A Vintage Affair

By: Josh Lanyon

Narrated by: Paul S. Fleschner

Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Message in a bottle.

Somewhere in the cobwebbed cellar of the decrepit antebellum mansion known as Ballineen are the legendary Lee bottles - and Austin Gillespie is there to find them. The last thing on his mind is hot and heavy romance with handsome bad boy Jeff Brady. But Jeff has other ideas and, after one intoxicating night, so does Austin.

The only problem is they have different ideas. Jeff doesn't believe in love at first sight, and even if he did, he's buried more deeply in the closet than those famous missing bottles of vintage Madeira. Popping a cork or two is one thing. Popping the question? No way. No how.

Unless Austin is ready to give up on another dream, he's going to have to figure out how to make sure the lights go on - and stay on - in Georgia.

This novella contains scenes of gay erotic content.

©2012 Just Joshin Publishing, Inc. (P)2014 Just Joshin Publishing, Inc.

Wow, just really not what I was expecting

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was okay, but I was still reeling from earlier in the book and it really didn't satisfy my need for the two mains to work out their problems. It just felt like they slapped a bandaid on a festering wound.

Was A Vintage Affair worth the listening time?

Ummm. I liked it at first, a lot. I liked the way Fleschner voiced the characters and did different accents, and he really brought the story to life, but the plot kind of killed it for me.

Any additional comments?

I don't want to give away any spoilers, and I'm not sure if this counts, but the book contained some dub-con/non-con that really didn't sit right with me. It made me sick to my stomach, and sort of came out of left field, and really ruined the whole book for me. I couldn't get over it and I definitely won't be listening to this book again because of it, so that's really unfortunate.

I love Josh's writing

I read this novella before and really liked it. The audiobook was nice, but I can't say that the narration was perfect. At times it was hard to tell between the characters, during fast paced dialogues. It made me itch to grab my Kindle and re-read it.

Great story and perfect narration

If you could sum up A Vintage Affair in three words, what would they be?

Emotional love story and a satisfying mystery

What did you like best about this story?

The honesty of the love story, the description of the other odd Southern characters

Which scene was your favorite?

n/a

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Hard to relate this without giving the story away.

Any additional comments?

Lanyon is one of my favourites, though the last few reads have been a little unsatisfying. This one did not. It has all the emotional intensity of the best of the Adrien English books. I only wish this were at least twice the length. I was left wanting a lot more. A great book.

Not my favorite, but its Josh Lanyon

If you are a wine lover, you might like this one more than I did. It is not a historic period piece like many of Mr. Lanyon's stories. It mostly takes place in a small southern town where a Master of Wine, MC1, travels to in search of some famous bottles of wine. While there, he discovers a body and a closeted private investigator, MC2. Murder mystery and romance ensues. It is pretty short, but as usual, Mr. Lanyon's brilliant narrator makes it all worthwhile. Where does he find these guys? I don't think I've ever listened to a Lanyon book with a bad narrator. Worth a credit.

Loved it!

I really loved Austin thought he was smart, caring and a romantic at heart. Jeff was sexy, mysterious but in the closet. I didnt always like the way Jeff treated Austin but glad that he came around in the end. Enjoyed the mystery of the storyline. Paul always does a great job narrating.

My Favorite Josh Lanyon book

Austin has a job he loves, and a chance to verify the existence of Lee wine, that would set his career for life, but death has a way of derailing his plans, and love seems to crawl into his heart by accident.
As I said in the headline - this story is my all around favorite JL book. All his books are exceptional, but this one touches me deeply - and I really can't tell you exactly why.

Intriguing Mystery, an Even Better Romance!

It's a great day for a re-read, or in this case, a re-listen. Has it really been more than six years?

Josh Lanyon packs a nice mystery into this story, but more than that A Vintage Affair is an interesting romance. Jeff's issues are beautifully handled, and his journey is told completely through Austin's eyes. And Austin's story is fascinating as well.

Great family drama, and an intriguing look into the lifestyles of the rich and famous (or previously rich... and infamous).

Paul S. Fleschner does a good job with the audio.

A wonderful, interesting cast of characters.

A wonderful, interesting cast of characters brought to life by the narrator. I love a good whodunnit, and this story was told expertly with all the nuance and thoughtfulness intended by the writer, Josh Lanyon.

Sour Grapes

What would have made A Vintage Affair better?

I wish Austin would have grown a pair and stood up to everyone who discounted him and his choice a bit more forcefully. I don't believe Jeff was good enough for him and I hate that he settled. There was also an unexpected plot twist that threw the whole story off for me. It's something that I don't like in my m/m books and had I been forewarned, I would have passed on it.

What do you think your next listen will be?

I am already a wine enthusiast so I thought the subject would be right up my alley.

Did Paul S. Fleschner do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

There really wasn't a lot of detail that added to anything I wanted to learn about.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

His southern accent was a bit overblown for Carson and almost nonexistent for Cormac. His interpretation of Austin's little brother was a bit too whiny IMO.

Any additional comments?

I love Josh Lanyon but, this particular piece was not what I read him for.