Read by Rose Dioro & Tory Duran
Plain Daisy Ranch, Book 2
From the author:
It’s the classic story— best friends since childhood agree to a fake marriage, thinking they can pretend to love each other without their relationship changing.
Jude would do anything for me. He’s stood by my side since we were six, and I’ve done the same for him.
When my father dies, leaving our family farm drowning in debt and on the brink of being auctioned, I’m not surprised Jude steps in to help. I just never dreamed he’d fall to bended knee and devise a plan for us to fool everyone into thinking there’s more than a lifelong friendship between us.
Soon, I’m moving into his house, we’re planning a wedding on his family’s ranch, and we discover a new side to our relationship. I keep reminding myself it’s not real—it’s only to secure a loan to save the farm.
I’ve secretly loved Jude all my life, and now that I know how good we are together, I’m not sure we can return to being just friends.
The book opens with a tender flashback: young Jude grieving his mother’s death while his best friend Sadie sits beside him. Though embarrassed by his tears, Jude finds comfort when Sadie promises to keep his vulnerability secret, allowing him to truly let go. This bittersweet moment sets the emotional foundation before launching into the present day.
When Jude’s father informs him and his brothers that Sadie’s family farm is struggling, they offer what help they can—but for Jude, it’s not enough. Sadie is his best friend, and he’s determined to do more. The situation becomes dire when Sadie’s father dies unexpectedly, leaving her and her mother (who suffers from fibromyalgia) unprepared to manage the farm. Her father’s old-fashioned belief that only men should handle business affairs has left them vulnerable, and they soon discover the farm is in foreclosure.
Refusing to give up, Sadie approaches the bank with a plan to pivot from soybeans to a more profitable free-range chicken operation. However, the banker delivers crushing news: without collateral, she doesn’t qualify for a loan, but adds that if she were married, her husband might. Talk about a throwback to the 1960s!
Devastated but not defeated, Sadie finds an unexpected ally in Jude. When his father prevents him from loaning her the money directly, Jude proposes a different solution: a marriage of convenience to secure the loan. For Sadie, who has secretly loved Jude for years and dreamed of marrying him, this isn’t the romantic proposal she’d imagined—but desperation wins out, and a hasty wedding is arranged.
Since their families have long expected them to marry anyway, no one questions the union itself—only the rushed timing. Once wed and living under the same roof, both Jude and Sadie struggle with their unspoken feelings. The tension builds as they navigate their arrangement, each afraid to confess their true emotions. Eventually, their walls crumble, leading to a passionate, emotionally satisfying happily-ever-after. The farm is saved, their families are thrilled, and their chemistry is absolutely scorching.
The duet narration was excellent, and it is my preferred audiobook format. The narrators brought Jude and Sadie’s story vividly to life and kept me engaged throughout. Overall, this is another heartwarming, sizzling romance from the talented Piper Rayne writing duo.
10/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
THE ONE I STOOD BESIDE by Piper Rayne. Narrators: Tory Duran & Rose Dioro. Piper Rayne Inc.; June 28, 2024. ASIN: B0D8BRXLLT. Listening Length: 6 hours and 25 minutes
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