I love this series SO MUCH!

I have listened to a few books narrated by Hamish Long now, I adore the gruffness he gets in his voice at times, he had good acting skills and a nice range of emotions.
This book has EVERYTHING I love about Jay Northcote’s writing and it was a wonderful, low-angst read that left me feeling soft and mushy inside. This is the 6th book in the Housemates series, my favs are #1, #4 and #5, and now # 6 as well! First, I would like to say how much I like the setting, the way these characters are still involved in each other’s lives and you can have sneak peeks at them even after a few books, like Jaz and Mac from book #1. The setting itself, mostly university students living in a house together, or two houses as we progress to later books, it a fantastic theme that works really well in ALL the books in this series. You really get the sense of a community, of getting to know them and being an ongoing part of their lives. The friendships between them are fun, easygoing and supportive. Jay managed to create a wonderful group of people that keep you coming for more.

Jay has a way of telling stories, that while still being romantic and erotic, are very much realistic in the way relationships and physical intimacy are described. It is probably the best thing about his writing, it’s the little details that count: a more realistic approach to sexual encounters, always making sure both sides are into whatever they are doing, a lot of respect between partners, and friends in general. Even when there are misunderstandings they are personal, genuine, human. Insecurities are aplenty, but Jay’s characters get to explore and find out what they like without any unnecessary drama. The focus is solely on them, stretching the boundaries of their perceived sexuality or learning new things about themselves.

Johnny and Ryan met at Ben’s birthday (at the end book 5) and sparks were definitely flying. They are both interesting characters but remarkably regular. This made the story even better, because you can identify with them that much more when they don’t have intricate backstories and excessive family drama. Realizing that they have great sexual chemistry is not everything, and they need to figure out what they feel and want out of this. They have some bumps, and certainly a good portion of scorching sexual encounters, but not communicating is the main issue. And again, that is something so regularly human and realistic, who hasn’t had a case of pride over sense before? But not the “I will dump you spectacularly and sacrifice my life for you in secret” soap opera kind. They get some help from friends, a few not so gentle kicks in the derrière to help them get their act together.

This book is so gentle, it draws you in and unfolds a delicate story of two people connecting, just like everybody else. It’s such a refreshing way of telling a romance in this genre that I find it unique and special just for that. Jay is a must-read author for me and I would gladly read more about these fantastic characters in the future.

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Steamy bisexual awakening story!

Another great addition to the housemates series!! It was such fun reconnecting with the characters from the other books in the series, especially Sid and Ben. One of the things I love about this series is how authentic and real the characters are! And that was true for these two MC's as much as for the MC's from the previous books.

Johnny is a very outgoing young man, who isn't looking for a meaningful relationship but happy to just hook-up and have a good time. One burned, twice shy...

Ryan's a chemistry student, and meeting Johnny makes him realize that he may not be as straight as he thought.
I like how the author handles Ryan discovery (and acceptance)of his bisexuality. He doesn't shy away from it exactly, but he still experiences some doubt and it takes him awhile to fully come to terms with it and come out of the proverbial closet.

Johnny and Ryan are still quite young, and make some mistakes along the way, a lack of communication being one of the more important ones. But then I feel that these mistakes add realism and authenticity to the story.
I would not expect these MC's to have the same emotional maturity as people in their 30s or 40s do, or are supposed to anyway.

At a certain point, other people are thrown into the mix, adding fuel and hurt to the fire.
I'm not a fan of breaking "the cardinal romance rule", but I felt it did fit the story here.
It was a necessary experience for the characters to learn from and for the story to develop further, in a way that was consistent with and true to these characters.

Despite these mistakes and misunderstandings, Johnny and Ryan find a way to overcome their insecurities and take a chance on each other. I loved "the talk" where they finally get real with one another!! Such a great scene!
The story feels a bit more like a HFN to me, which again is consistent with how young these MC's are. There aren't any big declarations of love, because we leave the MC's before they really get there, but it is implied. This was a very well-written and entertaining read, quite steamy too, as are the other books in this series.

Narration: Hamish Long is by far my favorite British narrator. He did a wonderful job with his performance of this story, as always. He has such a warm voice and is so talented. I loved all the different voices he did for the entire cast of this book, to say nothing of the emotion he brought to this narration.

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Compelling Story with Fabulous Narration

I'd been aware of author Jay Northcote's "Housemates" series for some time but hadn't delved in until this audio book. Having listened to "Pretty in Pink" twice now before reviewing, I'm kicking myself for letting the series sit on my TBR shelf for so long. I really enjoyed this audio book - from the bisexual awakening storyline and endearing MCs to the fabulous narration. This isn't a sugary sweet story nor an angsty one; rather, it was a compelling journey of two realistic young adults who are working through self-discovery and personal hangups toward creating a meaningful, loving relationship.

"Pretty in Pink" can be fully enjoyed as a standalone, and if anything it'll likely entice listeners to go back and experience the previous books in the series. Narrator Hamish Long is excellent, with a refreshingly youthful voice and variety of distinguishable British accents for the numerous college-aged characters. It'll be a treat working back through the series in audio to catch up on the MCs who were supporting characters in this book.

I received an ARC of this audio book and have left this honest review voluntarily.

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5 star overall (rounded up)!

Rating 4.5

I'm such a fan of Jay Northcote's writing! Every now & then one of his stories will miss the mark for me, and I can admit that I went into this one thinking it would fall into that category. But, I ended up really enjoying this one. I meant here were aspects in this story that normally a big no's for me - lacy undies and open relationships probably being the biggest two. And yet the author was able to work both into the story in such a way that I ended up being ok with it and they both served the overall story well.

I was worried part of the way in, thinking that they didn't spend enough time with each (outside of sex) to warrant the kind of feelings they were starting to have (according to their inner dialogues), but even that issue seemed to fall away based on Jay's writing.

Kudos for making me like a story that based on description alone I shouldn't have!

Add in some yummy narration by Hamish Long and this listener is happy!

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Friends w/benefits, Bi awakening, femme mc

Do friends with benefits/NSA sex ever work out the way we plan? It’s a good thought, with mutual benefits, but unpredictable outcomes. This is what Ryan and Johnny were about to find out.

After meeting at a party, and hooking up, Johnny and Ryan went separate ways shortly after. It was going to be a one-off, until it wasn’t. Thus beginning their journey of mutually satisfying hookups. Surprise! It doesn’t go as planned. Can they ever get on the same page?

This is book 6 of the series, but can be listened to as a stand-alone. You will not be confused or lost, but you will meet characters that are most likely in previous books. This story was well written, and all of the characters are likable. I enjoyed it.

As always, Hamish Long does a fantastic job with the multiple characters. I could tell who was talking. This makes four books that I’ve listened to, that was narrated by him. His narrations are consistent and highly enjoyable to listen too. His voice is very pleasing to the ears. The accent is nice, too; not gonna lie! Highly recommend listening to his work. Four books in, and I’m still convinced that Jay Northcote and Hamish Long make a great audiobook team!

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Sooo Good!!!!

WOW!! I loved Johnny and Ryan! Neither of them are looking for a relationship. Johnny has been hurt in the past and Ryan always believed he was straight. When they meet at a party, Ryan is attracted to Johnny, realizing he's bi-curious. Johnny agrees to be Ryan's experiment. They decide to experiment some more and pretty soon it becomes more. I loved this story so much!! Hamish Long did an excellent job with the narration!!

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OMG!!!! Sweet and sexy

OMG!! Ryan and Johnny! Swoon!!! This is the first book I've listened by this author and I will now be listening to every single one. I am so happy that I happened to catch a recommendation for this author on a rec M/M Facebook page. The narration is exceptional, as good as it gets! Bravo Hamish Long! The story is sweet and sexy AF! Seriously, lots of sexy scenes that are so hot... yet those scenes also serve to move the relationship and characters further. The ML' s are endearing and real, and despite it being a shorter length, well developed. I was totally immersed in the story immediately. I highly recommend listening to this book. You will not be disappointed!

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all the feels...

this was my first audiobook by Jay Nortcote and narrated by Hamish Long. It will definitely not be my last. hamish had way of bringing Jay's characters to life. Jay's writing was enthralling and heartfelt. I felt as if Jonny and Ryan were people I knew. looking forward to more listening.

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Good listen

This is book six in the Housemates series. This was my first book in the series so I was a little behind. The storyline was great loved the adventures and the characters. The narrator was very good. Hope to listen to more of this series. Good listen.

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Very enjoyable book

I have really enjoyed this series and this group of guys and I can add Ryan and Johnny to the list of guys I've fallen for in this group! They definitely don't seem like a likely pair but I liked these guys and I liked them together. Listening to the audio book, I really think Hamish Long adds a lot to this story, bringing these characters to life! I liked the way he captured their personalities and always knew which character was speaking. I definitely enjoy his narration!

Ryan has always identified as straight, although he admits being attracted to guys sometimes. Then he meet Johnny, with his long blond hair and androgynous look and he can't resist. Johnny is all game for hooking up, but no commitments and when he meets Ryan and it leads to an awesome hook-up he thinks he's got a perfect no-strings go-to. The two pursue a physical relationship together and it seems like what both men want, sex with no expectations.

I really liked these two together, they obviously had great chemistry but I feel like I would have liked more of their story outside the bedroom. There is a lot of sex with these two and it's hot but I felt like I wanted a bit more from them, I wanted to get to know them a little better. I absolutely loved the way this story came together though, it was great! These two both finally learn about who they really are and who they are supposed to be, together. Overall, I did enjoy Ryan and Johnny and totally fell for them and their story.

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