I received a digital copy of this audiobook from NetGalley and Orange Sky Audio in exchange for an honest review. The print/ebook version was released in January of 2022 and is available to read on kindle unlimited. The audiobook releases 8/9/22.
This is a second chance romance - a broody angsty new adult romance with high steam (open door) and frequent cursing. There’s underage substance use but no underage action. Remembered references to casual sex. So if that doesn’t sound to your taste keep walking. As a mom in my late 30s I’m not always in the mood for new adult romance drama but sometimes it’s a nice snack.
A scarred (literally and figuratively) grumpy virgin hero is one of my absolute favorite romance tropes. We also get a bookstore workplace makeover. The author uses alternating hero vs heroine; present day vs past storytelling to unravel what’s really going on between these two.
Our heroine is a “bad girl/uninhibited party” who really isn’t all that bad. She’s relatable and intellectual beneath the glittery surface.
Our hero calls Alice “wonderland” as a nickname, which I find fun, romantic and potentially full of meaning. Alice is bisexual and some of the cruel reactions by peers after a high school exploration of feels occurs. Largely just cattiness. No specified cruelty or violence. So not pleasant but not overly scarring if that’s a trigger subject.
Narration quality - female was solid with inflection for various characters. It appeared to me at least, that the gravelly-ness of the hero’s voices was likely not natural and an affectation. Kudos to him for giving the people what they want. The reading of the chapter titles felt a little unnatural and forced but once entering the narrative it melded with the story quite well and I appreciate the effort in voice acting the character more than a natural voice that wouldn’t fit the character.
At the end we find out what really happened in the past and connections are made that none of our leading players even knew. It was a bit darker than I expected but the author didn’t linger overlong on the subject.
5/5
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