Jessica Jayne

I thought that this was really good. I have enjoyed Jessica Jayne's work in the past so I was really excited to get started with this new book. This was a rather short listen that I was able to finish in just a couple of sessions. I ended up having a great time with this satisfying love story.

This romance has a rather unique set up. At the start of the story, we see Gracelynn lose her husband and Matt loses his brother. Gracelyn and Chad's marriage wasn't perfect but there were working on it and they did care about each other. Matt has spent his life in Chad's shadow. After his death, Matt has done everything that he can to help Gracelyn and the children cope with the loss.

On the one year anniversary of Chad's death, things change for Gracelyn and Matt and they realize that their feelings for each other have evolved into something more intense. They know that nobody would accept a relationship between them so they do their best not to let anything serious happen but they can't hide what they feel for each other.

I thought that Gracelyn and Matt were great together. These two had a ton of chemistry and there were quite a few scenes that were full of heat. I like that they have a long history together and that things have evolved over time. Gracelyn knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to let anyone know. Matt was such a good guy who seemed to really be trying to do what was in everyone's best interest.

I read a lot of romance and it seems to me that a lot of time the big obstacle that the couple needs to overcome really isn't all that big of a deal. This book was different because I really understood the obstacle that Gracelyn and Matt were facing. The steps that they took to keep everyone's feelings in mind while they navigated their new relationship seemed really authentic to me.

I thought that Joe Arden and Samantha Cooke did a great job with this audiobook. I think it was a really good choice to use a dual narrator format for this story and I thought that both of the narrators brought a lot of emotion into the story. I had no problem listening to this book for hours at a time.

I would recommend this romance to others. It was a quick read that felt very authentic and was full of emotions. I wouldn't hesitate to read more from Jessica Jayne in the future.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author via Caffeinated Services.… (altro)

I liked this one. I took a bit of a chance on this book since I have never read anything written by Jessica Jayne and both of the narrators were new to me. It was a gamble that paid off. It is a rather quick read and I ended up listening to the bulk of it in a single day and found it to be very enjoyable.

Stacey is a thirty-one year old divorced woman who has know Ren for years since she lives next to Ren's parents. Ren is a twenty-three year old recent college graduate who has his eye set on his neighbor. Ren has spent time during the past several summers helping Stacey out around her house and they have a pretty close friendship but Ren wants more. A lot more. Stacey has some issues with the fact that she is older than Ren and she considers his mother to be one of her friends.

I liked Stacey and Ren and thought that they made a really nice couple. They know each other really well from the time before the start of this story and their personalities mesh really well. They have great chemistry together. There were times that Stacey wasn't sure she should pursue a relationship with Ren but there was never a question regarding whether she wanted him. It was nice to see her thought processes as she tried to figure things out. I loved how Ren knew what he wanted and was determined to make it happen. He stood up for their relationship and really was a good match for Stacey.

I thought that Joe Arden and Samantha Cooke did a great job with this story. I usually listen to audiobooks at regular 1x speed and I did find that felt a little slow when Samantha Cooke was reading. Once I increased the speed to 1.25x speed, the reading felt a lot more natural to me. I thought that both narrators were able to bring a lot of emotion to the story and made some scenes more intense. I liked the voices that each narrator used for the characters in the story. I would not hesitate to listen to more of both of their work in the future.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. This was a nice quick listen that had a lot of feels and some heat. I thought that Ren and Stacey were great as a couple and I was excited to watch them figure out how to make things work. I look forward to reading more of Jessica Jayne's work in the future.

I received a review copy of this audiobook from the author via Caffeinated Services.… (altro)

**I received a copy of this book from Xpresso Book Tours in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

I really enjoyed the fact that this story was all about the romance. We don't get any unnecessary drama along the way. It's focus is all on Ren seducing Stacey and showing her that he is serious about her and in turn, Stacey reacting to his feelings and deciding if she wants to pursue a relationship with him. I found that this singular plot helped to develop the characters a little more and focus on their hopes and fears about the relationship. It made the story more character focused--which is what you want in a romance.

I really liked this small cast of characters. Stacey is a great heroine. I loved watching her self confidence grow as the story progressed. As for Ren, he's a good lead. He's mature and driven but a nice guy. He was really sweet with Stacey so I understand her hardship in trying to resist him.

But what I really liked about all these characters (including the side ones like Ren's parents) was their honest and upfront conversations. I enjoyed their candid conversations and how it helped progress the story in a positive way.

While I really liked Ren and Stacey as a couple, I wanted a little more build-up to the revealing of Ren's intentions. We get told a lot that they had this great connection before the novel started; that they've talked and shared a lot over the last few years and consider each other friends. And while I never doubted Ren's intentions (ie that he wanted Stacey as a forever girl), I think it would have sold me sooner on the romance if I had seen some of that tension build between them.

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Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-2zB
Actual Rating: 3.25… (altro)