You might’ve been able to guess from my review of Treasure for Treasure that it’s my favourite of the Being(s) in Love series. His Mossy Boy is easily my favourite audiobook in the series. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy the book itself, I do. Ian is probably my favourite romantic interest of the entire series. Well, maybe my favourite butch romantic interest. He’s all broad and muscular with chest hair and shit and he’s so, so gentle and caring with Martin. Total fucking dreamboat.

The book is harder for me to enjoy for all the reasons I don’t identify with Martin. I’m autistic and, well, I don’t really understand being insecure. Especially not like Martin. I don’t understand closets or being too scared to go after a person I want. I get the anxiety of how to approach, but once that’s done? I’m good. I do understand, however, Martin’s general experience of anxiety and having an abusive parent. So I’m not entirely unable to identify with him.

That said, I definitely get Ian’s experience of neglect far more. As well as how this informs his desire to have one Nice Thing/Good Person to love in his life. This was basically my life.

Anyway. I definitely liked that there was no miscommunication as a plot device in the book, since that tends to be a thing that really frustrates me1. Instead we get narrative tension via Martin’s slow explorations of what it means to have sex with a man (and fall in love). It’s a gentle, slow build that is delicious to experience. The pacing, here, is also really good.

Chris Patton’s narration is good, as it usually is. The only criticism I have is that there are odd pauses in the narration. Most likely where editing occurred. It breaks the narrative flow but that’s really a small gripe. Bah. I wish Treasure for Treasure had the same narrator, if only to keep the voices and such consistent. Hell, I wish the entire series had this narrator. Or one of my other favourites. Oh man, I’d love a new narrator for A Boy and His Dragon most. All the others are good enough but…

Anyway. It’s a good book and a great audiobook.

  1. It’s an autism thing. All of my communication is direct and I don’t get why people don’t just do it that way. One of the most frustrating things about communicating with allistics. ↩︎