Purely Predictable Fluffy Fun

In ‘Out in Winter’ by Lane Hayes, Michael Dean once again demonstrates his outstanding narration abilities. Dean’s exuberant portrayal of Drew Hartley is particularly impressive.

As always, Lane Hayes has created a delightful cast of characters featuring two well matched protagonists: Drew Hartley, a cafe manager at Bonne Terre, a bar tender at the Rusty Nail, and a grad student - and Liam Perez, a 5-year younger bi-sexual star water polo player and aspiring engineer.

'Out in Winter' is replete with wonderful scenes such as the one where Drew asks Liam, “What are you wearing?” Liam held his arms open wide and glanced down at his odd ensemble as if it were a surprise to him too. He wore Ugg boots, a read-and -black striped scarf, an unzipped parka…oh yeah, and a Speedo. “Not much”, he quipped.

Later Drew says of Liam, “He wasn’t just a breath of fresh air. He was oxygen.”

It’s clear from the outset that these two belong together. The HEA ending confirms that they do.

An audio review copy of ‘Out in Winter’ was provided by the author via IndiGo Marketing & Design in exchange for an honest review.

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*** OUT & DELICIOUS!!🤪 ***

Thoroughly enjoyed the series, and this quick/quality addition. Michael Dean was especially enjoyable portraying the exuberant, mouthy Liam. Very sexy, brash, and grounded! Both men had their heads on, focused clearly toward their futures. A very fun & enjoyable storyline, peppered with hot forays into their passionnate, intimate excursions. YUMMY!!!

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Another Hit in a Great Series

4.5 Stars

I am so glad Drew got his own story and HEA. He wasn’t a bad guy, he just wasn’t the right fit for Elliot. One man’s loss is another’s gain, though, right?

Liam was a very charismatic character. You couldn’t help but be drawn to him. Try as Drew might, and he did, he couldn’t fight it for long. All bets were off—kinda—when Liam lets him in on a part of himself that he didn’t share with everyone.

The chemistry between Liam and Drew was obvious, which made the story even better. This was a fun, easy to listen to story. It was good to see a few familiar faces here and there.

Michael Dean did a fantastic job, as always, bringing these men to life. He captured the characters with the ease of a pro. I always enjoy listening to him tell me a story.

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Loved this standalone romance!

This was a sweet and quielow angst opposites attract romance.

Michael Dean performed an amazing audio delivery and narration.

I absolutely loved listening to this well executed masterpiece.

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2 people found this helpful

Another great audiobook from Lane Hayes and Michae

Out in Winter is the 8th book in the Out in College series and I’m so glad I didn’t have to wait long for it to come out as an audiobook. Michael Dean has done a wonderful job with all of the books in this series and Out in Winter didn’t break that pattern. His performance of the story added to my enjoyment of the book.

Out in Winter may not be a long story but it’s a really great one. Liam is a fun character. I love all of the things he does to try and get Drew’s attention. The scene with him in a Pride jock was so funny! “I’m wearing a rainbow banana hammock to show off my frank and beans, and you notice my shoes?”

Drew doesn’t want to fall for another bi guy – the first time didn’t end well – but he can’t seem to help himself when it comes to Drew. He also knows he shouldn’t be having feelings for a co-worker he supervises…

This whole story was just delicious and I devoured it!

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

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4.5-starred addition to the Out in College series

I think it's fair to say that I'm a wee bit addicted to Lane Hayes's writing. I've read and listened to everything this author has written, and I make no apologies for it. Her latest audiobook is a novella in her Out in College series, and it's the story of Drew Hartley and Liam Perez, co-workers who may or may not have been crushing on each other for months. Drew is twenty-eight and is in graduate school and works two jobs, one of which is as manager of the same bistro that Liam temporarily works at. Liam is twenty-three and a college senior and member of the water polo team--water polo being a sport Drew knew close to nothing about prior to working at the bistro. Drew is openly gay and developing a crush on a straight guy like Liam is a bad idea. But no one ever said that Liam was actually straight. Still, what sort of future could two opposites like them have?

Penned by Lane Hayes and narrated by Michael Dean, this novella was a fun addition to the author's Out in College series. Drew and Liam's story was low on angst and high on lighthearted banter. I appreciated that both main characters were comfortable in their own skin, and the focus was more on exploring their connection rather than the usual exploration of their sexuality. Drew's hang-ups weren't necessarily the kind that were difficult to overcome, especially given that the age difference wasn't that huge. I loved how Liam was determined to show Drew that they deserved a shot at being happy together and that he was the perfect counterbalance to Drew's more serious nature. There are familiar "faces" that fans of the series will like crossing paths with again. Dean's narration is just the right accompaniment to Hayes's writing. 4.5 stars for Out in Winter.

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Good story, excellent performance as always!

I read the ebook and I loved it so listening was a no-brainer for me. Michael Dean does a great job as always!

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Can we talk about that cover for just a minute? Because d*mn…it’s smokin’.

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While this is part of a series, Drew was in the last book and Gabe and Derek have their own book, I do think this can be read as a standalone. It’s short and sweet but complete.

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I wasn’t sure I would like Drew after his appearance in Eliot’s book…but I did like him. And I love Liam. They are fun together. Liam is a little like Eliot actually…so Drew obviously has a type. Their banter is entertaining, and they have great chemistry.

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There was a little bit of the lack of communication I don’t care for but since this is a short book, it didn’t last long thankfully.

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Not sure who and/or what is up next but I’ve really liked most of this series, so I’ll stick with it!

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Liam and Drew

This was so cute and sexy at the same time. The flirting these two did with each other was cute as well. I enjoyed this one a lot and Michael Dean does an amazing job as always. I always love when he brings Lane's characters to life.

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a quick, fun read

This was a quick, fun read with extremely likable characters. Drew and Liam are pretty much opposites but just fit together well. Their romance was sweet with little angst. And, of course, Michael Dean did an excellent job of narrating.

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