Narration by Ariela Crow

From the publisher:

An utterly delightful and sexy second-chance romance between a black cat and golden retriever with Mazey Edding’s signature sparkling voice!

Eva Kitt never expected to be the host of Sausage Talk, interviewing B-list celebrities over lukewarm hot dogs, instead of pursuing the journalism career she dreamed of. But when Eva’s impromptu public call out of her college ex goes viral, she’s thrust into the spotlight. It doesn’t help said ex is Rylie Cooper, a beloved social media personality that has built a platform on deconstructing toxic masculinity and teaching men how to be good partners.

Forced to confront Rylie on a live episode of Sausage Talk, he offers Eva a deal: allow him to take her on a series of dates to make up for his toxic behavior, then debrief them on his channel to show he’s changed. Eva refuses to play nice, but agrees to the scheme to advance her own career and continue defaming Rylie’s good name. When these manufactured dates start to feel real, Eva has to wonder if the boy that broke her heart has become the man that might heal it.

“Edding’s latest rom-com is a second-chance enemies-to-lovers romp that nails her signature style, combining razor-sharp wit with an unexpectedly earnest story.” ―Booklist

“Witty… The setup is clever and the eventual love scenes are sensuous. The author’s fans will not be disappointed.” ―Publishers Weekly

“Readers who enjoy remarkably strong women leads and crave emotionally redemptive story arcs will adore this radiantly hot enemies-to-lovers romance from Eddings.” ―Library Journal

https://amzn.to/3I47tgr

The female lead, Eva, hosts a quirky podcast where she eats hot dogs with guests—apparently a riff on the YouTube channel Chicken Shop Date. She works for a media company that dangles the promise of a real journalism job to keep her compliant. Eva’s personality is a tough sell: she’s petty, mean, and whiny, which makes her hard to root for.

Rylie, the male lead, undergoes an unconvincing transformation from villain to hero. He and Eva had a disastrous one-night stand in college, after which he ghosted her—hardly an uncommon college experience, yet the story treats it like a major betrayal. Rylie has reinvented himself with a successful podcast about dismantling toxic masculinity, which infuriates Eva. Fueled by jealousy, she goes live to publicly recount their college hookup, criticizing his bedroom skills and questioning his right to call himself a “good guy.”

That live stream goes viral, and Eva’s boss wants to capitalize on it. They convince Eva and Rylie to do a podcast together and hash out their issues. He uses that to basically force Eva into dating him, and we learn that he really feels bad for the way he acted in college and still harbors feelings for Eva.

Despite being marketed as a romantic comedy, this book delivered neither romance nor comedy. Their chemistry doesn’t spark until they sleep together again, and suddenly everything clicks. What was meant to be witty banter often felt like Eva being cruel and whiny, while Rylie inexplicably adored her for it. I just couldn’t grasp their dynamic. And while I’m heaping on, let me add that Rylie constantly calls Eva “kitten,” which I found annoying at best.

I chose to read this book because it was selected for the August LibraryReads list, written by a Hall of Fame author I hadn’t tried before, so I was genuinely excited to dive in. This was one of the rare LibraryReads picks that didn’t work for me.

I kept pausing to read other books—actually finishing two entirely different audiobooks before returning to this one. I struggled to reach 75%, then gave up. I tried again and stopped at 89%, then finally forced myself through the last 11% out of stubbornness. It didn’t improve.

The narrator, Crow, did a solid job with the material, so I don’t fault the performance. If you’ve read this and loved it, I’d be curious to hear your take. It’s sitting just below four stars on Goodreads, and I did browse some of the positive reviews, but none of them changed my mind.

9/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WELL, ACTUALLY by Mazey Eddings. Narrator: Ariela Crow. Macmillan Audio. August 5, 2025. Listening Length: 11 hours and 33 minutes.

Kindle

Paperback

Hardcover

Dual narration by Simone Lewis & Tim Paige

Denver Kodiaks, Book 1 

From the publisher:

It’s not every day you ask your older brother’s teammate to be your fake boyfriend. But desperate times call for gorgeous, impulsive measures.

Miles Garrett is a pro basketball player with a heartstopping smile and infamous cocky charm. But to me, he’s always been more than a celebrity. Miles is the guy who puts friends and family first…and my college crush.

When my sorority sister decides to bring my ex to our reunion, I need a plus-one who can have my back and save my pride. Asking Miles is the perfect solution.

Until he raises the stakes for both of us.

He says he’s only playing to win. He’ll be the best fake boyfriend I’ve ever had.

But his gaze hunts mine across a crowded room. He protects me with a fierceness that steals my breath. Our just-for-show kisses ignite a wildfire inside me.

I’m fighting feelings that have been simmering for years. Soon our pretend relationship starts feeling dangerously legit…Because it’s hard to fake what’s always been real.

Tropes include: teammate’s little sister, brother’s best friend, fake dating, pro athlete hero, cinnamon roll hero, he’d do anything for her, sassy heroine, college crush, only one bed.

Hard to Fake is a pro basketball romance with banter, spice, and all the swoony vibes. It’s the first book in the Denver Kodiaks series. You’ll want to binge Miles and Brooke’s entire addictive story today!

Want even more Denver Kodiaks? Listen to the King of the Court series for Clay and Nova’s story! (It is NOT necessary to listen to King of the Court before listening to Denver Kodiaks):

1. Game Changer
2. Shot Taker
3. Play Maker
4. Game Day

https://amzn.to/3I47tgr

This author was new to me, as was a basketball romance. I tend to love sports romances, especially hockey, football, and baseball, as those are the sports I watch. I am not a basketball fan, but I’ll watch when the Miami Heat or the NY teams make it to the playoffs.

I also have a very tall brother (6’5″) who loves basketball and only stopped playing recreationally after a couple of hospitalizations, when his doctor insisted on it. My nephew is 6’7″, although he played baseball until he finally decided he didn’t want to play it professionally.

I was invited to a dinner at the annual American Library Association conference several years ago and was seated next to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. They actually had to move the room where the cocktail party started because the ceiling was too low for him – these guys are tall! Just FYI, Jabbar writes a terrific mystery series based on Sherlock Holmes’ brother, Mycroft Holmes. Anyway, I mention all this because the main character, Miles, is a professional basketball player who I believe was described as being 6’4″, which is on the short side for a pro.

Brooke is our female protagonist—a struggling influencer whose mother has just cut off her financial support. Her brother plays for the fictional Colorado Kodiak NBA team, and his best friend and teammate is Miles.

Initially, I found Brooke difficult to connect with. She came across as whiny and entitled, two traits that really grate on me as a reader. However, she’s also hardworking and clearly going through a difficult period, so I decided to stick with her story. As an influencer desperately needing to secure a major account to stabilize her finances, Brooke gets a promising opportunity when one of her sorority sisters, who runs a wildly successful clothing line, begins looking for new influencer partnerships.

Brooke was already planning to attend her sorority reunion weekend when disaster strikes—she discovers that one of her sorority sisters is bringing Brooke’s ex-boyfriend as her date. This sends Brooke into full panic mode. The weekend is crucial for her career prospects, but now she feels she needs a fake date to help her save face when confronting her ex.

Enter Miles—her brother’s best friend, teammate, and the man Brooke has harbored a crush on for years. To her amazement, Miles readily agrees to the fake dating scheme. As they spend time together preparing for the weekend, genuine feelings begin to develop between them. Their chemistry felt authentic and compelling, and I found myself genuinely invested in their relationship.

Unfortunately, this investment made the ending all the more frustrating. The book concludes with a cliffhanger, completely violating romance’s cardinal rule: the guaranteed happily ever after (HEA). This kind of ending is enough to make me swear off both this series and this author entirely.

On the audiobook front, the narration was excellent. Tim Paige, whom I know from his work on Rebecca Yarros’s romances, delivered another solid performance. Simone Lewis was new to me, but she also did outstanding work—I’d happily listen to both narrators again in future projects.

9/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

HARD TO FAKE by Piper Lawson. Narrators: Simone Lewis & Tim Paige. Piper Lawson Books. August 1, 2025. Listening Length: 5 hours and 32 minutes.

Kindle

Paperback

Dual narration by Samantha Summers & Teddy Hamilton

From the publisher:

A steamy new novella from the USA Today bestselling author of The Nanny—available only in audio!

Shy, awkward Cade Monroe must be the only man in Florida who hates the beach. But when the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen kisses him unexpectedly one summer night, he might be forced to change his mind. A year later, and he’s still pining after her. The only catch? She doesn’t seem to remember the kiss. In fact, Cade isn’t sure she even knows he exists.

Nora Whitfield has definitely noticed Cade, the dark-haired, hot-in-a-scowly-way guy who gets coffee from her every morning. But with a past full of heartbreak, Nora isn’t looking to get involved—especially not with a man who barely speaks except to order.

When Cade finds himself desperately needing a new roommate, fate intervenes, thrusting them together. As secrets surface and sparks fly, Cade and Nora must decide if they’re ready to risk their hearts for a second chance at a first kiss.

https://amzn.to/4lLeQak

Room for Two may be a short novella, but it packs a delightful punch. The story follows Cade Monroe, a shy and awkward man who is not a fan of Florida’s beaches, but has never forgotten a magical kiss he once shared with Nora Whitfield on that very beach—but she doesn’t even remember their encounter.

When their meddling friends orchestrate a meeting, neither Cade nor Nora knows what they’re walking into. Cade believes he’s interviewing a potential roommate, while Nora thinks she’s on a blind date with a customer she’s been secretly crushing on for a year. This clever deception sets up a wonderfully awkward beginning that had me completely invested from the start.

As the date-slash-interview unfolds and they realize they’ve been set up, sparks inevitably fly. Secrets begin to unravel, and feelings they’ve both kept hidden become impossible to ignore.

Cade is the kind of hero you can’t help but champion—quiet and grumpy on the surface, yet soft, loyal, and deeply caring underneath. His longing made my heart ache in the most wonderful way. Nora perfectly complements him: she’s strong and relatable, though still healing from past heartbreak. While cautious about opening her heart again, her warmth and playful banter create a natural balance with Cade’s reserved nature, making their chemistry feel both authentic and compelling.

Despite its shorter length, this novella delivers complete satisfaction. The author beautifully crafted the dynamic of two characters secretly pining for each other, allowing their relationship to develop organically within the condensed format. Romances often ask us to suspend our disbelief – can two people really form such a strong connection in one night? I’d like to think so, and Ferguson convinced me.

Narrated in dual POV by Samantha Summer and Teddy Hamilton, the performance adds an extra layer of charm. Their voices breathe life into Cade and Nora, infusing the story with warmth, personality, and emotional depth.

Note: this is only available as an audiobook right now. There is no indication that print versions will be published.

8/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ROOM FOR TWO by Lana Ferguson. Narrators: Samantha Summers & Teddy Hamilton. Spotify Audiobooks. August 19, 2025. Listening Length: 3 hours and 42 minutes.