Catch a Falling Star

By: Matt Burlingame

Narrated by: John Steinkamp

A therapist once told Martin Stevens that being gay was the only thing that saved him from being the most boring man alive. He spends his daytime working a dead-end job and his nights still pining after the ex-fiance who left him five years ago. When his older brother, Daniel, takes him to see a touring musical, a mishap sends superstar performer Alec Jameson flying off the stage right into Martin's lap. It's love at first sight. But can that love withstand the scrutiny of the press, a shock-jock radio personality bent on causing trouble, and the return of Martin's overbearing ex-fiance?

©2017 Matt Burlingame (P)2018 Matt Burlingame

Sweet and Sexy

Catch a Falling Star is a great romantic comedy by Matt Burlingame. This is the first story I read/ listened to by this author, but definitely won’t be the last. I love the way the characters were down to earth and life like. Martin and Alec make such a perfect match and the book flowed nicely. The narration was wonderful. This is the first time I have listened to by John Steinkamp. I look forward to more stories by Matt Burlingame.

Sweet Short Romance!

This is a very sweet short read. My only complaint was that it wasn't longer. It's nice to just have a feel good read sometimes and that's what this was. I absolutely adored the two MCs and was rooting for them from the beginning. Even with the book being short there was still enough growth in Martin throughout the story to make me want to hug him tight and tell him how proud I was of him.

The audible was well done, I enjoyed the narration, new narrator for me.

New author, new narrator

I really enjoyed this book. Although I liked the entire book, my favorite part of the story was the last 10 minutes. Hearing Martin finally get a backbone and stand up to his ex fiance had me cheering out loud.
John Steincamp is now up there with some of my favorite narrators. His enunciation was spot on and there was a consistency that even seasoned narrators have a hard time achieving.

Short but very sweet

This is a sweet story. Martin doesn't see what a great guy he really is, so his brother Daniel takes it upon himself to give Martin an unwanted makeover and takes him to see the hit play that is currently in town. Actor Alec literally falls into Martin's arms and is instantly smitten. I love Alec so much! He sees the man Martin is under all the fear and insecurity, and he is willing to what it takes to win him over. The local shock jock is a bully from Martin's past, and he decides to harass the new couple for ratings. Can Martin handle the attention and cruelty, or would he be better off remaining alone and out of the spotlight that follows Alec?
The story is great, as is the narrator's performance. The author packed an engrossing story into a short read/listen. I love it!

Catch a falling star

This was a short, quick and easy feel good read, with a little bit rushed and the connection isn't quite there. I think the story needed more.

When this ended I literally said "awwww."

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it was cute and well done. I enjoyed the story itself and the narration.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked ALL the characters, except the ex. Yuck! LOL

What about John Steinkamp’s performance did you like?

His voice was clean and clear, and I thought perfectly suited to this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh and I just simply enjoyed it.

Any additional comments?

A complimentary audio was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This will be my second book by Matt Burlingame, and the two couldn't be more different from each other, lol. My first book by him was the suspense/thriller BooFF, which some might classify as horror (I do not), and then my second is this totally cute and sweet short story romance featuring Martin and Alec, two guys who fall in love in a week. I know, I know. Insta-love, pft. But LISTEN!!! This was cute!!! So, so cute!

Go with me here. I haven't gone off on as far a tangent as you might think. Have you ever seen the movie The Holiday with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet? Well, I have, and for those who haven't you can see the movie preview online. Diaz's characters works in Hollywood and in her head she constantly hears a narrator narrating her life, just like a movie narrator would. It's funny, really. Anyway, Catch A Falling Star's audio narration reminded me of that "movie" narration.

I don't know if that will be the case for everyone, and it wasn't for the whole book, exactly, mostly the beginning. And it totally worked for me!! The narrators voice isn't one you would think of for romance, but I just LOVED IT!! I thought his voice just worked so well for this story, the characters and the writing.

Now I ask you - was that tangent really far out into left field or what?

As for the story itself I just thought it was adorable. Martin has been a quiet, reserved guy, who some might call boring. But he's nice and deserves a shot. Alec is a performer who - based on what we learn towards the end - had led a somewhat quiet life as well. He didn't date and while he had friends and was nice towards his fans, he too kept to himself like Martin. When these two meet, instant sparks and with the help of Martins' brother Daniel, Martin is spruced up to not look like such a fuddy duddy. But Alec didn't need Martin to be spruced up. Oh no. Alec already liked Martin for himself and after some comedic (albeit cringe worthy) moments, these guys get their HEA. [Martin is a pushover and there are some not so great things that happen in the week these guys know each other, but in the end Martin gets his spine straight and uses it but good! (hide spoiler)]

I do recommend this and give it 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4. Narration is also a 4. :) Good job everyone!

amazing

wow i loved this... it was well narrated.. the writing of the story was superb and i really enjoyed this story and characters. amazing

Broome's Books Reviews

What did you love best about Catch a Falling Star?

This is my first M/M audio book experience and I'm glad that it was. I enjoyed listening to the narrator, John Steinkamp. He had a voice that I didn't mind listening to, and he kept me interested in the story.There were only a few things that weren't my favorite, like the way his voice lilted for certain characters. It felt very stereotypical. It was excellent and I'll probably seek out more books narrated by John Steinkamp. Now to the fun part, the actual story. I felt a kinship to Martin. Nothing exciting happens in his life and he's just going through the motions. He doesn't try for more. At least he hasn't since his fiance left him years ago. He wakes up, goes to work, comes home to his fish and repeats it all the next day. Martin doesn't know how to put himself out there, how to see his own worth and it surprises him that someone like Alec Jameson could actually be attracted to him. There was a lot of repetition in the beginning about how boring Martin's life was. His brother poked and prodded at him, which I find annoying but that's family for you. It was interesting to see Martin slowly blossom into who he was meant to be. He is attractive, funny, and a great partner to have. The romance was light and fluffy. I smiled throughout the book and wished I had someone to cuddle up to while listening to it. That would have made the experience better.  Instead I was at work, handling bankruptcy accounts and thinking about going home to my cats. (I told you, me and Martin are bros)I liked that there weren't hardcore, graphic sex scenes or make out sessions. Those scenes wouldn't have fit in this book. It was short and sweet and in the end you got to see Martin's backbone and it left me cheering for him. 

What was one of the most memorable moments of Catch a Falling Star?

Martin growing a backbone and showing the reader who he truly was.

What about John Steinkamp’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed the way his voice differed between characters.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did listen to this book all in one sitting. It made work much easier to get through.

Cute Quick Story

Catch a falling Star is a short story, with everything packed in to it. Falling in love (after one day), an evil ex, a bully, a reunited best friend and a supportive brother. Not a book for those wanting steamy sex, or in depth characters. Perfect to listen to in a short flight, or road trip. Easy, fun and a good “read”. John Steinkamp did a great job on the audio.

A sweet romance

What a sweet story. I loved listening to Martin come into his own, I felt little worried for Alec, but his persistence pays out.
It’s a lovely sweet story. Well performed.