
Back Where He Started
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ethan Sawyer
-
By:
-
Jay Quinn
About this listen
In Back Where He Started, Chris Thayer finds himself packing up the last pieces of a quietly extraordinary life. After 23 years of marriage to Zack Ronan--and after raising the widower's three kids--Chris finds himself facing an uncertain second act. Seeking refuge in North Carolina's Outer Banks, Chris has to come to terms with his own empty nest and challenge himself to move forward with a new relationship. This is a subtle depiction of the meaning of family and motherhood and of the search for your true soul.
Jay Quinn's Lambda-nominated novels transcend traditional gay fiction, exploring universal issues of marriage, aging parents, addiction, and attraction, all while presenting unique characters and a pause-resisting drama.
©2005 Jay Quinn, This edition published in 2014 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Metes and Bounds
- By: Jay Quinn
- Narrated by: Fred Blogs
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Metes and Bounds, surf, sand, and sex meet in the macho world of construction workers. For narrator Matt, "the greatest comfort of surfing comes in the sureness and instinct." Matt is not just coming of age, he's coming out, and in the sun-bleached world of the North Carolina beaches his burgeoning sexuality can toss as many curves as a wave. Through his longings and self-discovery, Matt knows he cannot let others triumph over being the man he knows to be.
-
-
Navigating Stormy Waters and Warm Sands of Life
- By Tim Nakasawa on 02-28-22
By: Jay Quinn
-
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
- The Doomsday Books, Book 1
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels—until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn't know. The Marsh is another world, a strange, empty place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers. And one of them is dangerously familiar…
-
-
Wonderful book, intolerable narration
- By Stephanie Leary on 03-13-23
By: KJ Charles
-
Before We Disappear
- By: Shaun David Hutchinson
- Narrated by: André Santana, Mark Sanderlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Nevin’s clever trickery and moral flexibility make him the perfect assistant to the Enchantress, one of the most well-known stage magicians in turn-of-the-19th-century Europe. Without Jack’s steady supply of stolen tricks, the Enchantress’ fame would have burned out long ago. But when Jack’s thievery catches up to them, they’re forced to flee to America to find their fortune. Luckily, the Enchantress is able to arrange a set of sold-out shows at Seattle’s Alaska - Yukon - Pacific World’s Fair Exposition.
-
-
Boring and racial weirdness
- By Jackson on 11-20-21
-
Changing Tides
- By: Michael Thomas Ford
- Narrated by: Blake Somerset
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marine biologist Ben Ransome understands the sea, especially the tiny, beautiful sea slugs he has studied and admired for most of his life. What Ben doesn't understand are people, and now, one of the most important people in his life - his 16-year-old daughter, Caddie - is coming to live with him for the summer. But the sweet, happy child he remembers has been replaced by a wounded, angry stranger who resents everything about her father. Caddie is determined to act out in every way, leaving Ben feeling more alone than ever.
-
-
Sounds like a college lecture
- By Patrick McDonald on 12-15-16
-
Bath Haus
- A Thriller
- By: P. J. Vernon
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Daniel Henning
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Oliver Park, a recovering addict from Indiana, finally has everything he ever wanted: sobriety and a loving, wealthy partner in Nathan, a prominent DC trauma surgeon. Despite their difference in age and disparate backgrounds, they've made a perfect life together. With everything to lose, Oliver shouldn't be visiting Haus, a gay bathhouse. But through the entrance he goes, and it's a line crossed. Inside, he follows a man into a private room, and it's the final line. Whatever happens next, Nathan can never know.
-
-
Absolutely Gripping
- By Joseph on 06-18-21
By: P. J. Vernon
-
Young Mungo
- By: Douglas Stuart
- Narrated by: Chris Reilly
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born under different stars—Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic—they should be sworn enemies if they’re to be seen as men at all. Their environment is a hyper-masculine and sectarian one, for gangs of young men and the violence they might dole out dominate the Glaswegian estate where they live. And yet against all odds Mungo and James become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds.
-
-
Suffering Sappho!
- By Richard Stewart on 04-12-22
By: Douglas Stuart
-
Metes and Bounds
- By: Jay Quinn
- Narrated by: Fred Blogs
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Metes and Bounds, surf, sand, and sex meet in the macho world of construction workers. For narrator Matt, "the greatest comfort of surfing comes in the sureness and instinct." Matt is not just coming of age, he's coming out, and in the sun-bleached world of the North Carolina beaches his burgeoning sexuality can toss as many curves as a wave. Through his longings and self-discovery, Matt knows he cannot let others triumph over being the man he knows to be.
-
-
Navigating Stormy Waters and Warm Sands of Life
- By Tim Nakasawa on 02-28-22
By: Jay Quinn
-
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen
- The Doomsday Books, Book 1
- By: KJ Charles
- Narrated by: Martyn Swain
- Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abandoned by his father, Gareth Inglis grew up lonely, prickly, and used to disappointment. Still, he longs for a connection. When he meets a charming stranger, he falls head over heels—until everything goes wrong and he's left alone again. Then Gareth's father dies, turning the shabby London clerk into Sir Gareth, with a grand house on the remote Romney Marsh and a family he doesn't know. The Marsh is another world, a strange, empty place notorious for its ruthless gangs of smugglers. And one of them is dangerously familiar…
-
-
Wonderful book, intolerable narration
- By Stephanie Leary on 03-13-23
By: KJ Charles
-
Before We Disappear
- By: Shaun David Hutchinson
- Narrated by: André Santana, Mark Sanderlin
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Nevin’s clever trickery and moral flexibility make him the perfect assistant to the Enchantress, one of the most well-known stage magicians in turn-of-the-19th-century Europe. Without Jack’s steady supply of stolen tricks, the Enchantress’ fame would have burned out long ago. But when Jack’s thievery catches up to them, they’re forced to flee to America to find their fortune. Luckily, the Enchantress is able to arrange a set of sold-out shows at Seattle’s Alaska - Yukon - Pacific World’s Fair Exposition.
-
-
Boring and racial weirdness
- By Jackson on 11-20-21
-
Changing Tides
- By: Michael Thomas Ford
- Narrated by: Blake Somerset
- Length: 14 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marine biologist Ben Ransome understands the sea, especially the tiny, beautiful sea slugs he has studied and admired for most of his life. What Ben doesn't understand are people, and now, one of the most important people in his life - his 16-year-old daughter, Caddie - is coming to live with him for the summer. But the sweet, happy child he remembers has been replaced by a wounded, angry stranger who resents everything about her father. Caddie is determined to act out in every way, leaving Ben feeling more alone than ever.
-
-
Sounds like a college lecture
- By Patrick McDonald on 12-15-16
-
Bath Haus
- A Thriller
- By: P. J. Vernon
- Narrated by: Michael Crouch, Daniel Henning
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Oliver Park, a recovering addict from Indiana, finally has everything he ever wanted: sobriety and a loving, wealthy partner in Nathan, a prominent DC trauma surgeon. Despite their difference in age and disparate backgrounds, they've made a perfect life together. With everything to lose, Oliver shouldn't be visiting Haus, a gay bathhouse. But through the entrance he goes, and it's a line crossed. Inside, he follows a man into a private room, and it's the final line. Whatever happens next, Nathan can never know.
-
-
Absolutely Gripping
- By Joseph on 06-18-21
By: P. J. Vernon
-
Young Mungo
- By: Douglas Stuart
- Narrated by: Chris Reilly
- Length: 13 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born under different stars—Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic—they should be sworn enemies if they’re to be seen as men at all. Their environment is a hyper-masculine and sectarian one, for gangs of young men and the violence they might dole out dominate the Glaswegian estate where they live. And yet against all odds Mungo and James become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds.
-
-
Suffering Sappho!
- By Richard Stewart on 04-12-22
By: Douglas Stuart
-
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle
- By: Matt Cain
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every day, Albert Entwistle makes his way through the streets of his small English town, delivering letters and parcels and returning greetings with a quick wave and a “how do?” Everyone on his route knows Albert, or thinks they do—a man of quiet routines, content to live alone with his cat, Gracie.
-
-
What a Treat!
- By C. Beaton on 06-24-22
By: Matt Cain
-
Under Currents
- By: Nora Roberts
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zane Bigelow grew up in a beautiful, perfectly kept house in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Strangers and even Zane’s own aunt across the lake see his parents as a successful surgeon and his stylish wife, making appearances at their children’s ballet recitals and baseball games. Only Zane and his sister know the truth, until one brutal night finally reveals cracks in the facade, and Zane escapes for college without a thought of looking back....
-
-
Nora Roberts wrote this?
- By Ellie on 08-02-19
By: Nora Roberts
-
The Long Run
- By: James Acker
- Narrated by: Lee Osorio, Max Meyers
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sebastian Villeda is over it. Over his rep. Over his bros. Over being "Bash the Flash," fastest sprinter in South Jersey. His dad is gone, his mom is dead, and his stepfather is clueless. Bash has no idea what he wants out of life. Until he meets Sandro.
-
-
Absolutely Amazing. I can't believe it's over.
- By chris on 08-18-23
By: James Acker
-
Legacy
- A Novel
- By: Nora Roberts
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 14 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Number one New York Times best-selling author Nora Roberts presents Legacy, a new novel of a mother and a daughter, of ambition and romance, and of a traumatic past reawakened by a terrifying threat....
-
-
What happened Nora Roberts?
- By A PCS on 05-27-21
By: Nora Roberts
-
Jay's Gay Agenda
- By: Jason June
- Narrated by: Mark Sanderlin
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There’s one thing Jay Collier knows for sure - he’s a statistical anomaly as the only out gay kid in his small rural Washington town. While all his friends can’t stop talking about their heterosexual hookups and relationships, Jay can only dream of his own firsts, compiling a romance to-do list of all the things he hopes to one day experience - his Gay Agenda. Then, against all odds, Jay’s family moves to Seattle, and he starts his senior year at a new high school with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community. For the first time ever, Jay feels like he’s found where he truly belongs.
-
-
Jay is toxic AF lol
- By Semaj journee on 06-22-21
By: Jason June
-
Hideaway
- A Novel
- By: Nora Roberts
- Narrated by: January LaVoy
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Caitlyn Sullivan had come from a long line of Hollywood royalty, stretching back to her Irish immigrant great-grandfather. At nine, she was already a star - yet still an innocent child who loved to play hide-and-seek with her cousins at the family home in Big Sur. It was during one of those games that she disappeared. Some may have considered her a pampered princess, but Cate was in fact a smart, scrappy fighter, and she managed to escape her abductors. Callan Cooper was shocked to find the bloodied, exhausted girl huddled in his house.
-
-
Gratuitous swearing and foul language
- By Jessie on 05-28-20
By: Nora Roberts
-
Winter in Paradise
- By: Elin Hilderbrand
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Irene Steele shares her idyllic life in a beautiful Iowa City Victorian house with a husband who loves her to sky-writing, sentimental extremes. But as she rings in the new year one cold and snowy night, everything she thought she knew falls to pieces with a shocking phone call: her beloved husband, away on business, has been killed in a helicopter crash. Before Irene can even process the news, she must first confront the perplexing details of her husband's death on the distant Caribbean island of St. John.
-
-
Worst book ever!!
- By Ashleigh on 12-14-19
By: Elin Hilderbrand
-
Life and Other Inconveniences
- By: Kristan Higgins
- Narrated by: Barbara Caruso, Dion Graham, Suzy Jackson, and others
- Length: 13 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Emma London never thought she had anything in common with her grandmother Genevieve London. The regal old woman came from wealthy and bluest-blood New England stock, but that didn't protect her from life's cruelest blows. Genevieve rose from the ashes of grief and built a fashion empire that was respected the world over, even when it meant neglecting her other son. When Emma's own mother died, her father abandoned her on his mother's doorstep. Genevieve took Emma in and reluctantly raised her - until Emma got pregnant her senior year of high school.
-
-
Another KH Winner
- By S. Plemmons on 08-23-19
By: Kristan Higgins
-
The No Kiss Contract
- By: Nan Campbell
- Narrated by: Lula Larkin
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite being the youngest partner at her firm, Corporate Attorney Davy Dugan is gunning for a recently vacant name partnership—it would mean finally having the power to make a real change in her conservative workplace. But 80-hour workweeks don’t allow any time with her much younger half sister, Tally, who doesn’t seem to need Davy in her life anyway.
-
-
Great Slow Burn
- By Chris Christian on 11-16-23
By: Nan Campbell
-
Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy
- By: Kris Clink
- Narrated by: Vanessa Moyen, Zachary Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For readers of Katherine Center and Kristan Higgins, an immersive, soul-nourishing novel that dares to hold onto hope when happily-ever-after seems lost. Full of character, wit, and wisdom, Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy explores second chances and the power of connection. Lark’s lost her husband, and the expiration date has come and gone on her fake-it-till-you-make-it “Happy Mommy Show". Healing her broken family requires drastic measures — like returning to her hometown in the Texas Hill Country.
-
-
Words you can visualize…
- By Shannon Stiles on 01-20-23
By: Kris Clink
-
Before the Storm
- By: Diane Chamberlain
- Narrated by: Abby Craden, Kris Koscheski
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Laurel Lockwood lost her son once through neglect. She's spent the rest of her life determined to make up for her mistakes, and she has succeeded in becoming a committed, protective parent-maybe even overprotective. Still, she loosens her grip just enough to let Andy attend a local church social-a decision that terrifies her when the church is consumed by fire. But Andy survives...and remarkably, saves other children from the flames.
-
-
Great book...HORRIBLE performance
- By Andrea on 03-10-15
-
Catch of the Day
- By: Kristan Higgins
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maggie Beaumont's luck is about to change. Sure, she's known for her bad romantic choices-her former boyfriend broke up with her by bringing his new girlfriend home for a visit. And then there was the crush she had on a gorgeous young Irishman, who turned out to be Father Tim, the parish's new priest. But romantic salvation has arrived in the form of handsome, if surly, fisherman Malone. It turns out there's a heart of gold underneath his barnacle-clad exterior. Will this catch of the day turn into the dish of a lifetime?
-
-
Really great!!
- By Kristin on 11-30-12
By: Kristan Higgins
What listeners say about Back Where He Started
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ben
- 02-27-16
Touching story of mid-life changes
This book is much better written than most in the MM genre. The main characters are convincingly male and gay, which in itself is unusual. The first half is about a break-up and is heartbreaking. The second half, or perhaps third, is about a man who is pushing fifty finding new love and a new life. The age and life-stage of the MC is also very unusual and a refreshing change from the all the books about guys in their 20s. It brings a realism and a heft to the story that is usually absent. My only criticisms would be that the MC is a little too angelic to be believed. He is completely understanding and uncritical of everyone, no matter how nasty they are to him. The other criticism is that this ex-husband is a little too nasty to be believed. It's not clear at all why he stayed with him so long, and why he ever loved him. He seems to have no redeeming qualities at all. The narration is great.
This book is an intelligent and emotional one, and is well worth your credit. I will definitely be getting all of his other books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Riva
- 11-29-15
Wonderful story and excellent performance
This was a one day listen for me. This is a wonderful story of Chris, a 48 year old man trying to recover his life after his husband of 22 years leaves him for a younger woman. Zach, the ex, is truly a jerk, and freely admits that he "gave" Chris his three children when he brought Chris home after his first wife committed suicide. The saving grace is Chris' adopted children are really wonderful. They all consider Chris their "mom" and love him unconditionally, although the mom thing gets annoying at a point.
This is the story of one man's journey of self discovery; is he just someone's mom? Can he find love again? I really enjoyed going along with Chris has he starts his 3rd act in life. I really identified with him in his search to break out of the box he (and his ex) created for himself. His love interest is really a hoot and very non traditional, but I can't say anymore about that without spoilers. There is very little external drama in this story, which I usually don't like.. However, the writing and storytelling from Chris' POV is so good, I was engaged from beginning to end. I loved the HEA, but also love to read a sequel. The narrator does an excellent job bringing the various characters to life.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful