AUDIO REVIEW: 'Moment of Silence' by Karen Stivali
Title: Moment of Silence
Series: Moments in Time #4
Author: Karen Stivali
Narrator: Robert Nieman
Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska
Published: December 18, 2015
Audio: August 31, 2016
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Contemporary Romance; Erotic Romance; New Adult
Length: 230 Pages/8 Hours and 4 Minutes
Tags: Gay; M/M; Coming Out; Angst: Light; Friends to Lovers; First Time; Family Drama; HEA; Audiobook; Religion/Faith; Holiday: Christmas and Hanukkah; Standalone
About Moment of Silence
Growing up, Jason Stern led a charmed life complete with devoted sisters, a father who was one of Brooklyn’s most respected rabbis, and a mother who made the world's best babka. He headed to NYU ready for anything—except falling for the wrong guy, coming out, and getting disowned by his once-loving family. In spite of that, Jason managed to graduate with honors. He's got friends who treat him like family, and he's proudly running the largest LGBTQ teen shelter in Manhattan. Life is good, but he's still falling for the wrong men.
When charming, sexy Quinn Fitzpatrick begins work at the shelter, Jason falls hard and fast. Quinn is tall, blond, funny—damn near perfect. Only if Quinn’s gay, even he doesn't seem to know it. If he does, he's not telling anyone. And he's about one ceremony away from becoming a Catholic priest.
Long hours of work turn to long nights of talking and laughter, and Jason dares to hope this time he's falling for the right guy. But Quinn's got a past to deal with and major decisions to make about his future. When Quinn leaves for a silent retreat, Jason knows the silence may change everything.
REVIEW:
Moment of Silence is book four in the Moments in Time series by Karen Stivali. And while it can be read as a standalone story, in my opinion, it’s best to read the series in order, as the main character’s within appear in the earlier stories.
The reader and/or listener first meet Jason in book two, Moment of Truth, as the boy who kissed Collin during their summer stay on Fire Island. Nothing comes of it except a friendship between the two and a brief quarrel with Tanner.
Jason is a guy who seems to have it all despite being disowned from his family when he came out. He finished college at NYU all on his own and is now running a LGBTQ teen shelter, New Home, in the city. He’s got great friends, a job he loves; and yet his love life leaves much to be desired. He seems to either fall for the unobtainable or the “straight” guy….one too many times.
Enter Quinn Fitzpatrick. Quinn is Collin’s older brother and has been mentioned many times throughout the Moments in Time series. Quinn has spent the last 10 years studying to be a priest. He also has been very vocal in his disapproval of Collin’s coming out and has taken sides with their mother on the issue. Unbeknownst to his family Quinn has his own personal issues to deal with and has taken a leave of absence from his studies of the priesthood. He now volunteers his time at the very teen shelter where Jason works.
In the first half of the story the listener gets an in depth look into Jason’s life. As Moment of Silence is told from Jason’s point of view we really get to see all of his fears and desires; his hurt over losing his family. We learn about his childhood and close knit family. We even relive the incident in which Jason’s rabbi father disowns him as part of their family.
Robert Nieman, as usual, delivers a truly wonderful narration.
With a perfect voice, he has an almost youth-like quality when describing Jason’s younger self in happier family times. His pitch is dreamlike and I felt as if I were right there with Jason reliving every moment. I could really hear the heartache and hurt between father and son during that pivotal coming out scene. My heart just broke as a simple pronoun slipped from Jason’s lips as he told his father of being in love for the first time and Jason’s life instantly changes:
“If you choose this you will no longer be part of this family...And I have no son”
Jason is simply heartbroken during this exchange and Robert Nieman’s voice truly captures his pain and confusion.
Moving forward in the story, Jason and Quinn immediately strike up an easy working relationship, during their days at New Home, which bleeds into a fast friendship. As they begin to spend more and more time together outside of work it becomes harder and harder for Jason to be around Quinn as he realizes that his “insta-lust” has developed into something so much deeper. They share many personal things with each other which causes the listener to suspect there may be more to Quinn’s decision to re-evaluate continuing with his studies than one originally thought.
Robert Nieman portrays Jason’s growing attraction and Quinn’s uncertainty so well.
Between Stivali’s stellar writing and Nieman’s perfect delivery the combination just grabs you from the start.
I could hear Quinn’s conflict, and the questions he’d been asking himself for years, so clearly. I could even see the lingering stares between the two.
Quinn has never been with either a man or woman and the listener gets to hear all of his firsts, delivered with humor and sweet sensuality, especially when his sexuality is revealed.
Jason and Quinn have such amazing chemistry and I have to admit that I listened to this audiobook - twice. Wait til you get to Chapter 28. Just sayin’!
These men do hit a few road bumps on their path to happiness during Moment of Silence but the angst level is low and the story itself is overflowing with romance. It is at times very sweet and also very erotic. I don’t want to give away too much but I will say you do not want to pass this book up, especially its narrated form.
Stivali writes with ease and humor and Nieman delivers an easy banter between the two men.
In fact don’t pass up the entire narrated Moments in Time series. I have truly enjoyed getting to know Karen Stivali’s characters through Robert Nieman’s voice. Nieman is just an amazing narrator bringing each character throughout the series to life through their own distinct voice and personality. Which is a testament to Robert’s skills. He has become one of my favorite narrators.
An audiobook of Moment of Silence was provided to Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, by Dreamspinner Press, at no cost and with no expectations in return. We offer our fair and honest opinion on behalf of our readers.
About the Author
Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She's also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love...like real life, only hotter. Karen's lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen's novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life. When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don't hesitate to contact/follow/like her at:
For more works from Karen visit her website.
