The Understatement of the Year cover art

The Understatement of the Year

Preview

Free with 30-day trial
A 30-day trial plus your first audiobook free.
1 credit/month after trial—to buy any title you like, yours to keep.
Listen all you want to a selection of thousands of Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.

The Understatement of the Year

By: Sarina Bowen
Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Christian Fox
Free with 30-day trial

$16.45/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.
Cancel

About this listen

What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.

Five years ago Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then he's made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself. So it's a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless.

For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team's new left wing could destroy Graham's life as he knows it.

John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it's worse than usual, because the media has latched on to the story of the only "out" player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused. And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.

Rikker didn't exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won't even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former...best friend/boyfriend/whatever isn't doing so well. He drinks too much and can't focus during practice.

Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self-destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won't be easy is the understatement of the year.

Warning: Unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky T-shirts, and a poker-playing grandmother.

©2014 Sarina Bowen (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
Contemporary Contemporary Romance Romance Hockey High School

What listeners say about The Understatement of the Year

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    82
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    90
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    70
  • 4 Stars
    31
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

loved it

This book has it all. It was beautiful and sad and I fell head over heels for these two boys who deserves to find some happiness.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Loved it

Gosh, what a beautiful thought provoking story above love and acceptance. I loved everything about this story and I’m so glad that Michael and Graham found each other again ♥️

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Best book in a very long time!!

This book is well written and inspiring to do better in life, to be a better person to others. Highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Recommend!

This book was so well written and such honest, real life reactions to highs and lows of all aspects of life. Particularly felt the struggles of carrying years of guilt and how that impacts our everyday actions.
The narration as expected was perfection! I am a long time fan of Teddy H, but new to hearing Christian Fox and will definitely be on the look out for his books moving forward. Both narrators did an amazing job with distinct voices for characters, a great job with the female voices, and above all else - made us really feel the pain, heartache, vulnerability, through to joy, love and all that’s in between. Did not disappoint!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Slow burn, Big love

These boys! Kind and smart and damaged and sexy. Performances were lovely to listen to. Passionate and heartbreaking. Closeted and Bigoted stories are always so tough but I just wanted to keep listening and hoping they’d make it together

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Fun and sweet

The book was wonderful and really fun, but emotional and sweet.

The biggest issue I had was with the audio quality. It was a bit grainy but I still enjoyed the book a lot!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Narration is fantastic

I LOVED The Understatement of the Year - there was just the right amount of angst between Rikker and Graham, I only wish there was more of them together. As soon as I finished this, I went straight to Extra Credit, and to the novella about Rikker and Graham. I adore these 2 guys, and was so happy there was more to their story. ALSO - The narration for the audiobook for The Understatement of the Year is SO GOOD!! After finishing the ebook, I decided to purchase the audio, and the narrators were fantastic.

Bella was an interesting secondary character. I'm excited to see what happens next in her book, and what angst she has to go through before she finds her own happy ending.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Bowen, Hamilton and Fox = a winning combination

What is it about masculinity that can cause toxicity? Bowen explores the pressures within a varsity ice hockey team who has a gay player forced on them and the pressures on the two gay players on the team: John who has come to terms with being gay and out, Graham who hasn’t and isn’t. I was very moved by some of the scenes in this book. Good story, great main characters, phenomenal narrative performances!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

So good!

Gah, I loved this so much!! I don't usually read MM but Sarina had well and truly sucked me into the story by this book and the writing was amazing! I loved Rik and G and their story together. Narration was on point as well.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Deceivingly GOOOOOD

I was expecting a cliché plot with a cheesy narrative. Dude, was I WRONG. The plot was interesting and unraveling at a good pace. Every character felt well thought out and with a clear purpose to the story, which is hard to come by in this genre. I also found myself interested in learning the ins and out of hockey. My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.