Clear Water

By: Amy Lane

Narrated by: Robert Nieman

Meet Patrick Cleary: party boy, loser, and spaz. Patrick’s been trying desperately to transform himself, and the results have been so spectacular, they’ve almost killed him.

Meet Wes “Whiskey” Keenan: he’s a field biologist wondering if it’s time to settle down.

When the worst day of Patrick’s life ends with Whiskey saving it, Patrick and Whiskey find themselves sharing company and an impossibly small berth on the world’s tackiest houseboat. Patrick needs to get his life together - and Whiskey wants to help - but Patrick is not entirely convinced it’s doable. He’s pretty sure he’s a freak of nature. But Whiskey, who works with real freaks of nature, thinks all Patrick needs is a little help to see the absolute beauty inside his spastic self, and Whiskey is all about volunteering.

Between anomalous frogs, a homicidal ex-boyfriend, and Patrick’s own hangups, Whiskey’s going to need all of his patience and Patrick’s going to need to find the best of himself before these two men ever see clear water.

©2011 Amy Lane (P)2012 Amy Lane

LOL Funny!

Any additional comments?

I love this narrator! People may not have different sounding voices however he manages to pull all the sarcasm out perfectly. I have found that there are very few narrators who can make the funny parts as funny as the author intended them to be or even funnier. How can a book with an adult with ADHD, a cranky lesbian and two headed frogs not be funny? There are some awesome one liners but don’t fret that isn’t all the humor in the book.

The story line is unique. The dialog isn’t tripe or predictable. The characters are believable. There isn’t much depth given for Fish Bait and Whiskey as there is with Patrick but their interactions make up for that. The difference between the inner and outer dialog is a bit hard to follow at times, but even though I liked it. I have listened to this book twice and it still makes me laugh.

For those who are intelligent and a bit spastic or OCD themselves you’ll like this book.

Perfect Combo - Reader and Novel

I bought this e-audio book, because I had previously read and loved the story. It begins when Whiskey Keenan witnesses a car going off a bridge over the river where his houseboat cum science lab is berthed. He realizes there is someone still in the car and swims to the rescue of the hapless passenger, Patrick Cleary. The story follows the trajectory of the lonely scientist and the younger man struggling with ADD in their journey from the imperfect present to a heartwarming HEA. This is a very satisfying ugly duckling story with plenty of feel good moments and lots of love.

But the real reason I am making an effort to write this review...

I've spent literally thousands of hours listening to audio books, borrowing titles regularly from the library. But there is one area where my library falls short and that is with the m/m titles. That is what brought me to Audible. I have listened to only 20 books thus far, but I have to say that the reader for this book - Robert Nieman - stands out. And I mean stands out in the context of my overall listening. His voice is youthful, yet rich and has a charisma that charmed me from the start. While he didn't do separate character voices, per se, his acting was so natural, he brought each of the characters to life and made me feel as if I was right there. I would gladly listen to any title he records. I can't compliment him superlatively enough! <3

Great book, Great audio

I've read and loved this story, the audiobook was just as good. I'll be looking for this narrator again, great performance.

Amy Lane mixes biology with romance

4.5 stars for both story and narration.
Very cool story, Well thought out. Unfortunately it didn't grab me and say "read me again". I remember it being mostly on a houseboat with a biologist trying to find out why frogs on the river were malformed. Several coincidences occur, but are woven into the story well. Dramatic development with angsty period (it is Amy Lane for god's sake) with lovely conclusion.

It's Very Clear...

Would you consider the audio edition of Clear Water to be better than the print version?

Yes. Robert Nieman is great at conveying the tone and emotion of the books he narrates.

What other book might you compare Clear Water to and why?

Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinen. Both of the young men - Sam and Patrick needed to find themselves. They both had goals to attain but did not know how to go about it. They both wanted love but chose the wrong way to go about getting it. The 'family' in their lives were cold and indifferent. It took total strangers to make them see their worth.

What does Robert Nieman bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

See above.

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

Yes, and I did.

Any additional comments?

Dreamspinner, hire Robert to narrate more books, please!

I liked this. I found myself laughing out loud!

What did you like best about Clear Water? What did you like least?

Fly Bait was the Bomb and the two headed frogs were awesome. I didn't like how Patrick was so whiny. I really wanted to slap him every now and then! Oh and his Uber clumsiness seemed a little unrealistic.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Clear Water?

I enjoyed the competence that Patrick found with people who accepted him for who he was.

What three words best describe Robert Nieman’s performance?

competent.

Do you think Clear Water needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

no. it is complete without it.

Lovely - as usual

What did you love best about Clear Water?

I love Amy Lane books. I actually have this book and bought in again in audio, just to have it handy. Wish there were more of her books in audible format.

Which character – as performed by Robert Nieman – was your favorite?

Whisky

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

laugh!

Sweet, unique story

This was lovely, but I wish the narrator was more polished. The story itself is great; I especially loved the realistic way ADHD was portrayed in Patrick. However, the narrator kept pulling me out of the story. I’ve listened to another book of his and while his voice is really pleasant, his cadence can be really odd. Breaths in the middle of sentences, odd pauses, mispronunciations...all of them made the production feel less than professional. I definitely don’t think the book needs a new narrator, but that the production needs a good producer and a few more takes. Still, a good, sweet story overall!

- happy sigh-

I love EVERYTHING about this story.

Fantastic characters, a slow burn gay romance, a somewhat of a frog mystery, drugs, geez oh man out of character action at the end, betrayal (you left me to die and you stole my money) <---- haha... that could be the beginning of a rap song or country song...hehe, a father learning what love means, a son finding the true meaning of love and forgiveness, a hot older dude who teaches the meaning of loyalty and delicious sexy time, an awesome lesbian best friend, and a fantastic narrator!

All the ingredients that make a perfect story!

Clear Water

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

Yes, Amy Lane writes wonderful stories

What other book might you compare Clear Water to and why?

Not really, it was really fun and different.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes with the frogs.

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

No, I like unabridged and I am willing to listen to the whole story.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed this story.