Hall & Leslie are a Match Made in Heaven

Yes, I got the FSoG references right away, and was honestly almost turned off by so many reviewers mentioning it. To be CLEAR for other people possibly looking to buy this book (or Audio): please know this book stands entirely on its own. I don’t find it a shadow of Fifty Shades or find it even remotely similar.

In fact, Arden’s constant reminders of how his life was beginning to slightly resemble Julia Roberts from the movie “Pretty Woman” are more in tune with the true nature of the book.

[Arden] …“He would be right at the top because the top was the best. I’d seen Pretty Woman. I knew how this stuff worked.”…

Plainly put, the narration was spot on.
I have enjoyed Joel Leslie’s narrations in the past, yet he took the characters in this book to a new level.
All the tiny nuances that make Arden this real 3 dimensional person were brought to life by Mr. Leslie. Honestly, I was blown away by all the work that was put into bringing this saucy and outrageous character into form. From Arden’s adorable genuine personality down to his rainbow toenails- I could totally envision him in all his clumsy and sticky sweet glory.

Of course Caspian, the confusing broody and mostly closed off handsome as fuck billionaire was voiced to perfection. I bristled at his attitude towards dear Arden on more than one occasion but could truly feel his pain that he was masking. I could see Arden chipping away at him little by little.

Dare I say, the best parts of this book are between Arden and the secondary characters? Yes, I love his on again, off again saga with Caspian- but Arden and Nick’s relationship is just classic. Can we say that they are the most adorable besties ever? Silliness of only the best friend kind ensue when Nick comes to visit Arden at 1 Hyde Park. The conversation between them regarding the insanely expensive bottle(s) of champagne they were pounding had me hysterically laughing.

“This,” said Nik, “is like…if there was a unicorn made out of vanilla and sparkles, and it was running through a field of primroses on a spring morning to meet its best unicorn friend for honey cakes…like…if that was champagne.”

[Arden] I nodded. “Or like… if you had a pear, right, that had lived a life of absolute virtue and had reached a higher state of pear…and if that pear was nestled into the bosom of a nymph, with flowers in her hair, and bathing in a crystalline spring in the Elysium fields.”

So many laughs. God, does Alexis Hall know how to write.
The conversations between Arden and every other character were truly intellectual, entertaining and thought provoking. I had to re-read or re-listen so many times. Not because I missed something, or misunderstood. I needed to re-listen because the way Alexis puts words together and makes them fit just right into the context is pretty impressive.
At times I did feel like I required a strong knowledge of history and literature. (thank you English minor) Though I did have to look up quite a few references myself.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when Ellery, Caspian’s wayward sister, takes Arden on what turns out to be a whirlwind adventure. The time he spends with her from eating oysters to his cab ride back to 1 Hyde Park, (where Arden is coming down from a possible hit of E) is almost written- and certainly feels like, one big dream sequence
Ellery is damaged, perhaps even more so than her brother. And Arden, goes along with her , almost no questions asked. Sitting atop a building on a construction site, Ellery tells Arden of her failed suicide attempts and in pure Arden fashion he recites ‘Resumé’ a short dark poem by Dorothy Parker while they sit overlooking the whole city. This scene and the following one where they attend a rave together are just so well written and moving.

Don’t get me wrong, there were some yummy and smexy scenes between Arden and Caspian, but they were not the soul of the story. The team of Alexis and Joel on this book was a match made in heaven.

Arden’s story is one that needs to be read or listened too. If you put one book on your TBR shelf in 2018 let it be this one. I haven’t laughed so hard alone in my car at the antics of a character since I listened to “The Lightning-Struck Heart” by TJ Klune.
AND BONUS- There is a book 2, and looks to be a book 3 this year!!