Why hadn't I read this earlier.

If you love Hurt/Comfort as a sub-genre of romance then "There's This Guy, " must count as one of the perfect examples of H/C. This is a tale of the courage one man has to walk towards a better self wrapped in a story of acceptance, love, and acknowledgement of how hard it can be to step away from a dark past.
Rhys doesn't drop an easy fix on us; she shows the growth, the development of trust, and the acceptance of self that are the cornerstones of healing.
Add Greg Tremblay and you have perfection.

8 people found this helpful

Amazing

Any additional comments?

I first read the ebook (I have previously left a review of it when released) and while I enjoyed reading it, it wasn't a book that I loved to much that I had to re-read it straight away.
Now with saying that about the ebook it's totally different with the audio, I LOVED it so much that I did re-listen to it straight away, Grey Tremblay is one of my favourite narrators and he made me fall in love with this book, it's as if I had read a different book, maybe I wasn't really in the mood for an angsty type of story, I'm not sure, though I do think it's Greg's voice that made the book come alive for me and made it more enjoyable than reading it.

4 people found this helpful

Outstanding!

What can I say? This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. I hope we get more of these characters from Rhys and I hope they're brought to life once again by Greg Tremblay. Loved it!

4 people found this helpful

Another great one by Rhys and Greg!

It’s almost like this was two books… the first half is dark and sad and really sets up the pieces that makes Jake who he is.

There are –moments- of sunlight, because that’s what Dallas is. His family’s awesome, he’s awesome, his heart is big as the town he’s named like. But surrounding Jake – clouds and more clouds. It’s hard to read and tough to get through – not gonna lie.

Because it’s Rhys Ford, every nuance and description is poetic and full of color and flavor – and pain. That’s sometimes hard to take when the picture is so bleak.

But… in the second half of the book it’s like the clouds lift and we’re gifted with a fresh new outlook on life and a bit of wonder at what’s left behind.

I think you definitely need to be prepared for the rough, but the pay off is really happy, so the journey is worth it.


Audio

As always Greg Tremblay amazes me. He manages to find and show every ounce of emotion in a story and bring it to the fore without being overly dramatic. He and Rhys are a fantastic pair and suit one another like peanut butter and jelly! There is a lot of angst in this story and Greg knows just how to time that – but he also can deliver on the humor. Greg reading Rhys’ words is the absolute best listening experience and highly recommended.

5 of 5 stars

3 people found this helpful

Heartbreaking and Heartwarming

4.5

Jake (Jacque) Moore, a young man whose childhood was filled with terror and whose life seems consumed by ugliness, is living on the razor’s edge of suicidal depression and despair when he meets Dallas Yates. Dallas, whose experiences have been the complete opposite, offers Jake a taste of this love and warmth through his friendship, and ultimately, gives Jake one of life’s best gifts—hope.

This heartrending, yet lovely book skillfully handles a topic that can be upsetting to read about, especially in a romance novel. Part of what draws romance readers to the genre is the joy and beauty associated with love. Thus, it can be particularly hard to be exposed to something as darkly despairing, painful and desperate as suicide, and be warned—there are no easy outs in this story. Be prepared to take a few breathers due to the heavy emotional load. Be prepared for ALL the feels as Jakes battles with himself, while Dallas struggles with the fact he can only support Jake through this painful journey and that his love won’t magically make the damage and its associated behaviors go away.

Most importantly, be prepared for a story that illustrates how significant love, in all its forms can be in shaping and inspiring lives, and that while love from others is wonderful, it is ESSENTIAL that you love and value yourself. This was one of the reasons I was impressed by the book; the story did not fall into the unfortunately common and illusory trap that portrays love as a cure-all for the demons that drive depression and suicidal ideation. It made sure to emphasize that Jake had to choose to live, and that although love gave him the strength to do it, he still had to make that choice every day.

For all its heavy content, this book is still full of beauty, hope and wonder. The secondary characters are lively and as important in their own right to the story as the MCs and the writing is pure Rhys—

“I just want to put him into a box so no one can get to him. But with holes so I can shove cookies and hamburgers at him.”

2 people found this helpful

Cute, but boring!

The author doesn't show. He tells. Over and over again, every little thing passing through the minds of our two heroes. They are adorable, but unfortunately, the story is so incredibly boring that I couldn't finish the book.

5 people found this helpful

Wonderfully Poignant

Jake and Dallas - another improbable pair - the odds were really against these two - so many would give Dallas the advice you can't fix people.... but to me, the Lord works in mysterious ways and if there ever were such a couple, the Lord would easily put Dallas and his family in Jake's path! I fell in love with both of these guys. Rhys, you really know the meaning of suspense though! I thought we'd never get there! I thought some of Rhys' books looked silly and I am not really a fan of Silly, but not going to lie, I saw this cover and it sucked me it - to give Rhys a try and I am so glad I did. I will definitely listen to this again, and I am a keeper of my audiobooks and this will definitely be a keeper. Look forward to the next great book.

2 people found this helpful

Another winner from Rhys Ford

What did you love best about There's This Guy?

I really enjoyed seeing how Jake evolved as a person, in his view of himself and his self worth.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jake, he was a very troubled soul when the book first started but overcame much by the end.

Have you listened to any of Greg Tremblay’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to MANY books narrated by the very talented Greg Tremblay. This is another superb performance, although I think the voice he used for Dallas might've been slightly feminine.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes, it's always a hard choice, to savor so it lasts a bit longer or "more, more, more"

Any additional comments?

There are many secondary characters in this book that are well described & memorable, like Dallas' family & Jake's boss. Would love to see a sequel where Celeste gets a HEA.

Just a warning, this is not a light & fluffy romance novel. There are some dark moments, angst & a dead guy (it is a Rhys Ford book after all) but it does have a HEA.

2 people found this helpful

Beautiful

A sweet romance, some personal struggles, learning to accept. Jake really left an impression on me.

1 person found this helpful

A dark story that grows lighter

I feel like I can’t write a review without first listing the potentially triggering things I noticed, so trigger warning for: flashbacks of child abuse, homophobia, brief allusion to conversion therapy, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts, flashback of rape, Alzheimer’s, misgendering and deadnaming (though it’s not done in a malicious way. It’s mostly mentioned in memories of before a character started transitioning). There might be more, but those are the things I noticed.
I cried more than once listening to this. It was the kind of book I couldn’t stop listening to, and I stayed up way too late. There aren’t really any outside threats, the conflict and the journey all come from Jake’s struggle with his trauma and depression, but it’s more than enough to take the story along. Greg Tremblay is a wonderful narrator as always, making you feel like you’re almost there with the characters. The only thing I would change about this book is that I’d love to have seen more of Dallas’ family, as they seem like a fun and interesting bunch of people.

1 person found this helpful