HvZ: All Out (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance Book 1)

By: Noah Harris

Narrated by: Gus Klondike

Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Lucas Brown is the youngest of his pack, and at 18, he's more or less learned to live with the fact that he's never going to measure up to the size and strength of his brothers. So, when a university calls with a giant scholarship for him, his parents do the only thing you can with a scrawny werewolf and send him away to get a higher education.

As a wolf who never expected to leave his pack, let alone his home state of Oklahoma, Lucas dejectedly travels to Massachusetts to attend Salem State University. But he quickly learns that packs don't end with blood, as he meets a lonely girl who can talk to ghosts and an aggressive alpha who wants this little wolf as more than just a friend.

Swept up in the games of Human versus Zombies and dorm life, Lucas has to learn how to blend in without wolfing out.

Disclaimer: This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for a mature audience only.

©2015 Noah Harris (P)2015 Marini Publishing

This is not a Thriller, nor adult

What did you love best about HvZ: All Out (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance Book 1)?

It is a fun book, however, the description and all makes it seem more of a thriller; it is not. Although it is a fun book.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Most and least is how much they spent playing Humans vs Zombies or simply tag. They make it seem fun but it drags for a moment.

What aspect of Gus Klondike’s performance would you have changed?

In the beginning i couldn't stand him. He grows quickly, but cannot do the best female voice.

If you could take any character from HvZ: All Out (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance Book 1) out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The title. Really. it cannot just be HvZ: All Out.... why add the (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance)

Any additional comments?

While they may have a swear word or two. There is not really adult nature. Also, it takes over half of this book to really get going. To be truthful Lucas comes off, in the first chapters, as wimpy and not likable. That does change quickly. Overall it is a good book. The only reason the Story got 3 stars is because, based on the description, I expected a little more of an adult thriller.

HvZ....sounds like it could be fun...

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Probably not. For a "sports shifter romance" it didn't have much that could be considered "shifter-y", I'd probably call HvZ a game rather than sports and it had very minimal romance.

Would you recommend HvZ: All Out (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance Book 1) to your friends? Why or why not?

Why have I been asked the same question?? O.o

What does Gus Klondike bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Gus narrated the book very well. He whined and growled his way through the story as it was portrayed, which unfortunately highlighted everything that was wrong with the story.

Could you see HvZ: All Out (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance Book 1) being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I could see it happening but wouldn't watch it myself. I have no idea who the stars would be as I'm not aware who the latest teen sensations are (wow...I gave my age away on THAT one!)

Any additional comments?

* I received this audio from the narrator for review

glued

i was completely glued to this book. id totally enjoyed it. im going to get the second.

Great reader, dull story

I enjoyed Gus Klondike's narration. He had distinctive voices for each character and gave expression to even the dullest prose. I will definitely look for more of his audiobooks.

But I won't be continuing with the HVZ series. Here's why.

If you are expecting a novel when you get this book, you will be quite disappointed. It's a novella-length work that cuts off abruptly in order to force you to buy the next book if you want to find out what happens next.

Fortunately for me, I don't care what happens next. The actual plot of the story barely just begins by the end of Chapter 15, and the next "chapter" is titled "Epilogue."

Just to give you an idea of how slowly the story moves, we go through five chapters without even learning that the main character has been a werewolf since birth. This is a strange revelation, given that the entire story is written from his point of view, and it isn't exactly a secret to him that he's a werewolf. Why this knowledge should have been hidden from the reader, I don't know.

But the big problem with this book is a there is no narrative tension. The character just moves from one scene to another. There are tedious descriptions of what orientation week is like on college campuses, with lots of details that are completely irrelevant to the rest of the story. Do I need to read the first day's schedule along with the main character? Do I need know about the a cappella group that opened one assembly? Does the dull anti-drinking lecture given to the students have any bearing on this story at all, considering that we never see the characters drinking or considering drinking? Do I need the details of two cafeteria layouts and the pricing of each meal to understand anything about the story or characters? Do I need to meet a roommate that barely comes up in the story again? I'd say no to all of these.

As for the romance/erotica, there is no romance, just two werewolves who seem not to like each other at first for no good reason (again, no tension), and then suddenly cannot resist to their sexual attraction to each other. There is one sex scene and two suggestive ones where the alpha wolf shows his dominance. Hate-to-love can be an enjoyable trope, but these characters just jumped from one to the other without much conflict. I didn't care about them disliking each other, and I didn't care about them liking each other. Sigh.

Fun werewolf coming of age story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, it was short, but a fun story of a werewolf leaving home for college and dealing with people and situations he was sheltered from, having grown up on a farm.

What about Gus Klondike’s performance did you like?

Gus did all the voices very well and kept the pace going forward.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh in a few places.

Any additional comments?

Planning to listen to the next 3 in the series.

Really entertaining

What made the experience of listening to HvZ: All Out (M/M Gay Sports Shifter Romance Book 1) the most enjoyable?

I very much enjoyed listening to HvZ because while the story is entertaining (a young werewolf facing his first experience away from home and pack), the narration flows really smoothly, keeping the intrigue through changes in pitch which hint the reader at what to expect next. I love the way the different characters have their own voice inflections, making it very difficult to get lost: I always knew who was speaking and how they were feeling.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I cannot think about anything I would like to change... Maybe I would introduced Dean earlier in the story.

Have you listened to any of Gus Klondike’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't listened to any of Gus Klondike's narrations before so I cannot compare, but I certainly enjoyed this one.

Any additional comments?

I received a copy in exchange for a honest review

All Out...a good start

Really enjoyed the premise of this story. Lucas, Alex, Dean, and the gang playing an interesting game and developing a unique and interesting relationship. Looking forward to the next book to see where this is going...on to Book 2...Gus Klondike did a great job narrating.

good story, narration not extraordinary

different take on the male journey written well good character development, keeps your attention. enjoy the short quick read/listen format.