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Skin Hungry: An Audio Play

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Ruth is a 74-year old woman.
Rowan is a 23-year-old man.
They’re in love.
And Ruth’s 43-year-old son is freaking the hell out.

Skin Hungry is an age-gap romantic comedy play with some

Audible Audio

Published November 30, 2020

1 person is currently reading
52 people want to read

About the author

Erin Mallon

592 books697 followers
Erin Mallon's debut romantic comedy novel, Flirtasaurus releases in July 2020. She is an award-winning narrator of over 450 books and an accomplished playwright and producer in New York City. She has written over 40 plays, which have been produced Off-Broadway and all over the country, including These Walls Can Talk, a raucous theatrical love letter to the romance audiobook community. She lives in a little yellow house on the outskirts of NYC with her husband and Three J's.

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5 stars
39 (39%)
4 stars
32 (32%)
3 stars
23 (23%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Oyinda.
774 reviews184 followers
January 28, 2021
Book 2 of 2021

As an audiobook loyalist, I'm a sucker for well produced audiobooks. This was my first audio play, and it took the audiobook experience to the next level for me. I enjoyed the cast, the production, and the many sound effects that made this seem so real.

For the story itself, I guess I'm in the minority with my rating. While I enjoyed many parts of this audio play, I didn't really connect with the story or the characters and some events seemed absurd to me.

The romance seemed off and some of the statements and actions made by Roan and Jim rubbed me off the wrong way. Jim needs many lessons in boundaries.

The story achieved some depth towards the end but the journey there was still strange and I was hardly invested in anything the characters were going through.

A lot of people seem to love this one, and I also would personally recommend it simply because of the superb audio production.
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,810 reviews124 followers
November 13, 2020
Not only was this play witty but it was also very touching. The wit added some humor and levity to serious subject matter. I adored the characters they really were unique and easy to fall for.

What I love about each play that I have now listened to by Erin is the way she gets you to connect with the characters in ways you might never have before. I never would have seen the connection between 74 yr old Ruth and 23 yr old Rowan together but she makes you see it as normal as breathing and not only that why wouldn’t you consider it?
Unique is exactly how I would describe this play. MORE PLEASE … Lady, Lady. ;)

The narration honestly PERFECTION each voice actor was exactly who the characters were. Loved it!
Profile Image for Jo - •.★Reading Is My Bliss★.•.
2,429 reviews239 followers
December 25, 2020
Skin Hungry is a short play about a couple with a large age gap who fall in love. There is also another story playing out and they eventually overlap. I love how Erin made me forget about the age gap entirely and how sweet Rowan and Ruth were with each other. He made her feel as vibrant and attractive as she did when she was younger. I love how Rowan handled her son’s reaction to them.

Lots of laugh out loud moments and the narration was wonderful. This was my companion audio read while I was baking Christmas goodies :)
Profile Image for Jess Brady.
Author 1 book167 followers
February 16, 2022
Zachary Webber made this audio for me. I mean seriously, he was just so over the top but also entirely sweet!!!

Ruth is a 74-year-old woman just trying to live her best life after losing her husband when 23-year-old Rowan approaches her in the campus library and as they say, that is that. Thus begins their brand-new love that is full of all sorts of random comments, weird conversations and sweet moments.

BUT enter her 43 year old son who has a very big problem with this relationship as well as his own hang-ups about what it means to have love in your life.

This was equal parts hilarious and touching. The touching part I wasn't entirely expecting but I was 100% here for it.

Narration was on point, obviously!! PJ Ochlan is a new to me narrator and I found I really liked his style so I will be looking for more of his work.

If you want something fun to listen to that will leave you with all the happy feels after laughing your ass off then pick up any one of Erin Mallon's audio plays, you will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Min.
980 reviews12 followers
May 12, 2022
...Wow. This was a lot more profound than expected. The ending may have got me a little teary.

Not sure if I would consider this a rom-com. It was more of a subtle exploration of an elderly mother and son's relationship and the impact that death has on us.

Wish this was longer! The themes touched on were really interesting.
Profile Image for amelia.
318 reviews13 followers
October 23, 2024
this was not what i expected it to be.
Profile Image for Donna Flood.
28 reviews
December 1, 2020
Skin Hungry: An Audio Play
Funny, funny, funny... as well thoughtful, gentle, and provocative.
College student Rowan discovers Ruth in the campus library, where the 74-year-old is having an orgasmic experience from smelling the pages of a book. Jim's reaction to his mother's dating a much younger man is priceless, as he tries to wrap his brain around the idea that his mother has her own needs.

But the play is far deeper than a heartfelt comedy. Pay attention. That’s all I’m going to say.

Skin Hungry is a hilarious age-gap romantic comedy with a touch of tenderness, written by the talented Erin Mallon. The actors nail the performance. Delphi Harrington brings Ruth to life as both a compassionate mother and genuine lover. Zachary Webber’s 23-year-old college student is a hoot. PJ Ochlan plays Ruth’s son Jim, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen is Gina.
Both the play (audiobook) and script (ebook) are available.
Profile Image for Jules.
786 reviews4 followers
December 6, 2020
These kinds of short (1h15) audio plays are new to me. And for once, I only knew half the narrators from prior books. But oh my!

Erin Mallon delivers an outstanding story. The love story between 74-year-old Ruth and 23-year-old Rowan is anything but normal. It's just not. But it's more than just the "uh, you are dating someone elderly,.. why?" question. Even more when Ruth's 43-year-old son, who is struggling himself, comes into the mix. There is no way of really explaining more without giving the twists away. But let me just say, Skin Hungry is not just hungriness for skin and carnal desires, but hunger to get under each others' skins. To see deeper. To get to the ache, to the dark things we hide, and oh my gosh, the ending hit me deep. Just.. just go listen to this.

Would I want another 4 hours of this, exploring more? Sure. But it would take away from the specialness of it, making you think, figuring out where the characters go from here, where they came from, how the events will impact their life.

Fabulous narration from half beloved narrators and half new-to-me actors was outstanding. I am just utterly blown away, so this is one big ramble.
Profile Image for Jodi - JodiReadsnListens.
1,274 reviews50 followers
December 1, 2020
I love all things Erin Mallon! Mallon writes lovable characters that I can never get enough of! Delphi Harrington, Zachary Webber, PJ Ochlan, and Sarah Mollow-Christensen narrate this hilarious and heartfelt audio play. Meet Ruth and Rowan, Ruth a 74 year old widow who lost her husband 2 months prior and is back in college. Rowan is a 23 year old college student, who doesn't care anything about age. He thinks Ruth is hot! Meanwhile, Jim, Ruth's son is still trying not to freak out after finding out about his mom's new lover. Gina is a cuddle therapist helping Jim with all his new found issues.

Erin has written another fantastic audio play! Zachary Webber is deliciously funny as Rowan. His performance made me laugh out loud several times! The rest of the cast were so much fun, and I know I will be listening again, when I just need something to make me happy. As much as I thought I was not gonna want Ruth and Rowan to end up together, I found myself rooting for them! Overall I love everything about this play; Erin always knows how to make me smile!
Profile Image for Jessie.
220 reviews19 followers
November 29, 2020
Uproariously funny and thought provoking, Skin Hungry pleasantly surprised me with the amount of depth and stirred emotion. What you think will just be a comical play about an unconventional situation turns into a story about human connection and how deeply we all crave it in multiple ways.

Erin scratches the surface of living with grief and beautifully connects all of these very different characters together. A true gem in the literary world, I’m yet again blown away with her talent and ability to connect through her work.

This play was superbly casted, I don’t think it would’ve been as effective if it weren’t for every special quality each narrator brings. Delphi, Zach, Sarah and PJ all had me in stitches from laughing and then brought me right into my feels with their performances. Skin Hungry is a fantastic story that I highly encourage everyone to listen to. It’s not what you’ll expect, it’s so much more and so much better.
Profile Image for Crystal.
2,512 reviews64 followers
December 4, 2020
Based on the blurb and the countless narrations I've heard by Erin Mallon, I went in thinking that this would be a romcom. And while it was, it also wasn't, but was also so much more. The relationship between 74 year old Ruth and 23 year old Rowen was amazing. It was effortless and perfect. The very definition of age being nothing more than a number. Where things fell flat for me here, was just that the story (play) was too short and there wasn't enough time for total development. And damn it, I wanted details on how this all went down, sex and all!

Jim and Gina were both great side characters who added a more serious side to the plot. At first, I wasn't sure why they were there, taking time away from my Ruth and Rowen, but things eventually came together. And that little plot twist at the end? Perfect!

I thought the narrators were all perfectly cast and they did great jobs. This was my first book written by Erin Mallon, but won't be the last.
Profile Image for kgagnon.
2,387 reviews1 follower
December 6, 2020
I absolutely loved this funny and heartfelt audio play! It is about 4 lonely people who have a severed connection to those they once loved, and are lost without it. They are all unique with their quirks and flaws and react very differently in their relationships. But they all had the same willingness to reach out, to be vulnerable, and look for someone who would respect and cherish them back. Mallon created a thoughtful, hilarious, and emotional story with wonderfully quirky but recognizably human characters. There were many hilarious and awkward moments, but several very emotional and stunning moments as well. This quick listen was brought to life beautifully by these amazing and very talented voice actors, Delphi Harrington, Zachary Webber, PJ Ochlan, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen. I really enjoyed all their outrageous and heartfelt deliveries. They really nailed these characters so perfectly, and I was completely invested right from the start.
Profile Image for Veronica Ticker.
901 reviews61 followers
January 2, 2021
(audiobook) Wow. Just wow. The author definitely knows how to make you go from the highest high to the lowest low.

Her typical humor–with lots of sarcasm and quirky personalities–is ever present. The conversations are fast paced and captivating. But you also get some heavy feelings of grief and loss and regret, that’ll probably bring a few tears.

The age gap romance made me think of Harold and Maud. It’s the connection of two lost souls and it’s beautiful. I loved that you get a glimpse of every character’s background but not too many details. You’re left guessing what brought them here, at that moment in their life where they connect with each other.

As for the narration, it’s perfection. The casting choices are spot on and all the narrators give their best to convey the deep emotions of their character. It’s definitely a play you want to listen to, instead of just reading the words.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
774 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2021
A smash hit from the 1st stage direction!

Skin Hungry had me giggling from the start. Playwright Erin Mallon has a distinct style of humor that will have you laughing out loud, and Skin Hungry is no exception! Through wit, sarcasm, and outrageously funny dialogue, this audio play touches on important human experiences. Erin’s talent for writing quirky, unique characters and hilarious, albeit disturbing (in the funniest way) plot is refreshing and unparalleled. It’s sweet, funny, thoughtful, and a little messed up.

The entire cast gave stellar performances. Their dedication to the character was evident from the start. It was easy to visualize each scene in the mind’s eye. Zachary Webber’s performance was hilarious and unlike any narration of his I’ve listened to. Delphi Harrington’s range of performance is incredible. PJ Ochlan & Sarah Mollo-Christensen have amazing chemistry and their back and forth is outrageous. “Raise your nips” to this awesome audio play.
Profile Image for Smutty Feminist.
115 reviews11 followers
November 30, 2020
I loved Skin Hungry – such an interesting, surprising story! Typically, I don’t lean towards age gap stories but this audio play was an exception for me. Mallon wrote about the relationship between 74-year-old Ruth and 23-year-old Rowan with the humor and skill I’ve come to expect (and love!) from her work. I also enjoyed the ways Ruth and Rowan’s stories intertwined with the two other main characters – Gina, the cuddle therapist and her new client, Jim. Narrators Delphi Harrington (Ruth), Zachary Webber (Rowan), Sarah Mollo-Christensen (Gina), and PJ Ochlan (Jim) were perfectly cast and had me laughing, grieving, and working through my emotions in the same way their characters did. So many emotions and laughs in under two hours – and all through a story unlike anything I’ve ever read/listened to before. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Patricia.
162 reviews
November 17, 2020
I had the pleasure of listening to this audio play performed live and now with the final audio format and let me tell you, if I loved it before, I love it even more now. The casting is really superb! The cadences in the performance and all the emotion was done so well giving these characters so much truth and life. The writing is spot on! Erin Mallon explores a different side of the human need to connect, to be appreciated, to be listened to and to simply be accepted. IT is a very universal story when you think of it, but this particular situation gives the circumstance depth and once can't help but empathize and be completely swept away. A real experience if you are in need of something a little deeper and real.
Profile Image for Theresa.
1,191 reviews
December 10, 2020
I absolutely loved this! Ruth and Rowan made the cutest couple. All Rowan saw was a woman he was seriously attracted to. Didn't matter than he was 23 and Ruth was 74. The truly did fit together.

And Ruth's son was so neurotically hilarious. He seemed to be the only one freaking about his mother and Rowan's relationship. Clearly, there were plenty of laughs, but overall it was a great story that snuck in a few feelings. A pleasant surprise.

Rowan was a hoot, and I don't think anyone other than Zachary could have narrated him. He's just got all this energy, and you don't know which way that energy will go. I adore him so much! Delphi Harrington, PJ Ochlan, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen were all great.
Profile Image for Cyndi Marie ☆★Audiobook Addict★☆.
1,621 reviews159 followers
November 10, 2020
🎧 Audio Review 🎧

Another fun and witty audio play by Erin Mallon. I first watched a recording of this play and loved it and i knew when the audio play released I needed to listen to it. The play is funny, emotional and touched on some very hard situations. I think that is what I love about Erin's plays, they all have serious situations and hard topics but she writes them with so much humor. I have no sense of humor but Erin always makes me laugh.

The narration of this play was perfect. Delphie & Zachary and then Sarah & PJ all really played so well off of each other. You can feel the connections but also hear the fun they had recording this play.
Profile Image for Mel.
376 reviews14 followers
November 30, 2020
Audio Review!

Skin Hungry is a unique and heartfelt audio play written by Erin Mallon. I loved all of the narrators! The casting was perfect and they were each wonderful for each specific character. Erin Mallon's writing is so witty and fun, yet serious and heartfelt. This story explores the simple human need to connect, to be appreciated, to be touched, and to just be accepted as you are. There were lots of laugh-out-loud moments, yet still some deep and thought-provoking moments too! A quick listen, and definitely worth the time to listen and connect! I loved it!
Profile Image for Favey_Listens.
930 reviews14 followers
January 14, 2021
I was lucky to attend the live event in the Aural Fixation FaceBook group, so I was already familiar with the story and the performers; however, the brilliant performances of this thoughtful, witty, adorable, and powerful story make this a must listen! The story itself is fun, funny, witty, and thought provoking with an emotional level I could not have anticipated going in. All of the performers really deliver amazing performances with the perfect amount of emotion for each respective scene. This is a short listen, but well worth your time!
Profile Image for Patty.
5,139 reviews55 followers
November 11, 2021
I saw this performed live and fell in love with it. Four people. completely different, but somehow find solace and companionship together. An unexpected senior female approached by a twenty something man who will have you in stitches! And the second couple just looking for that human touch. Mallon easily takes their loneliness and creates a happiness for both with love and humor. And the cast is incredible. I was laughing out loud and enjoying each of the encounters. It's a surprising combination of quirky characters and is sure to make you giggle.



Profile Image for Bernadette Mercado.
76 reviews5 followers
November 30, 2020
Another great play by Erin Mallon. Hooks you from the beginning till the end. Zachary Webber had me laughing so hard all throughout the book and PJ Ochlan just broke me in the end. Sarah Mollo-Christensen and Delphi Harrington were both wonderful as well. This is a quick listen and I may relisten another time. Highly recommend it!
Profile Image for Trish- Late Knight Luna Reads.
2,286 reviews20 followers
December 1, 2020
Another great story from Erin Mallon. I didn’t know audio plays were a thing until her. Skin Hungry is funny, witty and full of emotion. I laughed out loud many times during the story. But it has heart too. Although it was only about hour and 15 minutes, it’s well rounded. I definitely wouldn’t mind if it was longer. I’m looking forward to the next audio play.
Profile Image for Tracey Fandre.
474 reviews23 followers
December 16, 2020
This was so unique and different. The narrators were fantastic. The characters were quirky and hilarious. There were touching moments and sad moments as well as the hilarity that ensued. It was short and sweet.
Profile Image for Martha.
759 reviews36 followers
January 15, 2021
I love Erin's plays, she makes you feel like you know the characters, like they are your friends.

The play was witty, funny, and touching. The audio was superb. All the narrators did a fantastic job!
Really enjoyed it.

Profile Image for Devon Gilbreath.
376 reviews1 follower
June 1, 2023
That was fun, quick, and weird. Lol. It’s short so not much of a lengthy review.
1. Cuddle therapy does sound nice. Lol.
2. Rowan and Ruth are cute.
3. Jim needs some real therapy. Lol

A good listen if you need something quick and fun to listen too!
2 reviews
Read
November 30, 2020
This book is amazingly written! It has a ton of humor which I love, with the perfect amount of emotion. The narration is so great! I 100% recommend this book, you will not regret it!
Profile Image for Barb.
925 reviews16 followers
December 4, 2020
Sweet, funny and poignantly sad all at once. I loved it.
Profile Image for Mayar Mahdy.
1,816 reviews1 follower
December 5, 2020
2.5/5

It felt kinda random. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews

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