Thayer

The Brinnswick Chronicles, Book 1

By: Michele Notaro

Narrated by: James Paris

Our world is slowly healing after surviving a horrific war. The magical and nonmagical creatures of Brinnswick have pulled together to mend the world, but the man I think - really, I know - is my viramore, my soulmate, has somehow been left behind.

I felt drawn to him as soon as I met him, and I wanted to explore what we were to each other, but I never got the chance. Two of my brothers and I were whisked away to the land of the fae for three years in order to save our realm. But now, I’m back, and I want to pick up where we left off, only it’s not that easy.

Toby is still heartbroken over what’s happened, and it seems his past is out to get him when bodies drained of blood start appearing all over Brinnswick. As we follow leads, I need to regain his trust and help heal his broken heart...and just maybe he’ll help heal mine, as well.

Thayer is the first book in The Brinnswick Chronicles and takes place in the same world as The Ellwood Chronicles, but can be listened to as a stand-alone novel. It contains explicit material and is intended for mature adults 18 years old and older.

©2020 Michele Notaro (P)2021 Michele Notaro

loved this

This was a great beginning to the next part in this story. Im looking forward to the next in the series.

Love the series, but

I have read all of this series, both the Elwood and Brinnswick Chronicles and loved it. The narration, however, is a bit cringey, and I almost returned the audiobook. Maybe just a personal opinion, but I listen to all of my favorite suburban fantasies/romances on audio after I read them. Regretful that this audio did nothing to bring it more to life.

Love Thayer

First off, I’m a huge fan of the Brunswick Chronicles and have listened to the first three books numerous times. So it was a disappointment to have a new narrator who changed voices and general feel of the other books.
Thayer is a great character, but Toby spent most of the book in a “poor me” circle. Not getting out of it until the last three chapters.
Despite that, I love the world of magic and wonder that Nottero has created. I look forward to the narration of the rest of the series.

Thayer - OMG

I am so thrilled this new spin off started with Thayer. Toby broke my heart. I love him so much. This was so well written. James Paris is a great narrator. I miss Kenneth but that doesn't take away from the brilliant work of James.

Love this story so much!

I absolutely love Thayer and Toby's story! I was just so happy to get their and it definitely had me on an emotional rollercoaster. I just wanted to hug Toby so much throughout this story. He has been through so much. This story also had me on the edge of my seat. Then James Paris did such an amazing job with this narration that I couldn't stop listening to this story. Such an amazing story l!

Thrilling, emotional, and beautifully romantic

I'm always excited to see my favorite series come to audio, and the Brinnswick Chronicles has a particularly special place in my heart. Listening to James Parish narrate Thayer and Toby's story was such a treat, and I love the way he brought the entire Ellwood coven to life.

Though this story technically works as a standalone, it does contain major spoilers for the Ellwood Chronicles. Thayer and Toby did start to form a connection before the war, but the three long years between this series and the last shaped each man into different versions of themselves. I can't imagine the things Toby and Thayer went through off-page, but I felt every ounce of their cautious hope during their reunion. All things considered, their romance was pretty tame, but the pace felt just right for two men who had a lot more going on than just a new bond. I especially loved the way Thayer and Toby struggled through communication issues and got to a place where they could and would open up to each other about the pains of their pasts. My heart broke several times listening to Toby and Thayer recount some of their most devastating moments, but knowing they had each other from now on gave me some comfort. Every small advance in the physical side of their relationship--a shared hug, hand holding, a kiss--felt a thousand times more meaningful knowing how hard it was for Toby to trust a lover. I wasn't expecting the ghosts from Toby's past to make such a horrific reappearance in this story, and I both love and hate Michele for putting me through all that suspense. On the one hand, it made for a fascinating, can't-put-it-down story, but I also could barely stomach how hard it got before things got better. My only satisfaction was seeing Thayer and Toby finally lay those demons to rest and move on with the rest of their lives. Their happy ending was wonderfully soft and sweet in comparison to their rough beginning, and I was thrilled to see the two of them find some peace at last.

**I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this book. This review expresses my honest thoughts and opinions. 

Loved it

Great listen. Hope the second book comes out soon. The narrator did an awesome job with our beloved charters.

Nikolai available yet?

Patiently waiting for the audible release. I am in an audible hole and would like to know what’s next!

Enjoyed the story but wish it was a different narrator

I gave the ebook 4.5 stars but this only 4… I wasn’t a big fan of the narration and I’m glad the subsequent books are done by someone else. I just didn’t like the tones he picked for the characters and found most of them sounded whiny.

The story itself was still good. There were a few nitpicky things that I noticed more in audio than I did in the ebook, but it might be a me thing.