There's Something About Ari by @lbgregg Narrated by @nickjrussovoice | Cats 4.5 Star Audiobook review #mmromance #LGBT @RiptideBooks ~ '

There's something about Ari
A Bluewater Bay story

Written by: L.B. Gregg
Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins
- Series: Bluewater Bay, Book 2
Unabridged Audiobook

Release Date:05-09-16

Buck Ellis's future seems pretty damn bright. With a full college scholarship in hand, he's going to ditch Bluewater Bay and pave the way for his kid brother Charlie to do the same. The only fly in Buck's ointment is his 10-year addiction to his best friend since second grade, his true love, and his Achilles heel: Ari Valentine, Mr. Least Likely to Succeed.

But then Buck's mother dies, changing everything, and five years later, his future is still on hold. It's a struggle to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, and Charlie on the straight and narrow. Buck can't afford any temptation, especially in the form of the newly returned, super hot, super confident, super successful television star Ari Valentine.

ADHD poster-child Ari Valentine left for Hollywood and lost everything, including his bad reputation. Then the breakthrough role of his skyrocketing career lands him back in Bluewater Bay, to the stunned disbelief of, well, everyone. But there's only one person Ari longs to impress - the only person who ever really mattered to him, the person he left behind: Buck Ellis.

Buy links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon Audio | Audible | iTunes

"Child hood crush returns but who was crushing who?"

Overall

Performance

Story

Buck has always had a thing about Ari from the moment he met in school. Then in high school, Ari up and left, and Buck never heard from him since. Now a new neighbor arrives and it is none other than Ari, now an aspiring actor expecting to pick up his friendship with Buck.

I have to say my favorite part of the story was the very beginning when they were children.
Once Arie returns the story gets a bit skippy and things that really don't add to the story such as an old hookup of Bucks that is an assistant to Ari.

Nick J Russo is a great Narrator and he really made the story, Once I started listening, I didn't want to stop. He has a way of bringing characters and a story to life.

If you are looking for a short, sweet romance, friends to lovers, second chances, a touch of drama and an allover fun story I think you will like this.

Excerpt from 'There's something about Ari'...

Prologue

With My Feet on the Ground

The cafeteria doors burst open and a stick-thin boy with streaming black hair hit the playground at top speed. His lime-green light-up sneakers flashed as he dodged the kickball game and zigzagged through jump-ropers. In red cargo pants and a yellow Power Rangers T-shirt, he was colorful and electric and probably every bit as bad for me as the bag of Skittles I’d hidden in my jacket pocket.

He made a beeline for the jungle gym, scampered to the tip-top, then flipped upside down, squinting into the sunshine. His arms dangled like tentacles, one wrist-to-elbow covered in a green cast.

My mother would have had a heart attack if I’d flipped over anything, even with two good arms and a safety net. Not this kid. He swiveled from his bat perch beaming such joy—his small, heart-shaped face mesmerized me.

I kept to my swing, toeing the dirt and popping Skittles one after the other, the bright flavor coating my teeth. If only the candy could give me the courage I needed to say hi. Hi. Hi. Hi.

The pint-sized guy waved like I might miss him. “Hey. Hey! Hi! Hi.” He had a squeaky mouse voice, missing front teeth, and a bruise under his left eye—but he had no problem talking to a stranger. “I’m Ari!”

Ari. The name sounded weird and new and maybe even foreign. Ari. I swallowed the candy and lifted my sticky hand. “I’m Buck.”

His eyes widened. “Buck? Wow. Are you a real cowboy? ’Cuz that’s an awesome name for one.”

I was terrified of horses. And I didn’t think Buck was such a great name since I’d learned it rhymed with something awful—but it impressed Ari, so I kept my answer simple. “It’s short for Buckley.”

What else was there to say? I wasn’t good at talking to other kids because they didn’t talk to me. Not at recess anyway. And not in class unless we were partners for something. Not even at Cub Scouts because I was different. I didn’t know how they knew, or what left me standing on the outside, but I was smart enough to stay out of everyone’s way, because when the other boys did include me, it wasn’t especially nice.

This Ari kid’s face was glowing with excitement, though. “Today’s my first day of school. We were late getting here because the car wouldn’t start and we had to walk, so I haven’t gone to class yet, but Mr. Bennett said that’s okay, ’cuz he’s my teacher.” Ari dangled upside down, chatting like this development in my day was totally routine. I didn’t know what to do, so I watched him hang there, his hair falling from his head in straight black lines. He stuck his tongue through the gap in his smile. “Hey. Wanna see something cool? Watch this.”

He flung high in a wild arc, and his arms pumped until he swung parallel to the ground for a hovering second and then he whipped backward. Then he did it again and my heart skipped, and no, no, no. I didn’t want to watch anything cool. He was going to fall and break his other arm or his neck or something, and the teachers would probably think we’d been fighting.

I chewed my lip, sneaking a look at the grown-ups, but they were lumped in a group on the blacktop, talking. Some of them were even laughing.

I felt sweaty.

For more info about this book, Author or Series, visit Riptide Publishing.