46. Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone

listened on Libby

373 pgs.

2025
Adult rom-com.  No steam at all until very near the end.
Finished 10/20/2025
Goodreads rating: 4.12
My rating: 4.25 
Setting: Contemporary upper west side, Manhattan (with quite a bit of time spent back-and-forth on the Staten Island Ferry)

My comments: I love it when you wait and wait for an audio book to arrive from your library waiting list and the moment you start it you know you've found a winner!  This was a winner.  Even with the heaviest of heavy themes: grief - the light touches, humor, character development and great writing helped it stay more-or-less light-hearted all the way to the end.  You always knew what was coming, but the surprises about how were super-delightful.

Goodreads synopsis:  Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.

Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again” list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.

20. The Fall Risk - a short story by Abby Jimenez

listened on Audible

96 pgs.

2025
Adult RomCom/ChickLit
Finished 4/27/2025
Goodreads rating: 4.09
My rating: 3.75

My comments: There's a stalker, his stalk-ee, and adorable neighbor, and a long weekend with no stairs to either go up or down to their apartments.  And within the short story the stalker problem is solved and love ensues.

Goodreads synopsis:  Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.

74. The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

listened on Libby when I FINALLY got it from TPPL

336 pgs.

2024
Adult RomCom
Finished 10/6/24
Goodreads rating: 4.14
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary LA (with some Houston)

My comments: I love Katherin Center's writing.  And this novel about writers writing together is a winner for me!  A completely clean romance with ups and downs and two funny, clever protagonists is a surefire hit.  Highly recommend for a feel-good story with an HEA.

Goodreads synopsis:  She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

50. Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

listened on Libby - borrowed from the library
416 pgs.

2023
Adult romance
Finished 6/1/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.33
My rating: 3.75
Setting: contemporary Minnesota or Wisconsin or somewhere like that

My comments: Very likeable main characters, both doctors who don't seem to have to work very much, Jacob who has extreme anxiety, Briana who is newly divorced and very distrustful of men, which carries over to the big misunderstanding/miscommunication climax that happens in every one of these romance novels.  It was this part that lowered by rating.  Lots of complex issues in this story, and most of it was quite delightful to read.  There was one short, steamy moment, but other than that this was pretty clean.

Goodreads synopsis:  Dr. Briana Ortiz's life is going downhill. Her divorce is about to be made official, her brother is running out of time to get a liver donor and that promotion she wanted so much is almost certainly going to that new doctor she can no longer stand. However, just when all systems are programmed for hate, Jacob Maddox flips the scoreboard by sending Briana a card. One that proves that Jacob, in fact, is not the Antichrist.

Bri and Jacob continue to write to each other... And so, he decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable, and she can't help but wonder how she's going to resist this quiet and attractive newcomer... especially when he asks you for a favor you can't refuse.

36. Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

listened on Audible
357 pgs.

2021
Adult contemporary romance
Finished 4/13/2024
Goodreads rating: 3.71
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Toronto

My comments: One word: delightful.  Want to giggle and be thoroughly entertained?  In a reading slump?  This is the book to read.  Set in contemporary Toronto, this romantic comedy packs humor, family love and strife, and the love of cooking and baking into one very enjoyable story.  A huge plus for me was being able to peek into the culture and foods of the Indian Muslim community.  Note:  no actual gratuitous "steam", but the author does what she needs to get her point across....

Goodreads synopsis:   Reena Manji doesn’t love her career, her single status, and most of all, her family inserting themselves into every detail of her life. But when caring for her precious sourdough starters, Reena can drown it all out. At least until her father moves his newest employee across the hall--with hopes that Reena will marry him.

But Nadim’s not like the other Muslim bachelors-du-jour that her parents have dug up. If the Captain America body and the British accent weren’t enough, the man appears to love eating her bread creations as much as she loves making them. She sure as hell would never marry a man who works for her father, but friendship with a neighbor is okay, right? And when Reena’s career takes a nosedive, Nadim happily agrees to fake an engagement so they can enter a couples video cooking contest to win the artisan bread course of her dreams.

As cooking at home together brings them closer, things turn physical, but Reena isn’t worried. She knows Nadim is keeping secrets, but it’s fine— secrets are always on the menu where her family is concerned. And her heart is protected… she’s not marrying the man. But even secrets kept for self preservation have a way of getting out, especially when meddling parents and gossiping families are involved.

13. The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead

listened on Libby

2023
384 pgs.
Adult RomCom
Finished 2/10/2024
Goodreads rating: 3.83
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Austin, TX

My comments:  Another fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope.  Very cute.  Set in Austin, Texas, Logan is running for governor.  He is young and smart, brash and outspoken, running for governor.  Alexis is, shy and a "yes-girl" because she doesn't want to be unkind to anyone, and a school librarian.  Of course there are all sorts of miscommunications between the two but ultimately, as it always does in this sort of novel, the love story wins.  (She had no idea who he was in the beginning?  Yeah, right.....)  Just plain fun - with lots of eye-rolling.

Goodreads synopsis:  As a shy school librarian, Alexis Stone is comfortable keeping out of the spotlight. But when she's dumped for being too meek-in bed!-she decides she needs to change. And what better way to kick-start her new more adventurous life than with her first one-night stand?

Enter Logan, the gorgeous, foul-mouthed stranger she meets at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis's opposite-and boy, do opposites attract! Just as she's about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Cameras Logan promptly-and shockingly-flees.

Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. Turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor's seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career-and jeopardize Alexis's job-until a solution is he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until election day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?

9. Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

listened on  Audible
101 pgs.
2024
Adult Rom Com - Short Story

Finished 1/27/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.39
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary colleges across America

My comments: Absolutely adorable.  Written almost entirely in emails. Cute short story about a high school boy and girl who mistakenly emailed each other on Valentine's Day in 2014 and continued the correspondence annually until 2023, when they were in grad school.  They'd never given each other much information about themselves, including their names, only knowing they'd both grown up in Irvina, California.  So much fun!

Goodreads synopsis:  On February 14, an accidental email to a stranger opens the door to an unexpected relationship in a captivating short story by the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

41. Happy Place by Emily Henry

400  pgs.

2023
Adult romcom
Finished 5/30/23
Goodreads rating: 4.02
My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary cottage on the coast of Maine

My comments: Three best friends since college.  One last week together in a snazzy summer cottage on the coast of Maine.  Being forced together after a five-month break up after eight years together with the love of her life.  It was just too much.  "I love you forever"...."I'll do whatever is the best for you"...."should we finally talks about it since we never have".....that kind of ridiculousness.  It got old fast.  Narrator Julia Whelan is always wonderful to listen to, she does such a great job with voice.  But the story - sappy and sentimental with  (of course) an HEA...been there, done that, no more please.

Goodreads synopsis:  Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week… in front of those who know you best?

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

2. A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn

listened on Audible

2021
402 pgs.
Adult Romance
Finished 1/2/2022
Goodreads rating: 4.25
My rating: I didn't rate it - I read it, and liked some of it, not all of it...some was pretty good and some was pretty bad.....
Setting: Contemporary LA/Beverly Hills, CA

My comments: Huxley and Lottie. The usual. Why do I read these? An extremely handsome, buff, 35 year-old billionaire businessman with no girlfriend.....right....and petite, adorable, sexy 25 year-old from the lesser parts of Beverly Hills become fakely engaged (I love fake dating stories, I guess that's what pulled me in) for absolutely ridiculous reasons. The whole story was ridiculous, unbelievable, and extremely steamy. I DID like being inside Shame-on-me, I read the whole thing, all the way through the hugely descriptive (too) steamy parts to the HEA.  But it's a pretty charming cover, wouldn't you say?

Goodreads synopsis:  How did you two meet?

The quintessential question asked to every couple. And the answer is usually some bubbly, lovey dovey tale of being struck in the bum by Cupid’s arrow.

My meet cute (well not so meet cute) is slightly different. I was trolling a wealthy neighborhood in Beverly Hills, searching for someone to take me as their bride, you know, to make my arch nemesis jealous who consequently just fired me.

He was stomping around the block like some sort of gorgeous ogre, mumbling about a business deal gone wrong and attempting to finagle his way out of it.

And that’s when we bumped into each other.

There were no sparks.

Not even a hint of blossoming love.

But next thing I knew, I was scarfing down free chips and guac, listening to this man lay out all of his problems which led to his big ask . . . he wanted me to be his Vivian Ward, you know, from Pretty Woman--minus the frisky behavior.

We’re talking about living in a mansion, intimate double dates, and pretending we were head over heels in love . . . and engaged. Can you imagine?

The absolute audacity.

But people do crazy things when they’re desperate. And I reeked of desperation. So, I struck up a deal.

My one big mistake, though . . . big . . . HUGE? I accidentally fell for the incomparable Huxley Cane.

115. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

listened on Libby - borrowed from the library

2021

352 pgs.
Adult Rom Com with one steamy part
Finished 12/24/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.44
My rating: 4.5
Setting: mostly Stanford University campus, a little at a Boston conference

My comments: For some reason I really loved this story.  A romcom about fake dating that anyone and everyone will realize is going to have a HEA, but its telling is pretty cool.  Yes, frustration's because the protagonist lies so much to protect herself and the guys she's falling for, but otherwise the story would have been about a quarter of its length, lol.  I love that it was set in academia, at Stanford, with really smart protagonists.  And the bad guys is so bad, no glossing over it.  Of course the good guy is really good (and of course has the fantastic body hidden under ordinary clothing to go along with it.}  Maybe it's just my current mood, but this story really tickled me in many ways.

Goodreads synopsis:  As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.

That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope. 

114. The Stand In by Lily Chu

listened on Audible

2021

300 pgs.- estimate, audio only, 10+ hrs. listening time
AdRomCom
Finished  12/17/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.94
My rating: 3.5/4
Setting: Contemporary Toronto

My comments: Very cute, predictable-ish story about a girl that looks so much like a burnt-out famous Chinese actress that she stands in for her during evening events and activities.  For money, a large amount of money.  Because her mother has Alzheimer's and she wants to ensure that her accommodations are topnotch.  Of course there's a handsome, sexy actor named Sam in the picture.  Setting is contemporary Toronto and the three protagonists are all Chinese, although Gracie is half white American.  I enjoyed listening to this.

Goodreads synopsis:  How to upend your life:

–Get fired by gross, handsy boss
–Fail to do laundry (again)
–Be mistaken for famous Chinese actress
–Fall head-first into glitzy new world

Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly “friendly” boss, and yes, she still hasn’t gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she’s healthy, she’s (somewhat) happy, and she’s (mostly) holding it all together.

But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema's golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie’s world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: Due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie’s ever met.

If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie’s in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end, all the lists in the world won’t be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself... and her heart. 

112. There's Something About Merry by Codi Hall

listened on Audible

2021
336 pgs.
Adult Christmas romcom
Finished 12/12/21
Goodreads rating:  3.70

My rating: 3
Setting: contemporary Misteltoe, Idaho (groan....)

My comments: Nicely narrated.  A cutesie Christmas romance about a single dad and a very sweet (too sweet?) happy middle daughter of a Christmas tree farm family that is way over-the-top too-good-to-be-true.  A real Hallmark movie book.  Fun to listen to, however,  And although there was nothing super steamy , there were some places that would probably raise many eyebrows...

Goodreads synopsis:   Get in the holiday spirit with this sexy rom-com from the author of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist.

Merry Winters has the holiday blues. She's spent the last year learning to love herself, and now she's ready to find the right guy. But the pickings are slim in Mistletoe, Idaho, and it’s just her luck that the man who catches her eye is the stoic new foreman at her family’s Christmas tree farm. Too bad he wants to keep a 39-and-a-half-foot pole between them.

Single dad Clark Griffin isn't looking for romance, but he wouldn't mind a friend to snuggle with on a cold winter's night. When he signs up for online dating, he doesn't expect to connect with the sassy, crafty Knottygirl25 and get wrapped up in every message she writes.

But when Merry turns out to be his blind internet date, his surprise causes him to miss his chance under the mistletoe. Can a little Christmas magic give these two a second chance at a first impression?

87. Back in the Burbs by Tracy Wolff and Avery Flynn

listened on Audible

2021
400 pgs.
Genre/Level
Finished 8/9/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.81
My rating: 3.5
Setting: contemporary suburban NJ

My comments: My feelings about the protagonist, Mallory, kept switching b ack and fort, just like her attitude towards Nick.  I guess the theme of the novel is if you want to get to know yourself, you have to trust yourself.  Some of it was very cute, some of it was very tedious, and some o fit really made me think deeply.  Not very believable, especially the way Mallory's mom makes such changes in her thinking.  Oh well, it's a novel.  A cute one when I wasn't groaning to get on with it.

Goodreads synopsis:   Ever have one of those days where life just plain sucks? Welcome to my last three months—ever since I caught my can’t-be-soon-enough ex-husband cheating with his paralegal. I’m thirty-five years old, and I’ve lost my NYC apartment, my job, my money, and frankly, my dignity.

But the final heartache in the suck sandwich of my life? My great-aunt Maggie died. The only family member who’s ever gotten me.  Even after death, though, she’s helping me get back up. She’s willed me the keys to a house in the burbs, of all places, and dared me to grab life by the family jewels. Well, I’ve got the vise grips already in hand (my ex should take note) and I’m ready to fight for my life again.

Too bad that bravado only lasts as long as it takes to drive into Huckleberry Hills. And see the house.
There are forty-seven separate HOA violations, and I feel them all in my bones. Honestly, I’m surprised no one’s “accidentally” torched the house yet. I want to, and I’ve only been standing in front of it for five minutes. But then my hot, grumpy neighbor tells me to mow the lawn first and I’m just...done. Done with men too sexy for their own good and done with anyone telling me what to do ever again.

First rule of surviving the burbs? There is nothing that YouTube and a glass of wine can’t conquer. 

85. Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone

listened on Audible

2020

250 pgs. estimate/audio only
Adult RomCom
Finished 8/7/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.16
My rating: 4
Setting: contemporary Brooklyn & NJ

My comments:  Another delightful Cara Bastone romcom.  I read them out of order, but it was okay.  Extremely cute, happy, upbeat.  HEA, this one with no epilogue, thank goodness.  Pretty much the entire book was listening to the conversations that the two protagonist had on the phone, and listening to their personalities meshing.  No steam, no sex, completely clean.  Set in Brooklyn and New Jersey, so much fun!

Goodreads synopsis:    True love is on the line in this charming, laugh-out-loud rom-com—created specifically for the audio format!

Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth… when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…. in an adorable way.

And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back.
And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he trouble shoots my website.
And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).
And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people fall in love at first talk.

Because I’m falling… hard.

84. Sweet Talk by Cara Bastone

listened on Audible

narrated by Lidia Dornet and Chris Brinkley

Unabridged audio (5:42)
2021
around 200 pgs?  Audible only
Adult RomCom
Finished  8/6/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.12 - 2126 ratings
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Brooklyn & Queens) NY

My comments: I listened to the audible of this book, and I can't imagine reading it.  This was sooo good!  Wonderfully narrated.  Since the basis of the protagonist's relationship in the story is by voice messaging, listening to the voice messages, read by the two wonderful narrators was superb.  A great romance that skips a lot of the usual tropes and has a mind of its own.  I loved it.  A lot.  Totally clean and feel good.  One of my top five all-time romances.  Yep, I'm going to do it, maybe it's just the mood I'm in, but I've got to give this one a five!  A gentle, many, artistic male and a feisty, not-scared-of-much female, yippee!  PS. - they didn't need to add the unnecessary epilogue...

Goodreads synopsis:  Stay up all night with this funny, surprising romantic comedy from Audie Award-nominee Cara Bastone — scripted exclusively for audio!

        It’s officially booty o’clock, I’m alone again in my kitchen choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake…and I’m pretty sure I just got drunk texted by the man I have a ginormous crush on.

        I’ve been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman’s dimples for two months, and even though I’m sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn’t mean it’s not an opportunity on mine. It’s the middle of the night, and I just wanna talk to him. So I text him back.

        And then somehow we keep talking…ALL NIGHT. We’re both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night.

        And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something.

        And here we go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to my relationship with my family to his amazing artwork. There’s no topic we don’t cover…

        Except for who I really am. It’s the only question of his I won’t answer.

        As my crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, I think of him all the time now. But if he knew who I was, the entire house of cards we’ve built this relationship on would come toppling down. I want him to be mine, but we might never be more than just a sweet dream….

77. I Temporarily Do by Ellie Cahill

listened on Chirp

narrated by Stacey Glemboski - great job

Unabridged audio (6:11
2017
220 pgs.
Adult RomCom
Finished  7/21/21
Goodreads rating: 4.0 - 2817 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Irvine, CA, eastern small-town IA, and Phoenix

First line/s: "The guys were all in the living room."

My comments:  Great narrator, I love the way she is able to do a male voice without changing her natural voice very much, but making it work perfectly.  I loved the story.  It was a feel good, very cute, fun-feeling story.  Not high steam at all.  It had plenty of meat and was actually somewhat believable...maybe because I wanted it to be that way, lol.  Two great protagonists with lots of other interesting characters.  Very much enjoyed it.

GoodReads Synopsis:   A little white lie. A little white wedding. A pair of roommates in over their heads.

        Days before she's set to move across the country and start a prestigious graduate program, a con artist leaves Emmy with no where to live and less than zero dollars in her bank account. But her day doesn't seem quite so bad compared to Beckett's--his fiancée called off their wedding just days before they tie the knot. Now he's single and ineligible for his place in married student housing.
        So what are a girl without a home and a guy without a wife supposed to do? A quickie wedding in Vegas will solve both their problems. It's a business arrangement, and no one even needs to know. They'll just get an annulment in a few months. What could go wrong?
        Only Beckett forgot to mention his new apartment is a one-bedroom. And neither of them counted on their new friends at Middlesex University thinking they're a great couple.
        The platonic newlywed game might be harder to play than Emmy thought. Especially when it starts to feel less than platonic.
        I Temporarily Do is a Stand-Alone Romantic Comedy.

58. Turn the Paige by Roseanne Beck

#1 Love Hurts

listened on Chirp

narrated by Stephanie Dillard

Unabridged audio (6:58)
2018
284 pgs.
Adult RomCom
Finished 5/31/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.88 - 79 ratings
My rating: 1

First line/s:  "Hunched over the steering wheel, I peer out my windshield."

My comments: Holy stereotype, what a load of garbage!  Add in a dead grandmother who talks to her dead granddaughter all the time, a protagonist who supposedly adored said grandmother but shows no grief at all at her passing, a doctor who, when confronted with a medical emergency doesn't do any doctoring but takes you to the ER .... I could go on and on.  I think what really accentuated my dislike for the book was the narrator.  Right from the first phrase I knew I was going to have  trouble with her.  Talk about over acting!  Over stressing, over emphasizing, and placing too much emphasis on most consonants were just part of my problem with her  Yuck.

Goodreads synopsis:  Paige has everything she thinks she wants.

Nick might be the one thing she really needs.
Sometimes the best dreams are the ones you didn't know you had.
          Dr. Paige Ellis has worked hard to make her dreams come true. But somewhere along the way, she lost something important--herself.
         Luckily, her dead grandmother is still looking out for her.
         When Paige returns home to fulfill her Nana's last request, she comes face-to-face with an annoying blast from her past. Not only does Nick Collins know just which buttons to push to make Paige crazy, but he also might be the one thing Paige has convinced herself she doesn't need.
          Can Nana and Nick persuade an overachieving workaholic that love might be the best medicine after all?

21. Shipped by Angie Hockman

listened on Libby/Library
narrated by Ines del Castillo
Unabridged audio (8:42)
2021
336 pgs.
Adult RomCom
Finished 3/16/21
Goodreads rating: 3.74 - 2456 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting: contemporary Galapagos Islands/onboard cruise ship

First line/s: "Every time I collect my mail from the paint-splattered box in the lobby and see my name printed over and over in bold black ink, I'm reminded that I'm named after a rock star."

My comments: A romcom with a wonderful setting - a small cruise ship visiting the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador.  Henley and Graeme are competing for the same job on the cruise line, and go from a love-hate relationship to guess where, lol!  While communing with incredible wildlife, snorkeling, visiting touristy attractions, and trying to come up with a plan to wow her boss, Henley certainly keeps us entertained.  Great lessons on sustainability and protecting our world included!

Goodreads synopsis:  Between taking night classes for her MBA and her demanding day job at a cruise line, marketing manager Henley Evans barely has time for herself, let alone family, friends, or dating. But when she’s shortlisted for the promotion of her dreams, all her sacrifices finally seem worth it.

          The only problem? Graeme Crawford-Collins, the remote social media manager and the bane of her existence, is also up for the position. Although they’ve never met in person, their epic email battles are the stuff of office legend.
          Their boss tasks each of them with drafting a proposal on how to boost bookings in the Galápagos—best proposal wins the promotion. There’s just one catch: they have to go on a company cruise to the Galápagos Islands...together. But when the two meet on the ship, Henley is shocked to discover that the real Graeme is nothing like she imagined. As they explore the Islands together, she soon finds the line between loathing and liking thinner than a postcard.
          With her career dreams in her sights and a growing attraction to the competition, Henley begins questioning her life choices. Because what’s the point of working all the time if you never actually live?

16. Much Ado About You by Samantha Young

Listened on Libby/Library
narrated by Imani Jade Powers
Unabridged audio (11:26)
2021
308 pgs.
Adult RomCom w/steam
Finished 2/20/21
Goodreads rating: 3.79 - 4219 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Northumberland, England - Protagonist is American

First line/s: "I had not gone on a date in two years."

What I posted on Goodreads:  same as "my comments," below

My comments: 
A sweet romance that takes place between an American female and a British male set in Northumberland, England.  She's a 5' 10" Shakespeare lover who rents and runs a quaint bookshop in a small village on the coast.  He is a "farmer" with a Great Dane named Shadow that he adores.  It follows the usual trajectory and at about 85% is when the huge conflict comes.  This conflict was more ridiculous than most, this otherwise perfect man had lied to her about his age - he is six years younger - and financial status - he was rich and had a title - and this "lying" set her off.  So stupid, imo. But it was a fun and entertaining read.

Goodreads synopsis:  The cozy comforts of an English village bookstore open up a world of new possibilities for Evie Starling in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

          At thirty-three-years old Evangeline Starling's life in Chicago is missing that special something. And when she's passed over for promotion at work, Evie realizes she needs to make a change. Some time away to regain perspective might be just the thing. In a burst of impulsivity, she plans a holiday in a quaint English village. The holiday package comes with a temporary position at Much Ado About Books, the bookstore located beneath her rental apartment. There's no better dream vacation for the bookish Evie, a life-long Shakespeare lover.
          Not only is Evie swept up in running the delightful store as soon as she arrives, she's drawn into the lives, loves and drama of the friendly villagers. Including Roane Robson, the charismatic and sexy farmer who tempts Evie every day with his friendly flirtations. Evie is determined to keep him at bay because a holiday romance can only end in heartbreak, right? But Evie can't deny their connection and longs to trust in her handsome farmer that their whirlwind romance could turn in to the forever kind of love. 

7. A Tail as Old as Time by Elle Hay

an Audible Original
narrated by Therese Plummer
Unabridged audio (1:32)
2021
100 pgs. ??

Finished 1/31/21

Goodreads:  3.48 - 116 ratings

My rating:  2
RomCom

My comments:   Two next-door neighbors chase their escaped darling dog and cat all around Coral Gables, only to discover they ran home again.  Love how they even get up and down on the elevator on their own (not!)  And of course the neighbors end up really liking each other.  Totally stupid from beginning to end.

Goodreads synopsis:  A rom-com novella that will warm every animal lover’s heart about two neighbors who fight like cats and dogs - but who can’t deny their animal attraction.
          Ever since Alana Diaz adopted her cat Furrari, she has found herself in a feud with her infuriating neighbor, whom she knows only by the name on the passive aggressive notes he leaves on her door - R. Jones. Alana works hard all day, and the last thing she needs when she finally relaxes on her balcony with a glass of wine and her new furry roommate is her neighbor’s dog barking his head off. The only solution is to retreat inside. So what if her neighbor has smoldering good looks? It’s ruined when he glares at her little fuzzball of joy for upsetting his dog Kevin. And who the hell names their dog Kevin, anyway?
          But when Furrari and Kevin both go missing, Alana and Jones are left with no choice but to team up. As their pets lead them through the beaches, fancy hotels, and more all over Coral Gables, two lonely, jaded people might find they've been chasing the wrong things all along.