Fantastic story

I’ve had this audio for awhile and I’m kicking myself for not listening to it sooner. The story and narration was fantastic. This story is sizzling!! Normally I prefer less sex and more story but while this book has ALOT of sex the balance is perfect. I absolutely adored Misha and Ryan!!

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Great contemporary BDSM romance.

4.5

"The Master Will Appear" is a prime example of LA Witt’s skill at writing well-developed and engaging characters in a contemporary BDSM romance. When forty-five-year-old Mikhail “Misha” Budnikov sees twenty-six-year-old Ryan O’Connor fencing, he thinks he knows everything he needs to about the type of person Ryan is. To Misha, Ryan is the worst kind of fencer: an overly confident, aggressor with no real skill, just brute force. After watching his cocksure display, Misha decides to show Ryan what real fencing looks like and bring him down a peg or two. After being soundly trounced, Ryan’s cockiness melts away, and Misha is intrigued enough to say yes when a humbled Ryan asks for lessons. Although willing to admit to his deficiencies, Ryan needs to prove to himself (and his father) that he can be a great fencer, which makes him impatient with Misha’s focus on the basics. Ryan’s frustration and stubbornness annoys Misha, causing them to lock horns at every lesson. However, underneath the annoyance is a simmering awareness that grows as the weeks go by and, eventually, ends with Ryan on his knees in the locker room.

While they agree to a sexual relationship where Misha and Ryan explore Ryan’s submissive side, eventually the “moments in between” and the time they spend together begin to bond them in unexpected and, in Ryan’s case, unwanted ways. Not only does Misha get to see beyond Ryan’s brash facade, he learns more about Ryan’s emotionally draining and dysfunctional family. Misha is “the first person who’d ever come along and cared that [Ryan] was safe [or] comfortable,” and it’s refreshing for Ryan to be with someone who doesn’t treat him as if he is “stupid or useless”. Instead of being the arrogant, spoiled jerk that Ryan’s privileged upbringing would suggest, and was Misha’s first impression, he’s just a guy struggling to figure out who he is outside of being the “unwanted” outcast and emotional pawn his family has labeled him.

Hearing Ryan’s thoughts or discussions of his family is heartbreaking for Mikhail. The more Mikhail learns, the more comfort, security and love he wants to offer to the young, talented man whose self-doubt and negative views on relationships has been cultivated by his family’s vitriolic and emotionally abusive behaviors. However, while Ryan is fearless on the piste, he’s terrified of the idea of Misha being in love with him. To Ryan, love doesn’t exist and is, at best, a delusion which leads people into relationships that only end in misery and, at worst, is a tool to manipulate people. Thus, Ryan constantly questions Misha’s motives and offers of anything beyond mutual sexual/BDSM satisfaction, and he can’t seem to stop himself from viewing everything as a transaction on an open tab he will have to make good on.

Part of the enjoyment of the story comes from the juxtaposition between Ryan’s trust in Misha as a coach and a Dom, but his hesitancy to do so on an emotional level and his blindness to it when he does. Even as he admits to himself how safe he feels with Misha, how well Misha treats him and how much Ryan shares of himself in ways he never has with anyone else, Ryan cannot comprehend or recognize his trust in Misha as a romantic partner. Additionally, and one of the things I love most about Witt’s BDSM books, is how well she portrays and builds the trust necessary for BDSM. Instead of just making it “kinky sex”, she highlights that, like in any kind of intimate exchange/relationship, an element of trust is a necessity. The only thing keeping this book from being amazing is that it exhibits one of my personal nitpicks with Witt’s work—repetition of certain character ideas/beliefs—in this case, how incompatible they should be because of their age differences and dissension on the piste. To me, it crops up frequently enough from both characters that it slows the pacing since you can’t skim and skip while listening as you can when reading.

As for the narration, Michael Ferraiuolo is a good narrator and, overall, does well with the book. Accent work is always tricky, but he does Misha’s voice satisfactorily. Although the accent is not as subtle as indicated by the text, it is not OTT or cartoonish either, and Ferraiuolo manages to keep the accent consistent while conveying the required emotions. On the other hand, Ferraiuolo does not do so well when it comes to the voice work for Ryan’s mom. While she doesn’t have a large amount of dialogue in this twelve hour story, her appearances are very important in imparting the toxicity that Ryan is fighting against and running from, and to me, Ferraiuolo falls short when expressing the sarcasm, irritation, needling, etc. that so strongly affects Ryan’s mood and behavior when indicated by the narrative. Thus, Ryan’s responses to his mother, particularly early on, sometimes come across as brattier and more petulant than emotionally distressing. However, Ferraiuolo does a good job portraying the varied emotional scenes of the story, from frustration on the piste to hot sex and floggings to the peace and comfort in simply being together, transforming the compelling beauty of Ryan’s oblivious fall into love and Misha’s quiet, pure and generous love for Ryan into an enjoyable listen.

Reviewed for The Novel Approach Reviews

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Fantastic Audiobook!

Loved this story! This book has it all, BDSM, D/s, age gap, master and student, Fencing, group sex (sharing not cheating), Art, family dynamics and So Much Heat! Michael Ferraiuolo excels at the narration of this book with his fantastic accent skills! The epilogue wraps it up nicely, but would have liked it to include a bit about Ryan's paintings. 5 Stars

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What an amazing performance

I loved this audio. I simply loved everything and every minute of it. It was hot as sin, it was perfectly performed, it was so enthralling, and I was completely enraptured from the beginning until the end. This is saying A LOT because 1) I usually do not like age-differences, 2) I usually can take or leave BDSM, and 3) this was a new narrator for me. Lesson learned? Take a chance, step outside your bubble and expand your comfort zone, and give a new-to-you narrator a chance. I am so glad I grabbed this audio. It was everything I loved and it was performed masterfully.

Okay, so now that you know that I loved it. Why? Well, for starters, it has so many nooks and crannies where all the goodness inside people could hide. Especially those who originally come across as arrogant. Both Ryan and Misha (Mikhail) have baggage, Ryan much more than Misha, but together they work through those nooks and crannies together. It didn’t start out that way, but once the “relationship” began, it all slowly worked its way to the surface. Ryan needed Misha as much as Misha needed Ryan. But they have to work hard for it and since this audio is 13 hours long, we get there one step (literally) at a time. Worth every minute.

Another thing I enjoyed was the fencing. I think that was what drew me to the story in the first place. I like sports romances, and I tend to go for the footballer, but fencing is classy and it called to me. I learned a bit, and I found myself fully invested in the lessons Ryan was receiving from Mikhail. Fencing is what brought them together, BDSM and love is what kept them together. Seriously, I am not doing this audio review any just, but trust me, Michael Ferraiuolo does a fabulous job with Misha’s Russian accent, and Ryan’s upper crust college boy attitude and personality. These two were performed so well that I had not one issue with the age gap nor the submission; if anything, it made the story that much better, and definitely that much hotter.

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6 people found this helpful

Ferraiuolo's Russian accent is so sexy!

Romantic and passionate and wonderfully erotic, L.A. Witt’s The Master Will Appear has claimed the top spot on my all time favorites list. This story has everything I love: smoking hot BDSM scenes, a bit of angsty drama, and a steamy romance... Oh, and that age gap? Yes please! This book is perfect.

Even if you’ve read this one before, you’ve got to experience the audio edition of The Master Will Appear. Michael Ferraiuolo’s Russian accent is absolutely the sexiest thing I have ever heard. Sensual, seductive, *shivers*, I just can’t get it out of my mind (and believe me, I’m not complaining). His performance adds so much to this intimate and emotional story.

What I enjoy most about Michael Ferraiuolo’s narration is the way he brings the characters to life. He uncovers aspects of their personality, facets I didn’t see, which enhances the whole experience for me. Hearing the way the characters change and grow over the course of the story is amazing. When it’s done as beautifully as this it’s so much better than reading alone.

So, have I tempted you with promises of a sexy Russian accent? There’s a scene at the beginning of the story where Misha is coaxing Ryan to give BDSM a try. He explains what makes a power exchange so erotic for both parties, how it feels to dominate someone, and what it gives him personally. His voice is so soothing, completely seductive and alluring… and when he murmurs, “‘When I’m your coach or your Dom, you’ll still call me Mikhail… but like this, call me Misha.’” (oh damn, that’s hot).

The part of Misha’s story that really resonates with me is the depth of his appreciation of Ryan’s submission. Prior to Ryan his relationships with submissives were all about the challenge, bratty subs testing limits. Misha finds complete fulfillment in giving Ryan what he needs, and the way he describes Ryan’s responses are simply breathtaking.

The alternating points of view work so well in The Master Will Appear and hearing Ryan’s intimate thoughts as he experiences everything as it happens to him is intense. As he grows to understand what submission does for him, how it makes him feel to please Misha; watching him find his center and get some peace in his life. When he calls it “‘cathartic’”, that’s exactly what it is.

Ryan has his share of deliciously erotic narration, and his descriptions of the S&M scenes are incredible. The running commentary when he’s taking the single-tail for the first time are vivid and intense. Not to mention his emotions as he embraces each sensation and seeks to understand what it does for him. I don’t know what was more erotic, Ryan’s account of his fantasy as it’s happening to him, or Michael Ferraiuolo’s sensual voice as he narrates it. All of it is amazing!

The dynamic between these two men is intense and comes across so well in the audiobook. I could feel their connection changing as the story progresses, in both their D/s relationship, and simply as two men who are falling in love. If you’re in the mood for a steamy, toe-curling BDSM romance, listening to The Master Will Appear narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo is the book for you.

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Came for the Narrator Stayed for the Story

This book was an utter surprise. I've read some of L.A's other works but I admit to giving this one a chance because Michael is one of my favorite narrators.

Having said that I will admit that this story was so engaging that as soon as I was done I wanted to listen to it all over again.

There is enough angst to make it interesting and enough heat to make you want to invest in ice and a fan.

In stories where there is a Dom/Sub age gap it can very quickly make the younger sub into a trite character but as the relationship it is the give and take between the MC's they learn from each other.

When Misha, a much older man agrees to teach a younger Ryan to fence the give and take becomes apparent. Both have to learn to trust that the other is what they need and rather than the insta relationship instead it builds a relationship and it's a joy to see.

The narration is amazing, the story unfolds like a dream with great pacing and slow reveals that will both engage and carry you to a building crescendo. So glad I gave this a chance.

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Story, writing, and narration - all AMAZING!

So many times I'll read/listen to a romance novel that'll be filled with smexy scenes but has no story whatsoever. But THIS book? This book has a great story, fantastic writing, and an amazing narrator! My only regret is that I can't ever listen to it for the first time again. LOVE IT!

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Surprisingly good story and vocal performance.

I must admit, this story surprised me. The characters were so different not only because of their age difference but because of their backgrounds and their personalities…but they honestly just worked together. There were a couple of times Ryan’s age was obvious due to immaturity but overall, he wasn’t as bratty as I expected, and Misha was very patient with him which may be why we never saw much immaturity. They absolutely have serious sexual chemistry and their D/s relationship really worked for me. The angst of the story wasn’t unexpected and it was emotional but didn’t last long in comparison to the rest of the story.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about fencing. The author either did her research, has participated in the sport or is a fan of the sport because there is a lot of detail about it in this book…maybe a little more than necessary but not so much that it bothered me.

The vocal performance is good. This is the first time I’ve heard one of his performances and was impressed with his Russian accent. He had distinct voices for each character and performed the emotions beautifully. My only minor issue was him losing the Russian accent when in Misha’s head. That was a bit odd and confusing…Misha’s accent wouldn’t be lost when his dialog is internal so I’m not sure why it was performed that way.

I would definitely recommend this story and can honestly say I would pick listening to it over reading it which is usually not the case for me.

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Simply Amazing

This book was so well written. I did not want it to end.
I would love to spend more time in Misha and Ryan’s world.

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A Wonderful Book and Narration

Mikhail ‘Misha’ and Ryan are two opposites. Misha is an older professor at the private university and Ryan is still-kinda-lost 26-year-old student at the other university in the city. They meet in a fencing club, in a less than nice way. Ryan, cocky novice who acts like he knows all about fencing, and a man that knows more than enough about fencing to beat that cocky kid.

I really liked both characters. Misha was my favorite though. I like a foreigner in a book, especially if they are of Slavic origins (also why I like Misha from Scoring Chances series). A nice, middle-aged professor who is also a very good fencer. I know nothing about fencing to be honest, although I wanted to start it once or twice, but have never found the time. I mention this because it was one of the things that pulled me into the book.

Ryan, on the other hand, is a lost child of a rich man, who has a trust fund and no real connections in the world. His dysfunctional family dynamics prevent him from believing in love and accepting things without expecting to be asked to do something in return.

I feel like I have to say that before I read this book, I have read exactly one book that contained BDSM themes (and definitely not to this extent), so I was a bit worried how it would turn out. It was also my first book by the author so I did not have any experience with other books. But it turned out I loved it. Yes, Misha is a Dom and Ryan seems to be a perfect sub. But Misha always cares about Ryan, how he feels, and always asks for his consent as well as reminding Ryan to use safeword if he needs it. He is also determined to make Ryan’s fantasies come true and wow did I love the scene.

And the ending? I LOVED IT!

I absolutely loved the book. But this is an audiobook review so…Yes the story was awesome, but audiobooks are tricky things. It has already happened to me that I loved a book but hated the audiobook.

But this one was amazing. I have already listened to some other audiobooks narrated by this narrator and have loved them. I liked the differences between Misha and Ryan and especially liked Misha’s accent (although there’s the one sentence where Ryan says that Misha has some accent but not too much? I don’t know to what extent it goes but Misha sounds pretty Russian/Slavic. Then again, I study English so I may be a bit, shall we say, demanding 🙂 ).
But, as I said, I loved the book and I am really grateful to have gotten the chance to listen to it.

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