The Prodigal Son

The Goode Brothers

De: Sara Cate

Narrado por: Teddy Hamilton, Dane Anderson, Ava Lucas

I’ve been alone long enough.

As a chart-topping country singer, I’m living the dream. While my family is all back in Austin, embracing their happily-ever-afters, I’m on the road on a sold-out tour.

I should feel ecstatic, yet all I am is lonely.

Maybe that’s why I find myself drawn to a fan who pops up at one of my shows. Something about the way he watches me on stage has me thinking…he knows my secret. And after the first kiss, I can’t seem to let him go. But Jensen Miles has some secrets of his own:

He isn’t just a regular fan. He’s a preacher.

And not just any preacher—the new preacher at my dad’s church.

Where I come from, preachers don’t have filthy mouths and dirty hookups, let alone with a male country singer.

But Jensen has scars like mine. They just run deeper.

We can’t stay away from each other, though. One night turns into nearly every city of the tour; the two of us sneak around backstage, onto tour buses, and in hotel rooms. And while I’ve never been happier…I’m tired of hiding.

With Jensen, I might be able to escape the monsters from my past—even if the scariest one has just been set free. With Jensen, we can outrun our demons together.

With Jensen, I’m finally ready to come home.

©2025 Sara Cate (P)2025 Sara Cate

Tough topics handled so well

The overall story was great! Really tough to read/hear at times. What both these characters went through was heartbreaking, Jensen especially. The narrators were fabulous. So much emotion portrayed by Teddy and Dane. From sadness to anger to anxiety to passion, they played all of it so well, so believable. Ava did a great job with all the female characters too; they just weren't as deep as the men.

What an excellent end to The Goode Brothers series. Sara Cate knocked another out of the ballpark for sure!

Amazing Narration

Dane Anderson & Teddy Hamilton ripped my heart out, stomped on it, and put it back together again with their performance in this by the literary genius Sara Cate . This has to be the strongest most powerful m/m l have read/listened to ever. Also in true Sara fashion, you can expect an HEA but not without a few bumpy emotional rollercoasters. 10/10 recommend.

Wow! Powerful, emotional & healing. What a story!

WOWZA! I knew Isaac's story was going to be emotional, but listening to this was heartbreaking at times. Sara Cate delivers a very moving & beautiful story about 2 tortured souls, who yearn to find love & be loved without guilt or shame from others.

Theo Virgil is the chart-topping country singer who has kept his true identity, Issac Goode, a secret for years. He's had loads of success, but at the end of the day, he's a lonely man. He's had to deal with a very strained family relationship the past few years because of his sexual orientation. He sets out on his own, leaving his brothers behind. He misses his family but is hopeful that one day, they will all be reunited.

He meets Jensen one night after one of his concerts & their chemistry is instantaneous.🔥 Jensen has secrets as well, and they are hard & so painful. These two try to help each other navigate love, coming out & working through traumatic pasts together. It's a story about healing & hope, reuniting with loved ones & recognizing that LOVE is LOVE. "Nothing is hopeless."

This book is FIRE ya'll. The scenes are HOT & touching. I found myself rooting for these two so hard! There's tension, angst & steam that will leave you needing to fan yourself!

🎤Let's talk narration: Teddy Hamilton just absolutely BLEW me away in this performance. His portrayal of Issac was spectacular, voicing all the hurt, pain & rejection Issac experiences, and the new & exciting feelings he has for Jensen. Dane Anderson was terrific as well. Here's a man who only wants to do what's right but has been told his whole life that he's wrong. Listening to what happened to Jensen in his youth & the pain he experienced was agonizing. I was completely engrossed in this story because of these two narrators. Absolutely tremendous! 🙌

There are some VERY heavy topics covered in this story, and all are handled so beautifully & with genuine care. This story is powerful & is one that will stick with you for a very long time. As someone who dealt with the death of a brother who hid his sexuality from his family because of shame, finding out after his death, made this story HIT IN THE BIGGEST WAY! This story is beautiful & healing & everyone can benefit from listening to it as a human.
Issac + Jensen forever 🤘 Please read the trigger warnings before going in.

Thank you, @saracatebooks, for a copy of the ALC. The Goode Brothers series has been fantastic!

“Goode” Conclusion to the series!

Overall, I really enjoyed Prodigal Son and would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. It’s an emotionally heavy story about two men—Isaac, a country music star hiding his sexuality, and Jensen, a southern pastor still carrying the deep emotional trauma of attempted conversion therapy. Their love story felt raw and powerful, and I appreciated that Sara Cate didn’t shy away from the harder topics like religious shame, fear, and internalized guilt.

This book had a lot of emotional depth, and I definitely found myself rooting for both characters as they navigated their relationship while unpacking so much pain from their pasts. Jensen’s journey especially stood out to me—it was layered and heartbreaking.

What kept this from being a full 5 star read for me was the reconciliation between two key series long characters toward the end. It felt a little too neat and convenient, like it was meant to tie things up in a bow rather than reflect how those dynamics would realistically play out. I didn’t hate it—just didn’t fully land for me.

Still, this was a beautifully written story about identity, healing, and choosing love in the face of everything trying to hold you back. If you’re into emotional romances with heavier themes and strong character growth, this one is definitely worth picking up! The audiobook narrators Teddy Hamilton, Dane Anderson, and Ava Lucas did a great job with their performances!

I loved every second!

Oh my gosh, was this a fantastic wrap-up for the Goode boys. Isaac and Jensen have an incredibly emotional journey, and I loved every second. They have both come from such traumatic pasts, and seeing them grapple with that felt so real. I love how palpable their connection is and how much they make each other better. Seeing them work through everything to find happiness was so heartwarming. I absolutely love these two so very much. Such a fantastic read!