Publisher: Self

Date Me Like You Mean It by R.S. Grey | Mini Audiobook Review

Posted May 20, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Date Me Like You Mean It by R.S. Grey
Published by Self on November 5, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 305
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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I’m good at hiding my feelings.
Having to pretend I’m not in love with my best friend?
Pfft. That’s child’s play.

Here’s how I do it: I avert my eyes when he walks out of his room, shirtless in all his toned glory. I squash the butterflies that fill my stomach every time he slowly unfurls a dimpled smile. And, most importantly, I keep an arsenal of “personal massagers” in my bedside drawer. Wink.

Not to brag, but Aiden Smith isn’t hard to resist if you’ve been doing it for as long as I have. In fact, we might have continued as best friends forever if not for the fact that I needed him to play the part of my fake boyfriend.

Date me like you mean it, I told him. Nudge nudge. C’mon, just go along with a little lie, help a girl out, and then we can all return to life as we know it.

Except he veered from the plan.

He crossed the line.

Flirting with me when no one else was around? Pinning me down and kissing me like that? Okay, how exactly is taking off my bra part of the ruse, Aiden?!
I’d ask him about it if I could, but well…things got ugly and we’re not best friends anymore.

In fact, we’re the exact opposite.

Now, I have to play nice even though I want to crush his heart in the palm of my hand.

Pretending not to love Aiden was the easy part.
Pretending not to hate him?
Well…I might need a little more practice.

I love a good friends-to-lovers, fake dating romance! And I loved the last book I read by R.S. Grey, Hotshot Doc, so I was eager to get to Date Me Like You Mean It once I learned that it includes some of my favorite tropes in the romance world! I wasn’t disappointed at all!

Aiden and Maddie met at a wedding when their siblings married each other, and formed an instant friendship. They ended up becoming roommates, and Maddie had to suffer silently as she fell in love with him while an endless stream of women poured in and out of their apartment over the years. A situation arises where Maddie accidentally says Aiden is her boyfriend, and he’s a good sport and plays along until… is anyone even playing anymore?

This was a really, really sweet story. I loved Aiden and I really liked Maddie. Their friendship is special, and I love their banter. The romance is a very slow burn, and there’s so much miscommunication that I almost lost my mind. How can two best friends who know each other inside and out suck so much at communicating? There’s drama and unhappiness, but the swoon factor is off the charts and the ending is wonderful. I ended the book sad to say goodbye and completely satisfied with this adorable love story. I listened to Date Me Like You Mean It on audio, and it was a joy. I could not stop listening, and flew through the story. These narrators are fabulous, and I’m going to look out for other books they read (especially together).

All in all, Date Me Like You Mean It is another win for R.S. Grey! I’m quickly becoming a major fan of hers, and can’t wait to read more of her books!

Mr. Mayfair by Louise Bay | Audiobook Review

Posted May 13, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

Mr. Mayfair by Louise Bay
Series: The Mister Series #1
Narrator: Shane East, Saskia Maarleveld
Published by Self on October 1, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance
Pages: 296
Length: 8 hours and 19 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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It should be the most shocking news I’d ever gotten—My boyfriend is getting married.

Okay, technically he’s my ex-boyfriend. Two months ago he decided he wanted a break. I still thought he was my happily ever after.

On any other day, knowing he was gone for good would be the worst thing that could possibly happen.

But not today.

Because not only is my boyfriend getting married—his bride is my best friend.

And they’ve sent me an invitation.

There’s no way I’m going to attend. I don’t care if it’s in beautiful Scotland.

Nothing and no one could convince me.

Not even when a deliciously handsome stranger tells me he needs to go as my plus one.

Not even when he shoots me a wickedly, sexy smile.

But then he offers me the opportunity of a lifetime—a dream come true. How can I say no?

But I have one condition. He has to be my new boyfriend. I mean, my pretend new boyfriend.

I'm about to find out that faking it can be a whole lot of fun.

Mr. Mayfair is the first book I’ve ever read by Louise Bay, and I must admit that I was initially drawn to this one because it’s narrated by my beloved Shane East. I love finding new authors, but my loyalties lie with Mr. East, it would seem. Then I discovered that it’s a fake dating romance, which is my absolute favorite trope, and I was sold! Overall, this was a very fun story but… our heroine leaves much to be desired. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. The audio was enjoyable for the most part. Saskia was great! I have another narrator on my list of favorites now! I also love Shane East’s voice, but I really wish that he would read the female dialogue in his normal voice instead of raising it up an octave and using a wispy tone. It made me cringe, especially during the sexytime scenes.

2. Stella is probably the most pathetic and frustrating heroine I’ve ever read about. She’s a complete and total doormat, and that never changes. She sacrificed everything she wanted for her ex, Matt, and gave up every dream and opportunity she was given in order to cater to his every need and whim. For 7 years, she put up with his selfishness. And then when he gets engaged to her best friend while they are supposedly on a break and not actually broken up (Ross and Rachel, is that you?), she blames herself. She decides to attend the wedding even though these two most likely snuck around behind her back for a very long time. Cheating and betrayal by two of the most important people in her life, and she spends the time and the money to go watch them get married. She never stands up to them and never asks for an explanation. She goes and smiles to their faces and lets them be so unbelievably rude to her without protest. She has major trust issues, obviously, and spends most of the book cowering and running away. I was looking for a strong, powerful moment where she would tell them off and feel amazing after, but that never happens. If this book were not an audiobook read by two great narrators, I would have DNFed it because of Stella. I suppose I was also waiting for Stella to stand up for herself. I kept thinking she would!!

3. Beck is a dream and Stella does not deserve him. He’s sexy and has a great career. He’s so sweet and caring and thoughtful. He’s incredibly loyal and protective. I also enjoyed his back story, and learning more about why he so badly wants to attend this wedding that he strikes a deal with a complete stranger so he can be her plus one. He had a rough childhood and has been a player for his entire dating life, never getting attached to anyone, but the right girl (who is Stella grrr…) has him feeling deep things and thinking of settling down. His growth and evolution were so refreshing to read about.

4. I didn’t feel the chemistry between Stella and Beck. I couldn’t figure out why he fell for her so hard, so fast.

5. There are some great secondary characters in this story. Stella has a close friend (…whose name I can’t remember), who pushes her to stand up for herself and is so kind. Beck also has a group of close guys friends he gets together with for drinks. They’re all really funny and care a lot about Beck, and I love friend groups like that. Dex was my favorite of the bunch, and I’ve just discovered that the second book in this series is his love story! Exciting!

5. Scotland! The entire wedding week (yes, a week… wow) takes place in Scotland and there’s castles and fun activities the guests get to participate in. There’s also some downtime and Stella takes Beck shopping. I liked that scene.

6. The writing was great, but I could have done with fewer f-words.

All in all, this was fun! Stella drove me insane and made me want to give up a few times, but my love of Beck and my interest in his story kept me going. I’m glad I finished it! And I’m interested to see what’s in store for Dex!

The Bromantic Comedies by Erin Mallon | Mini Audiobook Review

Posted February 18, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

The Bromantic Comedies by Erin Mallon
Published by Self on January 27, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Humor
Length: 1 hour and 22 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Author
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A paintball battleground. A wrestling mat for sleep-deprived new daddies. A feminine product aisle in the local drugstore. These are some of the places where men connect...at least in The Bromantic Comedies.

A compilation of humorous and heartfelt plays exploring what it means to be "masculine" in a world where men are supposed to be tough.

I love listening to audiobooks, and Erin Mallon is one of my favorite narrators so I was very excited to be offered an audiobook copy to review! And the narrators who perform these plays? I LOVE them all, too: Joe Arden, Jason Clarke, Shane East, Lance Greenfield, Teddy Hamilton, and PJ Ochlan. Unfortunately, this really didn’t work for me and I ended up not finishing it. I don’t usually write DNF reviews, but I took notes during each individual play and figure I wouldn’t let them go to waste. And honestly, I don’t think finishing this would have changed my overall opinion anyway. So here we go!

1. Invasion At Man Camp (narrated by Joe Arden and Jason Clarke) – I actually found this to be offensive and sacrilegious. There were some fun sound effects from the paintball range and the narrators were good. As a religious person, however, the satire made me very uncomfortable.

Heidi’s Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec & Andi Arndt | Mini Book Review

Posted February 11, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

Heidi's Guide to Four Letter Words by Andi Arndt, Tara Sivec
Published by Self on December 3, 2019
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 197
Source: Gift
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Cowritten by USA Today best-selling author Tara Sivec and award-winning narrator Andi Arndt, a hysterically funny, heartfelt romance about starting over and taking chances.

Nothing good ever comes from drinking a box of wine alone. So when I decided to entertain my drunken self by setting up some hand-me-down podcasting equipment and reading the steamy parts from romance novels, I never thought anyone would actually listen. The fact that I admitted my huge crush on my sexy next door neighbor made the whole thing even more mortifying. But sometimes life surprises you, and that’s how my podcast, Heidi’s Discount Erotica, was born.

Now I, Heidi Larsen, a sweet former kindergarten teacher in Waconia, Minnesota, lead a scandalous double life reading erotic novels to the listening world. And with each episode, I find myself embracing my new alter ego more and more. Now I’m starting to feel more comfortable in my own skin and do things I never would have dreamed of - like kissing my neighbor.

Look out, Waconia, because Heidi’s on the loose! She’s in your ears, in your hearts, and down your pants...wait, that didn’t sound as good as it did in my head. Well, you get the picture, don’tcha know!

This was hilarious. Andi Arndt is my favorite audiobook narrator, so when I found out that she’d written a book with Tara Sivec I was immediately interested. I wish I’d listened to it, because I’m sure it would have been even better with Andi’s fun voices and tones she brings to her characters but oh well. Anyway, I loved Heidi. She’s a former kindergarten teacher, so all her outfits are what I can only imagine resemble what Ms. Frizzle wore in The Magic School Bus. She decided teaching isn’t for her, and quit her job. Now she’s working at a company that records and produces audiobooks of erotic novels. She meets a celebrity narrator and his cute wife, and they all become fast friends. I loved this friendship, even though I am really struggling to remember their names at this moment. They are very aware of her crush on her hot neighbor named Brent, and help her gain confidence and provide advice for how to navigate this situation and nab the man of her dreams.

Heidi is a little awkward. She’d rather hide in the bushes than confront Brent, and I understand and empathize with this so much. Love is a battlefield. Her work sends her home with a bunch of erotic novels because yay perks of the job, so she starts reading them in the hopes of learning a thing or two about the game of love. And THEN she gets really brave and takes home some recording equipment and then accidentally gets super drunk and starts a podcast. A podcast wherein she gushes about Brent and also reads steamy scenes from those novels. Because why not?? But she can’t read half the words because she’s so embarrassed, so she substitutes other words in and I was laughing so hard. I loved watching her gain confidence and listeners. I loved Brent and his appreciation for Heidi’s quirkiness. I even loved Heidi’s hilarious mom who loves to feed people and says about 14,000 words before she gets to her point. It was all just so much fun and so funny. I’m definitely interested in reading more from Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt! I hope they partner together more in the future.

Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon | Book Review

Posted February 4, 2021 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 3 Comments

Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon
Series: Natural History #1
Narrator: Erin Mallon
Published by Self on July 15, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Pages: 213
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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My name is Calliope and "I bone for a living." Kidding. I am studying to be a paleontologist though. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to be, and I have finally landed the perfect museum internship to make all of my dino-loving dreams come true.

Trouble is, everyone wants me to be a gentle, loving sort of creature, but I'm more of the T-Rex type by nature - the kind who is determined to stomp and tear her way through any obstacle in order to get what she wants.

But when a sexy, rumbly-voiced astronomer plummets into my orbit and threatens to break open my hard little heart, my career and my whole way of looking at the world is suddenly on the line.

The dinosaurs didn't see their asteroid coming.

And I sure as hell wasn't prepared for mine.

Erin Mallon has become one of my favorite audiobook narrators, so when I saw that she had written and narrated her own romantic comedy that included dinosaurs (one of my favorite things) I knew I had to give it a listen! While is was a little over the top and cringey, I was entertained. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. The meet cute at the very beginning of the book was really fun. Calliope is stuck in an elevator at the museum on the first day of her new internship, and she “meets” a guy by yelling at him for help through the elevator door. He decides to wait with her and chat until someone arrives to help her, but then they separated when the fire alarm goes off. She can’t hear his name or where she’s supposed to meet him after she gets out of the building, and that’s that. They miss meeting. Luckily, they both work there so it’s very likely they will stumble across each other soon. What a cute way to begin a story!

2. Calliope… is a very annoyingly neurotic character. She had her moments where I really liked her (like when she communicated her love of dinosaurs and science), but for the most part I pretty much couldn’t stand her. She clearly feels that she is better than everyone in the world. She’s so easily offended and goes off on these long, ranty dialogues without even realizing what she’s saying and who might be hearing her. She’s quick to tell people off when she assumes she knows what they mean. Sometimes she was right but took her rant too far, and sometimes she was wrong and had to backpedal and apologize for her behavior. She’s quick to open her mouth and insert her foot at the worst times, and gets herself into trouble frequently. She just doesn’t come off as a strong, educated, professional woman and that bothered me because female scientists already don’t get enough respect. I wish she had fit the role of a respectable one instead of just further perpetuating antiquated ideas about women in science.

3. Ralph is great! He’s really sweet and caring and I love his quiet, strong personality. I hated the voice style choice for him in the narration, though. He sounded incredibly whiny, and my face actually scrunched up listening to him sometimes.

4. There’s a couple side characters that I liked. Otto is an elderly man who hangs out at the museum sketching the creatures on exhibit. He’s a sweet, funny guy that gave me quirky grandpa vibes. Mabel is an entomologist on staff there, and she’s… so odd that you can’t help but find her to be endearing. I can’t even begin to be able to describe her, though. You kind of have to read her to believe her. She’s one of a kind, but sweet at her core.

5. The humor tries way too hard. I was literally cringing. There’s a scene involving psychedelic drugs and clumsy fooling around near a dinosaur skeleton and Calliope is convinced that that dinosaur is winking at her and cheering her on as she fumbles around before grasping Ralph’s *ahem* anatomy with both hands and pretending to swing from it like Tarzan. George of the Jungle scream and all. I’m sorry, but that was just too much for me. People are not really like this.

6. I’m sure that this book was written with an audiobook in mind because there is so. much. dialogue. I was fine listening (well, except for the fact that Ralph sounded very unappealing), but I think reading it would have been exhausting. I can see that it might be hard to tell who is speaking at times because it sounded like I was listening to a movie instead of a book.

7. I think I like Erin Mallon as a narrator more than an author, and I feel really bad about that because she seems super nice.

All in all, this was fluffy, mindless entertainment. I’m not sure if I would have stuck with it if I were reading it, but it was fun to listen to while I was doing other things. It’s cringey, but I’m already interested in listening to the next book, Lovebug, because it’s about Mabel, so… I don’t know what that says about me and my opinions right now. LOL. I just have to know how that works out for her because she’s so… unique!