Snowed In

By: Teodora Kostova

Narrated by: Dan Rider

Nate has been in love with Quinn, his brother's best friend, for as long as he can remember. But when he finally gets the chance to show Quinn how he feels, his heart gets broken in the most unexpected way.

Quinn doesn't believe in miracles, especially not Christmas ones. When he decides to win Nate back he knows it won't be easy. The last thing he expects is a health scare, a road trip and a vicious snow storm to work in his favor. In the end, a cabin in the woods turns out to be not only the shelter they desperately need, but also Quinn's very own Christmas miracle.

©2015 Teodora Kostova (P)2016 Teodora Kostova

I Love A Good Snow Storm

Call me weird but I love a good book with a misunderstanding that needs to be resolved. The make up scenes are my favorite! Add in a snow storm that allows no escape and you have me sold! This book delivered that perfectly! Now, don’t get me wrong, there were moments when I wanted to strangle both main characters (*cough* you can’t make decisions for other people, Quinn *cough*), but, the resolution made my heart warm enough to melt the snow from the blizzard.

A lovely, short, read that definitely gets you in the winter spirit.

P.S. I’ve never heard a book narrated by Dan Rider before but I would definitely listen to more! I loved the differences in his voice for each character, they were clearly distinctive where I could hear each character individually. I loved it!

3.75 > Clear narration, Annoying character voices

Back view of a shirtless man holding a santa cap behind him. Dramatic. Synopsis sounds good.
This is the first Teodora Kostova book that I've read or listened to as well as the first narration by Dan Rider that I've experienced.
The story as a whole, was good.
Narration - pronunciation is clear and the pacing is well-timed.
Storytelling was very good.
However, I had an issue with the characters' voices. Mr. Rider gave Nate a very child-like and whiny voice and it was not appealing, to me, at all. The emotions did not necessarily match the dialogue, it was strange. Brandon's voice was nails-on-a-chalkboard annoying.
As far as stories go, it was good. Both Nate and Quinn had flaws. Poor decisions and worse discussions were made on both ends. Minor conflicts were present, but self inflicted / self-imposed. Predictability was low. The ending is rather abrupt, leaving an implied possibility for a HEA.
One bone to pick, though, was the occasional use of UK English terminology when the story revolves around L.A., Chicago, Las Vegas, and Denver ~ All quite American.
I honestly believe I would have enjoyed this story better on my ereader.
.
Story ~> Rating: [R] ~ Score: 3.9 ~ Stars: 4
Narration ~> 3.75
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⭐ ⭐ **** Disclosure of Material: I received an audible copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I will leave my Unbiased Opinion. I was not required nor asked to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising". ***** ⭐ ⭐

Great short listen!

I like this is such a great short second chance at love. I really like Nate and Quinn's story. Now I definitely wanted to shake a few heads at different spots. However I like see how they work on their relationship when they are forced together. Then Dan Rider did a great job with this narration. I like all the voices he did and he definitely pull me into this short story.

Really liked it

I love the “in love with older brother best best friend” troupe, but this is so much more than that. Nate has been in love with Quinn and they sleep together just to have Quinn sneak out in the night. Two years later Quinn comes back to get Nate back but Nate is so angry at him. They’re forced together, you find out why Nate left, and you get your happy ending. This book was sweet and hot and not too much angst and drama, which is what I like. The narrator did a really good job bringing the characters to life. This is the first book Ive read from this author and I’m definitely going to check out her other books.

Short and Sweet

A very enjoyable story about two friends, turned lovers, who get stuck in a cabin during a snow storm and are forced to deal with their past so they'll have a future, together.
Narrator Dan Rider does a fabulous job.

Narrator a Bright Spot in a Frustrating Story

This short story was enjoyable enough overall, as it included some of my favorite tropes... a friends-to-lovers second chance tale with a road trip, snowed in mountain cabin, and dash of Christmas. Narrator Dan Rider was new to me, and I enjoyed how the young tone of his voice and fresh enthusiasm in his performance seemed to fit the characters well. The difference in his voices for Quinn and Nate was subtle but distinct enough to distinguish who was talking, and his female voices were believable.

As for the story itself, there were times I was frustrated with Quinn and Nate - often both at the same time. Yes, Quinn's complete lack of communication shattered their budding romantic relationship right out of the gate, but his prolonged reluctance to tell Nate his reason for leaving (which was a legit reason to leave the cabin that night, but not to cut all communication - for two years! - with someone you've professed to love) remains baffling. Can you tell I was still hung up on this well after Nate had already forgiven Quinn? Perhaps that's why Nate's forgiveness felt rushed, but then, this is a short story after all. Still though, frustrations aside, this was a pleasant listen overall.

I received this audiobook for free by request and provided this honest review voluntarily.

4.5 overall stars for this wonderful story!

The Story:
This is the first book I've read/listened to by this author, and now I find myself wanting her entire backlist ASAP. I loved the characters and story here in Snowed In, and I've already listened to the audiobook twice! It's a fantastic friends-to-more, brother's best friend, second chance romance that should be in every M/M romance fan's library.

Poor, sweet Nate. I fell in love with him from the start-it really was kind of hard not too. His character is so innocent and likable, and I was so mad at Quinn for how he treated Nate after the first time they were together. Even later on when we find out why, I still wasn't really ready to forgive him...but then again, I'm not Nate. Quinn tries to stop things between them the first time around, but gives in and instead winds up hurting Nate terribly.

When the two see each other again several years later, I was totally supporting of Nate and his attitude toward Quinn...but I was also still holding out hope for them as they were really wonderful together that first time. I wanted to see Quinn redeemed, and see them both finally get what they really want. It's a rocky road to get there, and in the end we get to find out exactly what happened to make Quinn leave the first time. I did not agree with him at all about not telling Nate what was going on, and I was also a little peeved at Nate's brother Brandon...at every step I was firmly on Nate's side (can you tell he was my favorite character?).

In the end, I was very happy with how everything turned out, and Snowed In wound up being a 4.5-star read for me. M/M romance fans will love this story; it is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and M/M sexual content (which oh-by-they-way is so very hot!).

The Narration:
I really liked Dan Rider's narration. I thought he voiced the characters quite well, giving each their own distinct voice and keeping them consistent throughout the story. He did an amazing job with Nate and his emotions, and I was totally pulled in to the story through his voice. I look forward to listening to more of his work in the future...5 stars for the narration!

A Sweet Christmas Story

Ready for a short (3 hour), sweet Christmas tale? An unexpected snow storm keeps Nate and Quinn from reaching their family holiday destination.

Fortunately, a vacation cabin is within driving distance despite the falling snow. While our MCs are not pleased to be stuck together for the storm's duration, they are willing to work together to survive their inforced stay.

Which includes cooking. And sharing bedding. And a fire. And a Christmas tree. And a confession.

Narrator Dan Rider has a good voice for 20-something characters, and an easiness of reading the scenes that makes for an enjoyable story.

Decent winter time read

I didn’t care for the sound of the vocal performer’s voice but he did have different voices for most of the characters and wasn’t totally monotone. He sounded very young and was hard for me to listen to (and yes I’m an EXTREMELY prickly audiobook listener).


This wasn’t my favorite story by Ms. Kostova. I like the idea of the story – an almost second chance romance, getting snowed in to face and hopefully reconcile their past. But I had a few issues with the book.

I wasn’t crazy about either character although I think I liked Nate better. Nate is pretty immature but he is young so I can’t fault him too much for that. I think he gave in to and forgave Quinn way too quickly which I attribute to his bone deep love for him that never faded. Quinn was just selfish coward and really self-absorbed. The reason for ceasing all communication after basically treating Nate like a trick was absolutely anticlimactic and didn’t warrant Quinn cutting Nate out of his life. I just couldn’t believe that he couldn’t communicate AT ALL with him in those two years. They do get what I consider a HFN. I don’t feel their relationship is totally resolved and steady for the long haul so I’d have to see more to be convinced of that. They do have good chemistry and their intimacy was endearing.

This story did have some good moments and it is a quick read or listen for a snowy cold day.

Snowed In

Any additional comments?

*Audible code provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author for my listening pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Snowed In by Teodora Kostova is a short, standalone novella. Nate has had a crush on Quinn since he was 15 years old. Quinn is his brother's best friend and was always around and was very affectionate with Nate. Quinn went away to college and he's coming back for the holidays and going with Nate's family to their cabin. Nate decides he's going to man up and tell Quinn how he feels while they're at the cabin. Nate tells Quinn that he loves him and Quinn feels the same. Nate and Quinn spend the night in bed together, only for Nate to wake up and find out that Quinn has completely disappeared from his life, ignoring his texts and calls and is gone for two years.

Nate's brother has planned one last weekend together before his new baby comes and Quinn shows up to join the getaway. Only Nate isn't the same as he was two years ago and Quinn faces a challenge of convincing Nate to give him another chance.

The story is narrated by Dan Rider and he did a good job with bringing the characters to life. He was well paced and flowed naturally throughout the storytelling.

I was disappointed in the excuse given by Quinn for staying away two years and felt that didn't justify the total silence on his end. And I think Nate gave in too quickly to forgive Quinn for this. Other than that, this was a good story of young love between friends.

Overall: 4 Stars
Performance: 4 Stars
Story: 4 Stars