See Me

By: TL Travis

Narrated by: TJ Clark

For Raphe Lombardi, life hasn't been easy.

Permanently disfigured by a car crash at the age of nine that claimed the lives of his parents, set him on a never ending path of doctors and painful procedures.

"Never judge a book by its cover, Il mio piccolo", Aunt Sophia would always say, tapping the space above her heart. Trust what's inside. Even beauty sometimes has an evil lurking beneath. Over the years her nickname for me, my little one, was shorted to Mio. Calling me little when I now towered over her five foot frame by more than fourteen inches made it even more adorable to hear her say.

Is it best to see someone for who they truly are, or is it safer to hide in the shadows and avoid risking it all?

Potential triggers: Verbal abuse/bullying, physical assault, self-loathing, self-harm, thoughts of suicide, dealing with death of loved ones.

©2020 TL Travis (P)2024 TL Travis

loved it

I loved this story. TJ Clark's voice really brings this story to life and makes you love the characters even more. Raphe Lombardi's life has not been easy. After being in a car wreak at the age of nine that left him permanently disfigured and emotionally scarred. The neighborhood kids called him a freak. He just wanted to be seen for who he is. Raphe is almost thirty when he sees a hate crime happening outside a bar. He sees no one sees what's happening and runs to help only to find out its one of the kids from long ago. Cooper and Raphe start having feelings for each other. Cooper sees Raphe for who he is. Raphe gets spooked and sends Cooper away. Can Raphe see himself the way Cooper does or will he forever be alone?

2 characters need to overcome their own issues

Not what I normally listen to, but I enjoyed the narrator and the story it takes you on.

Beautiful M/M Story

TJ Clark brought this book to life. His voice was perfectly suited to these characters. Raphael has been through so much trauma as a boy. His scars and physical appearance make him a recluse. He feels he is too broken and damaged to be loved. His meeting Cooper is the result of coming to his rescue. This story is beautifully written. Raphael and Cooper learn to accept and love themselves in order to be loved. TJ Clark has a sultry voice and deep for Rafe and higher for Cooper. Cooper's best friend is a queen and TJ depicts his voice very well.

Heartbreaking

There are a number of triggers in this book so if that bothers you, don’t read/listen to this book. This is such a heartbreaking story most of the way through. Raphael had a tragic event when he was young that left him disfigured. This story reminded me how mean kids and life can be. The story centers around Raphael as a grown up. He has all but given up on love and even any kind of relationship when Cooper comes along. Cooper has his own issues but is attracted to something about Raphael. Listening to how their relationship develops and the secondary characters added to the story. This is one to bring reality back into your life.