The Naked Cleaner

By: Sophia Soames

Narrated by: Ray Calleja

It’s always been a thing, the gag joke gift Pontus Andreassen’s so-called friends present him with for Valentine’s Day. Not that people care much about Valentine’s Day in Denmark these days, and anyway, all of them are now grown up and sensible and mature and… adult.

Pontus hates that word. He hates it almost as much as he hates going out and meeting other human beings and engaging in socialising, conversation and mutual masturbation.

Until the day he gets gifted a cleaner, and his quiet Friday turns into the Valentine’s date from hell.

Louis Ramsdahl-Soto’s grandmother would probably have whipped his third-generation Chilean immigrant arse if she knew that he has turned her famous recipe for Pastel de Choclo into some Scandinavian vegan delicacy. She would have whipped his arse for a lot of things, he knows that. The problem is that Louis seems to lack that vital gene to get his life in order. Instead he has moved back home to his parents and started up his own company, which is going well, if only his clients would remember to pay him, and if he could sometimes remember to put his meagre earnings in the bank.

He’s a little bit of a disaster, but at least he’s good at what he does. Until he meets Pontus Andreassen.

Now re-edited and refreshed for 2023!

©2022 Sophia Soames (P)2023 Sophia Soames

Love the querky awkwardness galore.

Pontus is a grumpy grump, insecure and anti social. He gets to meet Louis who is sunshiny naked mess at times. They meet when Jonas organised a naked cleaner for Pontus birthday present. Their meeting is hilarious and they just become querky, awkward messes from there. Their inner monologues are just a hoot. This book is a light and airy read. Love the side characters and the ending when Pontus lets his hair down a bit and embraced Louis and his nakedness. The narrator did a really awesome job.

when love shows that being weird is the best

I had such a great time listening to that story. Louis and Pontus find what was missing in there life's in each other,and I love there weirdness. They reminds us that love is loving also what others see as flaws.
it's my first book but from Sophia Soames and I really enjoyed it. it is always so refreshing when the life plot of the character is new for me, it's my first with a naturist character and it was nice to get more info about that lifestyle.
I did enjoy Ray Calleja voice but I'd to slow the audio to 0.90x cause he was too fast for me, and he needs to respect more the pauses between sentences. I'm a read and listen at the same time person and I'm thankful I did because I was kind of lost sometime by the rythme he gaves to the narration.

just works

Audio review;
Ray Calleja brings Pontus and Louis to life making them more real to the readers. His voice differentiates enough between the two mc so you know whose point of view you're in with each chapter. He just brings a new life to an already fascinating read.

This book is one of those awkwardly wonderful books that you don't know why you love but you do. Pontus and Louis both are messes and need someone who will support and accept them as they are. Let's say a lot of akward beginnings blossoms into something real and perfect for them.
First, read from this author and now tempted to try more to see if they are as real and pure as this story was.

Rom-com at its finest!!

This is the first time I've listened to or read anything written by Sophia Soames. This is also the first time I've heard anything narrated by Ray Calleja. I loved Ray's accent and he did a wonderful job with the two main characters voices and mannerisms.

What a delightfully funny story of two man boys. I laughed my way through the entire story. Poor Pontus and his neurosis and Louis with his own disasters are a match made in heaven... as long as they don't kill one another first.

This story made my day.

Opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, brings the heat

Sophia Soames writes with great flow

This was a delightful quick listen. Just a proper feel good story. I really do love Sophia Soames’s writing, as there’s something really original about it. The dialogue just flows so damn well, and it feels real in a way that other writers sometimes can’t quite figure out. This is also another one of her books where there isn’t a whole lot going on plot wise, but it doesn’t need it. The characters really stand on their own. It was also surprisingly hot when these guys got down and dirty. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a shorter read with some feels, some funny banter and hilarious situations, and some smutty smut.

I listened to the audiobook, and thought the narrator did a good job. It’s delightful to listen to a british narrator. A rare treat. I will say, he speaks incredibly fast, lol. I’m all for it, as I usually listen to audiobooks between 1.4 and 1.7x speed.

It grew on me

This started pretty rough for me as Pontus starts off ass unbelievably unlikeable. Fortunately Louis is likeable enough for them both and finds his temper as a draw. I had a hard time with the narration, as I didn’t feel like he had distinctive voices for each character.

Meh

Not too sure how I feel about this one. I mean, on the surface you have a complete asshole for absolutely no reason, and then you have this bright shiny piece lighting up the entire room. These two definitely did not fit together, better yet, Louis didn’t deserve to deal with Pontus’ grumpiness.

Normally the accent would have saved the narrative from bombing, and it may have had Pontus not turn me completely off, but it was bearable at least. Definitely going to search for more audiobooks with this narrator to give him a fair chance.

Quick read

Even though this was a short story it was hard to get into and enjoy.

Together We Are Weirdness!

You need to experience this audible if you adore over the top quirky characters who are still just so real and relatable! Ray Calleja's accents were fabulous, and he genuinely brought these two oddballs' personalities to life. I for real laughed out loud at their thoughts and antics. They were so completely who they were, and they owned it and accepted it of each other in the most sarcastic of ways. Pontus was a complete and utter grumpy leave me alone loner and Louis was a simple man who liked to be nude. There was a naked standoff, burnt boyfriend porridge, bedroom feuds of the funny kind, and the most unique and utterly silly yet still hot and spicy intimate scenes I have ever heard. I was literally smiling the entire second half of this audible all the way through the epilogue! All the good silly feels!

someone for everyone

A great story that shows there’s someone for everyone. Both blokes are kind of a hot mess, but they complement each other. Pontus, bless his emotionally stunted heart. He’s struggling to adult and ask for help or friendship when he desperately needs it. And Louis is living with his parents as they all live a naturalist (nudist) lifestyle. There are very funny moments and meddling friends and family.

The narrator Ray Calleja is new-to-me but I’ll definitely be looking for more. My googlefu tells me he’s an actor, writer and producer in addition to his audiobooks voice productions. His performance was well done. There were a few very minor engineering/production things that were noticeable but not huge issues.

I reviewed a complimentary copy.