One of my favorite audiobooks of 2016!!

Sarina Bowen absolutely CRUSHED this one, and I LOVED every second of it! To say that I adored The Understatement of the Year would be, well, the freakin' UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR!

First, I have to put an important message out to all of the lovers of the AUDIOBOOK of Him: Buy The Understatement of the Year in audio format. I'm telling you, it is worth every single penny. For those lovers of Him, you will instantly recognize the voice of Teddy Hamilton, and you will also ADORE the voice of Christian Fox. Listen up all M/M authors: These men should narrate MORE audiobooks! They have voices to DIE for, and they completely made this audiobook their BITCH. I'm in love with their readings, and they have become my top narrators to watch for.

The story was also pure new adult, sweaty hockey player gold. For me, 2016 has been my year of hockey romances, and they are my newest obsession. This book was hockey-tastic. I loved all of the hockey details, but they absolutely didn't get in the way of the romance.

The romance was... gah, amazing. I can go either way with reunited former lovers stories, but this one gutted me. Slow-burn, painful closet, sneaking around... it destroyed me in the best way. I was near tears at times, and I feeeelt for these guys. Their love story wrecked me, and I thought that their chemistry was insane.

I could go on and on gushing about this story, but the bottom line is that Sarina Bowen crafted a beautiful love story and picked perfect narrators to bring it to life. I will forever read Sarina Bowen now because this story blew me away. JUST BUY IT!

31 people found this helpful

HIM & US had a BABY, Understatement was BORN

Rikker & Graham

I swear to G - O - D it was like HIM and US had a baby and this book was made. If you haven’t read either HIM or US.. You are missing out big time.

This book will break your heart and put it back together. So much happens and you are left feeling happy and hopeful. I wished it hadn’t taken me this long to find this series.

Rikker and Graham both go through some eye-opening things and their feeling toward each other is just part of that. It is all about accepting who and what you are, and dealing with it even if it is not an easy thing to do.
I had tears, I had joy, I felt love and I felt pain. This book really goes to show you that even if you know who you are, there is still going to be ongoing struggles.
I felt huge sorrow for Bella, and I am happy to know she gets the next book because she was so supportive but she was hurt too.

Fantastic narration just as the last books. I mean hello Teddy and Christian!!

16 people found this helpful

✫✫ 5 Stars ✫✫

BEST BOOK IN THE SERIES!!! Ok so I love them all so far but this one is awesome! I have tried a lot of M/M books and just couldn't get into them until I read Sarina Bowen! She write the best M/M love stories, her characters are always manly and normal every day guys who fall in love with each other. They don't go over and above to make sure every one knows they are gay, they just want to live their lives like everyone else and that leaves me with a happy heart every time. These two are the perfect mix of friends & lovers and the best part for me is when a love story has history. The sex is crazy hot and I love the dirty talk!

The narration is perfect! I really liked both of the narrators so much!

14 people found this helpful

Wanted good read. Didn't expect it to be best read

This audiobook has been in my collection for months, being one of my early purchases after joining Audible. (I now have 200+ titles). After finishing my last one -- which was average and I can't recall the title of it -- I was craving a really good read. I'd purchased "The Understatement of the Year" because it was by the co-author of "Him" (my very first Audible purchase), which I loved, and because the synopsis sounded like it would be similar. So I knew "Understatement of the Year" would not likely be a disappointment.

When I started it -- and for the first hour or more -- the problem was that I kept comparing it to "Him"... only I didn't like how closeted Graham was (whereas I loved both of the guys in "Him"), and so I was always mad at him. But then, today, I came to a startling realization: I AM GRAHAM, being so completely closeted myself, and I've been subconsciously identifying with him!

Today totally broke me. I'd been on my way home from work and had pulled over so that I could finish the scene I was at before getting home. I now suspect it will prove to be the penultimate scene of the book. (I still have around 1 1/2 hour to go). I didn't, as sometimes happens, get merely teary-eyed over what I was reading... I absolutely started balling my eyes out (which delayed my getting home even more!) That has NEVER happened with another audiobook. So I can now say that "Understatement of the Year: has surpassed "Him".

My high rating is not just because of that one scene. The minor characters have greater depth. And the subtext is superb.

POSSIBLE SPOILER FOLLOWS:

Regarding subtext in "Understatement of the Year":
There is a scene with Hartley in which I don't think even Ricker understood why Hartley took off like he did. (He was angry) But then Hartley came back to ask him if he wanted to go get a slice of pizza. (He was pushing back against his own anger). The understatement in that subtext was truly remarkable writing.

7 people found this helpful

A+ rating...

My Review:
Overall: 4.75
Performance: 4.5
Story: 4.75

I have so much utter love for this book. Wow, it was absolutely incredible.

The setup for the story is fabulous. Graham and Rikker were best friends in high school...and then more. But one night they weren't as discreet as they should have been and were the victims of a hate assault. Graham took off and abandoned Rikker...who could have died. They never saw one another again...until college. They both play hockey and for a while both were safely hidden in the closet. But then Rikker was outed and thrown off the team at his last college...something the governing body of college hockey did not take well. They transferred him to Harkness, where Graham goes to school.

Graham is DEEP within the closet whereas Rikker has made national news for what happened to him...everyone knows he's gay. As a result, Graham acts like he doesn't even know Rikker, although the chemistry between them is just as powerful as ever. But for Rikker, that's easier to ignore because Graham continues to be such a jerk.

There is so much to love about this book. There are a TON of really complex and angst-filled emotions going on here. Graham is an absolute mess. He won't even admit to himself that he's gay. He has sex with women...usually drunk so he doesn't notice who he's sticking his dick into. As the reader/listener, I wanted to hate him, but he's just so lost and scared about being discovered. He's truly a hot mess. On the other hand is Rikker, who never planned to be out, but now handles it all in stride although he hates being the "gay guy" on the team. He just wants to be a hockey player...easy...done...at least it should be, but that's never the way it works. I absolute ADORED Rikker's character. While he hates Graham's actions, he understands why he's doing what he is. Rikker has amazing empathy.

And then there are the side characters who I love...Bella, the team assistant and resident ho...I did not think I would like her so much, but wow, she turned out to be incredible. She's such a support system for Rikker which is huge since he's basically the outcast at the school. Then there's the team captain, Hartley. I love how he simply accepts the situations Rikker brings in stride.

This book was absolutely fabulous on audio. I highly recommend reading it this way, although I will admit to ordering a print copy of the book for my keeper shelf. I'm looking forward to sitting down and reading the book to see if I enjoy it as much in that format.

5 people found this helpful

Love the duo narration, interesting story

From the blurb we can tell that this is a “second chance” love story. Two boys who fell for each other at the wrong time, have lived apart for years, are now suddenly thrown back into one another’s lives.

Rikker is out and proud, and Graham is still hiding behind beards and denial.

What proceeds is a long and angst-filled romance that hides behind closed doors for the most part, until Graham can’t stand the strain any longer.

**

I avoided reading this book originally because –though it got many 4 and 5 star reviews – several key issues made me cringe. 1) I don’t tend to like re-union love stories. I like the original blush of new love far too much to see lovers find one another again. 2) I didn’t like the YA aspect of this. Too much angst. Not enough sex. 3) The fact that it’s part of a M/F series written by an M/F author.

But… I love hockey stories. I love coming out stories. I LOVED Him by Sarina Bowen and finally – when this came out on audio it had two narrators which really flipped my switch when I listened to Him.

So, I gave it a go.

All in all it wasn’t bad. I agree with the preivous reviewers who noted that Graham and Rikker don’t act like teenagers, but young men with real life problems. However, I never warmed to Graham and felt like he was a big whiny baby for most of the book. Even when he finally makes the right decision, it wasn’t enough for me to really like him as a character.

Rikker was awesome and I wish he’d been more forceful with Graham and earlier on.

The other secondary characters are interesting, but since their stories are all part of the M/F series – I won’t be reading them.

I guess I enjoyed this, but I wouldn’t be tempted to read/listen to it again, because I was pulling my hair out over Graham’s ridiculous inner monologues.

Story 3 of 5 stars

Audio

The audio is the only saving grace (for me) with this book. I loved the alternating voices and really felt immersed in the story. I really liked how well both narrators captured the emotion and it’s great having two distinct voices tell a story like this.

Audio 5 of 5 stars

Overall 4 of 5 stars

5 people found this helpful

Audio Cherry Popped!

This was my first audio book and I absolutely loved it!!! I'd already read the Kindle version of the book and wanted o try the audio version.

Needless to say I was very happy with it. Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox were awesome. Awesome awesome awesome. Sigh.

I loved how I could do other things while still listening to the book. Such convenience!

I'm now an audiobook convert. And Happily so!

4 people found this helpful

Beautifully written m/m sports romance

With one flaw, The Understatement of the Year is one of the best m/m audiobooks out there. This is helped by the narration of Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox, who are simply perfect (although there is one line Teddy Hamilton reads in the voice of the wrong character, but other than that, they're both flawless). Both the protagonists, Rikker and Graham, are interesting and likable, the conflict is believable, and the writing is lyrical. Unlike "Him" and "Us," an m/m hockey series also written by Bowen (with Elle Kennedy), the writing is in past tense, which always works better, and there's no unrealistic "gay for you" storyline here.

There is one issue I had with this book, however, and that's the character of Bella, the student manager of the college hockey team at the center of the story. Bella is a textbook example of a Mary Sue character (except she actually doesn't get the guy in the end). She's sort of a stand-in for the female reader. Several times throughout the novel, characters randomly wax poetic about how wonderful, beautiful, and intelligent she is, sometimes about ten seconds after meeting her for the first time. These are all "informed characteristics," which means that we know this about Bella because we're TOLD this, by the author, as opposed to having it shown. Personally I find her pretty grating, and entirely inappropriate. Switch genders--that is, imagine she's a male student manager of a women's hockey team--and suddenly her actions take on a very different and very, very creepy aspect. I believe Bella is the protagonist of another book in this series, and you could not pay me enough to sit through that book unless Bella is fired from her position for extreme sexual harassment, which she would be if there were any justice in the world.

Anyway, if you find yourself agreeing with me, take heart: it gets much better as the book goes on; Bella sort of fades into the background about halfway through the book, thank God. My irritation with her is enough to knock this otherwise five-star book down to four overall, but I still count it among my favorite of all time. Highly recommended!

2 people found this helpful

One of the best books I’ve listened all year

One of the best books I’ve listened all year and I’ve listened to TONS! It’s realistic, emotional, beautiful, and a great love story. Love the narrators and the characters.

2 people found this helpful

Hot damn....

What did you love best about The Understatement of the Year?

I loved the narration! I really love teddy Hamilton's work, and I have picked up all his audiobooks that center on MM relationships. Sarina Bowen's ability to write. Story that captures the subtleties of budding romantic relationships among men while also getting the sex scenes right!

Who was your favorite character and why?

John Rikker. Likely it was partially related to The narration, but also because of his insight and willingness to take risks and be vulnerable. I was able to really relate to his character.

What about Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox ’s performance did you like?

My god, their voices. They really captured the essence of the characters in their narration, which is really important to me. I hate listening to an audiobook where he narration clashes with the character or when it sounds like Siri is narrating the audiobook without any emotion.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When One of the characters experiences a close encounter with a substantial loss, which influences their budding relationship.

Any additional comments?

This is one of the top 3 audiobooks I have ever read. The story is well drafted and there aren't any narrators that could match the characters better than those chosen for this work. Five stars, emphatically and unapologetically!

2 people found this helpful