Nick definitely rocks this!

In Another Life

Without revealing what happens… Shiloh is shown at 18 and 36 … then again at 18 and 36. He gets “shown” a couple different variations of how his life “could” be and we are left when he finally figures it out right! Travis is his savior and whom he saves and finds true love with in the end.

It’s a bit like a morbid, gay, choose your own adventure and it has some funny lines, a bit of hot smexy times, and a very sweet HEA. This is an unusual story and though it’s short, tells a lot. There are a lot of plot inconsistencies without explanations, but overall it’s a very sweet holiday story that, like all of Cardeno’s works, is delightfully ooey, gooey, sweet and tender.


John Solo does the narration for this and he does a nice job – especially with all the coughing! He doesn’t use any accents or do anything OTT, just delivers a nice narrative.

For the story and the narration 3.5 of 5 stars



Eight Days

Maccabe is the nerd and Josh the jock. They hook up in college but when Maccabe wants to come out and Josh doesn’t, they split for years. It takes Hanukah to bring them back together.

On the one hand I loved Josh’s explanation about who he is and why he didn’t want to come out – it’s unique. But I didn’t really understand why he’d let things go as long as he did. Then when he comes back in to Josh’s life, Josh doesn’t really offer up much of a protest, despite all the time gone by.



It’s another lovely holiday story with a bit of hot smexy times and some very sweet Cardeno lovin’.


Nick J Russo did a great job with all the unique words and his voice for Josh felt very authentic. I love his narrations as he’s so easy to listen to and he has a way of really bringing the listener into the story.

I liked this story best of the two and give it and the narration a 4.25 of 5 stars

I think anyone in the mood for a short, sweet, sexy, holiday story will love these and I recommend them highly.

(I love the new cover!)

4 people found this helpful

Terrific Narration

Any additional comments?

Brilliantly narrated by John Solo, In Another Life gives a glimpse of what could be and fateful encounters. This story is hands down one of my favorite novellas of Cardeno's. Filled with so much love and hope it definitely doesn't hurt that the sex is hot as hell too.

But more than that I absolutely love that Shiloh remembers the glimpse of the life that could have been and am completely enamored of Shiloh and Travis's whole love story. John had me crying while listening to this story...twice.

Speaking of brilliant, Nick J. Russo lends his own considerable voice talent to Eight Days. Nick perfectly captures Maccabe's cluelessness, Josh's affection and frustration, and, as always, brings the heat for the sexy times.

I want so much more with this story. I feel like begging for a sequel. I need more, Cardeno C., please!

4 people found this helpful

Two sweet Hanukkah-themed stories! Cute!

*3.5 stars*

Jewish comfort food for Jews and Goys alike.

I'm a big Cardeno C. fan, especially when CC delivers, and I think that happened with these two stories. Cardeno C. is my go-to for Jewish MC romance, and these two Hanukkah stories really hit the mark.

In Another Life

I'm not always a fan of John Solo. The way he narrates sometimes irritates me, and I've made some comments in previous reviews about not liking the sound of his voice, especially for certain characters. Here, it irritated me less than usual, and I was surprised that I actually enjoyed his narration. By far the best that I've heard from him.

This story was over the top and TOTAL insta-love, which is usually a big pet peeve of mine, but I actually... sort of liked it here! The story is told in an interesting way, and I dug that. Plus, hot Jewish doctors are sort of my weakness...

It was sweet, moving, and pretty romantic. 3.5 stars

Eight Days

Eight Days reminded me a bit of Walk With Me, in a good way. It is a second chance romance between two life-long friends, whose relationship has evolved over time.

Maccabe was a bit harder to like than Josh, with his back and forth and the inconsistent portrayal of his relationship with baseball. I found myself getting frustrated with him, but I still enjoyed the dynamic between him and Josh, overall.

What made this story was the stellar narration from one of my faves, Nick J. Russo, who always kills it. He is my go-to in M/M romance these days. His voice was sexy, compelling, and not over-acted. I really liked his performance. 3.5 stars

*Audiobook ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

3 people found this helpful

Outstanding narration made for enjoyable listening

In Another Life:

Holiday romances are easy for me to tire of pretty quickly. But what In Another Life is? It is so much more than just another holiday romance. It’s also a very unique take on second chance romance, with just a touch of…I don’t know-maybe supernatural would be the best way to describe it? A near-death experience that has resounding effects always has me thinking of otherworldly things. Plus, the holiday this is set around is Hanukkah, not Christmas as you might expect-and a genuinely pleasant surprise.

The matchup of Shiloh and Travis is sweet and immediately intense, smacking of insta-love but in the overall context of the story it really works well. When it’s right, you just know. The two of them just fit together like two puzzle pieces-physically, emotionally, and personality-wise they are the perfect complement to each other.

While this story gives us twice the tragedy, it also give us twice the love and hope. A tear or two might have escaped me…and a lot more smiles than that as well. This was a 4.5-star read for me, and I’d definitely recommend this story to any M/M romance fan-regardless if you are a holiday romance person or not (18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content).

I really enjoyed the audio narration of this story. The voices were done well-each character very distinct, and the pacing spot on where I was able to enjoy the story with only listening to it and not reading the ebook first (I usually prefer reading first before listening). This is definitely a story I will be listening to again and again-and not just during the holiday season.

Eight Days:

First off, I love that this holiday romance is centered on Hanukkah-there are nowhere near enough romances out there with this holiday focus. It provides an uncommon yet excellent way to pace the story, particularly since the first several days are not consecutive, but over the course of years instead. Second, I have to tell you that I adored Josh’s character-but Maccabe aggravated the heck out of me for a large chunk of the story. BUT, thank goodness this isn’t just a holiday romance-it’s a second chance one as well…one of my favorite tropes, particularly in the M/M romance genre.

Josh is so sweet and innocent as the story starts out, and I couldn’t help but feel so much for his character throughout the entire book. Maccabe came across as a typical jock to me, just one who’s not quite so sure about his sexuality. Once the two of them finally get together, it seems like everything is primarily physical-and that chemistry is phenomenal-but Maccabe’s insistence on keeping their relationship quiet drags things between them down and ultimately results in them breaking apart. The older they got, the more Maccabe’s attitude ticked me off-I don’t care if he was in professional sports or not.

But Maccabe mostly redeemed himself in my eyes seven years after they split at the family Hanukkah dinner…although the way he acted after his and Josh’s initial reunion when Jim…er…James…er…no…John shows up I thought was a bit much. Maccabe has an ego-a big one-and he knows it too, it’s the one thing that I wasn’t fond of about his character. I’m just glad that in the end, it’s not himself that he puts first.

4 stars for Eight Days, it’s a good M/M holiday romance-even with Maccabe’s annoying attitude. Recommended for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content (oh yes, that part-hot…very hot).

The audio narration for Eight Days was a perfect 5 stars-unique character voices, packed full of emotion when needed and it really drew me into the story even more so than reading the ebook. The narration actually made Maccabe’s character a bit more palatable for me, particularly in that dinner scene seven years later where it is plainly obvious from his tone and the emotions in his voice that he realizes what he should have known before everything went wrong. Excellent narration, it really made this story so much more for me than the printed version gave me.

2 people found this helpful

an ok listen

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Yes I have recommended it to some friends that like the genre

Would you recommend In Another Life & Eight Days to your friends? Why or why not?

I have recommended it to a couple of friends because they read other books like this.

What does John Solo and Nick J. Russo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Both John and Nick did a great job bringing the characters to life for me, John didn't go overboard with the narration, he did a great job. Nick made the character really come to life for me, he did a great job bringing me as a listener into the story. Nick is one of my favorite narrators so far.

2 people found this helpful

Two completely different stories

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I enjoyed listening to both of the stories, In Another Life kind of confused me as it backtracks, but it puts a whole different spin on the the characters and their relationship.Eight Days to your friends was just as interesting and also a fun read.

Would you recommend In Another Life & Eight Days to your friends? Why or why not?

When I have friends who are looking for this type of books I will add these titles I recommend.

Which character – as performed by John Solo and Nick J. Russo – was your favorite?

I liked Maccabe and Josh, there were so many twists to the story that it was memorable.

2 people found this helpful

Fabulous

Two wonderful stories that are well written and performed.
Both stories have a great balance of heat, romance, and drama, making the stories really enjoyable.

2 people found this helpful

2 quick shorts

These are too really short but very good holiday stories. There's a lot packed in but it doesn't seem like they move too fast or the characters aren't fully developed. Solo and Russo do a great job with the naration.

Heartwarming.

Loved both stories! Narration was perfect! Such a heartwarming and wonderful stories. The author is so talented. Kudos.

Shiloh and Travis, Josh and McCabe

IN ANOTHER LIFE 5+ stars
Everything about this book appealed to me. I loved the storyline; even the jump from future to past. The characters were intriguing and well done. I mostly loved the change in Shiloh upon waking. He's seen what the future holds in store and grabs it with both hands. No letting go. His self-confidence is enough to carry both he and Travis towards that bright future. I only wish the story was longer because I didn't want it to come to an end.

EIGHT DAYS 4.5 stars
This is a lovely short story. Perfect for Hanukkah. I loved the self-narration from Maccabe. He doesn't mince words over his own stupidity. He's also selfish and negligent. It takes YEARS for him to become self-aware and willing to do what he should've. Josh is one of those characters that doesn't come on strong and yet leaves an impression. This is a friends to lovers book with a lovely ending.

Audiobook: The narrators do a great job. Nice and clear with even pacing.