This Was Not the Plan
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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George Newbern
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By:
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Cristina Alger
About this listen
From the acclaimed author of The Darlings comes an incisive, hilarious, and tender exploration of fatherhood, love, and family life through the story of a widower who has to become the father he didn't know he could be.
Charlie Goldwyn's life hasn't exactly gone according to plan. A widower at 34, he is left trying to raise a quirky five-year-old, Caleb, whose obsession with natural disasters and penchant for girls' clothing have made him a loner at his preschool. The only thing Charlie does have going for him is his job at a prestigious law firm where - after 10 long years of 12-hour days and working through weekends and a huge win on a settlement - he is finally a rising star on his way to becoming a partner.
But after a Jerry Maguire moment at an office party, Charlie finds himself humiliatingly unemployed and stuck at home with Caleb for the summer as he desperately tries to win his job back. When a wedding forces Charlie to spend time with his own father - whom he hasn't spoken to in 35 years - he begins to realize that there's more to fatherhood than being able to provide financially for his son and vows to become the father he never had - and the father he never thought he was capable of being.
An intimate, accessible, and ultimately moving novel, This Was Not the Plan is a touching story about loss and love, parenthood and friendship, and what true work-life balance means.
©2016 Bear One Holdings, LLC (P)2016 Simon & Schuster, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Max Dutton, a starting NFL linebacker for the Los Angeles Condors, is certain he's going to die young, since his father and grandfather both passed away at an early age. Believing his life will be cut short, Max lives every moment to its fullest. For this reason, Max also shies away from forming close relationships. What would be the point of falling in love and starting a family, only to leave them as his father left him and his sisters? Nutrition expert Kari Murphy used to think Max Dutton was to die for. She's older and wiser now.
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Story OK, Narrator NOT
- By MABJM on 08-20-12
By: Theresa Ragan
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The One That Got Away
- By: Bethany Chase
- Narrated by: Loretta Rawlins
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Sarina Mahler thinks she has her life all nailed down: a growing architecture practice in Austin, Texas, and an any-day-now proposal from her loving boyfriend, Noah. She's well on her way to having the family she's hoped for since her mother's death 10 years ago. But with Noah on a temporary assignment abroad and retired Olympic swimmer - and former flame - Eamon Roy back in town asking her to renovate his new fixer-upper, Sarina's life takes an unexpected turn
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painful to listen by the end
- By Pratheba Orth on 02-28-19
By: Bethany Chase
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The Book of Summer
- A Novel
- By: Michelle Gable
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Physician Bess Codman has returned to her family's Nantucket compound, Cliff House, for the first time in four years. Her great-grandparents built Cliff House almost a century before, but due to erosion, the once-grand home will soon fall into the sea. Though she's purposefully avoided the island, Bess must now pack up the house and deal with her mother, a notorious town rabble-rouser, who refuses to leave.
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boring
- By Sara Deering on 08-09-17
By: Michelle Gable
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I Heart New York: A Novel
- By: Lindsey Kelk
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Angela Clark is in love - with the most fabulous city in the world! When Angela catches her boyfriend with another woman at her best friend's wedding, she's heartbroken and desperate to run away. With little more than a crumpled bridesmaid dress, a pair of Louboutins, and her passport in hand, Angela decides to jump on a plane for... NYC! Settling into a cute hotel and quickly bonding with benevolent concierge Jenny - a chatterbox Oprah wannabe with room for a new best friend, Angela heads out for a New York makeover....
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Surprisingly wonderful!!!
- By Vicky Red on 04-04-17
By: Lindsey Kelk
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Seeking Mansfield
- By: Kate Watson
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne, Elizabeth Evans
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Sixteen-year-old Finley Price has perfected two things: how to direct a world-class production and how to fly way, way under the radar. The only person who ever seems to notice Finley is her best friend and godparents' son, Oliver Bertram. Since Finley moved in with her godparents after the death of her father, she and Oliver have grown close. If Finley could just take Oliver's constant encouragement to heart and step out of the shadows, she'd finally chase her dream of joining the prestigious Mansfield Theater.
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ABSOLUTELY CHARMING
- By DJ on 08-22-17
By: Kate Watson
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The Start of Me and You
- By: Emery Lord
- Narrated by: Angela Goethals
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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It's been a year since it happened - when Paige Hancock's first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school...and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her - the perfect way to convince everyone she's back to normal. Next: Join a club. But when Ryan's sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team, her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop.
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Better for MG readers
- By Pink Amy on 06-21-24
By: Emery Lord
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So Close
- By: Emma McLaughlin
- Narrated by: Emily Durante
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Amanda Beth Luker has spent her whole life desperately looking for someone who can show her the way out of her trailer park Florida town. And then, finally, help arrives - in the form of Tom Davis, a successful lawyer with political aspirations who grew up just a few towns over from Amanda. But it's his wife, Lindsay, who really captures Amanda's imagination. Strong, smart, and determined, she gives Amanda something she's never had: a role model.
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I've never been so mad at a book before.
- By Stacie on 06-15-16
By: Emma McLaughlin
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All of Me
- Boxed Set
- By: Samantha Chase
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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All of Me is a collection of four great stories from New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Samantha Chase. It brings all your favorite Montgomery Brothers books together in one set!
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Narrator 😳
- By G Reinhardt on 01-30-20
By: Samantha Chase
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Like a House on Fire
- By: Lauren McBrayer
- Narrated by: Marin Ireland
- Length: 9 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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After 12 years of marriage and two kids, Merit has begun to feel like a stranger in her own life. She loves her husband and sons, but she desperately needs something more than sippy cups and monthly sex. So, she returns to her career at Jager + Brandt, where a brilliant and beautiful Danish architect named Jane decides to overlook the “break” in Merit’s résumé and give her a shot.
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Been there
- By M. Barn on 05-11-22
By: Lauren McBrayer
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Get Lucky
- By: Katherine Center
- Narrated by: Morgan Hallett
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Filled with wit and heart, Get Lucky by Katherine Center explores the deep bonds of sisterhood. Sarah Harper’s whole world revolved around her job at a New York advertising agency before an email snafu got her fired. Now she’s seeking refuge at her sister Mackie’s home in Houston. But Mackie, who’s unable to get pregnant, is also down-and-out these days. So Sarah decides to do something good and becomes a surrogate mother.
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Finding what matters most in life
- By bizymom7 on 10-12-24
By: Katherine Center
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Some Women
- By: Emily Liebert
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt
- Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Annabel Ford has everything under control, devoting her time to her twin boys and keeping her household running smoothly. But when her husband of a decade announces that he's leaving, she's blindsided. And suddenly her world begins to unravel. Piper Whitley has always done her best to balance it all - raising her daughter, Fern, by herself while advancing her career as a crime reporter. Only now that she's finally met the man of her dreams, Fern's absentee father shows up, throwing everything into a tailspin.
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Great Book!!
- By femmefatale on 01-12-23
By: Emily Liebert
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How to Be a Grown-Up
- By: Emma McLaughlin, Nicola Kraus
- Narrated by: Tara Sands
- Length: 7 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Rory McGovern is entering the prime of her life when her husband loses his dream job and announces he feels like "taking a break". Rory was already spread thin and now, without warning, she is single-parenting two kids, juggling their science projects, flu season, and pajama days, while coming to terms with her disintegrating marriage. Without Blake, her only hope is to accept a full-time position working for two full-time 20-somethings.
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Performance
- By Jill on 02-10-16
By: Emma McLaughlin, and others
What listeners say about This Was Not the Plan
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Debra
- 03-19-16
Thoroughly charming
What made the experience of listening to This Was Not the Plan the most enjoyable?
I thought the narrator was spot on and sounded like a real person I might know, not an actor.
What did you like best about this story?
I thought it presented the characters in a realistic manner, with both their strengths and their flaws. I thought it was heartwarming, even though much of it was quite sad. It made me cry in parts and smile in others.
What about George Newbern’s performance did you like?
Everything!
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes!
Any additional comments?
This would be a great movie.
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- Susan
- 04-01-16
Hallmark movie soon to follow
Very light, light book. Selfish, self-centered protagonist very neatly becomes caring, giving dad by the end.
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1 person found this helpful
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- RueRue
- 03-04-16
Modern Fairy Tale
Looking for a story with an uplifting ending ? Here it is. A very pleasant story, a bit " too good to be true", but well written and well narrated. A good choice when looking for something that doesn't have too much tragedy and angst. Enjoy !
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8 people found this helpful
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- E. Didi
- 07-21-16
Fairly Entertaining, but Ultimately Hollow
Would you try another book from Cristina Alger and/or George Newbern?
I wasn't totally crazy about Newbern's child voices, but he was a strong enough voice actor I'd certainly give him another try. Alger I'm less sure about.
Was This Was Not the Plan worth the listening time?
Borderline. It had entertaining moments, but the emotional core just never clicked for me. The main character's emotions (be it grief, anger, lust, etc) just never felt real to me, nor did any of the other characters ever really become vivid. Instead they seemed to fall into 'types': the perfect deceased wife, the perfect new girlfriend, the goofy/perfect best friend, the flighty/perfect sister, the estranged (but secretly perfect!) father... Not terribly nuanced or complex. That's not the end of the world, but it's also not very interesting to me.
Any additional comments?
This is nitpicky, but there were a few plot points that just didn't hang together that bothered me. 1) The main character's wife dies in a plan crash because of a drunk pilot, and he's a high powered corporate attorney. How is it that he doesn't start this book with a giant settlement at his disposal? It makes no sense. 2) (SPOILER) The author tries to have her cake and eat it to, by having the deceased mother and his estranged father both be the good guys. Key to this is us accepting that the mother turned down crucial money for her children for no good reason, including money for the main character to go to college. The selfishness and weirdness of this choice is never addressed, nor are any of the shades of grey in the situation explored. This felt unsatisfying and like the writer was trying too hard to have everyone be 'good' at the expense of exploring her own storyline.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Dina
- 05-24-16
Strong Start, Weak Finish
A light respite with good pacing and likable characters. Thought the relationship between the estranged father and son was very unrealistic. And, the ending of the book was quite weak.
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- KatrinaD
- 08-08-20
A very enjoyable read full of drama and conflicts
Twins Zadie and Jeff live together and follow very different paths but depend on each other. Sadie cares for her nephew Caleb while her widowed brother spends an inordinate amount of time at his New York law firm. He couldn’t manage raising his five-year son without Zadie. A crisis brings about change and growth for both of them. Jeff gets fired and Zadie gets engaged. As a single father Jeff becomes much closer to his son and reunites with his estranged father.
The author avoids clichés and her story flows effortlessly. This is the third book I have read. Ms Alger is quite talented. Her books are original and well written. I recommend this book
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- che
- 07-10-16
Loved the narrator!
This has been my favorite narrator performance out of all the audiobooks I've listened to thus far (and that is quite a few.) Great story, great performance- very simple yet entertaining.
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- Paul O.
- 05-21-16
The storyline goes nowhere
I kept waiting for something interesting to happen in this book. Very hum drum. The narrators voice is very commercial and uninspiring, and not believable not authentic. And a very light almost-comedy. I did chuckle once, I will admit. I really disliked the voice alterations that the narrator made for the other characters.
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