Narrated by Cooper North and Iggy Toma

Regina Kyle’s Showstopper is the – I’ve honestly lost count – book in the Vino and Veritas** series, but fortunately, all the books are standalones with the odd cameo appearance by characters from some of the other books, so you can absolutely listen to them in any order. This one is a fairly run-of-the-mill New Adult/Contemporary Romance between two students at Moo U in Burlington, one of them a recent arrival and star hockey player, the other a hard-working, happy-go-lucky drama student. The narration by Cooper North and Iggy Toma was the big draw for me (surprise!) and they do a great job, but even they can’t disguise the fact that the story is a bit over-long or make up for a crass plot-point in the second half.

Adam has recently transferred to Moo U (for reasons he wants to keep under wraps) but because his transfer happened so late, most of the classes he wanted to take are full and he’s ended up having to take Improvisation. Desperate to swap it for something else, he goes to the registrar’s office to arrange it, but is annoyed when the cute guy he speaks to – whom Adam mentally labels “Hot Work-Study Guy” – refuses to make the change. HWSG explains that it’s not that he doesn’t want to help, there just isn’t any other option, but Adam doesn’t believe him, thinking it’s some kind of passive-aggressive way of making life difficult because HWSG doesn’t like jocks.

Hot Work-Study Guy, or Kolby – a drama major whose Mormon family kicked him out when he came out – has to work three jobs in order to make ends meet, and does, in fact, think Adam is an entitled jock. But he was telling the truth about there not being any other classes with space and, entitled or not, he can’t help flirting with Adam just a little bit, or deny he liked pushing the gorgeous hockey player’s buttons.

There’s a bit of a frenemies vibe to the meet-cute, and Adam and Kolby don’t see each other again for a couple of weeks, during which Adam has ducked out of the class while still trying to get out of it for good. He can’t, so he has to suck it up and go – and of course, Kolby is there, too. Adam is really nervous, and is grateful when Kolby offers to talk him through what’s going on; and he does okay on the first task, although he’s more than a little distracted by Kolby’s stunning smile and cute dimple. Adam realises his first impressions of Kolby were wrong, and that he wouldn’t mind spending more time with him; fortunately, he already has the perfect excuse as the drama professor has designated Kolby to help him catch up on what was covered in the classes he missed.

Kolby is a bit smitten with Adam, too, but is sure he’s straight – most hockey players are (or pretend to be) – despite the fact that a couple of his friends insist that Adam is definitely into him. Then he learns that a local band who has made the big-time is coming to Burlington to shoot a new music video and that there will be auditions for roles and extras – it’s the sort of opportunity that doesn’t come along often in a place like Burlington and he’s definitely going to try out for one of the two main roles. There’s just one snag – he needs to be able to skate. He can skate – just about – but he knows just the guy who can help him improve.

The first part of the story zips along nicely with lots of chemistry and snarky but nervous flirting. It’s cute, how Adam and Kolby are both reluctantly crushing on each other but unsure about making a move yet also desperate to be around each other as often as possible. Kolby’s friends aren’t wrong about Adam being into him; Adam is bisexual and is out to his family and close friends, but has chosen not to advertise it at his new school, particularly after the incident which led to his transfer. (See spoiler, below).

Kolby’s parents washed their hands of him and have forbidden his younger siblings to have anything to do with him; the only one he’s in touch with his his sister Hannah, who manages to occasionally sneak him the odd phone call or text. He’s an interesting study in contrasts; out, proud and flirty on one hand, reserved and a bit insecure on the other, but determined to live his life on his own terms.

The friendship that develops between Adam and Kolby is nicely done as they discover mutual interests, and Kolby (who works at the bookshop side of Vino and Veritas) introduces Adam to the delights of romance novels – keen-eared listeners will spot the references to Conventionally Yours, Boyfriend Material and Red, White & Royal Blue. I enjoyed this getting-to-know-you phase, but not long after this – by which time Adam and Kolby have become a couple – things start to go downhill. There are a couple of fairly small conflicts of the sort you might expect, which are dealt with quickly, but I didn’t understand why Adam was so annoyed that Kolby didn’t tell him about his family situation. I mean, it’s not the sort of thing you tell someone the minute you meet them, and I could understand it being too hurtful for Kolby to want to dredge it up. But the wheels really come off the wagon with the insensitive plotline around allegations of sexual assault.

Spoiler Alert!The reason Adam had to leave his previous school is because his then-boyfriend – a teammate who was closeted – accused Adam of sexually assaulting him when they were caught making out. The ‘boyfriend’ went ballistic and wanted Adam arrested as well as kicked out, but thanks to a good lawyer, things were arranged so Adam could transfer in exchange for agreeing not to sue.

Using this as a plot-point left a bad taste in my mouth. Allegations like this could be career-ending, and as a plot point, it’s poorly handled – in fact, it feels contrived and controversial for the sake of controversy. It’s made worse when Kolby – whom Adam has asked not to tell anyone – tells his sister (who has come for a visit) who then stupidly blurts it out when they’re surrounded by a crowd at a hockey game and are overheard by a journalist. AND THEN, when Adam is justifiably angry and hurt because Kolby essentially betrayed his trust, HE is the one made to feel bad after he avoids Kolby for days afterwards. WORSE – it’s Hannah, whose big mouth caused the problem in the first place, who turns up at Adam’s room to tell him she’s mad at him and he needs to make it up with her brother!

Er. Nope.The reason Adam had to leave his previous school is because his then-boyfriend – a teammate who was closeted – accused Adam of sexually assaulting him when they were caught making out. The ‘boyfriend’ went ballistic and wanted Adam arrested as well as kicked out, but thanks to a good lawyer, things were arranged so Adam could transfer in exchange for agreeing not to sue.

Using this as a plot-point left a bad taste in my mouth. Allegations like this could be career-ending, and as a plot point, it’s poorly handled – in fact, it feels contrived and controversial for the sake of controversy. It’s made worse when Kolby – whom Adam has asked not to tell anyone – tells his sister (who has come for a visit) who then stupidly blurts it out when they’re surrounded by a crowd at a hockey game and are overheard by a journalist. AND THEN, when Adam is justifiably angry and hurt because Kolby essentially betrayed his trust, HE is the one made to feel bad after he avoids Kolby for days afterwards. WORSE – it’s Hannah, whose big mouth caused the problem in the first place, who turns up at Adam’s room to tell him she’s mad at him and he needs to make it up with her brother!

Er. Nope.

Cooper North and Iggy Toma are two of my all-time favourite narrators, so naturally, I jumped at the chance to listen to them in the same book! Mr. North reads the chapters from Adam’s PoV, Mr. Toma those from Kolby’s, and they deliver expressive, strongly characterised and clearly differentiated performances that fit the story well. They skilfully convey the intensity of the connection between Adam and Kolby, together with the vulnerabilities below the surface they work hard to hide; the portrayals of the secondary characters are a good fit, and while there aren’t many female characters in the story, they’re voiced well, without falsetto or affectation. I suspect that had I read the book I might have abandoned it when the pacing flagged or when I got to the *spoilers* – but the narrators add so much depth and emotion to the story, they kept me going.

Showstopper would have got a higher grade for the story, but the tactless inclusion of the sexual assault plotline really tanked the last quarter or so of the book. If you know what you’re in for, and aren’t averse to an excellently narrated piece of (mostly) low-angst fluff, you might consider picking it up, but I can’t give it a wholehearted recommendation.

** Goodreads lists it as number 17