Narration by CJ Bloom & Robert Hatchet
Plain Daisy Ranch #0.5
From the author:
He’s my first love. My high school sweetheart. And he’s leaving tomorrow for a bigger and better life.
I’ve loved Ben almost my entire life, and we have one night left before he heads miles away to college on a football scholarship. I’m bound and determined to make sure this day goes perfectly so he remembers me as the girl he loves. But I can’t help worrying that I’ll end up as the girl he loved.
I usually hate novellas—they rarely leave enough room for real character development, and the plots often feel overly simplistic to fit the shorter format. But once again, Piper Rayne proves they can do no wrong. This novella serves as the introduction to the Plain Daisy Ranch series, and it’s a strong start. It offers just enough depth to pull you in and make you eager for the next book.
Ben and Gillian are high school sweethearts. Ben is the star quarterback with a bright future ahead, and when he’s accepted into Clemson—his dream football school—both of them know their relationship is about to change. Gillian has to stay behind to care for her siblings and plans to attend the local community college to become a court stenographer.
Can a long-distance relationship survive that kind of shift? Let’s just say the next book picks up ten years later and turns into a second-chance romance.
The narrators do an excellent job bringing these characters to life. Even though we only get a glimpse of their beginnings, it’s more than enough to get me invested in the couple and the series as a whole. Very well done.
2/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
ONE LAST SUMMER by Piper Rayne. Narrators: CJ Bloom & Robert Hatchet. Piper Rayne, Inc. May 07, 2024. Listening Length: 56 minutes.
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