Gigi runs a quaint romance themed bookshop in Ann Arbor, having taken it over years before after her parents sudden deaths. She's happy enough, but she's also fallen in love with an audiobook narrator - which she knows is a bit odd. Zane, the narrator, runs a family tour company in England. Imagine Gigi's surprise, when her book club girlfriends gift her a trip on his tour for her birthday. What is there to do but go and hopefully meet the man of her dreams? But then, he isn't there; and Taj is. And Gigi cannot help but be attracted to him, even while she waits anxiously for Zane to arrive. Who is it going to be?

Initially, a very ridiculous premise: who falls in love with an audiobook narrator and goes half a world away to meet him? But it did get better and I truly enjoyed the supporting characters who went on the tour with Gigi. Overall, a fun meet cute. ( )

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a sweet, feel-good romance that mostly takes place on a bus tour of Great Britain. Gigi is the 30-year-old owner of a romance-only bookstore. She believes in soulmates, that the kind of romance found in romance novels really exists, and that when you least expect it, someone can walk through the door and trigger the start of your story – your life – together.

I don’t always have the patience for romance novels, as they can be too silly or over the top. But this was just right: likable heroine and lover of books, engaging premise, subplot dealing with grief and loss, and discovering the real Mr. Right.

This is the story of a woman on a journey, both literally and metaphorically. She learns to listen to her heart instead of her head. I recommend reading this novel and joining Gigi on her journey, a fun, romantic trip with a heartwarming ending. ( )

Gigi, Listening by Chantel Guertin
Contemporary romance / romantic comedy.
Gigi is a bit of a romantic. She owns a romance book store and believes in love and soulmates. She has listened to one particular audio book dozens of times, falling in love with the narrator. His voice has her mesmerized and fixated to the point she’s searched his online profile and knows he’s a tour guide in the English countryside. A surprise birthday gift from her bookclub has her taking a ten day vacation that includes a tour done by her soulmate narrator.

Gigi is romanticizing her parents meet-cute and is sure she can have the same thing. But when Zane doesn’t show for the first few days of the tour, Gigi has to make the best of her vacation time. Taj makes Gigi a bit crazy and yet she’s fascinated by his strength and ability to entertain and keep everyone on schedule.

We all know what’s going to happen, right? But it takes Gigi a very long time to figure it out for herself. She also needs to do a bit of self reflection. I think she’s way too hard on her brother. Of course, it ends with a sigh and happiness so don’t worry.
Read the fantasy of finding your true love.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version narrated by Natalie Naudus. She does a really great job with differences between male and female, but more, quite a few of the characters have an English accent (vs for the States). Conversation are fun to follow with the changing accents. Emotions are clearly expressed and I liked the tempo of the overall recording. I did raise the speed to 1.5 finding anything faster was unclear and slower felt like it was dragging.

I received a copy of the from NetGalley and RB Media. ( )

This book was a sweet novel about finding out that want you want may not necessarily be what you need.

Gigi falls in love with the narrator of a romance novel. I mean, head over heels, nearly stalkerish love! So her best friends save up and buy her a trip to where this man works for a touring company. They hope that he and Gigi will find themselves to be a match made of romance novels. Of course, this is not how it works out.

I found some of the interactions of the many people on this tour bus to be more interesting than anything that happens to our protagonists. I haven't found a book yet where the secondary characters interest me just a tiny bit more than the main characters...but there you have it.

This is a romance -so expect the necessary happily-ever-after, but in a bit of an unexpected way.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Kensington Books, the author, and NetGalley. ( )

I've had a good stroke of luck reading this author and her books, so when I saw this one on NetGalley, I jumped at a chance to read it. I didn't even read the description because I knew it would be a romcom of sorts. I was okay with that.
This book lived up to everything I could hope for and more!
At first, I was annoyed by Gigi. She seemed desperate and obsessive. Not a likable character at all. The Taj happened. This woman became interesting. The story became interesting. Oh boy how I wanted Taj and Gigi to get together and make babies.
Still at the end of the book I am hoping for the same thing....
Great story.
All of you romance lovers, or fans of Chantel Guertin's are gonna love this one! With a capitol L. ( )