Heidi Cullinan + Iggy Toma = Excellence !!!

I knew from Amazon reviews this would differ from what I think of as a Heidi Cullinan story and still be Amazing!

Loving & Living w/ your quirks & complications and finding the people to help you flourish is pure Heidi. What's different is how little sex/sexuality is the focus of that process here. There is a dark edge in Special Delivery / Love Lessons series that has been replaced w/ a sweetness reminding me of TJ Klune's Bear, Otter & Kid.

In other words, this is a REALLY good book!

As Heidi started exploring w/ "Baz" in Love Lessons, these characters have different mental/physical complications making them hypersensitive and unable to react the way people w/ average sensitivity do. Heidi manages to get across that people under umbrella terms like Autism Spectrum, Depression/Anxiety & Quadriplegia vary not only from person to person, but within each individual's experience over time. She has written very realistic portrayals of these experiences and the benefits/detriments of the visibility/invisibility of the problems involved. She gets across the depths of their difficulties, joys of love without angst & wallowing.

Carry the Ocean is brilliant and memorable, a surprisingly enjoyable book, definitely worth reading! The abundance of characters and media are handled Beautifully by Iggy Toma.

Like Heidi's Love Lessons series, this is a New Adult book.
Also, while her books often head past R into NC17, this just barely escapes PG13.
It gracefully achieves 5 stars anyway.

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12 people found this helpful

One of my all time FAVORITES - excellent narration

I can’t believe I never formally reviewed this book! It’s literally on my top 10 of favorite MM books EVER!

I’m not going to “’recap”- there are lots of reviews out there that can do that for you.

What I will do is tell you all the wonderful feelings this story gives me.

1) Hope. There are SO MANY issues touched upon in this story from Autism awareness and Depression awareness to the rights of differently abled people and more. What I loved about this is that both POV are given and we get a glimpse in the heads of both guys. (Which is amazing because they are so totally different and the “voices” are so distinct, the author does an amazing job with this aspect.) However, in their own ways both boys start with a “need” and a want or desire (even if Jeremey didn’t have it vocalized at the time accurately) and this book gives them and us hope that things which might seem insurmountable are possible. Maybe even probable given enough faith.
2) Love. These two love each other SOOO much and they also find love in their friends and families that is just as glorious.
3) Humor. Emmet is one of my all time favorite characters. He’s hysterical! He’s flat and direct and subtle and blunt and I adore him and the voice he gives to people who are not on the “mean”.
4) Respect. I respect all the people mentioned in the story and in the story notes that live lives differently and have the courage to write about their experiences and share them with the world – including the author who took such obvious painstaking care in researching this story and making it feel authentic. I also applaud her for being willing to give these guys not only a romance but a sexual relationship and her ease with making it feel both authentic and real and romantic at the same time.
5) Awe. I’m in awe of all that these guys (and people like them) have to overcome and do so with such grace. Stories like this both serve to remind me that my troubles are neither the worst nor the easiest and that everyone has their own “issues” to overcome.
6) Sadness. Probably more so in book two, but there are elements in book one that showcase the small-mindness of people in power who seek to put people in boxes where they can be forgotten or made to feel less than. I wish our world wasn’t like that, but it is and this story shows us the results of that mind set.
7) A desire to live in Iowa. ;) Well maybe not. I have relatives in Iowa and none of them are nearly as cool as those described in this story, but I do feel that there are some places in Iowa that seem to have it figured out in a way that even places as “progressive” as my city of Portland, OR have NOT figured out. I hope they can stand as a model and a blueprint for more and more progressive thinking around the country/world.


I have read this book and now it’s sequel many times and I was literally jumping for joy when I saw the audiobook was out and that Iggy Toma was the narrator. He’s AMAZING. I think he managed to portray Emmet’s flat tones perfectly and yet he absolutely shines when he voices Jeremey’s dark moments. He gives everyone the voice that I had “pictured” in my head (is there a word for imagining a sound in your head… heard in my head?) Anyway, I loved his narration and thought it was just as magical as the story deserved.

I cannot recommend this book enough. If you’re a fan of Ethan , Who Loved Carter by Ryan Loveless or Speechless by Kim Fielding I think you’ll love this.


6 of 5 stars!

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2 people found this helpful

Wow. Disability enabled romance

Lot of good representation going on. Likeable characters that were realistic & relatable. Well, relatable to me. Highly recommended.

My grandmother, as a teen, taught herself rules and scripts for how to look & behave in public. She passed. We only figured out she was on the spectrum because she counted. She counted everything. When she remarried in her 80s, she married a man who delighted in her counting. “How many cars today?” (She counted cars on the main road while having her coffee.) “218 going east & 178 going west.” “Well, isn’t that fine!”. He also didn’t mind losing to her at cards. They were very happy together. This book reminded me of their happiness.

The main characters, Emmet & Jeremey, had realistic, debilitating mental/sensory issues, but strove to live independently, worked well together and even made friends. Not despite their deviation from the norm, but because their deviations made them compatible & comfortable for each other. Their sex life was always made important, which, romance, duh, but critical for characters who struggled to be seen as competent adults who also do normal things like have sex with their boyfriends.

There is also a lot of therapy going on. (I could only wish all therapy was that caring and effective. There is reference to bad therapy but the story doesn’t dwell there.) I found it compelling and necessary to the story rather than preachy. I liked how the need for accommodations is normalized and even made enjoyable like custom fonts, background music, & snotty stickers. Most of the secondary characters model accepting & loving behavior.

The narrator did a really good job of reducing inflection on Emmet’s voice. I enjoyed listening to it and the story as a whole. Might be my favorite thing he’s narrated.

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AMAZING BOOK

this was an awesome story and Iggy Toma did an
excellant job narrating.. I cant wait to read book 2.
it was so insightful, funny heartwarming and just a
great story all round.

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Such a heart-warming, beautifully written story

Thank you so much to Heidi Cullinan for writing this book and Iggy Toma for the narration that brought these characters to life! I knew from the minute I started listening to the first chapter that I was going to love this series so much.

It's close to my heart because I also live with a permanent disability, cerebral palsy, which I have to learn to manage and adapt to my surroundings every day. Even though Emmet has autism and Jeremey struugles with severe depression, I relate to the types of daily challenges they face. I also have a strong desire to be as independent as possible and one day be in a romantic relationship.

I appreciate that Heidi writes so kindly and thoughtfully about Emmet and Jeremey. She makes a point of saying that they're normal but differently-abled people. I also love how descriptive she is about their inner thoughts so I can understand a bit more about these mental disorders, even though they are different for each person. I especially enjoy the logical way Emmet mind works and that he finds no problem with speaking so matter-of-factly to everyone. It's very funny sometimes while still being a great learning experience; this serves to bring levity into a story about such a serious and important topic.

The Roosevelt series will always be dear to me and forever one of my favorites. Thank you Audible for introducing me to this book! I can't wait to listen to the sequel!

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1 person found this helpful

Loved Every Word

I learned so much from this book about different disabilities and how love, no matter what it looks like, can shine through. No character was my favorite, they were all good and no one scene trumped any of the others. This will certainly be read over and over by me.

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Mesmerizing!!

Where does Carry the Ocean rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of the best! Is great writing. A romantic story, the thing is it is already difficult being gay and then comes to life this wonderful story

What was one of the most memorable moments of Carry the Ocean?

Actually several.The firs is when they say carry the ocean, meaning their life and struggle, and the othre one is when Emmet says that you cant live your life expecting always something bad to happen

Have you listened to any of Iggy Toma’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

He is amazing you feel like two different persons reading the story the emotions and the feelings are so real

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. Deep emotions I was so moved with Jeremey' s struggle

Any additional comments?

Loved it.

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Emmet and Jeremey

Bravo Heidi! This was stupendous. Emmet and Jeremey were spot on with their challenges. It left me tearful at moments to see Emmet's struggles and his skills. He still works hard but believes in himself. He's an adult in every sense, it's only outsiders that label him as incapable. Jeremey, how I adored him, he's so kind, sweet, and broken. He sees beyond Emmet's tics to the wonderful man underneath. I loved watching him grow into a man who believed in himself. I'm looking forward to the next book Shelter the Sea.
Standing ovation for you Heidi!

Audiobook: Iggy Tomma is a delight. His voices for Emmet and Jeremey were perfect, but Darren's voice caught my heart. Sheer perfection, Iggy. Bravo!

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'A-' rating...

My Review:
Overall: 4.25
Performance: 4.75
Story: 4.25

Wow, talk about an unexpected story. I honestly wouldn't have expected to enjoy a story written about two characters like Emmet and Jeremey. They are most definitely the most unlikely heroes, but they were wonderful. The story was wonderful. The romance was wonderful. The story line is unexpected, but it was fabulous. Heidi Cullinan (the author) and Iggy Toma (the narrator) both did a phenomenal job with the book. BUT huge, HUGE kudos to Heidi Cullinan for writing such a wonderful, heartwarming, eye-opening story.

Both Emmet and Jeremey have issues holding them back in life. Emmet is incredibly intelligent, but he's also autistic, which makes it very difficult to interact in the world. Jeremey has crippling anxiety and depression, which make it difficult for him to interact in the world. But together, they work. Emmet sees Jeremey and is so open and honest that it makes it easier for Jeremey to be with him.

They definitely don't have an easy life, but they work together. Their commitment to one another works and makes for a great read...as they transverse some huge obstacles to being together. Gah, and those obstacles are not small. I hated Jeremey's family and the way they make his life so much worse. After every interaction, my heart just hurts for him. He's such a good guy.

Note: Iggy Toma was an INCREDIBLE narrator. OMG, so much love for his narration on this novel. It couldn't have been easy and he ROCKED it! I highly recommend it...and most definitely in audio!

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2 people found this helpful

LOVED IT!!

Heidi Cullinan and Iggy Toma can do no wrong together! I listened to the Love Lessons series and have been hooked ever since. I didn't want this book to end!

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