The Layover

By: Roe Horvat

Narrated by: John Solo

Eight years ago, Ondro Smrek fled Slovakia and the bigotry that drove his first lover to take his own life. The demons proved impossible to outrun, though, and now, desperate for somewhere to belong, Ondro is returning to start over. During a layover in Basel, Switzerland, he meets Jamie, an American living in Scotland who is as brilliant as he is beautiful.

Jaded Ondro never would have guessed he could fall in love during a brief layover — until now. When he is put in a position to offer Jamie comfort without hope of recompense, Ondro doesn’t hesitate. Soon, he catches a glimpse of the home he longs for. But with their separation looming, confessing his feelings would only lead to pain and humiliation. Life has taught Ondro not to hope, but then, he never believed in love at first sight either....

©2017 Roe Horvat (P)2021 Roe Horvat

what traveller has dreamed of an airport romance?!

This was my first by Roe Horvat - I know, I know, I’m late to the game! And now my TBR list is a lot longer!

The Layover is a novella-length story and I love that it’s set in Switzerland and that one of the characters is Slovakian. I love authors that highlight other countries and cultures beyond the three major ones (US, UK, Australia). The world is a fascinating place and I want more of it in my romance stories.

The setting is intriguing - two guys meeting in an airport and having a whirlwind romance that changes everything. It’s a kind of insta-love scenario, which is often associated with being light and fluffy, but this is anything but. It’s a heartfelt and deep.

The audiobook was done by John Solo, he was a great fit for the style and feel of this story. I hope to get more of their collabs.

Absolutely beautiful story!

I enjoyed every minute! Made me cry (old memories) but it was uplifting and left me with a big smile on my face :)

The narrator was amazing!

Absolutely fantastic!

Loved their story, loved the writing. And John Solo always hits it out of the park with his narration. Will definitely be listening to more audiobooks by this author!