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The Understatement of the Year

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The Understatement of the Year

By: Sarina Bowen
Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Christian Fox
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About this listen

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then he's made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself. So it's a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless.

For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team's new left wing could destroy Graham's life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it's worse than usual, because the media has latched on to the story of the only "out" player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused. And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn't exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won't even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former...best friend/boyfriend/whatever isn't doing so well. He drinks too much and can't focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self-destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won't be easy is the understatement of the year.

Warning: Unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky T-shirts, and a poker-playing grandmother.

©2014 Sarina Bowen (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Romance Sports Hockey Heartfelt Feel-Good High School

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All stars
Most relevant
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, if they're prepared to accept that they'll get really annoyed with Michael Graham, and want to smack him upside the head BUT also feel really sorry for him at the same time. The quality was excellent. One of the best audios I've ever bought to date.

Which character – as performed by Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox – was your favourite?
John Rikker definitely. I loved Teddy Hamilton as Jamie Canning in Sarina Bowen/Elle Kennedy's HIM and was chuffed to bits he narrated Rikker BUT Christian Fox ran him a very, VERY close second.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I was furious with Graham at first after reading the story in 2015, and this audio mostly made me remember Graham's continuing refusal to grow a pair and come out of that closet. They were both the victims of a hate crime...Rikker was beaten up for God's sake, and Graham still said nothing and didn't even visit Rikker in hospital cos he was completely shell-shocked and in denial. Have to say though, for some reason this audio book and Christian Fox's narration in particular helped me to get a much better understanding of Graham's huge mental block regarding that closet and his 'gay' future. Graham was obviously suffering from some sort of PTSD as a result of the ordeal he and Rikker went through. And yes, the story did make me cry...Rikker's loneliness was almost palpable and Graham's inability to process what had happened in the past was heartbreaking.

Any additional comments?
My Goodreads review...Superb narration of a great story featuring 'Teddy Hamilton' who 'was' Jamie Canning for me in Him as John Rikker and a newbie to me, Christian Fox, as Michael Graham. I have to admit it made me see Graham in a whole new less insensitive light, and I sort of get where he was coming from now, although I still felt sorry for Rikker and his woes. THIS AUDIO IS *DEFINITELY* IN MY TOP 5 AUDIOS OF ALL TIME Congrats to all concerned. 🎉🎉🎉

BRILLIANT narrations...much better in audio. 👍👍

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I listened to the audio coz I adore Teddy Hamilton, loved the narration, really great story of this M/M romance, as a straight woman I find it ‘interesting’ how there are no opening gay people in major sports, this gave me a great insight into that. I just loved Graham & Rickys relationship, it was awesome and very hot with some angst but nothing too too much.

Hot hockey boys

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Lemme just say it right now; I would die for Johnny Rikker. Graham can kick rocks quite frankly because he's so far in the closet he's come out the other side of Naria. He pulls his head out of his ass too late in the game for me. Especially after everything Rikker has went through. I put this off for way too long and sped through it in one sitting. Sigh.

This book has one of my favoruite characters EVER

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Amazingly beautiful story! Loved the main characters as well as their friends. Looking forward to listening to the other stories in the series. Beautifully told with very good narration.

Beautiful story

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I stumbled across this one and loved it. except the ending it was to abrupt and the story just cut off. I was disappointed in the ending this story deserves a follow up to properly finish the story other than that loved it.!

understatement of the year

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