After The End @KiddingAlex AUDIObook #REVIEW @Dreamspinners

After the End 
Alex Kidwell, Author
Gregory Salinas, Narrator

LISTENING TIME: 7 hrs 43 mins

BLURB
After Quinn O'Malley loses his partner of ten years, Aaron, to cancer, he withdraws from everything. In a single tragic moment, he goes from an artist with a loving partner and a future to an uninspired comic book store owner who barely exists. He hides behind a shield of grief, refusing to let Aaron go. He feels guilty for even trying to imagine a life apart from what he'd had.

The charming party planner Quinn's best friend insists he meet on a blind date isn't someone he's ready for. Brady Banner walks into Quinn's small frozen world and turns everything upside down. For years, Quinn has focused on endings, but as Brady begins to thaw his existence, Quinn realizes that one moment can do more than stop a life - it can also start a new one.

REVIEW
Filled with the angst of overcoming loss and moving on through life, this love story clutched at my heart. Quinn struggled after the loss of his longtime partner but when he meets Brady, he's finally tempted to find happiness. The author smoothly juggled both love stories so that readers felt the connection between Quinn and Aaron as well as his new love for Brady. There was the perfect blend of reflection back on Aaron and Quinn's hopefulness for a bright future with Brady. The secondary characters, friends and family, added dimension to the men and rounded out the story.

I enjoyed this story as an audiobook. The narrator used his voice to express the emotions behind the words. At one point, it was almost as if he was sighing and crying along with me as I listened. This highly emotional, angst-filled story is a great listen.

RATING
5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
This book was given to us by the Dreamspinner Press. Much, much appreciation to them in providing us quality books for review.