Josh Sheehan is unlucky in love and now… newly unemployed. He’s not sure what to do next, but he’s sure he should give up on romance. Especially after last time. His friends warned him that falling for the hunky Irishman was a bad idea. Josh can’t help feeling torn even though he knows it’s best to move on. But when an unexpected dose of family drama blindsides him, Josh finds himself leaning on … on the one man he’s supposed to forget.
Finn Gallagher is driven by success. He makes no secret that building a name for his tech company is his number one goal. Finn left home a decade ago with a ton of regret, a heavy heart, and a vow to never repeat the same mistake twice. However, there is something undeniably appealing about the self-deprecating man with the silly sense of humor that makes it difficult for Finn to remember why falling for Josh is a bad idea. It soon becomes clear they’re both in deeper than they intended. There is no way to remain untouched. And there is so much to gain, if they’re brave enough to lean in.
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Josh is so darling, I completely adore him! He’s loveable and sweet and vulnerable, and endearingly awkward. The relationship he has with his dad is truly wonderful. Josh is one of those characters that you want good things to happen to, and for. I love the close friendship he has with the guys, and how they all look out for each other, especially in this book with their protectiveness towards Josh in regards to Finn. He’s lucky to have people who care so much about him.
Finn is a conundrum. I liked him, but I don’t think I really warmed up to him as being truly worthy of Josh until the very end. Although I wanted to love Finn, I was more frustrated with him than anything through much of the book. You know deep down he cares for Joshy, but I wish he had gotten out of his own head sooner-Josh deserved better than what he was getting from Finn and that made me sad.
I really did like this book, even though it may not come across that way! I think Josh and Finn had something good together, they were fun and playful and sexy with each other. I just would have liked Finn to have opened up to Josh sooner and shared the more important parts of himself.
I am so happy with the way everything worked out for them-I loved that glimpse into their future!
And speaking of glimpses…that peek into Grant’s book?!? Oh yeah, cannot wait for the one!
Finn and Josh are just delicious, and are prime examples of the one who got away, mixed signals, and just pure stubbornness. This was a sweet story of two beautiful men trying to figure life out and what their place was in it. Watching them fall was fun and got me right in the heart. As with the ones before it, this could be read alone, but you’d enjoy it more knowing about the other characters. Finn and Josh met each other in the previous book, so it would definitely enhance your reading experience if you at least read/listened to that one first. The narrator does a great job with the audiobook. I highly recommend this book.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Angela –
I cannot recall the last time I was interrupted so many times while trying to listen to an audiobook – some people are very lucky I didn’t have weapons handy. In fact, it took me three days to listen to Leaning into Touch and none of that had to do with the story or the narration, but rather life intruding upon my time. Each time I was interrupted, I couldn’t get back to the audiobook soon enough because not only was I intrigued by Finn, the mysterious Irishman, but I was fascinated by just how open of a character Josh was.
Having re-listened to the previous audiobooks in the series prior to starting Leaning into Touch, I realized that Josh is quite possibly the most “what you see is what you get” guy in the tight-knit group of friends – with the exception of his relationship with Finn. Any layer of mystery to Josh is due to him not having figured out that part of his life yet, not because he’s hiding something. He’s a rather refreshing character because he’s so earnest in who he is with his family and friends. Were it not for Eric and Nick’s negative opinion of Finn, I suspect he would have shared his relationship highs and lows with his friends as he had little problem talking about it with his roommate, Grant. As for Finn, the man has been an enigma since his introduction to the series and his seemingly less-than-ethical business practices have merely added to his mysterious persona. Yet, I was woefully unprepared to learn about the ghosts who haunt him. I don’t make a habit of trying to figure out the wounded hero’s baggage while reading or listening to their story, but I would have never come close to guessing Finn’s – which made it so easy for me to understand Josh’s gut-punch reaction to Finn’s revelations. Between Finn’s guilt, Josh’s realization of his need to protect his heart and the steps he takes to do so, and the WHOA! drama that plays out with Josh’s parents, Leaning into Touch was an entertaining rollercoaster ride of a listen. But as expected, Lane provides the perfect happy ending for Josh and Finn that made it worth each heartbreaking moment.
Once again, Nick J. Russo provides a fabulous narrative performance. Having had different narrators for Eric’s story (Clayton) and Nick’s story (Russo), I wasn’t sure what to expect having Russo return to the mic for Josh and Finn’s story. However, having the consistency in Finn’s accent from Nick’s book to Leaning into Touch was perfect – especially as Josh and Finn met in Leaning into the Fall. Not only does Russo make Finn’s Irish accent sexy as can be, but he does a wonderful job at conveying Josh’s raw emotions and vulnerabilities when his world seems to come crashing down around him. There were moments when I wanted to cry for Josh because it was as if I could feel his heart actually breaking and I’m not talking about just his relationship with Finn. I won’t go into those particular scenes because they’re ones I believe each listener should experience for themselves, but Russo’s performance made Lane’s writing even more poignant. Leaning into Touch was an extremely enjoyable audiobook experience that has left me looking forward to the release of the next audiobook in the series as well as more of Lane’s writing and Russo’s narration.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free audiobook copy of Leaning into Touch (Leaning Into Stories #4) by Lane Hayes, narrated by Nick J. Russo to listen to and review.