Audible's Lastest Trans Rom-Com: More Me With You by Alex Bertie

Looking for free LGBTQ+ audiobooks from Audible? This one's a gem.

MORE ME WITH YOU

Written by Alex Bertie

Narrated by Harrison Knights

AUDIBLE ORIGINAL

THURSDAY 15th June 2023

SUMMARY FROM AUDIBLE:

Will is in Bristol for a brand-new start. He’s got his outrageous flatmate, Emma, his job at the bookshop and he’s totally infatuated with Gus. A French Bulldog. An actual relationship with an actual man seems about as real as the science fiction novels Will stacks on shelves all day long. And then into his life walks Ben.

Ben is all the things Will isn’t: confident, charming (bordering on cocky), popular, a Jiu-Jitsu champion, and generally deflecting life’s problems as easily as dodging a clumsy throw on the mat. Whereas Will comes out in a rash at the thought of public speaking, he’s been too way nervous to try dating apps and he’s let his social life go stale since he moved to this big beautiful city.

What starts as unfriendly rivalry grows into friendship and then blossoms into something more…and soon Will and Ben are bonding over their shared love of comic books and loaded burritos. Will feels like he can open up to Ben in a way he never has before. Except…there’s one truth Will doesn’t know how to share. How will Ben react if he knows? It’s time for Will to come out with it, even if it changes everything…because the most important person he needs to be true to is himself.

REVIEW:

MORE ME WITH YOU is Audiable's latest original queer romance. Set in Bristol, it follows Will, a young trans man who recently moved in with his best friend Emma for a fresh start away from his hometown in Kent. But Will's dating life is currently non-existent. With help from Emma, he decides to try his hand at dating apps, being persuaded to visit the local club and actually meet a few possible matches in person... with some less-than-desirable results. That is until Ben, the Ju-Jitsu champ that beat Will in his last competition, turns up at work.

The writing is a sharp and funny take on the modern-day queer experience with plenty of insider nods to queer culture. Alex Bertie's choice to focus so heavily on the very real struggles of dating (both in person and online) as a trans gay man is something we don't see enough of in modern queer fiction and a very welcomed addition to the story.

The characters in this book are warm and personable. Will is this wonderful combination of constantly anxious, and endearing which slowly builds to a quiet confidence - this man is a goddamn cinnamon roll. Ben is a cocky-turned-charming love interest and someone who grows on you quite quickly - also a goddamn cinnamon roll. Emma is a powerhouse of queer love and the epitome of what chosen family means to so many - the queer bestie that everyone deserves.

This story itself covers a hell of a lot for such a short novella - the trials and tribulations of dating as a trans person, the struggles of working in retail, a love of sci-fi books, 90s music, robotics, horror mazes, comics and bookshops (the last few being some of my favourite things). There's also a very unfortunate incident with a packer.

Harrison Knight's performance is rich and easy to listen to - a wonderful choice for this cosy contemporary rom-com.

More Me With You is a delightfully fresh three-hour listen. It's a wonderful combination of queer slice-of-life romance, a love letter to nerd culture and everyone's favourite romance trope - rivals to lovers (find more queer rivals to lovers recs HERE).

Thank you to Henrietta at Midas PR for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

More Me With You is available exclusively from Audible Originals.

Rep: trans & gay MC, bisexual LI, sapphic SC

Tropes: rivals to lovers, forced proximity, workplace romance

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alex Bertie a YouTuber, author and graphic designer from Dorset. You may know Alex Bertie from his YouTube channel "Alex Bertie" where he spent ten years documenting his life giving us an unfiltered insight into life as a trans man.

You can find Alex's Youtube Channel HERE and read more of his work in Trans Mission: My Quest To A Beard as well as his contributions in Proud, edited by Juno Dawson.