Review of Jumping Jude by Lucy Lennox and Audiobook by Michael Pauley

by Lucy Lennox  and Audiobook by Michael Pauley

5 Stars

Listen to a sample here! 
 

Best 7 hours we have spent in a long time.  If you are new to the Made Marion series by Lucy Lennox, go now and buy them all, seriously, this is THE best new series in the m/m genre in a while. Although you don’t have to read them in order, they flow a bit better when you read brother by brother. 

Made Marion series is based upon the Marion family, and Jumping Jude focuses on the 5^th oldest, and smack in the middle child Jude, and his sexy bodyguard Derek Wolfe.  Jude is a sexy, talented country singer, who beefs up his personal security after a troubling incident and personal threats against him.  His security company brings in ex-marine Derek Wolfe.  Derek thought he would always be a Marine, but is discharged after an injury in Afghanistan.  Both Jude and Derek are still deep in the closet, but their time together brings them closer, and makes everything sizzle!  

It is a familiar story but there is a connection between Jude and Derek that makes the story line standout.  You understand Jude’s struggle between this professional persona and his real self, and Derek’s unwillingness to rock his life with his own truths.  Don’t get me wrong, this is a sweet story, but there is heat between Derek and Jude, and that passion translates easily off the page.   

Now, we have read the book and LOVED it, and thought that the audiobook version couldn’t improve on that perfection, but it made this story so much….more.  We cried, we laughed, we fanned ourselves because in Michael Pauley’s voice the sex is hot, hot HOT!  There were a few issues we had, Jude’s deep southern twang when he was raised in California (?) and the issue that every female voice sounds the same, with almost a junior valley-girl quality – both things that don’t really take away from the story, but make you scratch your head.  Michael is able to bring life to the characters of Jude and Derek, make them real, and invested us  in their journey to find love.  

We can’t say enough about this combo of Lucy Lennox + Marion brothers + Michael Pauley because it equals perfection!  If you are thinking about an audiobook, choose Jumping Jude. And even if you have read the book, the audiobook brings true life to this fantastic story.