Audiobook Review: Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages by Jenny Colgan

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages
Author: Jenny Colgan
Narrator: Eilidh Beaton
Publisher: Avon
Publication date: June 16, 2026
Print length: 352 pages
Audio length: 11 hours, 44 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Purchased (audiobook); E-book ARC from the publisher/NetGalley
Rating:

EVERYONE IS SEARCHING FOR THEIR PERFECT HOUSE. BUT HOME IS REALLY WHERE THE HEART IS…

Janey Carter has a lot to be grateful for—a home by the sea in the Scottish isles, a job that she loves, two kids who have successfully launched, and a network of kind and supportive friends. But since her husband left, her confidence has taken a nosedive. And then, out of the blue, her thirty-year-old daughter Essie announces she’s moving back home. Janey loves Essie dearly, but she was never the easiest to live with, and Janie has been enjoying the empty nest life.

Yes, Essie Carter has just lost her job, can’t afford her rent in Edinburgh, and her boyfriend isn’t ready to commit. She hates to admit defeat and isn’t wild about moving back to the remote island community where she was raised. But maybe the sea air will clear her head?

No sooner is Essie back under her mother’s roof than an unusual opportunity pops up: the shabby and unloved Seaside Cottages next door come up for sale. Janey has some experience renovating the island’s famous stone fisherman’s cottages, Essie needs something to do, and they could both use a little Air B&B income to warm their pockets. Mother and daughter slowly bond over the shared challenge, which delivers some much-needed revelations for Essie, and offers Janey a surprise second chance at love as well.

If a house can be brought back to life, along with the community around it, then so can a heart …

Jenny Colgan’s books can be counted on to provide a lovely escape to a charming small town, humorous challenges as well as interesting relationship dynamics, and simply gorgeous landscapes — which may induce hallucinations of chucking it all and running away to a sweet little Scottish village on the northern coast!

In Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages, the heart of the story is a mother-daughter relationship that just as prickly now as when Essie was in her teens. Janey is a mid-50s audiologist who loves her job, loves her community, loves the tiny cottage she’s made her home, and loves her adult children… although a bit of distance is best. Essie, around 30, fled their small town of Carso as soon as she could, preferring a life in the business world, with posh social events and gorgeous clothes (and a gorgeous financier boyfriend) in Edinburgh. Essie has never gotten over her parents’ divorce, for which she mainly blames Janey… even though it was her father who cheated and ultimately left for another woman.

Janey loves Essie, but Essie treats her with scorn and can’t really be bothered answering most of her texts. But as the story opens, Essie learns that her banking firm is relocating to Switzerland and she’s being let go. Sure, she had a well-paying job in finance, but she didn’t see this coming and has no savings. With housing in Edinburgh either impossible to find or exorbitantly priced, she can’t afford to stay — so full of dread and misery, she heads back to Carso, to her mom’s tiny cottage, to regroup and (hopefully) get back to a job and “real life” in Edinburgh as soon as humanly possible.

Meanwhile, Janey is slowly coming out of her shell socially. She has very good friends and is well liked and appreciated within the community, but she hasn’t dared dip her toes back into the dating pool since the divorce. She feels old and unattractive, and the dating apps aren’t exactly enticing. When she encounters a very nice man at a pub quiz, she’s interested in someone for the first time, and thanks to a pregnant dog in distress (and a very ungainly batch of puppies), Janey has a strangely quirky reason to interact with this man. Who wouldn’t want to bond over pupppies?

While Janey is delightful, Essie is hard to warm to. She returns to Carso full of despair and feeling hopeless, which she expresses through disdain of the of the town and absolute nastiness toward her mother. She loosens up eventually, once she gets involved in assisting a local with rehabbing the cottages next door — finding purpose and a potential romance along the way — but meanwhile, she can be a total pill.

There’s not exactly a ton of plot in Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages, but that’s okay. The setting, the tone, the characters — these are the reasons we pick up Jenny Colgan novels, after all! I enjoyed seeing the interwoven relationships within the community, and very much enjoyed Janey and her day to day life, as well as the slow dawning of a new romance for her.

I struggled with the mother-daughter relationship, not that it might not be realistic, but just that Essie’s behavior makes her so unlikeable for much of the story. I recognize that she lashes out at her mother because of her own traumas, but it’s just unpleasant to have to see, and made me less interested in following her through the chapters about her adjustment and transformation. (Then again, demographic-wise, I’m much more aligned with Janey than Essie. Perhaps a reader in Essie’s age range might feel more sympathetic toward her?)

It’s interesting to see how the author weaves economic challenges into the story. People in Carso can’t find housing, because outsiders keep scooping up properties and converting them to vacation rentals for people from the cities, who swoop in, don’t shop at or patronize local businesses, and drive rents sky-high for the people who actually live there. Essie experiences the same in Edinburgh, where she’s constantly exposed to the have/have-not divide and lives in a state of envy over all the gorgeous flats she’ll never be able to afford. While the overarching story is very much centered on the lives of the characters, much of the plot is informed by the financial challenges they experience and the interest in property — for both locals and the wealthy investors who see money rather than people when they look at Carso.

A note on the audiobook: Eilidh Beaton is wonderful. She narrates many of Jenny Colgan’s books, and has a talent for voicing an array of characters, adding just the right humorous touches, and evoking the feel of the place and its people.

Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages is a sweet, light story about mothers and daughters, and about life in a changing community whose people are anxiously trying to hold onto the qualities that make their world so special. The storyline overall is gentle and entertaining. Don’t pick up this book expecting much in the way of action — but if you enjoy interesting characters, beautiful settings, and small town goings-on (and puppies!), this makes a lovely option for good escapist reading.

Note: Amazon and Goodreads indicate that this book is part of the Mure series. It’s not. There’s really no connection at all, other than a location that’s in the same general vicinity. This book does include characters from Close Knit and The Summer Skies, but only in passing — there’s no actual impact on the story here, so no need to read these novels in any particular order.

Purchase links: Amazon – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

21Jun2026

Audiobook Review: Time Loops & Meet Cutes by Jackie Lau

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Time Loops & Meet Cutes
Author: Jackie Lau
Narrators: Cindy Kay & Raymond J. Lee
Publisher: Atria
Publication date: May 6, 2025
Print length: 339 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 15 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

The “masterful, inspiring, and full of heart” (Ali Hazelwood, New York Times bestselling author) Jackie Lau returns with a thoroughly unique love story about a woman reliving the same Friday over and over again—and the intriguing man who can’t quite remember her.

Noelle Tom really shouldn’t have eaten those dumplings at the night market. But the old lady at the stall said they’d give her what she needed most, and what Noelle desperately needed after another long workweek was food.

Except now she’s reliving the same Friday over and over. Every morning her alarm goes off at 6:45 no matter what, the Wordle answer is always “happy,” and she watches a silly squirrel video go viral day after day. And no matter how much she works on the same proposal, it’s always erased when she wakes up. It seems Monday will never come in this workaholic’s worst nightmare.

Noelle has no idea how being trapped in a time loop is the “thing she needed most,” especially now that everything seems meaningless. Sure, three fancy meals in a row is a fun treat, but it’s getting repetitive. Noelle’s not sure what lesson the old lady was trying to impart. Even a trip to the dumpling stall doesn’t help…because there’s no sign of it.

But then she meets a young woman who also ate the dumplings, and good-looking Cam, who appears in multiple places on her Friday. While he seems to have no memory of their encounters, there are signs he might be the key to getting un-stuck. But Noelle will have to put work aside and live a little in order to make him notice her. As their flirtation progresses, Noelle begins to worry that if she ever gets to turn the calendar page, Cam won’t know who she is and her life may never return to what it was before that fateful Friday…

In Time Loops & Meet Cutes, Noelle’s life revolves around work, even though she never gets the recognition she deserves and seems to constantly be the last to leave the office, staying late to clean up other people’s projects. She lives frugally, despite a decent salary as a mechanical engineer, denying herself any indulgences in order to make sure her savings will see her through whatever the future might hold. After a painful breakup years earlier, she’s also sworn off relationships, and she’s not terribly good at staying in touch with old friends either.

On a Friday in June — June 20th to be exact — Noelle is so hungry after yet another long day at work that she stops at a night market on the way home to grab a bite to eat, and stops at a dumpling stand with a hand-written sign and no line. The charming older woman behind the counter tells her that these dumplings will give her what she needs most — and give how starving she is, their deliciousness seems to do the trick.

The next morning, Noelle’s alarm goes off at 6:45, which is weird since it’s the weekend. And then the Wordle is the same as the previous day’s — huh, an odd glitch? But as the day progresses, Noelle realizes that it’s June 20th again… and so is the next day, and the next, and the next. As hard as it seems to believe, Noelle is forced to accept that she’s stuck in a time loop, and has no idea why or — more importantly — how to get out of it.

It’s amazing how many possibilities there are in a single day. You can quit your job… or not. You can go to Vancouver and feel the rain on your skin. You can eat three types of dumplings and get sprayed by a skunk when you go hunting for ghosts in a cemetery.

On the bright side, she learns that each day is a clean slate, so she can splurge on a fancy meal or new haircut, and all will be reset when she wakes up once again on June 20th — no damage to her bank account or credit card, no long-lasting remorse if she decides the pixie cut really isn’t for her. When she keeps running into a very attractive man named Cam, who seems to recognize her without knowing why, she decides that he might be the key to escaping the time loop. Could it be like a fairy tale, where true love’s kiss has the power to break a spell? But beyond escape, Noelle starts to enjoy these daily first meetings with Cam, especially since there are no consequences that last more than a day — so if she makes a stupid joke or does something especially cringe-worthy, it’ll just get wiped away by the next morning.

But as Noelle continues to “meet” Cam, over and over again, and goes on a series of lovely first dates with him, it starts to feel like not enough. She’s developing feelings, and he seems to respond in a way that shows that something’s pulling him toward her — but she can’t truly connect with someone she has to meet again for the first time every time she sees him.

I was surprised by how utterly charming I found Time Loops & Meet Cutes. The why and how of the time loop is much less important than the fact of it. Noelle meets another woman, Avery, who’s stuck in the same loop, and their friendship offers them both companionship and a sense of normalcy in an incredibly abnormal situation. As Noelle and Avery navigate the ways in which their June 20ths are similar and different, we get a clear-eyed view of why it might be wonderful to experience certain things over and over again for the first time… and how awful it would be to repeat the worst moments too.

The story offers powerful examples of how people can stagnate in safe or predictable lives, and how taking chances can lead to moments that can change the future. Noelle doesn’t become a new person overnight, but over the course of the many months she spends in the loop, she’s able to experience the outcomes of various “what if” moments, which help her see that good things can come from taking chances, as well as the value in being honest and repairing family relationships that she’d once just accepted as being unpleasant.

The romance is sweet and often funny, as Noelle and Cam have first date after first date, each one a bit different. At first, Noelle sticks to a sort of script in her flirting, knowing that Cam responds positively to certain jokes… but as she gains confidence and starts to know him better, she’s able to behave more naturally and enjoy their moments together.

The resolution of the time loop offers fresh problems and dilemmas which are quite interesting. Noelle has to adjust to yet another new reality, one in which she doesn’t get a clean slate each day. Can she still be bold and try new things — and try to connect with Cam — when her actions will carry over to tomorrow?

The audiobook narrators (one for Noelle, one for Cam) do a terrific job bringing the characters to life and showing their personalities and senses of humor. Most chapters are told through Noelle’s perspective, but the Cam chapters are a nice way to break up the sound of the story and add another viewpoint to these decidedly unusual events.

Time Loops & Meet Cutes is a fun, upbeat story with plenty of introspective and sensitive moments too. The big-picture plot points are outlandish, but seeing the time loop play out in relatively ordinary people’s lives makes it all feel relatable… and highly entertaining.

I’ve read several of author Jackie Lau’s previous books, and always enjoy her well-written characters, interesting narratives, and seriously amazing food moments! I recommend Time Loops & Meet Cutes for anyone who appreciates a rom-com with heart — and a very quirky premise.

For more by Jackie Lau:
Donut Fall in Love
The Stand-Up Groomsman
Love, Lies, and Cherry Pie

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

24May2026

Audiobook Review: My Contrary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: My Contrary Mary
Series: Mary, #1
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
Narrator: Fiona Hardingham
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: June 22, 2021
Print length: 512 pages
Audiobook length: 12 hours 18 minutes
Genre: Young adult
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Long live the queen: The authors who brought you the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane kick off an all-new historical trilogy with the classy, courtly tale of Mary, Queen of Scots—perfect for YA fantasy and romance readers.

Welcome to Renaissance France, a place of poison and plots, of beauties and beasts, of mice and . . . queens?

Mary is the queen of Scotland and the jewel of the French court. Except when she’s a mouse. Yes, reader, Mary is an Eðian (shapeshifter) in a kingdom where Verities rule. It’s a secret that could cost her a head—or a tail.

Luckily, Mary has a confidant in her betrothed, Francis. But things at the gilded court take a treacherous turn after the king meets a suspicious end. Thrust onto the throne, Mary and Francis face a viper’s nest of conspiracies, traps, and treason. And if Mary’s secret is revealed, heads are bound to roll.

With a royally clever sense of humor, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows continue their campaign to turn history on its head in this YA fantasy ideal for fans of A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue.

A shapeshifting queen, a perilous court, and a kingdom on the brink. What could possibly go wrong?

I can’t even begin to describe how much fun it is to be back in the world of the Janies… or in this case, a Mary! This author trio has already treated us to revamped versions of Lady Jane Grey, Jane Eyre, and Calamity Jane — and this first Mary book, with its focus on Mary, Queen of Scots, takes us back to the universe of My Lady Jane, with all sorts of fresh twists!

In this fictional version of history, the kingdoms of France, England, and Scotland are full of political maneuvering and manipulation, and the key source of tension within each kingdom is the divide between Eðians and Verities — those who can shapeshift into animal forms, and those who believe that only the truly human follow in the path of righteousness, and all others are abominations.

Mary, Queen of Scots, has been raised in the French court and is betrothed to Francis, heir to the French throne. Mary is also an Eðian — a highly guarded secret that could cost her life in France, where Eðians are despised and persecuted. Mary and Francis have been best friends (and betrothed) since they were children, but now that they’re older, there’s growing pressure to see them married off in order to secure the lines of succession, as well as for France to have a stronger claim on Scotland… and eventually, England as well.

My Contrary Mary is told through chapters that rotate through three different point of view characters: Mary, Francis, and Ari, daughter of court prognosticator Nostradamus. Ari doesn’t seem to have her father’s gift for visions, instead revealing her talents through an array of potions with astounding magical properties. When Ari does try to summon a vision, they seem to be nonsense:

Ari did sometimes see things, but nothing that made sense:

“I see a princess from the moon. She punishes all of the evildoers.”

“I see a girl with pale hair singing in the snow. She wants to let it go, but I don’t know what it is.”

“I see a child. He sees dead people.”

After that, her father stopped asking her what she saw.

Ari’s visions are so entertaining that I feel compelled to share one more:

Ari spoke softly. “I see a boy and a girl. They are floating in the ocean.”

She heard some oohs in the distance, and then a shushing sound.

“It’s very cold. The breath coming out of their mouths freezes instantly.” Ari shivered. “They are not in a boat. They are on . . .” Ari squinted and saw the metal hinges of a latch. “They are on a door? The boy is slipping into the water. The girl is holding his hand. She is promising to never let go. She will hold on forever and they will be together—Oh wait, she just let go.”

As the story unfolds, Mary and Francis seem to be in ever increasing danger. Francis’s mother, Catherine de Medici, wants to rule France through him… and when he pushes back, that evil gleam in her eyes bodes bad news for Francis. Mary’s uncles, a powerful duke and influential cardinal, claim to have her best interests at heart, but as she learns late in the game, what they say and what they actually mean are quite different things. Meanwhile, Mary’s ladies-in-waiting (a delightful group, all named Mary) know Mary’s secrets and will do whatever it takes to protect her… and also have secrets of their own.

The main thing to know about My Contrary Mary is that it’s very, very funny, with a cheeky, deliberately sassy sort of tone that keeps events rolicking along. If you’ve read My Lady Jane, you’ll know that tragic historical events have no place in this fictional world… so fear not for Mary’s head staying attached to her shoulders! It’s safe to assume from the outset that the characters we come to know and love will reach their happily-ever-afters… and for the readers, getting there is so much fun that you almost hate to get to the final chapters.

I listened to the audiobook (which makes it difficult to go back and pull out as many favorite quotes as I normally would with these books). Fiona Hardingham does a fantastic job with the assorted French, Scottish, and English accents, the dialects of the various royals, nobles, and servants, as well as the portrayal of certain Eðians (which I recommend experiencing for yourself!)

As you can probably tell, I adored this romp through an alternate historical world! And now that I’ve finished My Contrary Mary, I’m eager to dive into the other books in the Mary series, which focus on Mary Shelley and the pirate Mary Read.

Interested in the Jane books? Check out:

Purchase links for My Contrary Mary: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

16May2026

Audiobook Review: Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Our Perfect Storm
Author: Carley Fortune
Narrators: AJ Bridel and Jack Copland
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: May 5, 2026
Print length: 420 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 51 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed . . . and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man.

Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. For one glorious evening, surrounded by her loved ones, Frankie’s life is finally perfect. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation.

Crushed and confused, Frankie returns to her family’s home to wallow. But George has a different idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him. For one week, to the lush rainforests and misty beaches of Tofino.

Frankie agrees, seeing the trip for what it really is: one last chance to repair their friendship. Even if it means unearthing secrets and long buried feelings neither knows how to handle. Even if it means falling apart for good.

There’s nothing like a Carley Fortune book! Heartfelt storytelling, deep connections, and beautiful settings are the hallmark of her beach bag-ready novels. Her fifth novel, Our Perfect Storm, captures all the elements I love so much about her writing and delivers a friends-to-lovers story that, despite the trope, feels fresh and expansive.

Our Perfect Storm opens at the start of Frankie’s wedding weekend — a high-end affair at a luxury resort, no expense spared. But initially, it’s not perfect: Frankie is distracted throughout the opening dinner because her best friend (and best man) George hasn’t arrived. Her seemingly ideal fiancé Nate is sitting right next to her, but she can’t enjoy the food or the company… until George finally walks in. (It may not be obvious to Frankie, but we readers know deep, unacknowledged love when we see it!)

The perfect wedding is now back on track… until Frankie wakes up the next morning to a note from Nate, calling off the wedding with no explanation whatsoever. Devastated, Frankie moves back home with her parents and spends the next couple of months trying to get her life back on track.

George hasn’t been seen since the wedding, so Frankie is shocked when he shows up one day, and has a plan. Nate has already told Frankie that she should go to the resort he’d booked for their honeymoon, since it was already paid for. Frankie had no intention of going, but George insists that it’ll be just what she needs — and that he’s going with her. Frankie needs an escape from the world so she can heal, George has been researching recovery after a breakup, and he’s going to guide her through the process.

So off they go to Tofino, a beautiful location on Vancouver Island, where they’ll be staying in a luxury villa at a fancy resort, with nothing to do but enjoy the scenery, explore, eat good food, and let Frankie find fresh inspiration and let go of the past. Of course, the past is not so simple. While Frankie had only known Nate for a total of one year prior to their almost-wedding, she’s known George since childhood. They’ve been there for one another through family sorrows, personal challenges, growing up, and turning into adults. From next-door neighbors to best friends to college roommates, they were inseparable for most of their lives, until George pulled away in recent years, leaving Frankie to miss him and wonder what happened to their friendship.

As they week in Tofino unfolds, George and Frankie reconnect, falling back into their easy dynamic, sharing truths and secrets, but also noting new elements to their chemisty… like a intense attraction that Frankie was never willing to fully acknowledge in the past. It becomes clear that there’s way more between them than friendship, but they’ll need to get past old hurts and traumas before they can fully trust that what they feel might just be love… and that they might have a very different future ahead of them than either could have imagined.

I just loved Frankie and George! They’re both fully developed characters. We can care about them because we get to know them so well. Flashback chapters take us back to their childhood and adolescence, and of course it’s clear to a reader that these two are way beyond “best friends”. The way they trust one another is lovely, as is the way they’re so easily able to fall back into spending constant time together, even after being apart for years.

In addition to her cancelled wedding, Frankie has a lifetime of unresolved issues to finally come to terms with, particularly in regard to her complicated relationship with her mother. I appreciated seeing the thoughtfulness with which the characters deal with this, and how past trauma gets addressed and acknowledged.

Of course, the heart and soul of the story is the connection between Frankie and George. The plot points I’ve mentioned so far may not sound action-packed, but that’s not what this book is. There’s plenty of humor, serious talks and situations too, but overall, the pacing is leisurely and gives time for the relationships and character growth to unfold.

The armchair travel elements can’t be ignored. Carley Fortune’s books always have the most lovely settings, and I was practically dying over the descriptions of Tofino. (Sad but true: I took a fantastic road trip to Vancouver Island last summer, but didn’t have quite enough time to get to Tofino… clearly, I need to go back!)

As with the author’s other books, the audiobook is narrated by AJ Bridel, who does a wonderful job. This time, she’s joined by Jack Copland, who does the dialogue for the male characters. I loved listening — the voices, pacing, and delivery are all fantastic.

Obviously, I’m a big fan, and Our Perfect Summer hit all the right notes for me. I’ll eagerly await whatever Carley Fortune writes next. Meanwhile, I highly recommend Our Perfect Summer, and all of her other books too!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

For more by Carley Fortune:
Every Summer After
Meet Me at the Lake
This Summer Will Be Different
One Golden Summer

7May2026

Audiobook Review: The Body by Stephen King

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Body
Author: Stephen King
Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: Originally published 1982; new audiobook edition released 2026
Print length: 192 pages
Audio length: 6 hours 38 minutes
Genre: Coming of age novella
Source: Library
Rating:

Decades after starring in the film adaptation, Wil Wheaton narrates an all-new recording of the story that shaped a generation!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King’s timeless novella The Body, originally published in his 1982 collection Different Seasons and adapted into the 1986 film classic Stand by Me, now available as a stand-alone edition.

Four rambunctious young boys venture into the Maine woods in search of a boy from a nearby town who has disappeared. Gordie Lachance and his three friends set out on a quest to find the missing boy’s body along the railroad tracks. The Body is set outside King’s iconic fictional town of Castle Rock, which is the setting of many of King’s most popular books including It and The Stand, and Castle Rock, a 10-episode Hulu original series, based on King’s short stories. King’s The Body is an iconic coming of age story that explores the loneliness and isolation of young adulthood.

And from an earlier edition of the book:

It’s 1960 in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. Ray Brower, a boy from a nearby town, has disappeared, and twelve-year-old Gordie Lachance and his three friends set out on a quest to find his body along the railroad tracks. During the course of their journey, Gordie, Chris Chambers, Teddy Duchamp, and Vern Tessio come to terms with death and the harsh truths of growing up in a small factory town that doesn’t offer much in the way of a future.

A timeless exploration of the loneliness and isolation of young adulthood, Stephen King’s The Body is an iconic, unforgettable, coming-of-age story.

Originally published in 1982 as part of Stephen King’s Different Seasons collection, The Body is best known as the story adapted into the outstanding film Stand By Me. I consider myself a fairly well-read Stephen King fan, although I’m nowhere close to having read all (or even more than half) of his works. And yet, before this week, I’d actually never read The Body… and now that I have, I’m astounded that I’ve been missing out on it all these years.

I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say that The Body may just be one of the most perfect examples of a coming-of-age tale. The story is clearly autobiographical in some ways, in terms of the Maine vibe of the early 1960s, the companionship among boys, the rituals and cultural signifiers, the sense of a future looming just around the corner (not to mention the more obvious fact that the narrator is a writer who writes horror stories, lives in Maine with his wife and children, etc. etc. etc.)

To go back to basics, the core story is as follows: In Castle Rock, Maine one summer day, a group of 12-year-old boys set out on an adventure. The boys are a motley crew, from a variety of unsavory or unlucky families, and even at age 12, no one really expects much of any of them, and the town itself seems like the definition of a dead end. On this summer day, they overhear some of the town “JDs” (aka, the dangerous older brothers and their assorted hoodlum friends) that they’ve found a dead body — a boy who’s been missing for a few days and is believed to be lost somewhere in the woods.

Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy are bored, thirsty for excitement, and eager to claim the title of town heroes. School is about to start, and they have nothing else going on, so they decide to beat the older boys to the body, report that they’ve found it, and basically claim a hefty dose of glory for themselves. The trek to the body is more challenging than they expected, involving miles and miles of train tracks, spots of true danger, and imagined horrors during a sleepless night in the woods.

The brilliance of The Body is in the details. The writing is beautifully evocative of the era, the dynamic of being a 12-year-old boy, the mix of hopefulness and hopelessness that pervades their lives, and the absolute devotion that childhood best friends share for brief moments in time. I felt immersed in Gordie’s worldview; the storytelling voice is powerful and immediate, and we feel what Gordie is feeling throughout.

I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, did you?

The Body is also funny and profane and silly — there are some gross-out moments, and the kind of insults that pass for humor among 12-year-old boys. More seriousness is always beneath the surface, or even out in the open. There’s danger from the older boys, but also the looming danger of the future hurtling toward them. What chance do any of these boys have for getting out of their small town? What kind of lives lie ahead? Gordie narrates this tale from a future vantage point, at once enjoying the sweetness of nostalgia while also letting us know that in some ways, these summer days were the best days of their lives, and that they were followed by sorrow and loss and a variety of big and small disappointments.

Wil Wheaton is, of course, a stellar narrator. Having been one of the child stars of Stand By Me (playing Gordie), he’s the perfect choice for this new audiobook edition. His storytelling voice is humorous and inflected with emotion and amusement, and he hits the more tragic or contemplative notes just right.

Listening to The Body reminds me (as if I need reminding) just what an amazing storyteller Stephen King is. On top of telling a terrific tale, he also lets us in on the joys of being a writer and a storyteller, and without hitting us over the head, uses Gordie’s voice to show the power of language and narrative.

The Body is a fantastic story, and the audiobook is truly a special experience. Even if you’ve read the story before, it’s well worth checking out the new audio version.

As for me, I’m now dying for a re-watch of Stand By Me!

UPDATE: I realized after publishing this post that I should have included a link to a New York Times piece about Wil Wheaton, Stand By Me, and this audiobook: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/24/books/wil-wheaton-the-body-audiobook-stephen-king.html?unlocked_article_code=1.g1A.i-zn._LjQK8zr0fNu&smid=url-share

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

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2May2026

Audiobook Review: The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures, #2) by Katherine Rundell

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Poisoned King
Series: Impossible Creatures, #2
Author: Katherine Rundell
Narrator: Samuel West
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication date: September 11, 2025
Print length: 304 pages
Audio length: 7 hours 6 minutes
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Source: Purchased
Rating:

Return to the magic of the Archipelago in the dazzling sequel to the runaway, #1 New York Times bestseller Impossible Creatures, hailed as “an instant classic” (Katherine Applegate, Newbery Medal Winner for The One and Only Ivan)!

Christopher Forrester woke to find a dragon chewing on his face—and his heart leapt for joy! He’d been dreaming of going back to the Archipelago, the secret cluster of islands where all the creatures of myth still live, and here was his summons.

But there is a poison spreading in the Archipelago. Rooting it out will involve a daring rescue mission on the back of a sphinx, a stealthy entrance to a dragon’s lair, and a death-defying plan to save a prisoner held in the heart of a castle. At the center of this storm is Anya: a small girl with a flock of birds at her side, a new-hatched chick in her pocket, and a ravenous hunger for justice.

Katherine Rundell’s second thrilling installment in the Impossible Creatures series involves castles, dragons, and revenge—the things of which great stories are made. The splendors within are brought to life with more than fifty illustrations, including a map and a bestiary of magical creatures.

As The Poisoned King opens, a teen-aged boy named Christopher is woken by a dragon chewing on his nose. Which is less dangerous than it sounds — this is a Jaculus dragon, a creature the size of a sparrow, but with an outsized sense of its own importance. Jacques — the dragon — has come with a summons: Christopher is required to come with him to the Archipelago immediately. Someone is poisoning the great dragons, and there’s no time to lose.

What is the Archipelago? It’s a magical world comprising many large and small islands, inhabited by an astonishing variety of humans and creatures, hidden from our own world and accessible only through certain connecting locations known as waybetweens. Waybetweens are protected and kept safe by Guardians, of which Christopher’s grandfather is one — as Christopher learned the previous summer while visiting him at his remote home in Scotland, which led to Christopher’s grand, dramatic adventures in Impossible Creatures.

Christopher is a good, brave person who would never ignore a call for help, so he returns to the Archipelago to discover that things are even worse than he feared. Upon arrival, he’s met by a sphinx, who instructs him that he has a detour to make before proceeding to the dragons: A princess named Anya is in desperate need of rescue, and his mission and her plight are bound together.

And so we meet Anya Argen, granddaughter of the king of the island of Dousha. Anya’s father has raised her far from the castle, free to explore the forest they both love and spend time with the creatures who live there. When the King insists that she learn to behave like a proper princess, they’re forced to return to the castle, much to Anya’s dismay. As the story opens, the King is murdered, and her father — heir to the throne — is framed for the crime, leaving the way clear for his younger brother to act as Regent until Anya comes of age to rule herself. But her uncle Claude is not a patient man, and Anya finds her own life threatened.

As Christopher and Anya’s journeys connect, they join forces to unravel the mystery of what’s happened to the dragons while also laying plans to keep Anya alive and rescue her father, now imprisoned and sentenced to death for the murder of the King. Their quest takes them to new and old friends, and brings them into contact with even more fascinating magical creatures, while also giving them time to develop trust, friendship, and loyalty to one another.

The Poisoned King is a terrific second book in this captivating middle grade series. It has the surprises and delights of encountering magical worlds and beings, journeying through lands with rules and customs so different from our own, and seeing two young humans struggle to fix situations that have gone very badly.

Christopher is as lovely as ever, and Anya is a compelling addition to this fictional world. She’s complex and spiky; her desperate need to save her father is paired with a burning thirst for vengeance, and we see her grapple with the idea of revenge and what its impact might be on the type of person she is and wants to be.

The Poisoned King isn’t quite as glorious as Impossible Creatures — but that’s to be expected in the 2nd book of a series. Impossible Creatures introduced us to a new magical world and its wonders; The Poisoned King tells another story in that world, but lacks just a bit of the awe that comes with a world-building introduction. That said, The Poisoned King is very good, and is a worthy successor to such a stellar first book.

As with Impossible Creatures, I listened to the audiobook, narrated by actor Samuel West (currently starring in All Creatures Great and Small as Siegfried Farnon). He is an amazing voice actor, with delightful voices for Christopher, Anya, and all the various creatures, from tiny dragon Jacques to a deadly manticore and more. I did have a bit of trouble understanding one or two non-human characters due to the pitch of their voices, but that was only for a fraction of the audiobook experience, and didn’t detract from the overall enjoyment at all.

Repeating my reading note from Impossible Creatures: While I loved the audiobook experience, I strongly encourage anyone going that route to also follow along with a print edition. The book is filled with beautiful black and white illustrations by artist Ashley Mackenzie that add so much to the story. A bestiary at the end of the book gives more in-depth explanations of the various creatures in the book, from Batrachomyomachian Mouse to Winged Unicorn, accompanied by illustrations for each. The visual delights of this book should not be missed!

I loved returning to the world of Impossible Creatures, and highly recommend The Poisoned King (but do start with the first book!). A third book, The Neverfear, is scheduled for publication in fall 2026, and I absolutely plan to read it.

The Neverfear (Impossible Creatures, #3)
Release date: September 1, 2026

29Apr2026

Audiobook Review: Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Margo’s Got Money Troubles
Author: Rufi Thorpe
Narrator: Elle Fanning
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication date: June 11, 2024
Print length: 304 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 21 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman’s attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world—from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet’s always known she’d have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can’t imagine how she’ll ever make a living. She’s still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor—and while the affair is brief, it isn’t brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone’s advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion—fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she’ll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx’s advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she’s turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo’s problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo’s Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who’s struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It’s a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off.

When Margo’s Got Money Troubles came out in 2024, I was sure it wasn’t a book for me, despite the buzz I kept seeing. A book about someone starting an OnlyFans account? Nope, no thanks.

But… when the AppleTV adaptation (starring Elle Fanning, who narrates this audiobook) was released a few weeks ago, the reviews were unvaryingly positive — and once I started paying attention, I realized there might be much more to this story than I thought.

So, I borrowed the audiobook from the library, got started… and was immediately captivating by Margo’s narrative voice and the overall excellent storytelling.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is about a 19-year-old trying to figure things out, without much in the way of parental or other support. A college freshman with a flare for writing, Margo supports herself through waitressing and lives with three roommates in order to make rent. When her (married) English professor takes an interest, Margo falls into a brief affair with him — and when she discovers that she’s pregnant, he tells her to get an abortion and then basically cuts her out of his life completely.

Despite not being at all prepared to become a mother, Margo can’t bring herself to end the pregnancy. Her mother Shyanne is no help whatsoever, being an entirely self-centered woman who sees Margo as an accessory rather than a person separate from herself. Margo’s father Jinx is a former pro wrestler and manager, hugely famous in the wrestling world, who’s always been a guest in Margo’s life, showing up here and there but clearly focused on his “real” family.

Once the baby is born, Margo’s money troubles really hit. Her roommates are furious about the noise a baby makes — they have midterms to study for! She’s fired after leaving a shift due to a baby emergency, and really can’t afford childcare without spending all the money meant for rent. When Jinx shows up needing a place to stay, it’s perfect timing, since two of the roommates have left in a huff. Jinx’s splitting the rent isn’t a long-term solution, but Margo appreciates his help and companionship. One night, watching a wrestling match together, he casually mentions that a particular woman wrestler has struck it rich via OnlyFans… and Margo has to know more.

Let me pause here to say that while the plot may sound somewhat tawdry, it’s anything but — and the key is Margo herself. Funny and smart, Margo tells her story with humor and with a narrative flare.

The sadness from the morning didn’t exactly go away; it dried on me and slowly crumbled, leaving me covered in little flakes, like if you eat a glazed donut in a black shirt.

She alternates between first person and third person throughout the book, which initially feels like an odd choice, but gives Margo room to tell both a straightforward account of her life and a story with a more fanciful feel.

As Margo describes her investigation of OnlyFans and how she might use it as a source of income, it’s clear that her creative spark, once nurtured through her writing classes, has found a new source of inspiration. Margo is curious about what makes someone stand out, and what makes subscribers keep coming back. It’s Jinx who’s able to supply some critical advice. Drawing from his wresting career, they discuss “faces” versus “heels” (hero characters and villain characters), how to draw attention, and what keeps a crowd interested and engaged. Margo isn’t interested in just posting nudes for a few dollars; she wants to know how to succeed online, and engages in some incredibly creative research and outreach to figure it all out.

Margo never would have guessed she loved money this much. In fact, in the movies and TV shows and books she’d read, you could tell if a character was the bad guy by how much he cared about money. And since she wanted to be good, she’d always been careful not to care too much about money. Now she wondered if all those Disney movies were merely propaganda to keep poor people content with their lot.

Meanwhile, her struggles with her mother, and the return of her baby’s father (with a potential custody battle) create tension in her personal life, especially when she starts to achieve the type of viral success she’d hoped for. And I must point out: Margo is a terrific mother. She may struggle financially, have some odd people in her life, and does something very unconventional as her job — but she loves little Bodhi and is a gem when it comes to caring for him and providing him with safety and showers of affection.

Elle Fanning’s narration is fabulous. Her voice for Margo is full of the character’s spirit; the humor and intelligence come through even when Margo is going through some of her worst challenges. I didn’t want to stop listening!

Margo’s Got Money Troubles is highly engaging and entertaining, and it also has a lot to say about reputation, finding one’s own way, and non-conventional families. Margo’s solution to her money troubles certainly isn’t for everyone — but it’s incredibly fun and even inspiring to see her figure out a way to be creative and support her baby through sheer willpower and a kooky sort of talent.

Highly recommended (and do check out the audiobook version if you can).

I’m hoping to start the TV adaptation this week — can’t wait to see how it compares!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

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19Apr2026

Audiobook Review: The Name Game by Beth O’Leary

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Name Game
Author: Beth O’Leary
Narrator: Harriet Cains and Arty Froushan
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: April 7, 2026
Print length: 379 pages
Audio length: 10 hours 55 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Audible (eARC via NetGalley)
Rating:

A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

Charlie couldn’t be happier to take the job of farm-shop manager on the remote, wild Isle of Ormer. She’s grieving, a little lost, and in desperate need of a fresh start.

Jones has come out of a difficult breakup and is looking forward to some peace away from the noise of his city life. Moving to Ormer couldn’t have come at a better time.

But when Charlie Jones and, ahem, Charlie Jones both turn up at Ormer’s one and only farm shop, claiming to have been offered the role of manager, everyone is baffled. How could this have happened? And just who is the real Charlie Jones?

In The Name Game, a seemingly simple mix-up leads to a wild mix of truths, deceptions, accidental discoveries, and found community, all set on a small island in the English Channel that’s known for its farms, wild donkeys, natural beauty, and isolation.

When Charlie Jones and Charlie Jones both turn up for the job of shop manager at Bramblebay Farm on the Isle of Ormer, the farm owners, married couple Rosie and Marley, are perplexed. Yes, they sent a job offer to Charlie Jones — but having conducted the entire process via letters, they have no idea which is the intended Charlie. She (Charlie) is a bubbly woman who seems unprepared for island life; he (Charlie, but prefers to be called Jones) is a bit more taciturn but seems solid enough. There’s only one job, and only one accommodation available. The obvious solution? They’ll need to share — the job and the lodgings — until they can figure out which one is actually right for the job and for the island.

As Charlie and Jones settle in, the mystery of which one the job offer was intended for remains murky, but as both prove they’re capable, a solution of sorts is offered: If they can get the shop to be profitable enough to support co-managers by the time the fall harvest festival rolls around, they can both stay.

At first rivals, Charlie and Jones eventually warm up enough to get past resentment and hostility and achieve the start of a friendship. Forced proximity, grumpy-sunshine tropes anyone? The islanders are a mixed group, with everything run by committee, and the most resistant of all is a super ornery store employee and long-time Ormer resident who seems determined to undermine everything Charlie and Jones set out to do.

As the story progresses, we get flashback chapters showing earlier moments in Charlie and Jones’s lives, explaining the pain and secrets each has brought with them to Ormer and shedding a bit of light on why and how they’ve both arrived at this moment.

I must be honest and say that until somewhere a bit past the midpoint of this book, I would have given The Name Game a 3-star rating at best. Nothing much happens. There are the expected fish-out-of-water moments — such as dealing with an errant pig and getting stuck on a hike after a change in tides — showing how little these people (especially Charlie) are suited for the life they seem to be pursuing. But of course, they settle in, begin to make connections with the islanders, and make a positive difference in the life of the community.

Just when my impatience was really reaching a boiling point, things turn around. Without entering spoiler territory, I can’t say why… but the last third or so of the book kept me pretty enthralled and made the reading experience — even the less interesting parts — worth it in the end.

One aspect I found myself more than a little annoyed by is the characters’ approach to wellness and mental health. While on Ormer, and with prodding from Jones, Charlie acknowledges to herself that she has anxiety. Although she asks the local doctor a question about it, she never seeks treatment, and instead finds ways to self-heal and get to a place where she can manage the anxiety when it spikes. Jones, meanwhile, is an alcoholic whose arrival on Ormer marks day one of sobriety. Like Charlie, he seeks no professional help and does not participate in meetings or counseling, choosing to manage his addiction through his own powers of self-healing and control. Both of these situations disturbed me. It’s nice to think that people could address issues of anxiety or addiction on their own, but a healthier version might have shown them seeking actual help.

I listened to the audiobook of The Name Game, and enjoyed the dual narrators, who alternate as the POV changes between Charlie and Jones. I will say, though, that the story complications late in the book can be a bit challenging to follow via audio — listeners may want to keep a print edition handy as backup!

I’ve loved some of Beth O’Leary’s books more than others, and have found my opinions of some changing once I have more time to think and digest. For example, I was surprised to look back and discover that I gave her previous book, Swept Away, four stars! In retrospect, I have a LOT of issues with the plot, but I suppose in the moment, I was caught up in the story enough to go high on the rating. Regardless, I had to chuckle while listening to The Name Game and coming across this line, which just has to be a wink at the previous book:

“Being stranded together in the sea sounds romantic but is actually just quite inconvenient, surely?”

Overall, my early frustration with the story was redeemed by the fun of the confusion and resolution closer to the end. I wouldn’t say this is the best of Beth O’Leary’s books, but it’s a good one! Be patient with it, and you’ll get to a good payoff. Silliness mixed with more serious emotional moments and a highly unusual and quirky setup make The Name Game an entertaining read/listen.

For more by Beth O’Leary:
The Road Trip
The Flatshare
The Switch
The No-Show
The Wake-Up Call
Swept Away

11Apr2026

Audiobook Review: Just Kiss Already by Lily Chu

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: Just Kiss Already
Author: Lily Chu
Narrators: Phillipa Soo & Simu Liu
Publisher: Audible Originals
Publication date: March 12, 2026
Print length: n/a
Audio length: 9 hours 30 minutes
Genre: Contemporary fiction
Source: Audible download
Rating:

Enemies. Coworkers. Accidental Icons.

Dr. Ben Song likes his life orderly, predictable, and blissfully private. By day, he’s a forensic anthropologist running a controversial research project. By night, he’s the anonymous author of a bestselling cozy mystery series. What he absolutely doesn’t need? One viral moment turning him into the internet’s new favorite grumpy heartthrob.

Lauren Wei has built her career in the spotlight—and paid for it. A former teen star turned serious filmmaker, she’s determined to prove she’s more than her past persona. With her first feature film about to premiere and a press tour that could make or break her future, she can’t afford distractions. Especially not the brilliant, infuriating author whose book she adapted…and whose visibly unimpressed reaction to her movie just made him a viral meme.

When the studio forces Ben and Lauren to share the press circuit to capitalize on the moment, sparks fly. But between industry politics, public scrutiny, and a growing sense they might actually be perfectly imperfect for each other after all, their reluctant partnership soon turns into something far more complicated….

Lily Chu’s audiobooks are always a treat, and Just Kiss Already is no exception! This clever story about a film star and a scientist (who’s secretly a bestselling author) hits familiar beats of the celebrity romance and enemies-to-lovers tropes, but keeps things fresh with engaging characters and interesting dilemmas.

Lauren Wei is a former teen star, known for playing a chaotic character on a popular TV show until her reputation took a hit. Now, Lauren is reestablishing herself by directing and starring in a movie adaptation of the first book in the popular Lady Petronella mystery series. The success of the film will help her make sure the world sees her as a serious talent.

Dr. Ben Song is a forensic anthropologist who runs a lab devoted to studying the decomposition of bodies… and is also the secret author of the Lady Petronella books. When he attends the advance press screening of the movie, he’s annoyed by what he sees as some factual errors — and when his sour expression is caught on camera and turned into a meme, it could spell disaster for the movie’s success and Lauren’s future.

Desperate to capitalize on Ben’s viral moment and turn it into social media gold, the studio strong-arms Ben and Lauren into doing a press tour together leading up to the film’s premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. Ben is opposed at first, but is won over by both his lingering crush on Lauren’s TV character and by Lauren herself, who is smart, funny, and not at all the Hollywood snob Ben had expected. Naturally, they get past their initial hostilities and discover both friendship and chemistry, but challenges in their respective careers seem to put up roadblocks before their relationship can really get started.

Just Kiss Already sets up the connection between Lauren and Ben really well, quickly moving past their grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers dynamic and focusing on the deeper ways they communicate and understand one another, offering support to each other in a way that’s refreshing to see. Their careers seemingly couldn’t be more different, yet each faces professional hurdles that an outsider’s perspective helps them to overcome. Ben and Lauren work as a couple because they take the difficult steps needed to establish trust and friendship first, and even when they have the inevitable misunderstandings so typical of the romance trope, they’re able to quickly clear things up through open communication. Honestly, I wish more third-act break-ups/fights could be resolved so maturely!

The Lady Petronella books sound like they’d be so much fun to actually read (and it’s a nice little treat that each chapter opens with a line from Lady P). Likewise, I’d love to see Lauren’s movie! Just Kiss Already establishes these fictional elements so well that they seem believable, and Ben’s work sounds both fascinating and important. A side plot about a community trying to undermine his research site is also interesting, and gives Ben professional challenges to overcome that balance his parts of the story nicely against Lauren’s.

As always, Phillipa Soo is an amazing narrator (she’s narrated all of Lily Chu’s audiobooks so far), and the pairing here with actor Simu Liu for the Ben chapters offers great listening entertainment,

I really enjoyed Just Kiss Already (despite being annoyed by the title, which has nothing to do with the story). It’s currently available only through Audible. Lily Chu’s previous novels were released the same way, and then released in paperback about a year later. As I’ve said in previous reviews, I always look forward to a new Lily Chu audiobook! The Comeback and The Stand-In remain my favorites, but you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Purchase links: Amazon
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

29Mar2026

Audiobook Review: And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: And Then There Was You
Author: Sophie Cousens
Narrator: Kerry Gilbert
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publication date: November 18, 2025
Print length: 352 pages
Audio length: 9 hours 10 minutes
Genre: Contemporary romance
Source: Library
Rating:

She’s found the perfect man . . . There’s just one big twist.

Stuck in a Production Assistant job and living at home with her parents after a painful breakup, thirty-one-year-old Chloe Fairway isn’t where she wants to be in life. The last thing she needs is to face the people who once voted her “most likely to succeed” at her upcoming ten-year college reunion. And she definitely doesn’t want to see her former best friend, Sean Adler, who is now a hotshot film director living the life Chloe dreamed of. Desperate to make a splash—and to save face in front of the man who might be the one that got away—she turns to a mysterious dating service.

Enter Rob, her handsome, well-read, and charming match, the perfect plus-one to take to her reunion. The more she gets to know him, the more perfect he appears to be. Could it be that this dating service knows her better than she knows herself? And can she overlook the one big catch? As Chloe reconnects with old friends, she begins to question everything she thought she wanted. Maybe, just maybe, revisiting the past is exactly what she needs to move forward.

After really enjoying my last audiobook by Sophie Cousens (Is She Really Going Out With Him?), I grabbed her newest when I saw it was available through the library. And while I enjoy her upbeat storytelling and the terrific narration by Kerry Gilbert, this romance had certain elements that just didn’t work for me.

Ten years after graduating from Oxford, Chloe feels like a failure. Once considered most likely to succeed, sure of a brilliant career ahead of her as an actress and playwright, Chloe now lives with her parents and works as the personal assistant to a highly unpleasant man at a mediocre production company. All of her old schoolmates have gone on to do amazing things, especially Sean, once her best friend and writing partner, now practically a stranger, who’s a big-time Hollywood director. With the reunion looming, Chloe’s instinct is to hide and avoid it all. A chance encounter with a friend who seems to be radiantly happy leads Chloe to an exclusive matchmaking company that promises to find her the man of her dreams, someone who’ll be perfect for her. And when Chloe meets Rob, they just click. He’s gorgeous, smart, and sweet… so maybe attending the reunion with this impressive guy on her arm will be just the confidence boost that Chloe needs?

There’s a catch, of course… and here’s where I’m going to insert a big, fat…

SPOILER ALERT!

I’m guessing Goodreads reviews will already have spilled the beans, but in case you don’t want to know, here’s where to look away.

Seriously!

I’m going to get into the details of what I really did not like about this book.

SPOILERS COMING RIGHT NOW!

Okay, you’ve been warned.

The reason that Rob seems perfect for Chloe is that… he is. Rob is an AI robot created to Chloe’s exact specifications, based on an exhaustive questionnaire that she’s required to complete as part of her intake at the matchmaking company. She (and we) have no idea what she’s signing up for until after she’s signed an NDA and is introduced to Rob, who instantly impresses her with his good lucks, excellent manners, and sensitivity. He’s everything she thinks she wants in a man… because he’s been built and programmed that way.

Taking Rob to her reunion seems like a crazy idea. And it is. Convincing herself that she could have a future with Rob also seems ridiculous. And it is. Chloe spends a lot of mental energy trying to figure out whether a robot boyfriend might be her best bet for a happy life. Meanwhile, the entire reunion weekend is rife with moments when Rob’s perfection or stilted manners or weird affect threatens to reveal Chloe’s secret and undermine everything she’s trying to achieve.

From the moment of the reveal about what Rob really is (somewhere around the 15% mark), I was kind of over this book. I stuck with it because I liked certain elements of the story — but this was very nearly a DNF. The sad thing is that I don’t think this story needed the robot storyline at all. Rob could have simply been a date-for-hire, and the plot could have played out practically the same way. The AI/robot piece is a distracting novelty that just doesn’t work at all.

It’s a shame, because there are other elements that are very good. Who can’t relate to the feeling that everyone else is doing better at life than you are? Or the anxiety of reuniting with people who were once the center of your world? It’s not exactly surprising that at the reunion, Chloe discovers romantic feelings for an old friend and learns secrets that change what she thought she knew about their past. This part was very good! I liked Chloe’s process of understanding her past, admitting where she’d made mistakes, and getting past the roadblocks that had her feeling stuck professionally and emotionally.

END SPOILERS

All in all, And Then There Was You has some very engaging bits and pieces that unfortunately get swamped by a ridiculous overarching storyline. Sticking with this book all the way to the end tried my patience, despite the great audiobook narration and the generally interesting, quirky characters. The clever and entertaining bits just can’t save an unconvincing storyline. My eyes hurt from too much rolling.