Book Stats
- Publication Date: 06/16/26
- Publisher: Avon
- Format: audiobook
- Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky & Roger Wayne
- Length of audiobook: 10 hours & 47 minutes
- Narrator POV: 1st person POV, alternating between Katie and Tyler
Book Rating
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐/ 5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️/ 5
Summary & Review
The premise of this book is cute AF. A RomCom about common RomCom tropes? Yes, please! Seriously, I was so excited to be approved on NetGalley!
So we have Katie, a ghost writer for an extremely popular and well-loved author, Meredith. Katie is an accomplished writer, even if nothing has been published in her name. But she’s just been given a super close deadline and a partner to write with.
Unfortunately, that co-writer doesn’t work out. So another author, someone who specializes more in classic literature than romance, is hired. Tyler. Who also happens to be the best friend of Katie’s deceased brother. So yeah, there’s baggage there for sure.
Tyler shows up to the job, 8 years after the death of Katie’s brother, with zero contact. It’s clear that something happened between the two, though it took a while before we really got to know what it was.
Katie demands Tyler leaves and refuse the job. Him, hurting, agrees. But their publisher refuses and demands they both work together on this project because they both need it.
Well, things take a turn (as they often do in RomComs). They meet Meredith in person and she has her cat randomly pick some romance tropes out of a bowl – all of which directly relate to Katie and Tyler (such as brother’s best friend) AND they all start to happen after they’re written into Meredith’s story. Kissing in the rain? Check. Only one bed? Check. The tropes keep happening not only to Meredith’s characters, but also to Tyler and Katie.
So yeah, this story is so damn adorable. I love RomComs and the fact that this book focuses on the common tropes while also producing an adorable love story, it’s fantastic.
And the narration? I had never listened to Jesse Vilinsky or Roger Wayne before this book and both have such amazing talent.
That said, while I initially loved the story and narration, things started to be a tad less enjoyable about halfway through. The story kinda feels like it goes from fantastically well-written with interesting characters, to a slow plot with immature characters. Somehow, as the story progresses, it’s like the characters become more childish and immature. I just couldn’t move past it.
And the narration? What initially started out so well kinda petered out as well. The narration gets awkward. The sex scenes are really fuckin’ weird to listen to and almost sound like it’s constantly the first time for a fumbling nerd (not to be negative toward nerds because they’re super cool). But I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s almost like the cool kids suddenly get self-conscious and awkward and they made a story about their experience.
And I promise I get that the trauma of the characters is supposed to be the reason. Truly. But, it’s almost like they act like it’s their first time having sex or liking someone, after constantly letting us know how experienced and confident Katie is and how often Tyler has slept with models for funsies. Like, it just doesn’t make sense.
Anyway. Overall, the concept was fantastic and the initial story and narration was so well done that I couldn’t possibly give this less than 3 stars. However, the second half of the story and narration was difficult for me to get into, so I also couldn’t give it more than 4 stars.
Again, this is my own personal opinion and other readers clearly disagree and love this story! So if you’re interested. you should 100% give this book a try!
Leave a Reply