Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Zen Alpha
Author: Sionnach Wintergreen
Narrator: Hugh Bradley
Heroes: Linden & Bradley
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 4, 2018
Available at: Amazon & Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: More than anything, struggling tech support specialist Bradley Evans wants an alpha male lover. He thinks he’s found his perfect match, but when his domineering stockbroker boyfriend goes too far, Bradley wonders if his flexible, mindful neighbor might be just what he needs.
Ward Linden teaches autistic middle schoolers and is sexy and kind; but he isn’t quite the alpha Bradley’s been looking for. Do nice guys always have to finish last?
Bradley explores what it means to be alpha male in this steamy, humor-laced gay romance.
Review:
One of the highlights of this story is definitely Linden as a character. I loved his laid back attitude and his views on life. I loved that he was willing to help Bradley even though he had just met him. He’s such an endearing character that I hope it’s not the last we see of him. Linden’s entirely selfless, which makes him the complete opposite of Bradley, who’s a bit too selfish, IMO. Bradley was harder for me to like. He was so stuck on perception (a fault inherited by his mother I think) and what he thought was the best of the best that he never gave a thought to anyone else’s feelings. Linden, IMO, is too good for Bradley but he does eventually knock some sense into Bradley so he wasn’t completely unbearable by the end of the book. I did like seeing these two spend so much time together and how much of a foodie Linden was. It was entertaining to see how they settled into sharing living quarters so easily and I definitely smiled a time or two throughout the book because of their chemistry.
I enjoyed this one but I had a few issues. For one, I thought Bradley was too caught up on being with an ‘alpha’. I get the appeal but I felt like his insistence that he couldn’t date anyone but an ‘alpha’ was ridiculous. So when it came to his feelings for Linden, it was hard for me to really believe he was over his ex and actually felt something for Linden, especially with how he acted when he saw his ex again. Add to that, I felt like the ending was wrapped up way too easily. For what happened, I expected some momentous resolution but instead, it took less time to wrap that up then it did for Bradley to stop mentioning his ex’s alpha-ism. Plus, there was just way too much sex for my tastes 😦
As for the narrator, I enjoyed listening to Hugh Bradley. I liked how he portrayed Linden as the ‘zen alpha’. He has a very soothing voice that made it really easy to get into the story. He enunciates very well so I didn’t have a hard time understanding what he was saying… which has been an issue I’ve had with some other narrators lately.
All in all, I enjoyed this little audio. I liked the story and I loved the narrator. I’ll definitely be picking up other books by them to read and listen to. Definitely give this one a go if you’re looking for something shorter with quite a bit of smut and an obsession with alphas.
Overall Impression: I liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*
The Blogger Girls 