Social: The Social Media Series, Books 1-3

By: JA Huss

Narrated by: Mark Kamish, Autumn Clark

Grace Kinsella is social. But she likes the anonymity of being a blue bird on Twitter, where she can shoot arrows of pithy filth at her favorite movie star. Virtual love is right up her alley.

Vaughn Asher is dominant. But only in private. A former child actor turned mega-movie action hero, Vaughn knows how to navigate a world filled with paparazzi, avoid the tabloids, and have his fun, too.

Worlds collide on Saint Thomas when Grace comes face to face with the muse who has propelled her into dirty-tweeting stardom online. And he's got an offer she can't refuse. After all, how many people get a chance to live out their sexual fantasies with the man of their dreams? Too bad the man of her dreams turns out to be a #dick.

Social is a three-book bundle consisting of Follow, Like, and Block from the best-selling Social Media series.

©2015 Julie A Huss (P)2016 Julie A Huss

Narration is painful and a distraction from hearing the story.

Narration is painful and a distraction from hearing the story.
Male voice portraying a female character sounds like someone with an overbite with a lisp.

#SexyHilarious #BrutalCliffhanger

This is my second JA Huss book. I began with her most recent release, 3, 2, 1. I have the same gripe with this book about the main characters engaging in unprotected sex. Am I seriously to believe that a rich and powerful movie star would attempt a "no strings attached" two day fling with a girl he met at a bar sans protection? Let's go with the reasoning Huss provides - Vaughn Asher has hacked Grace's medical records to see her most recent STD tests and confirm she is on birth control. Maybe Grace had sex since her last STD screen. And what of the birth control? Girlfriend forgot to pack her panties for the trip so it's not a stretch to imagine she may have forgotten to bring her pills to the resort where she meets Vaughn. And what of Grace? Why doesn't she have objections to unprotected sex? She is fully aware of Vaughn's manwhore status that screams condom required.

That aside, I liked Vaughn. And I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by his character. I assumed him to be like other dominants - distant, detached, and cold. However, Vaughn had a gentle kindness hidden behind his public persona and dominant mask. It was nice to see.

I was fully engaged in the banter between Vaughn and Grace. Some of the tweets were downright hilarious. For example: @VaughnAsher-This blue bird can sing #withYourCockInMyBeak. Also, the scene involving a vibrator with a remote control and an awkward dinner with Vaughn's family had me laughing out loud.

My favourite chapter by far though was the intense high-stakes game of punto banco baccarat played in a private game room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Wow, I have never read a book that had me on the edge of my seat over a card game. Bravo, JA Huss!

As for the narration, I rate a weak 3 stars. I just didn't like Mark Kamish's voice. He seemed too old for the part and had a lisp. I cringe thinking about his attempt to intone Grace's voice: epic fail. The performance itself is what made the listen okay. At least Mark and Autumn put their acting skills to work. No monotone reading here. Autumn's voice was annoying but I suppose that is the kind of voice you'd expect from a serial tweeter who is apparently so busy that the word ridiculous must be shortened to ridic in conversation. She sounded like a valley girl but her performance of Vaughn was good.

Readers beware, however. This book ends with one hell of a cliffhanger and Audible doesn't yet have the second series available for download. I am positively vibrating with the need to find out all the secrets and how it will end. Worth my credit.

Exactly what I expect out of JA Huss

JA Huss is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to grab Audiobooks from. They translate so well and always have fantastic narrators.

This is true with Social as well. The story line is something so current and relevant while keeping that taboo sexiness that JA is known for.

**Bonus Sound Effects W/ Narration!!**

Love, Love, LOVE JA Huss, so I was surprised to find that the sex scenes all seemed to be lacking in someway. I’m not quite sure what though. It was almost as if the two characters were taking too many breaks during the foreplay, and then the actual sex lasted mere seconds. Lol
Definitely glad I purchased as an audible listen as opposed to a kindle read, because I found myself distracted/multitasking at the end of part 1 and most of part 2, a majority of all the awkward sexual interaction occurring. Maybe, that is the intent, but it couldn’t hold my attention for whatever reason.
However... as the story progressed, my interest re-peaked, and I shall proceed to the final series set.
On an added note, I loved the addition of the ‘sound effects’ (text pings, key clicks, etc.) They were a definite bonus to the narration of this book, especially given the name of the series.

The best audiobook that I've heard

Would you consider the audio edition of Social: The Social Media Series, Books 1-3 to be better than the print version?

I'm not sure. I never read the book. But, I will be waiting for the second part on audio rather than reading it despite the cliffhanger, because the audio version was THAT good.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked the banter between Grace and Vaughn. She threw his world upside down and it was funny to watch him adjust. And as usual for JA Huss, there are twists thrown in throughout the way.

What does Mark Kamish and Autumn Clark bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

These two were some of the best narrators that I've ever listened to. The way they portrayed all of the other secondary characters was outstanding and I imagine that must be hard to do. You could tell that they really understood the story and weren't just reading it. They left pauses in just the right places, etc.

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

Definitely yes. Unfortunately I was unable to do that but I would have if I could.

Any additional comments?

I loved this audio version. It even had little touches like the social media sounds (tweet sound) and the tapping on the keyboard. This story was so captivating that I can't wait to find out what happens in the next part!

Male narrator would be better served in hypnosis

I think I’ll read this, rather than listen. The whispering voice just does nothing for me. He sounds whiny and soft instead of strong and Dominant which translates into pathological rather than sexy. The D/s is contrived and under developed.

I’ve always loved Huss’s books but this one is hard to get through.

Another crazy ride

In good old JA Huss fashion, I never get what I expect - it ends up being way more!!

If you’re just looking for good old smut, look elsewhere. It may start out like smut, but she takes you on a ride full of twists and turns!

While I looove audio, I’d definitely prefer to read this myself. The male narrator is awful at female voices. He’s great otherwise. His female voices started out absolutely horrible, then he must have gotten some feedback after he started using the heroine’s voice because it got better for a little bit, but then he bounced around a lot. The female narrator was great!!!

I like the author. This book series is fun!

Could have had more humor, but it is entertaining and keep you interested all the way and you need to listen to the next series to know what happens next.

Unrealistic but fun

Would you listen to Social: The Social Media Series, Books 1-3 again? Why?

No, I don't listen to the same books twice. But I would like to listen to continuation of the story part 4-6 which is available in kindle format on Amazon since a year ago but not available in audible format. Same thing with Rook and Ronin story, 1st part is available and then parts 4 or 5 i think. Why not the middle? I much prefer listening to reading, it's portable. So why iJ A Huss, why do you only make 1st book in the series in audible format and not the rest of them? I am not interested in reading, so i move on to next authors, and it's your loss JA.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Social: The Social Media Series, Books 1-3?

I liked the twists of the story, some sex scenes were good, however this applies to a whole story including parts 4-6 which are not available on Audible. In fact all best scenes were in the last parts. The first part on St Thomas - just stupid. She storms away, he literally stalked her all the time - childish and stupid. Books 4-6 are much more interesting, story twists and sex scenes are much better.

What didn’t you like about Mark Kamish and Autumn Clark ’s performance?

I did not like both narrators voices, they both are irritating, especially female voice. Male voice does not sound like a movie star at all. He's supposed to be articulate instead he is lisping. Instead of Grace he says Grathe. The female narrator does pronounce words well but her voice is so irritating, not sexy at all. I find it hard imagining that someone can fall in love with a woman who talks like that. Sounds like a spiteful middle age bitch all the time.
Even though i did not like the voices i would still listen to continuation of the story if it would be available.

Any additional comments?

Make the whole series available in audio format!

#Smoldering #Flirty #Fun

What made the experience of listening to Social: The Social Media Series, Books 1-3 the most enjoyable?

I read the entire serial (books 1-6) when it was first published in 2014, and enjoyed it so much, I got the audiobook as well. The audio version really brings the characters to life. The dialogue seemed so much more personal. Grace and Vaughn's intimate interactions were more tender and more intense. There is no skimming, or rushing in listening to a book, and I find that I captured more of the detail and nuances while listening to Social.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Social: The Social Media Series, Books 1-3?

I loved every one of Grace's sassy tweets as well as her dubbing her tweets as "pithy filth". I adored Vaughn sweating out his baccarat game with Mr. Li who forced Vaughn to see how much he valued Grace.I also enjoyed Vaughn reminiscing about how Felicity had changed his life.

Which character – as performed by Mark Kamish and Autumn Clark – was your favorite?

Wow--that's a hard one to choose. Both narrators were great, but I didn't care for the opposite sex narration. I anticipated the main characters only being spoken by a same gender narrator. Again--both narrators were superb. If I had to choose one character I think I'd go with Chrissy--the future Mrs. Brazen. The character came off as "hoi polloi" but genuine and sincere.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

#Are YouAFilthyBluebird

Any additional comments?

J.A. Huss knows how to create interesting characters and keep readers riveted as she reveals all their secrets.
I loved the character development in Follow, the first book in the series. Grace and Vaughn are a mixed bag of all-messed-up, and when they meet the fireworks start. Ms. Huss made me want to like them but not quite be able to. I vacillated between being riveted and disgusted by the choices they made.
Huss is the master of outwardly strong but truly fragile and damaged female characters who eventually come into their own. Her men are a beautiful blend of machismo and tenderness. Grace and Vaughn are perfect examples. Grace is strong and weak at the same time. Vaughn attempts to protect his public image and shield his preferences from gossip mongers by awkwardly acting the BDSM Dom replete with contracts and NDAs; while he takes care of his partners financially, the commitment-phobe leaves them (and himself) high and dry emotionally.
The interjections of hashtag comments, social media banter and faux pas was a fabulous injection of humor. The depiction of the lavish lifestyle of Hollywood royalty was mind blowing. The segue between books four and five was excellent. The loose inclusion of characters from her other series is fun for long-time fans. For the overall series, the plot was compelling. The pace of the story and the character development were perfect.
Some will see Follow (Social Media #1) as demeaning but it is all about the character introduction and plot set up. If you’re new to JA Huss’ writing, you may not like or even finish Follow (If you are new to this author, you might want to start with her Rook & Ronin series to appreciate her writing). You really have to read the entire Social Media series to appreciate how the characters grow individually and together. Is it totally redemptive? I’m not telling. Is there an HEA? You’ll have to read all six books to find out. Is it a standard romance? Definitely not! There is a strong romance aspect to it, but that little something extra that Huss adds to the mix makes it so much more.

***For mature audiences.