gets a little tiggery, there is some violence and deals with some relationship abuse. Low heat with little descriptions. Overall, I loved it. JF Harding's narration was on point as always. I just cannot wait for more.