Audiobook Review: Starting from Scratch by Jay Northcote

01 February of 2020 by ButtonsMom2003

Story: 5

Narration: 5

5.0Overall score

A touching story.

Starting from Scratch By Jay Northcote

Genre: Contemporary Romance, GLBTQ, MM

Released: January 16, 2019 (audio); April 10, 2017 (ebook)

Publisher: Jaybird Press

Series: Housemates, Book 5

Length: 5 hrs, 31 mins; 196 pages

Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @Black Jazz Design

Synopsis

Starting over isn’t easy, but Ben is ready to live his life as the man he was always meant to be.

Ben is transgender and is back at the university after hormone treatment and chest surgery. His new housemates have no idea about his history, and Ben would prefer to keep it that way. He’s starting from scratch, and his life is finally on track, except in the romance department. The idea of dating guys as a guy is exhilarating but terrifying, because if Ben wants a boyfriend he’ll have to disclose his secret.

Sid is drawn to Ben from the moment they meet. He normally gets what he wants – in the short term at least. Ben’s guarded at first, and Sid’s not used to guys rejecting his advances. He eventually charms his way through Ben’s defenses and helps Ben on his journey of sexual awakening.

It doesn’t matter to Sid that Ben is trans. He’s attracted to the whole person and isn’t worried about what is – or isn’t – in Ben’s pants. They’re good together, and both of them are falling hard and fast, but Ben’s insecurities keep getting in the way. If Sid can convince Ben he’s committed, will Ben finally be able to put his heart on the line?

Although this audiobook is part of the Housemates series, it has new main characters and a satisfying happy ending and can be listened to as a stand-alone

Review

Reviewed by ButtonsMom2003

A touching story.

I haven’t read many books with transgender characters but this is my second one by Jay Northcote. The story is romantic and educational. It also seems very authentic to me and perhaps that’s because the author himself is transgender. I’ve been following his writing for a while and also his journey on Facebook. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there like Jay does.

Starting from Scratch is about Ben who is returning to college after hormone treatment and chest surgery. He wants to live his new life openly but he doesn’t really want to come out as transgender. He’s never really had a romantic relationship so when Sid shows an interest in him, he’s not sure how to respond. He knows that he will have to tell Sid that he’s trans if anything serious is to develop between them.

I loved that Sid didn’t care that Ben is transgender; he’s interested in the whole person and he wants Ben. Convincing Ben to date him isn’t easy but he knows it will be worth the effort. It’s not easy to get Ben to come out of his shell but once he does the two of them form a bond that is really special.

This story really touched my heart and I thought that Lewis Carter’s performance was great. I enjoyed his voice and would definitely listen to more audiobooks performed by him.

Story: ♥♥♥♥♥

Narration: ♥♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Scorcher

Reviews for Jay Northcote

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Books in the Series

Housemates

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About Author

Jay Northcote

Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England. He comes from a family of writers, but always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed him by. He spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content.

One day, Jay decided to try and write a short story—just to see if he could—and found it rather addictive. He hasn’t stopped writing since.

Jay writes contemporary romance about men who fall in love with other men. He self-publishes under the imprint Jaybird Press. Many of his books are now available as audiobooks.

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