Frank Benns

Fun story. Great narration. Short but very sweet.

Revisado: 03-21-25

A friend recommended this author to me because I'm always interested in how people with disabilities are written about and presented in contemporary literature. I was very impressed with the author's sensitivity, understanding, and apparent familiarity with the lived experience of disabled persons - like myself. Many disabled people are avid readers, and it's always exciting when an author cares enough to include us in the plot of a story. This book is particularly good. Wish it had been longer. I will have to check out other work by her. She's excellent. The narrators were particularly good. Perfect for their parts.

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Unexpected and Wonderful!

Revisado: 04-13-24

This story was like a maze. The author would lead us in one direction only to bring us to a different path where we have to shift gears and follow him around plot twists and turns into yet another direction. It all comes together in the end, but getting there is the challenge as we take the journey alongside our hero, Sammy Blake. Rick R. Reed gives us another meticulous look into the mind of his protagonist. We walk in his shoes, dream his dreams, and feel the intense fear and heartbreak as he sojourns through a very dark forest of intrigues, subterfuges, and schemes. It is only at the end of the book that we can fully comprehend the meaning of the title. Once again, David Allen Vargo thrills with his impeccable narration, using his vocal dexterity to voice all of the characters believably with the most sincere and heartfelt emotion. Reed and Vargo are master storytellers. Their styles compliment each other beautifully. I highly recommend this book.

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Very enjoyable from start to finish

Revisado: 03-17-24

This book is very well written by an author who is quite a gifted storyteller. It grabbed me from the start and didn't let go. I hope there's more to come from him. The narration was pitch perfect and was as natural as if the author himself was telling the story. There were surprisingly well done sound effects too which never interfered and only enhanced the story and the narration. I've always been interested in the Civil War and have done a lot of studying on my own about it. I enjoyed it a lot from start to finish. A great listen and a great story!

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Another great listen! Terrific story and narration

Revisado: 06-29-23

Another great listen! I highly recommend this audiobook. Rick R. Reed is always a master storyteller. Narrator David Allen Vargo is his perfect match. This writer/narrator team is always a reliably strong pairing. I look forward to hearing more from them.

I don't like to recount the plot in a review because that's why you read (or listen to, in this case) the book. But I will mention the writing style, which is remarkable. Rick R. Reed writes what he knows, and in that lies his strength. His characters are three-dimensional, each with their own unique voices. Surprises await around the most unlikely bends. Clever turns of phrase and tremendous insight into the human condition are staples in any novel by him.

One of things I really like about the narration is the way inner thoughts are separated from the dialogue by a sound filter. In a book, italics can be used to show the reader a silent thought of a character. But in audiobooks, the italics can't be seen, so something has to be done to distinguish the difference between thought and spoken word. I think it's very well done here and really aided the clarification of the story. Bravo on the narration!

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Incredibly well done!

Revisado: 03-19-23

This story and narration is very unique and provides a fully immersive experience for those who are inclined to enjoy audiobooks created in this enhanced style. Immersive audiobooks which employ sound design and musical elements are growing in popularity and are effectively a movie without visuals – or a movie in your mind. I found the production quality of this audiobook to be excellent. The level of detail and variety in the audio is incredibly well done. David Allen Vargo's voice acting, as usual, is exemplary, the music is perfect, and the ambiance and sound effects transport you directly into the magical town of Seaspray and into the mind of the protagonist, Winslow Berkel. Vargo's many individual character voices make it very clear who is speaking and allowed me to feel like I was a fly on the wall, eavesdropping on intimate and private conversations.

I am becoming a huge fan of audiobooks that contain more sonic elements than the voice alone. The added sound effects and ambiance make me feel like I’m in the story, as opposed to just listening to it. Doubtless, a great deal of attention to detail must take place in the creative process to produce such a gripping and ethereal atmosphere.

Seaspray falls into the category of Magical Realism and while the full story is too complex to cover here, it covers themes of domestic abuse, drug addiction, death and the afterlife, incarceration, and redemption - all stunningly depicted by author Rick R. Reed. But what I liked most was that as dark as it can get in this book, the Light is everywhere - sustaining, enfolding, encouraging, nurturing, and making things right. I found the story empowering and uplifting with a beautiful HEA. Well done to both the author and the narrator.

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Let me tell you why I loved this book...

Revisado: 12-27-22

First of all, it’s set in the 1980s and author, Rick R. Reed, takes us authentically back to those reckless and terrifying days. The world was different than it is now. By the time the 80s rolled around, many gay folks felt liberated enough to live outside of the closet. But for others, it was still an era of repression and those folks still found shelter in heterosexual marriages, trying with utmost sincerity to live the life their families and society expected, I daresay demanded, of them. UNRAVELING is one of those stories, and it gives the reader an in depth glimpse into the mind of a genuinely good man, loving his wife and their young son, who simply can no longer deny who he really is. Lying to himself, to her, and to the world is no longer something he is able to do and it leads him to the darkest despair. Which brings me to the first and third chapters. These chapters are rich in emotion and interior unrest. We hear the points of view of both the husband and the wife. These are deeply touching, but dark. Get through those chapters and an entire world of fascinating characters and lived experiences comes out to play. Secondly, it was set in Chicago, and clearly the author is very familiar with gay life in Chicago’s Boystown in the 1980s. He takes the reader on a very welcome and heady trip down Halsted Street as the meeting spots and ghosts of meeting spots are resurrected before our eyes and in our hearts.

I thoroughly enjoyed UNRAVELING. It was a true roller coaster ride of steep inclines and treacherous descents, hairpin curves, and unexpected views and falls. I couldn’t stop listening. It tugged at my heart, made me cry, made me smile, and surprisingly – made me dance.

The narration by David Allen Vargo was top notch. He approaches every character with amazing realism. He voices everything from a 65-year-old woman, to a 6-year-old boy, and everything in between, with stunning authenticity. I will listen to anything and everything he narrates.

I recommend this audiobook highly. It’s well worth your time.

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A captivating binge listen!

Revisado: 08-17-22

This was a binge listen for me. Once I started listening, I couldn't stop. Of course that's due to great writing and amazing narration. Excuse me, 'performance.' Because Mr. Vargo really is a performance artist. An actor par excellence. Even the women are outstanding. But this story by the amazing Rick R. Reed - WOW! So much more than a formulaic romance novel. This story tackles a deeply serious subject with insight, sensitivity, empathy, humor, and pathos. There is never a dull moment. The cast of characters are clearly drawn by Mr. Reed - each with their own unique psyche. And Mr, Vargo honors that writing by giving each character their own distinct voice. There aren't very many stories out there for people in recovery ABOUT people in recovery. That is one of the major captivating attractions of this particular story. I say give us more of this!

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Surprisingly fun! Excellent story and narration.

Revisado: 06-22-22

I wasn't expecting this 'romance' novel about a Roman Catholic virgin and the town tomcat to be as filled with as much good-natured humor as it is. It was an absolute delight to listen to. The more so because David Allen Vargo, the narrator, brought so many fascinating voices, accents, and comical intonations to the plenitude of characters inhabiting the world of McCullough Mountain (a place where I would love to live). I don't want to give away any spoilers so all I will say is it's jolly good fun from start to finish. It's not situation comedy but is well-written with both humor and pathos that will have you laughing, crying, and wanting to take these people in your arms and hug them. It's a long book and I still didn't want it to end. And the ending is EVERYTHING! The sound effects were something new to me and added to my enjoyment of the story. They were not too much, but 'just right.' I really enjoyed them. I loved the story. Ashlynn and Kelly are a couple for the Ages. Netflix should option the McCullough Mountain series! It's that good.

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Not a fantasy of M/M Romance....This is REAL!

Revisado: 05-09-22

So I had to do some research on this author about half way through the book. Although she is a prolific and award winning author, M/M Romance is not her focus. In fact, it didn't appear to me that she had any other M/M romances in her arsenal. So it was surprising, to say the least, that she even attempted it and even more surprising that she has such a firm handle on it. I kept thinking as I was reading, "Someone close to her must be gay. There's just no other way she could tap into the gay mindset so well." Here's what I loved about this book: It was real. Not a fantasy of M/M Romance. These were real people in real-life situations. Not a made-up phony idealized world that simply doesn't exist - which happens in a lot of gay romance novels. This is Book 5 of an 8-part family saga, and this one focuses on the gay son (a serious athlete and full-fledged hunk) and his struggles to understand who and what he is in a world he fears will reject him. I don't want to give anything away, because the story is too rich for me to try and retell. I think it's well worth listening to. It's perfectly fine as a standalone, but now I'm kind of interested in the other books in the saga too. The McCullough family really grew on me. I actually liked these people, cheered for them, cried with them, laughed loudly at them (some of them are crazy fun). They're solid people with good hearts and that's all I'll give away. The narrator, David Allen Vargo, gives a tour-de-force performance with his many character voices, smooth and clear diction, and great acting. He's very easy on the ear. I could listen to him all day. A fine book and a fine performance.

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A Real Doozy!

Revisado: 11-03-21

This book is a real doozy. The plot gripped me from the very beginning and I kept thinking I could predict what was going to happen. But each time I did, I got walloped with a surprise twist. There’s so much good to say about this book. I have to say, I’ve never given much thought to the plight of atheists in our society, but the author spelled it out very clearly with what sounded like a lot of first-hand knowledge. It certainly gave me a lot to think about. This book went in all the directions I didn’t anticipate right up to the ending - which left my jaw on the floor and me staring wide-eyed into space. Now I want to say a few words about the narrator, David Allen Vargo. Ya, I’m a major fan. The book is about 13 hours long but the time flew by listening to his deep, resonant voice that sounds like he truly understands what he is saying. This narrator really cares about what he is reading and it shows. All the different character voices he used for this totally blew my mind. Can’t wait for his next book. I highly recommend it. Mind-blowing.

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