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Ache  By  cover art

Ache

By: Marley Valentine
Narrated by: Gomez Pugh, Teddy Hamilton, Emma Wilder
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Publisher's summary

From USA Today best-selling author Marley Valentine comes a brand new emotional MM romance.

I couldn’t tell you when I fell in love with Gael Herrera, but I wish I knew how to make it stop.

Falling in love with a straight man is a rookie mistake. But falling in love with my soon-to-be-married-to-a-woman best friend is nothing but heartache.

Through all the years, and all the men I’ve fooled around with, he’s always been at the back of my mind. An unrequited crush I wish I could shake. A dream that was never going to come true.

When I whisk him off to a surprise bachelor party weekend in Vegas, I surrender to the idea that this is an opportunity for me to finally let go of my feelings for him and say goodbye.

But after a heated exchange and an even hotter kiss, everything I thought I knew about our friendship changed.

Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe, after all this time, we were more than best friends. Maybe, just maybe, he felt it too.

Ache is an MM Romance narrated by Gomez Pugh and Teddy Hamilton with a supporting performance by Emma Wilder. This is not a ménage romance.

©2021 Marley Valentine (P)2021 Marley Valentine
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

What listeners say about Ache

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

50% Perfection

Long story short:
The first half of this story is absolutely flawless. The characters are compelling, the performances are exciting and dynamic, the sex is so hot. Then an incident occurs (no spoilers but it's a huge trope) that makes the second half feel like a slog. Still, I recommend you give this a read. I HATE love triangles and despite that, this story won me over.


Long story Long (spoilers included):
First off Teddy Hamilton and Gomez Pugh did a spectacular job with their performances. Their emotion was so raw, the tension so visceral I was on the edge of my seat every second. The voice actor's commitment to their role was so complete everything else fell away and I was right there with them.

(SPOILERS Below )

However, nothing could make up for that second act surprise.
He got into a car accident and got MEMORY LOSS!?!? Are you flipping kidding me with this sawdust (curse word alternative)?
Up until this point, "Ache" was an M/M romance that was emotionally compelling, it challenged the reader's ideas about right and wrong, every moment of them together was painfully sensual. But most importantly it was so very human. Both Gael and Jordan were two very imperfect people whose flaws made the story feel so real.
So when that car came careening down the track it wasn't just the car that broke to pieces, it was the second half of the book. (in my opinion only of course)
Suddenly the whole story becomes some kind of parody of an old soap opera "what would happen if your lover had an accident and couldn't remember you anymore?" It was so outlandish it completely broke the spell for me, I can't tell you how disappointed I was.
The second act (post-accident) had basically no sex or sexually charged scenes like the first half. There was no excitement like in the first half. Now the story was exclusively a family drama, which was hard to put up with at times because of the ridiculous situation.

HOWEVER, the first half is so freaking good I still recommend you read this. Especially if you have a spare credit, I frequently will go back to re-read this one but only the first half.


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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Well done

I wasn’t planning to purchase this so soon but I made the mistake of listening to the sample and I was hooked. The premise isn’t new but it was done in an original way; a very emotional way.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

perfect love story

Marley Valentine has become my go-to for excellent angst-y emotional MM, and Ache doesn't disappoint. Part friends to lovers, part forbidden love. My second time diving into Jordan & Gael's world, and the narration adds so much.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good Story but also torn

I thought the premise behind the story was very good and well thought out unrequited/friends to lovers story, however the narration for Gomez Pugh as Gael was decent but his other voice inflections were very hard to listen too, the Hispanic accent just wasn't good at all, he tried too hard to change his voice to the different characters which made his performance suffer to me. When he was just Gael he was good and Teddy Hamilton was great, if it had not been for Teddy's performance I probably would not have finished the story based on narration only.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved it! A Must Listen!

Another amazing book by Marley Valentine. Perfect unrequited love/friends to lovers story. I absolutely loved Gael & Jordan’s story. There were so many highs & so many lows. I throughly enjoyed the journey into their world. I’m sad the book is over. I’m already missing them both! Amazing Narration by Teddy Hamilton, Gomez Pugh & Emma Eilder.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Seriously??? My pet peeves at their worst!!!!

Spoilers (and ranting) ahead....



Oooh no no no no noooooo!!! Why didnt I read the spoilers before hand?! I never would've spent my credit with this book 😭 Cheating (both MCs, with no guilt whatsoever) and then amnesia? Worst plot devices ever!
What a waste of great narrators! Now i want my credit back 🤨

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrators are important

This story broke my heart and then restored it. Had it not been for TeddyHamilton I wouldn’t have finished the book. Gomez Pugh was really bad. Every time he read I wanted to give up the book. Then Teddy Hamilton came and restored me. It was a sweet story but it’s very true… the narration is the make it or break it person. I wish authors would truly search out really good narrators like JF Harding, Teddy Hamilton,Aaron shedlock, Iggy Toma, Hamish McKinlay,Joel Leslie and my favorite Jack DuPont. It’s a good story. Just fast speed it through Gomez Pugh.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

OUCH.

WELL. THAT HURT.

I did not see that coming and I was NOT prepared. Lord have mercy. I should have known better too because I was like "wow this is such a sweet book". Then bam. Direct hit to the heart. Tears rolling down my face in public.

I dont want to say too much because I think you should go in blind like I did so here are some tropes instead.

-Hurt/Comfort
-Pain
-More Pain
-Best Friends to Lovers
-Cheating (not between the mcs)

The narrators are INCREDIBLE!

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

The narration led to a DNF.

I might have been able to get through the issues I had with the storyline, but the narration killed me and I could not make it past the first 2 hours. I love Teddy, but Gomez Pugh’s voice for the character of Jordan sounded like a small child speaking. It made me cringe. I hate I spent a credit that I can’t get back.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

This was spicy

Good story. Spicy. Overall I give it three stars. Heartache is something the author is known for, so expect that going in.

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