Reviewed by Susan65
Title: Tigerland
Author: Sean Kennedy
Narrator: Dave Gillies
Series: Tigers and Devils #1
Heroes: Simon/Declan
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 8 Hours, 31 Minutes
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 15, 2014
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: After an eventful and sometimes uncomfortably public courtship, Simon Murray and Declan Tyler settled into a comfortable life together. Now retired from the AFL, Declan works as a football commentator; Simon develops programs with queer content for a community television station.
Despite their public professional lives, Simon and Declan manage to keep their private life out of the spotlight. Their major concerns revolve around supporting their friends through infertility and relationship problems—until Greg Heyward, Declan’s ex-partner, outs himself in a transparent bid for attention.
Though Simon and Declan are furious with Greg and his media antics, they can’t agree on what to do about it. Declan insists they should maintain a dignified silence, but both he and Simon keep getting drawn into Heyward’s games. Simon and Declan will once again have to ride out the media storm before they can return their attention to what really matters: each other.
Review: I’d read the Tigers & Devils series more than once and have loved it more and more with each read. So much so, on a recent trip to Australia, I’d actually attended an AFL game, proudly wearing my team colors scarf, which started me back on my kick of a total series reread. Or, in this case, a first time audiobook listen and review. I admit, I was concerned when I’d picked up the first book and the narrator had an American accent. That immediately took the wind out of my sails, and within minutes, I put it down. I just could not ruin the image in my mind with that voice. Nothing against the narrator personally, he just didn’t fit the scene. I noticed the narrator for the next two books was a different narrator and so I sampled Tigerland, loved the accent, and here I am.
I can safely say, with my trip to Oz, my first hand experience at a footy game, fully admiring the legs and butts on these athletes, that I now have a brand new appreciation for Declan Tyler. He was portrayed as a man with a body made for sin and a heart of gold, but the narrator brought the image in my head to life with his amazing performance. As much as I loved Declan, I have to admit, David Gillies took Simon Murphy to a whole new level. I liked Simon, I really did, but this performance made me absolutely love him. I much preferred his voice of Simon over any other character and now Simon has supplanted Declan as my favorite. See what happened here? A book you love, turned into an audio, can take that love and elevate in ways you never imagined.
If you have never read this series, and I am well aware it is a few years old, take my word and read it. And if you want the true Aussie experience, pick up the audiobook for Tigerland. I guarantee you will thank me.
Overall Impression: I loved it!
*I purchased my own, personal copy of this book for review.*
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