Don't listen to this one in Public. Whew.

What made the experience of listening to Nowhere Ranch the most enjoyable?

Iggy Toma. He is a fantastic, very professional-sounding, talented narrator.

If you could rename Nowhere Ranch, what would you call it?

I think the title is perfect, to be honest, and wouldn't change it.

Any additional comments?

I bought the ebook version of Nowhere Ranch a while ago but it was languishing in my TBR queue because while I loved Heidi Cullinan’s Love Lessons series and bought all her other books after finishing it, I quickly found out after reading a few of her backlist titles that her older stories veered more toward the BDSM spectrum which I generally don’t go for in Romance. Nowhere Ranch definitely falls in the BDSM category, though it does have well-drawn characters unlike the empty, cardboard ones that proliferate in most of these types of stories.

I liked Roe, which is a good thing because the story is told entirely from his POV, in first person. My main problem with BDSM stories is that I have a hard time wrapping my head around how someone would get off on being humiliated by someone they love, or humiliating the person they love, but that’s a personal hangup. There are long, detailed explicit scenes in this story, especially in the beginning and the middle, and they are seriously K-I-N-K-Y, definitely not hearts-and-flowers (and thankfully not marinated in purple prose) which gives way to what I’ve come to expect from Heidi’s works. Solid characters, family drama, good supporting characters, and while not on the same level as Love Lessons (since this is after all, a completely different kind of story), a decent romance between Roe and Travis which was still believable regardless of how their relationship started as a purely sexual one.

Now, the narration. At this point I have to say I love Iggy Toma and I bought the audio version mainly because of him. Usually I tend to read the ebook version of a story first so when I listen to the audio and get distracted, I don’t get lost. But with really good narrators (like Iggy), my attention is focused on the story. He has such a pleasant reading voice and enunciates each word really, really, well. Even when I’m doing other things while listening to him, it’s still easy to follow what’s happening in the story. There are no distracting sounds, like breathing or swallowing, or background noise when I'm listening to him. And I’m amazed at how he read the extremely explicit scenes without breaking stride, tone staying consistent. I’ve come across other narrators who sometimes either sounded like they were getting carried away during the sex scenes or obviously uncomfortable. Not Iggy, though, and it made getting through those scenes less uncomfortable than it otherwise would have been if I’d been reading the ebook ( probably would have skimmed those parts). I am so glad this came out in audio with someone who's become one of my favorite narrators since I don't think I would have been able to finish it if I'd been reading it myself.

Recommended if you love Heidi Cullinan, and/or Iggy Toma, BDSM-y May-December romance (Roe is 25, Travis 42), a whole lotta kink, and drama in your M/M stories.

17 people found this helpful

✫✫ 4 Stars ✫✫

This book has me unsure in the beginning but in the end I loved it! It started off a little to much like all sex and no story but once that was out of the way, the story was beautiful! The relationship between them was sweet and the ending made my heart melt! I'll be watching for more by the author!

The narration was great, I think he did a really good job at keeping the voices straight between the two main characters and giving them their own voices. I'm very picky about MM narration and I think i'll be adding Iggy Toma to my list to watch for!!!

13 people found this helpful

I Ran - What Now?

I love Cowboys. I love men who love men. I love men who are broken in ordinary but not predictable ways.

Roe is a guy who fights many internal demons. Some of those demons are ordinary - like a family who rejects him based upon his sexual orientation. He's a loner, fearing rejection and striving always for self-preservation. Roe lives in the shadow of everyone else's expectations and he doesn't know how to be what everyone else expects because not being gay isn't an option.

Travis is a man who seems ordinary. Peel back the layers and he's broken too. He's the older man. The stereotypical man who married, divorced, and came out past his prime.

Roe and Travis are great at the sex thing but communicating their other needs - not so much.

Here's the nice thing though. We don't have the stereotypical exes interfering. Instead, it's all about the individual growth of Roe and of Travis and then eventually of them as a couple. It's one thing to trust yourself - it's another thing to trust and believe in "us". The journey is raw, honest, and necessary.

And the sex thing - wow - just wow. It's raw. It's kinky. It's not the kind of material you usually come across in a book that has a solid, introspective story.

This book - I knew - I would like a lot but an audio version is always a risk. The narrator can either ruin the story or make it come to life. Iggy Toma did the latter.

10 people found this helpful

Very hot, kinky and sweet

This was a really good listen. The story starts out with Ro being rejected by his family and drifting from place to place until he lands at the Nowhere Ranch. There he finds a job he loves and inadvertently finds a relationship with the owner, Travis. There is almost a 20 year age gap, but that doesn't really come into play. The relationship starts off as just very kinky sex with a BDSM slant; not a lot, but let's just say the words, pony, puppy and fist come into play. Just as you think, OK is this all there is to this book, the author morphs the book into something else. As the story is told from Ro's POV, we experience Ro's struggle with self image, self worth and finally a life changing event. It is really a sweet story with kink. The narrator is one of my favs and does a great job as usual. If you are OK with the kink, a great read.

7 people found this helpful

HOT AND SEXY

Any additional comments?

Iggy Toma’s narration is wonderful! He makes these characters come alive…his excellent acting skills, wonderful character voices, intonations, cadences, and rhythm all made it so I easily slipped into Travis and Roe’s world and felt a little bit sad when I had to leave it.

Told entirely from Monroe “Roe” Davis's POV - This is a sexy, melt-your-panties, smoking HOT, gloriously dirty story.

Monroe “Roe” Davis has had a rough time of it. When his parents found his secret stash of gay porn he was given a choice: repent and get counseling, start dating girls and absolutely no more gay porn or gay, period OR leave the family’s Algona, Iowa farm. Roe decides to leave. He spirals in the next few years but eventually decides it's time to turn it around. He leaves Iowa and ends up shuffling around ranches through the Midwest. By the time he’s almost twenty-five he winds up at Travis Loving’s hobby ranch "Nowhere Ranch" in Nebraska.

Travis Loving is a forty-two year old, divorced, former math professor who, after his divorce, coming out and subsequent job loss, cashed out his savings and moved from Omaha to Nowhere Ranch where he lives a quiet, if lonely, life.

One weekend when Loving is away Row decides to drive three hours north to Rapid City to the nearest gay bar to get laid. The bar is sad and small with hardly anyone there, and most everyone’s already paired up, but he spots a lone cowboy and makes a beeline to him…

After some stilted conversation Roe finds out Travis is looking for a rough ride, which is exactly what Roe wants.

It takes a little convincing on Travis’s part and he eventually wears Roe down as Roe’s desires blaze...

The evening provides Roe the best sex he has ever had. In the morning though Roe is determined this is a one-off as he doesn’t need the complication to his job. They return to the ranch and their jobs with nothing more than that between them until one day when Roe needs just what Travis can give him.

Roe and Travis agree on continuing to get together with the understanding it’s just sex and won’t affect their working relationship, which works for them…at least in the beginning.

Both men are very much into bondage, rope play, spanking, whipping, fisting, some puppy and pony play... and much, much more. The sex scenes are so unbelievably hot and Iggy Toma narrates them with a sensual perfection.

I loved that even during their first encounter, and then later, no matter how hardcore or kinky they get, Travis and Roe’s admiration and respect for one another is so apparent. Roe’s need and desire for complete sexual submission and pain is a perfect match for Travis’s need for thorough domination. Their time together is always deeply emotional and serves to move them from being sexual partners to, as their mutual trust deepens, real partners in every aspect of their lives.

Neither one is perfect, they mess up (sometimes almost unbelievably so) but this all serves to make it so much more rewarding when they begin to communicate with each other and grow as a loving and committed couple.

If you are a fan of Heidi Cullinan’s remarkable talent for creating intense, yet believable, characters, you should really check this out.

I’ll admit the ending took me a little bit by surprise, but it probably shouldn’t have. Most of the book is filled with dark, angst-filled struggles tempered with sweet or outright hot sexy times but the ending is a straight up hearts and flowers HEA.

Recommended.

5 people found this helpful

Nowhere Ranch

If I could give this Book & the Audio more than 5 Stars I would...
The writing and Storyline are Perfect. The Narration is Perfect. Everyone Needs to Read and Listen to this book!!
Book - Can we say OMG HOLY HOTNESS. This book is So HOT, STEAMY, KINKY and DIRTY and just the best read/listen this year so far. Right from the start this book pulls you in and OMG I couldn't put it down and/or stop listening for anything. The starting Dynamic between Roe and Travis is Great. They just want it to be sex and boy it is.. Some raw and Dirty Kinky sex. You can tell as the story goes along that it will be a slow transition into a "relationship" and that is what both characters need. Travis gives Roe everything he needs. I don't want to spoil the ending, but this book ended on a great note, really sweet, and I am glad they ended up with a HEA because Roe (and Travis) both deserve a great, long future together..
Audio - Iggy Toma's narration for this book is perfection. Just an Outstanding job well done with this book. The Author picked the perfect narrator, and he pulled it off without a hitch. I can literally not list one thing wrong with this narration.
p.s. I keep using the word perfect in this review, but I really cant think of another word that sums this book up other than completely and totally perfectly done all around.

3 people found this helpful

Wow!!

Hot, dirty, kinky as hell, very sweet and tender. I unexpectedly loved this book. Big surprise, there is a real story here of two broken men finding everything they need on each other, home.
Charo

2 people found this helpful

super sexy

very enjoyable and sexy time. would read more like this story. I liked the characters a lot. and the location was great. will read it again and again.

2 people found this helpful

fantastic in any format

I had sort of a “light bulb” moment around the middle of this time through: every time I read, or in this case listen, to this book it happens to me all over again. Not many books can do that.

I know errrryone talks about the kink. I did. Make no mistake, it is kinky AF, filthy kinky, but right alongside the kink is a powerful love story not just between Roe and Travis but Roe and the community of Nowhere Ranch. From the start Roe says, “this is the story of me finding home” and that’s what resonates with me every time. I’m a sucker for the making a home trope and HC is a master of her trade.

Roe is one of those characters that gets under my skin because he’s been beaten down by life, his family and misguided religious ideologies into thinking that he’s nothing. He reminds me of a beaten dog that desperately wants love and affection but has been abused one too many times for him to trust in anything or anyone. Were he just born to accepting parents who knows what he could’ve been but because of their zealotry he’s been forced to survive life rather than prosper in it, living a solitary existence, never trusting anyone and skipping town whenever things get to be too much.

Until Nowhere Ranch, Nebraska, and Travis Loving come along.

The entire story is told through Roe but it’s my belief that Travis got a pretty good read on Roe early on and waited him out. Like coaxing the beaten dog out of hiding, never spooking him with too much heaviness or expectation. A Roe whisperer, if you will. Always enticing him with the good treats e.g. kink and nice kitchen. But all along I think Travis had an endgame of Roe sticking around forever.

Every time they get their forever it gets me in the feels. Yeah, maybe it is a little Disney but I loved Hayley and that plotline the first time and I loved her and it again this time. I’m of the opinion that if anyone deserves some Disney in their life it’s Roe and seeing him get his taps into my inner squishy marshmallow every time.

Iggy Toma did Roe proud. Nowhere Ranch remains on the all time favorite list.

1 person found this helpful

Truly Spectacular

I read this one a few years ago, but it was such a wonderful story I couldn't resist trying the audio version. Iggy Toma was absolutely perfect and it is one of my all time favorite stories!

1 person found this helpful