Unabridged Audiobook
This was a sweet opposites attract, found family romance! Gabe is a single father who has to learn to cope with looking after and providing his daughter, Ellie. He needs to be a true role model and a reliable father. When he crosses paths with Jerry, who is shy and different, he is immediately draw into his orbit. I loved the chemistry between Gabe and Jeremy. The storyline was engaging and the characters were likeable. Kirt Graves performed an exceptional audio delivery and narration as well.
I love this book. A famous rockstar and a furniture maker. Oh it seems their lives don't fit, but they do. Those two have instant attraction and couldn't keep their eyes from each other. And Gabes daughter Ellie rocks it. She is the real star in this story - she is so wise for her 17 years of age.
Somehow I missed this the first time that I listened to this book. I love Gabe and Jerry. The way their friendship started was odd but it was still organic. Gabe didn't care or know who Jerry was and when he found out he still didn't care. Gabe cared for Jerry for the man that he befriended. Jerry pushed for Gabe to be the best that he could be. Will be listening to this one again.
such a sweet love story. I loved Gabe and Ellie so much and to watch Gabe fall in love with awkward and sweet Jerry was wonderful! while the story was rather predictable I was still enamored. The journey and subsequent "reveal" was sweet and I feel all the characters were really well defined and unique in there own way. I loved the awkwardness and quirkiness of Jerry and the performance mask of Jet. Ellie was such a wonderful well rounded character and I loved the family they had and added too. Such a sweet and heartfelt love story every rockstar fan would have dreammed of! worth a read!!!
A really sweet love story between a shy and eccentric guy and a loving father who sacrificed everything for his daughter, it was such a lovely and romantic story. I really loved Jerry, he’s the star for me in this story. It was really great to see his transformation and how he loved and cherished both Ellie and Gabe. I’m also very happy to see Gabe being able to come out of his safe bubble too. He gave up everything even his personal love life for his daughter. He’s the ideal dad every little girl could want. And Ellie, oh-so-sweet and mature and clever Ellie, I love her. She brought everything together. And Kier Graves did really well with the narration. I have always loved his unique tenor and this was such a great delight to listen. Loved it! ♥️ 4.5 Home to heart stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Single-dad and home improvement warehouse employee Gabe meets Jerry, a enigmatic stranger seeking assistance with a home renovation. The two men have grown close, but will Jerry's omissions about his life destroy a budding relationship? The story is a little bit of a slow-burn, but the good kind. There is no over-reliance on reams of internal angst. The guys get to know each other in a realistic way. The plot makes a parallel between the main characters' stories really well. Gabe is balancing what is best for his daughter against what he desires for himself, while Jerry attempts a balance between his public persona and his private life. Tara Lain delivers a wonderfully heartfelt and emotional love story. I haven't listened to a book by Graves previous to this one. He delivers a brilliant voice performance. His interpretation of Lain's story is nothing short of perfection. I look forward to listening to his narrations in the future. I received a free review copy of the audiobook "Home Improvement". This post represents my honest, voluntary opinion of it. Highly recommended.
Sweet contemporary romance. The narrator added a extra layer of emotion to this easy to listen to story. There was low-level angst, a beautiful house renovation, and the most unlikely rock star. I really enjoyed it.
When he stepped in for a coworker, to help a strange customer, Gabe had no way of knowing that his life was about to change. This is a story of two mismatched men, who deserve to find love, but haven’t allowed themselves the opportunity. For Gabe, his daughter has always came first, and he’s not about to change that. This book is about unexpected possibilities, with very little angst, and a lot of happy moments you will find yourself grinning over. The characters are very likable. I can sympathize with Jerry and his social discomfort, even before his true identity is revealed. Gabe really is a very good guy, and I was really rooting for his much deserved happiness. Their chemistry was electric, their conversations flowed easily, and their connection felt genuine. Tara Lain did a great job writing the story and developing the characters. I really enjoyed it. Kirt Graves did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. The voices he gave Jerry and Gabe were perfect for them, and easy to tell apart. I always enjoy listening to books he’s narrated.
I read the ebook version of this book and was the first one I’ve ever read writen by Tara Lain and since then, she became one of my favorite authors. The story of Gabe and Jerry had an interesting plot, well-written characters with a lot of chemistry and charisma (especially Ellie's) and few angst situations that kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. So, when I got the opportunity to hear the audiobook and especially when I discovered that the narrator was Mr Graves, I had to hear it. His performance is amazing, with a voice acting that captured me since the beginning and made me laughed and sighed and even cried a little bit with the story. So good!! Loved it!!!
Gabe has a decent life. He’s raising his sixteen-year-old daughter whom he had when he was only seventeen. He’s done everything in his power to protect Ellie and, in return, she’s appreciative of that. Her mother was a bit of a disaster and Ellie knows she’s lucky her father loves her so much. But raising Ellie means Gabe has to hide who he really is. Wouldn’t be good to come out, to be sure. So he stays in the closet and suppresses the homosexual urges that might lead him into a temptation he might not be strong enough to overcome. He even holds down a boring job at the local hardware store because he understands how important a steady position is. Everything is for Ellie, and he has no regrets. Then, on one ordinary day, Gabe finds a lost soul in aisle 16. The bi-coloured eyed man triggers something within Gabe and when the chance to spend more time with the intriguing stranger presents itself, Gabe lets down his guard. Jerry just wants to be an ordinary guy. He’s bought a run-down house in a rural part of a town that is pretty much in the middle of nowhere Oregon. He plans on fixing the place up and it being his refuge. His sanctuary. The problem? He knows nothing about renovations. He has a couple of chairs and a mattress and no clue where to begin. Then he meets a guy in the hardware store and something clicks within him. He offers the man money to fix up the house and trusts it’ll get done. Although Jerry’s not had a lot of luck with people, he sees Gabe and knows everything will be okay. Gabe needs the money as his side business of woodworking isn’t bringing in much revenue. He worries about spending Jerry’s money, not realizing just how rich Jerry really is. See, Jerry has a secret. A secret that devastates Gabe when it’s revealed. Gabe feels betrayed. Because as much as Jerry just wants to be an average guy, he isn’t one. He never can be one. The question was whether the men could overcome all the hurtles to find love or would the cold realities they faced drive them apart? I love Tara Lain books and this was definitely a good one. I wanted the men to make it despite the odds stacked against them. The point of view was a little uneven as the first several chapters are in Gabe’s point of view, but eventually I got inside Jerry’s head – although never as much as I wanted to. I adored Ellie and her practical sensibilities. And her ability to call out her dad’s BS. This was a good book. Kirt Graves narrated the book and I have to say I enjoyed his performance. He’s always consistent and does a good job. So, yeah, a nice little listen I appreciated.
Loved these two main characters, Gabe's daughter Ellie and all the surprises. I thought this was going to be a heavy story where Gabe's ex tried to interfere with him and his daughter but what I got was one of those Whitman sampler candies with the mystery filling. You bite into it and realize you lucked into one of the great truffles. I enjoyed the renovation plot, the romance was completely satisfying and the pacing of the revelations, misunderstanding and reconciliation/HEA was perfect.
I really enjoyed this book. Sweet romance with believable chemistry. I loved that it was both blue collar with the home repairs expert and secret rock star romance. The main character's daughter was a delight. Great story.
I loved it! The story is cute and engaging, the plot really well thought out and the connection developed in a natural way. The premise of the story had me riveted from the start! The narration was also really good, the voices discernible and the performance easy to follow.
Over all I enjoyed Home Improvement by Tara Lain. I enjoyed they relationship development but I thought there was a lot of unnecessary drama. I especially loved Gabe and Ellie’s relationship! Kirt Graves did a fantastic job with the narration!
I enjoyed Home Improvement so much I had to listen to it twice! It’s a fantastic love story that’s so well written, it kept me intrigued for hours as Gabe and Jerry’s story played out! I loved how involved Gabe has always been in his seventeen year old daughter Ellie’s life, always putting her before himself in any and everything from the moment he became a father. Then he helps a strangely dressed shy man at work, with the most beautiful eyes he’s ever seen...Jerry’s terribly uncomfortable around people and living a double life. He’s purchased a incredible but very old home to fix up for his hideaway. He goes to the home improvement store and becomes intrigued with the very patient, extremely handsome man helping him. The moment Jerry meets Gabe and then later Ellie, he seems to finally know exactly what he wants in life. However it’s Ellie that gives them both the encouragement that’s needed to help them get to the sweetest HEA ever! This is my first by Tara Lain and I absolutely loved everything about her awesome story! Oh and narrator Kirt Graves did a outstanding, no a magnificent job with all the characters voices adding the extra chemistry, theatrics, and more bringing this truly fantastic love story to life! I definitely recommend this audiobook and it’s one of my favorites!
Narrator 5 stars They had a pleasant voice, good pace though I did speed it up a bit. They used different voices for the characters and each was well done. Even the young girl. They did a great job. I absolutely loved this. I was drawn in from the start and listened to it from start to finish in one listen. The story stayed interesting from start to finish and all the characters were wonderful. Very well written. I definitely recommend this.
Home Improvement is an enjoyable well written story about Gabe, a 33 year old single dad with a 17 year old daughter, and Jerry, a shy eccentric guy who's looking for a change in his life. Jerry has bought an amazing house but it needs a lot of work. And where better to find someone to help him with it than at a home improvement store. Gabe helps Jerry when he comes into the store and then begins to help him fix up the house. It isn't until Gabe takes his daughter to a rock concert for her birthday that things start to become unhinged. This story may be a bit predictable but I enjoyed they way Jerry and Gabe handled themselves with the truth and got their happy ending. They really are better together that apart. I would love to know more of their story as they start a new chapter of their lives together. Definitely recommend. Narrator Kirt Graves does a fabulous job in bringing life to these characters.
fantastic!
This got me in the heart strings. I found myself absolutely falling in love with the characters of this book. Lain's writing style is a delight and well worth the read. Graves has once again done another masterful job with his narration and manages to transport the reader into the story. Heart warming and a hint of angst makes this book truly a delight to listen to.
This was my first book/audiobook by Tara Lain and I really liked it! Gabe lived a quiet life. He worked at a local hardware store and built furniture on the side. And he was raising his teenaged daughter. Jerry bought a house that needed some major work done to it. He goes to the hardware store and meets Gabe. He ends up asking Gabe to renovate the house. There’s no way Gabe can turn down that kind of money. Plus there was something about Jerry. Gabe found himself attracted to the shy man. Jerry needs an escape from his life. A place to breathe. Little did he know he would also find someone he wanted to spend time with. But Jerry was also hiding something from Gabe. Will this secret ruin everything to these 2 men?!? This story was really good and I loved how Jerry and Gabe evolved. It wasn’t insta love. And I loved Jerry’s relationship with Ellie, Gabe’s daughter. Kirt Graves is awesome. I could listen to him all day long!
I am a big fan of the single-father-falling-in-love trope, so I was already excited to read this book, and oh my, it did not disappoint! I have read a few of Tara Lain’s other books, and this one is by far my favorite. The story is so sweet with just the right amount of angst and drama to keep the plot moving, with some wonderful relationship development that really builds the romance. I thought the book was well written with prose that flowed easily. The audiobook was narrated by Kirt Graves who did a great job. Kirt voiced each of the characters perfectly and consistently. The performance was done with just the right amount of energy that kept the audiobook engaging without overdoing it. The audiobook production was well done and overall was a great listening experience.
I loved this book, the story was really good and the narration speed as perfect!!! The way the narrator was able to convey each character’s different emotions (especially Jerry) through just the words and dialogue was brilliant and I felt it. It was a good storyline and I really liked how the author wrote the relationship between the father and daughter and didn’t overshadow the daughter’s emotions or input. I thought the ending was very slightly rushed but it really didn’t detract from the overall experience or storyline honestly.
Cute, cute, cute! Another new to me MM author, Home Improvement by Tara Lain, was fantastic! Narration by Kirk Graves on audio, and it was perfect. I am a huge fan of Kirk Graves, and he hasn't disappointed yet! What I loved: Gabe. From the outside, most people would stereotype him as a straight, man's man. Gabe is so much more than a flannel-wearing single Dad with a teenage daughter who works at the home improvement store. I just adored his sweet and nurturing demeanor, and he's fiercely loyal to those he loves. Jerry. Oh, Jerry. Shy, quiet, Jerry. He was a tougher nut to crack at the beginning of the book. I wasn't sure where to land on him just because he is so introverted. But by halfway through, I knew I loved him and these two together. Ellie. Gabe's daughter is the daughter you dream of. Smart, happy, still a kid but not wholly innocent. Such a big supporter of her Dad. I loved the relationship between Gabe and Ellie and eventually between Jerry and Ellie as well. Overall. I smiled through the entire book. Home Improvement made me laugh, sigh, gasp, and cheer for the two heroes. So fun, so romantic. Plain and simple, it's a wonderful read.
Oh, but this was such a romantic, fulfilling story! Carried on by the characters, who are awesome. No, seriously, Ellie is sweet and mature and loving. Jerry, shy and awkward, dying to be seen for who really is. And Gabe, who is willing to put his own life on stop to provide a stable, loving home to his daughter. I mean, c'mon, they are utterly loveable :P This is a story quite low on angst, and the one that is there comes from Ellie's mom and her douchebag... fiancèe? And a bit from Jerry's side and his secret life, but all of the issues are worked out in a good way. Actually, when it comes to Jerry I'd say in a very amazing, romantic, over-the-top-but-I-loved-it way :D A story that got me smiling while listening, and let me happy and all mushy inside when I finished. Add to that a great narration by Kirt Graves and you'll have a winner!
Great storyline with wonderful characters and the narration was great. Super good listen.
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