I enjoyed the audiobook edition of Fame and Fortune significantly more than I did book one’s audiobook. That’s due in part to the fact that the author took us to the past (in relation to book one), and showed us how Victor and Andrew met Matty and enveloped the young man into their lives, transforming the couple to a trio. That Joel Leslie is one of my favorite narrators and he does a wonderful job in giving each man his own voice and bringing Smith’s characters to life, was the other factor that made this installment more enjoyable for me.
Even though I enjoyed the prologue immensely, I would have loved to have seen more of Victor and Andrew’s relationship pre-Matty. That said, the author did a nice job of moving the story forward without getting bogged down in the minutiae of every day life as she set stage for the two men who thought they had everything they needed as a couple, to discover that Matty filled in holes they weren’t even aware they had as the young man wormed his way into their hearts. Having read book one, I knew the basics of what had happened to Matty that tragic night, so I appreciated the way Smith revealed the details — giving just enough to the reader so they can form a picture in their mind, but not so much that the horrific event becomes a shock and awe scene for the reader. I also liked that Victor and Andrew insisted on Matty getting professional help AND met with several psychologists before picking the one that felt right to Matty. That the two men consulted with Matty’s doctor more than once to make sure that their plans wouldn’t cause a set back for him demonstrated just how much they cared about Matty and how serious they were about their relationship of three. As much as I enjoyed seeing how the three men cemented their relationship with their family and friends, the final scene in the book is the one that had me grinning with glee and left me hoping that THAT story gets told.
As I said before, Joel Leslie is a favorite narrator of mine and, as I expected, he did a wonderful job in bringing this trio’s love and relationship to life. Needless to say, I’m excited to see that he’s back as the narrator for book #3, which I’ll be queuing up shortly.
NOTE: I listened to this title via Audible’s Romance Package.