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MonicaB - The Accidental Romance Blogger

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Not centered on the romance

Overall
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-28-25

Soledad Barnes is a domestic goddess. She's the "cool mom", the supportive wife, the loyal friend, the party planner. Her picture perfect life comes to a screeching halt when an FBI raid leaves her confused, betrayed and helpless. Now, she sees herself picking up the pieces and trying too keep her formerly tight ship afloat.

Things get complicated when the only man she feels drawn to is the man she can't have.

I love Kennedy Ryan and she can't write a bad book but I have to confess I was a little disappointed. She writes epic romances and this story (though it ticks the HEA/HFN boxes) is definitely a journey of healing, overcoming things, but the romance is very secondary here, as you can see by me not even mentioning the MMC in my summary...

Judah is swoony. A divorced dad of twin boys in the autism spectrum, he's the stuff dreams are made of and I would have loved their romance to have taken center stage.

It is a bad book? Heavens, no! It's a wonderful book, but if you are expecting and epic Kennedy Ryan romance like I was, you'll have to adjust your expectations.

The audiobook is narrated by Ines del Castillo and Jakobi Diem. It was my first time listening to Ines and I loved her performance. She took the brunt off narrating here and she did a great job, especially with the Spanish peppered throughout. Jakobi is swoony as Judah and he's very convincing as this man who's finally learning what it feels real love. Great performances.

I was also touched by the great representation here. Kennedy Ryan knows first hand what it's like to be the parent of a neurodivergent child and she deals with the subject with truth and care.

A wonderful story of a woman growing into her full potential and who finds a man worthy of her.

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Loved it!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-20-25

When you get throat punched and hit on the head with a shovel by a girl, you have to be intrigued. That’s what happens to Rafe. He knew Lulu Sonnet is best friends with his brother’s girlfriend and he knew she was coming to stay at the main house, but not knowing she arrived early, he surprises her and almost finds his demise in her hands. 

This meet cute from hell turns into banter and in a very rom-com-y fashion, Lulu comes to him with a proposition: pose as her boyfriend in a video call with her parents. Things escalate quickly and soon Rafe finds himself heading to Lulu’s grandfather’s 80th birthday bash, where he has to reprise his role of doting boyfriend. As quid pro quo, she will accompany him to his boss’s wedding so that he can avoid the very intense advances of the groom’s daughter. 

All this forced proximity, one-bedness starts to make things feel very reel. They are definitely attracted to each other but Lulu is moving to Paris, so why even try?

This lovely and swoony audiobook is narrated duet style by Vanessa Edwin and Sean Master and it’s a delight from start to finish. Vanessa shines as Lulu - sassy, funny and all around fun. You want her to be your best friend. Sean was perfectly cast as Rafe, the man who’s not really looking for any permanent relationship but who’s completely smitten by hurricane Lulu. He definetely convinces you that “he fell first”. 

“Wildcat” and “Loverboy” are perfect for each other. We also get cameos of the Magnolia Falls crew, especially the adorable Beefcake! And the epilogue leaves you wanting the next book badly!

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So touching!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-16-25

Stevie and Maverick were joined at the hip when they were children, until 10-year-old Maverick said something mean and things escalated to a point where, more than a decade later, they barely tolerate each other. Their families are best friends so they keep it civil but they don't hide they can't stand each other. 

When Maverick's mom, who's terminally ill, asks them to go on a date as her dying wish, Stevie is horrified. She gets even more horrified when Maverick agrees. She shouldn't be surprised as he adores his mother.  Fake dating, obviously. And off on terrible dates they go until they start to miss what they had when they were friends... and when Stevie comes with a proposition to Maverick, everything changes. 

I have loved the Wildcats series from book 1 and I loved that this book was going to be about Maverick, Rush's roommate. It hit me in the feels hard. It deals with grief and how to cope with all the feelings that come with it. The loss of a parent is something that hits you in a visceral way, especially when it's a loving and beloved one. I loved how, even though she still harbored resentment towards Mav, Stevie was THERE for him and it was touching and beautiful. After all she was mourning too. 

The audiobook is narrated dual style by Megan Wicks and Robert Hatchett and it's amazing. Megan's voice suits Stevie, who's a little snarky, a little sassy and also a little insecure. Robert's warm and melodious voice gives us the cocky and arrogant star athlete, but also the lost and grief-stricken son. You just want to hold him in the palm of your hand and tell him things will be fine. It's that good!

If you are a fan of the Wildcats, you'll love this one with the childhood friendships, the banter, being each other's many firsts, a mother's dying wish that shows how much she knows and loves these two kids, a lot of grieving and a lot of healing and a lovely HEA. 

You'll catch up with all the Wildcats and the epilogues (yes, plural) spanning years will get you all teared up. Lovely!

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Daddy Wilson and Baby Girl

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-13-25

I knew we'd need this story from the moment Wren, Coach Wilson's daughter's best friend, called him "Daddy Wilson". There was this element of innocent flirtation  but you could tell that there was something in that "joke". He harrumphed and rejected the nickname but what we didn't know at the time was that it was affecting him in ways he definitely wasn't expecting. And Wren's dad is HIS best friend!  Yes, what a mess, but stoic Tom,Wilson has been resisting Wren bravely.... Until she's assigned as the person who will accompany him to broker an art deal for a painting he's been wanting forever. Little detail: it's in NYC, they share a hotel suite and they get showed in. Poor Coach Wilson never stood a chance. 

This audiobook is narrated in duet by Janine Granda and Sebastian York and it's everything I wanted for these two characters. Janine is lovely as the sassy Wren and who could voice Coach Wilson better than Sebastian York. They are absolutely amazing in this!

I know most people have an ick factor with big age gaps (we are talking 19 years here) but Jenni makes the attraction between them very organic: Wren's develops from a teenage crush to full blown when she's a grown woman and Coach Wilson's gaze only changes when she's an adult.

There is obviously a lot they have to unpack (especially since Avery, Coach's daughter and Wren's best friend, is really disturbed by the turn of events) but it all works perfectly at the end.

A short audiobook with amazing performances! You get to revisit the Revs and get snowed in NYC! Win in!

Representation: FMC has endometriosis

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Just lovely!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-10-25

Charlotte and Seth are neighbors who haven't met until a construction disaster traps them in their building. She's an accountant who's forced to stay indoors because she's been hiding from a stalker. He's an arborist who just literally (as in that day) got officially divorced and is recovering from a fall that hurt his foot. 

Forced together by circumstances that make them share space and time together during the Valentine's Day weekend, they'll let their guards fall and get to know each other. They are both, in one way or another, "a fall risk". 

I am always in awe of Abby's stories and also how she can pack a whole satisfying story, with pretty fleshed out characters, in such a short time.  Even the secondary characters are fun ( I loved Izzy!!!). 

The audiobook is a joy! Narrated in duet by two of my all time favorites, Julia Whelan and Connor Crais, who are flawless in this short but adorable story. 

Take a couple of hours to enjoy this and guarantee a smile on your face when you are done, you won't be disappointed!

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Gripping and touching

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 03-09-25

When Devon Mayes, who's finishing her training to become a therapist, loses a patient, her supervisor urges her to take time off and work on her own issues as a trauma survivor herself.  That means going back to Arkana, Oklahoma, where she grew up, and confronting her traumatic upbringing as a closeted bi woman in a highly religious and conservative town. She also has to face her own guilt involving the suicide of her best friend Summer and her complicated and unresolved feelings towards Summer and her twin brother, Keaton.

When she arrives run Arkana, secrets buried deep start resurfacing, including ones that may reveal that Summer did not take her own life.

Told in two timelines, the present and 2012, including entries from Summer's diary, the story grips you from the first chapter and doesn't let you go. You get deeply involved in the mystery but most of all you get touched by the struggles of a young girl trying to navigate being queer in a very hostile environment.

Devon is flawed, still working on herself. Keaton wasn't expecting her return and how it would change his life completely.

This book is touching, also full of social commentary without being "preachy". It's a journey into acceptance, forgiveness and finally love.

The audiobook is brilliantly narrated by Samantha Brentmnoor who knocks it out of the park. Her ability to show so much emotion and such nuance through her voice never ceases to amaze me. Every single character is unique in her performance. Stellar.

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Oh, Clay Braden! I

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-27-25

When Clay 'Mr. Perfect' Braden's friend asks him to go to Paris to watch Johnny Bad's farewell concert, he only accepts it because he finds out that Dr. Pepper Montgomery is going with her family for the event. The dreamy quarterback has been pining for the scientist for a while now but she magically disappears every time he is around. 
Pepper can't say no to going to see her twin sister's band open for Bad Reputation and she basically ran out of excuses. And it's Paris! Who says no to Paris? She would never hear the end of it. She had no idea, though, that the man who makes her want to forget work and throw caution to the wind was also going to be there. A girl can only resist so much. A few drinks, the City of Lights, that gorgeous man... She can let her hair down for one day and be... Reckless. 
I wasn't ready for Clay Braden! I should've been, after all he's a Braden, but when Melissa created 'Mr.Perfect', she was not joking. Pepper never stood a chance. This book is swoony, lighthearted, without losing Melissa's special gift of touching on serious subjects with a delicate hand. 
The audiobook  will have you dizzy with all the swooning. Narrated dual style in first person POV by Savannah Peachwood and Christian Fox, it's unputdownable. Savannah does an incredible job portraying the skittish scientist who finally dips her toes into being Reckless (capital  R there). Christian's voice is everything you could hope for when you have a character that goes by Mr. Perfect. The swagger, the cockiness, but most of all, the tenderness Clay has for Piper are all there in his performance. ALL the stars. 
As it always happens in Melissa's books, we have the families. These two families - The Montgomerys and the Bradens - have a place in my heart and I loved catching up with beloved characters. It can, though, be read as a standalone. 

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Loved Otto and Raven!

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-13-25

Otto Hudson is as loyal as it gets. That means he will do anything to protect those he loves. ANYTHING. So, when Raven Tayte, hist best friend's little sister needs a place to stay, he immediately steps up and tells her she can stay with him at his place. Actually, that is dangerous - for him - because Otto has been fighting all these feelings he has towards Raven for the past seven years. They've always been close, but when he came out of prison and found her all grown up, she is the star of all his thoughts.

Raven has loved Otto since she didn't know what that meant. He's been her rock, her protector and the only person she's ever ever truly felt safe with. Now, living under the safe roof, she will make him see her in a different way.

Otto's past is dark, his soul is tormented. Raven is a survivor from unspeakable things. Both carry secrets that just be too much to keep, especially when these secrets are coming for them...

Oh my, Amy! I was wrapped into this emotional and suspenseful story from beginning to end, "Moonflower" and "Burly Bear" are so meant for each other that you root for them from the start.

Book 2 in the Moonlit Ridge series, it can be read as a standalone but you do catch up with beloved characters, even from Redemption Hills.

The narration is done dual style with Desirée Ketchum and Connor Crais flexing all their acting muscles. Raven is vulnerable but fun and determined and passionate and we see it all in Desirée's performance. Oh, give Connor a badass, morally gray, tough as nails obsessed hero and he'll make you fall for him hook, line and sinker. Phenomenal performances!

I loved going back to this small town, visiting with these characters. Yes, they do some pretty dark things, but you can't blame them. A wonderful age gap, brother's best friend, protective hero, "it's always been you", found family tale that will have you swooning.

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Perfect little story

Overall
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
5 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 02-05-25

Former boxing champion and gym owner, Brock Garner is going nuts. It all started when he hired Cree Redmond, this combat boot wearing, tattooed raven-haired pixie. He can't keep his eyes off her, but she's his sister's friend and she has big, biker boyfriend.
Cree is at wit's end. She doesn't know what else to do to make Brock see her. She's caught off guard when, one day, he hears her sing.. and he can't hold back any longer. 
I was so happy when she released this novella featuring two side characters in the Seaside series that we had come to love and now I am thrilled that it came out in audio with two favorite narrators!
It is narrated dual style by Sean Masters and Samantha Brentmoor. Samantha is wonderful as always, showing us a spunky Cree. Sean was perfectly cast as the loyal, besotted former boxer who can't keep his eyes off his employee. 
A sweet and spicy chapter in the Seaside Summers, but it can definitely enjoyed as a standalone. Perfect to get into the Valentine's Day mood! 

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It's ok

Overall
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Story
3 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 01-14-25

If you have been reading Ana Huang, you've met Asher Donovan, as he's been giving Sloane, the publicist extraordinaire, her first gray hairs with his antics. He's a living legend, the star of the Premier League and a royal pain in the you know what. His recent trade to Blackcastle and his feud with his new captain are causing trouble. The feud even even cost them a championship. Now, the coach is forcing them to bond with an unorthodox off-season training regimen: ballet lessons. To make things even more complicated, their trainer will be Scarlett DuBois, his nemesis' sister and a girl he had unknowingly met and can't stop thinking about.
Scarlett's dancing career was cut short by a terrible car accident. She's now a teacher at a highly prestigious dance school and she avoids footballers like the plague. Now, she's having to train Asher alone as her brother had to leave town for an emergency. The dance lessons, the shared moments... they show them they belong together. But there is that feud...
I have been reading/listening to Ana since way before she blew up and I'm a big fan. However, since King of Sloth, I haven't been wowed as I normally am. The Striker had every element of a good Ana book but it's just... average.  I saw very little character development in Scarlett (and we have 14 hours in the audiobook, so we had time for that to happen) and Asher is just your standard bad boy with a heart of gold and a traumatic past. Is it a bad book? Heavens, no! But it's incredibly long considering very few things actually happen. The third act conflict was a little forced and completely unnecessary too. I'll keep reading her books because I know she can wow me again. 
Narration saved the day here, as it's wonderfully narrated in duet by Shane East and Stella Hunter. Shane is perfect for the cocky, debonair footballer and Stella rocks a cute British accent. I pressed play and let them entertain me while I did things around the house. They sure made the 14 hours pass quickly. 

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