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Sheree

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I hate Linda.

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

Reviewed: 03-23-25

Completely ridiculous and far-fetched story that is overwrought with unnecessary melodramatics (Linda is the absolute worst), and rushed feelings that never get developed properly.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. I am just not a fan of Vanessa Edwin as a narrator. At all. Her annoying, whispery cadence is so pretentious, disingenuous and contrived that it gives me a visceral reaction. Her male voices are pretty good, though, and really the only thing I tolerate about her narration. But I won’t listen to another book with her as a narrator. I fast forwarded through her chapters just to see what happened at the end.

I purchased this book because of Zachary Webber, and as usual, he is perfection as Oliver. It just wasn’t enough to carry it all.

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Not my favorite.

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

Reviewed: 03-22-25

I typically like Lauren Blakely, but this one felt uncharacteristically superficial. First, the premise is really far-fetched and I can typically suspend belief if the emotional stakes come from an authentic place but the story never really delivered there either. I felt like I was being told what to think and feel throughout instead of being shown through language and action. Not Blakely’s strongest effort in my opinion. I’d point readers to several of her others.

Then, there is the female narrator. There is a pitchy, whispery quality to her narration that feels contrived and inauthentic. It took be out of what little I did enjoy about the story because I found myself just annoyed by how fake her reading felt.

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Doesn’t deliver.

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

Reviewed: 03-16-25

The premise of this book was promising. But ultimately, it was a letdown.

1.) the book was short and yet dragged on far too long (probably could have—and should have—been a novela).

2.) The story was just really far-fetched. For example, I find it really hard to believe that Em didn’t google ANY information about this CEO, both given what we know about her role in the company but also, who wouldn’t?).

3.) all of this could have been forgiven if the narration delivered… and unfortunately, both performances fell flat and felt ill-matched to the material. Sebastian York had no humanity in his performance (unpopular opinion, I’m not a fan of him for this exact reason - he is popular I think because of his deep bass vocal range, but to me he narrates like he is reading an instruction manual). Similarly, Grace Grant felt a bit robotic and juvenile, to the point where when the dialogue around sex started happening I felt uncomfortable. It’s a payoff that feels unearned.

I think if a Zachary Webber/Connor Crais and an Andi Arndt had read this, the emotional honesty they bring to their narrations might have conquered the story’s inadequacies. But we got who/what we got, and none of it worked.

Don’t waste your time.

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Just no.

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

Reviewed: 03-14-25

What’s most telling about the MMC is not what he says TO Jenny. It’s what he says ABOUT Jenny in his thoughts. This guy is a real POS. Lauren Layne, what were you thinking with this one? I typically enjoy your books but this guy is a complete DB. It’s clear he sees her as a piece of meat and he never really gives her the apology she deserves. I don’t really understand how we get bridged from objectification, guerrilla sex and meanness all the way to “I’m in love with you.” If there WAS a journey from point a to point b, we as readers certainly weren’t along for that ride.

Also, I really don’t like this female narrator. This isn’t the first book I’ve listened to with her narration and it’s painfully slow, even when sped up because she pauses so long between sentences. I listened to her chapters at 2.0 speed and the pauses were still painfully long.



This one bothered me a lot. I just didn’t really believe the relationship, in fact… I wanted her to RUN.

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Hard to root for the HEA on this one.

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

Reviewed: 03-13-25

I’m surprised by these reviews. I found Lincoln to be incredibly immature and difficult to like. I understand the trauma he has experienced. But so has she, and she still gives him the dignity of honesty, transparency and compassion. Not only does he lack communication skills, he also has the audacity to get upset with Daisy when she attempts to do exactly what he asked her to do: move on after he brutally ghosts and reflects her. It was hard to come back from that for me. Daisy forgives incredibly easily which, as a victim of her own trauma, feels wrong for her character’s growth path.

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Another great one from Emma Chase

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

Reviewed: 03-09-25

Similar to my review for the other 2, I almost skipped over this series entirely because of the book covers. Frankly, they don’t do justice to the beautiful chemistry and emotional development between the books’ characters, and this one is no exception.

Getting Real is a delightful love story between two people who have had eyes for each other for a long time but - for their own reasons- have never acted upon their feelings. Violet and Connor and the love that develops between them are beautifully written. The only reason I wouldn’t give this 5 stars is I felt there was a bit of a lack of focus when it came to the plot’s conflicts - there seems to be many at different points and it lost focus.

But all in all, it was a lovely read. And I will probably listen to the whole series again.

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Odd story.

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

Reviewed: 03-09-25

Not sure what it is about this series, but the stories are just odd to me. Nevermore Bookstore, however, at least had some chemistry and build up that made it feel like there was payoff in the end.

With Brewbies, I just never really bought what was being sold: the relationship/attraction/emotional development between Darbie and Ethan didn’t feel genuine, the small town stakes seemed too high for what was really at the heart of the situation, and overall while there certainly was a declaration of love… I never really understood how the characters got there. The sex scenes were hot, but that is insignificant to me if the emotional stakes don’t rise to the occasion, too.

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Unlikable protagonist. Monotone narration. Slow as molasses.

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

Reviewed: 03-06-25

Penny going behind Harkin’s back is positively irredeemable. I find it hard to believe that Harkin would not react more strongly to this betrayal—it was left so utterly unresolved and glossed over. The story completely lost me at that point.

On top of that? Narration is robotic. And somehow it takes forever to get nowhere in an extremely short amount of time.

This one had promise because the chemistry was lovely in the beginning. It was completely ruined by irredeemable character qualities and stagnant plot movement.

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Trifecta

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

Reviewed: 03-02-25

It honestly doesn’t get better than this. Only that if had been longer, maybe, because I just didn’t want to leave their world. Favorite female narrator- check. Favorite male narrator- check. One of the best contemporary romance authors of today? Check.

Abby Jimenez delivers a kind of magic that reminds me of Emily Henry. Not derivative in any way, just the same kind of special intimacy between two characters through language that makes you want to be in their sphere forever.

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Lack of chemistry.

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

Reviewed: 02-27-25

Yeah, I wasn’t a fan of this one. I preferred book 1. There was just no chemistry or romantic build up at all between the MCs, making it hard to care or root for them. I found myself not feeling invested at all. Which is disappointing because as a biracial (half black, half white) woman, it made me so happy to see a main character like me. But like another reviewer mentioned before me, it felt like the character and associated racial themes were written by someone who is on the periphery making a guess.

Just didn’t quite deliver.

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