Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Audio Rating: 4.25 stars
Narrators: Liam DiCosimo and Wyatt Baker
Length: 8 hours, 46 minutes
Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks
Jackson and Oliver meet when they are the only two survivors of a train crash where they are trapped in the dark for days. The two men bond in unexpected ways, but when they are rescued, Jackson disappears quickly. Oliver learns that Jackson has a dark past, but Oliver knows he never would have survived without Jackson. Except now his heart has to survive without him.
Six years later, Oliver’s life looks a little different. He and his daughter are on their own and Oliver’s PTSD makes working and finances difficult. He tried to get in touch with Jackson many times, but Jackson never responded. Oliver tried to move on, but his heart still calls out for Jackson. His job at the bank barely keeps his small family afloat, but one day Jackson walks back into his life. Although the men don’t recognize each other, they still call to each other.
Jackson has been beaten down by life and circumstances time and again and this time is no different. He wants to be with Oliver in a way he never wanted anything before. But Jackson isn’t allowed to want nice things and it’s only a matter of time until he is forced to run again. But destiny has a way of reuniting them and, once again, Jackson and Oliver will find each other and maybe this time will be for all time.
Show Me Wonders is the third book in Riley Nash’s Water, Air, Earth, Fire series and is definitely my favorite of the series. There are cameos from Jonah and Gray from the second book, Make Me Fall, and Jackson is Scout’s older brother from Nash’s newer book, Bad Dogs, but mostly this book can stand on its own, which is also in its favor. With points of view from both Oliver and Jackson, it’s a character-driven book of finding unending love in the unlikeliest of places.
Oliver and Jackson are so very different, but that doesn’t stop them from being able to hold each other together. Oliver relies on Jackson when they are buried by a tunnel collapse and Jackson never knew anyone could show him any kindness. Jackson’s life has been filled with gangs and violence and prison and he really doesn’t even believe a better life is an option for him, as guys like him don’t get any breaks.
When Oliver and Jackson meet again, I had to really decide to go with the fact that they don’t recognize each other. They spent trauma-filled time in the train in the dark, but still it was a hurdle for me to get past. But it’s clear to see how much they need each other and have longed for each other through the years. Jackson hasn’t ever dated and Oliver is the only one to make him want physical intimacy, while Oliver had been in a terrible marriage to a woman and had never been attracted to a man before. For Jackson, Oliver is home and safety and all the good in the world. All of the things he feels he can never have and has really no idea how to fit into a domestic scenario.
Nothing is easy for these men and being together doesn’t automatically make everything right itself, but they are better together and it was captivating to see them finally get the happy ever after they deserve.
Liam DiCosimo and Wyatt Baker offered dual narration for this audio. While they both have plenty of narrations to their name, I have not been oversaturated with their work and it was nice to have voices I was not overly familiar with. I enjoyed both of their performances, as they alternated chapters where we were given both Jackson and Oliver’s points of view. The book tackles difficult situations and both narrators gave the characters the emotion needed to elevate the story. While neither performed a female voice that was pleasant for me to listen to, those parts were smaller.
I enjoyed this book, the characters, and the journey I got to go on with them. The audio version offered another layer to that story and made me wish there was more for these guys even after the final word and it’s a great way to enjoy this book.
