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A review by bookbruin
Best Laid Plans by Lauren Blakely
5.0
Edited 2/28/19
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5+ stars
Story 4.5 stars
Joe Arden and Erin Mallon were perfect for this story and had just the right amount of sexy and playful to really bring this friends to lovers story to the next level. Mallon and Arden are 2 of the few narrators that I enjoy both their male and female voices, but the duet style narration worked really well with them. I wish more audiobooks were performed in the duet style. The interview and Q and A at the end was such a treat! I really enjoyed their candid and funny responses about the audiobook process and things that go on behind the scenes. I about died hearing them recite the phone book and a grocery list, in a way only Joe Arden and Erin Mallon can! LOL! I’m a dog person, so hearing Joe Arden’s opinion on cats was also hilarious. I can't wait to hear them in The Feel Good Factor next!
*****
Friends to lovers is one of my very favorite tropes and Lauren Blakely does it so damn well! I fell in love with Arden and Gabe from the moment the book opens (the cheese!!) and couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded. Blakely gives readers a little twist to the friends with benefits story line, that I found really fun and perfect for our characters. This book was exactly what I needed - a sexy and fun, but not too angsty, romcom.
I'm never a big fan of the manwhore hero, but Gabe definitely proves that though he has enjoyed the opposite sex, once he sets his sights on someone, he is all in. I really appreciated that he took the time to get to know Arden, and recognized that even if he wanted to explore more with her, emotionally she was not ready. I loved that he played the long game with Arden. She was such a fantastic heroine - smart, fun, loyal, witty, and extremely relatable. One of my favorite things about her (besides the fact that she loved books and owned a bookstore!) was how much she valued her girlfriends and friendships. Her Bawdy Ladies book club (what a hoot they were!), as well as Vanessa and Perri were such great additions to the story. Gabe's relationship with his family was wonderful too, especially his bond with Pops.
The slow burn build up between Gabe and Arden was exquisite and I about burst into flames when everything finally boiled over. (Side note: I NEVER in a million years would have thought a sentence with the word 'mime' in it could be so incredibly sexy!) I thought the concerns and bit of drama we encounter in the story were realistic and honest. Is it worth it to risk a rock solid amazing friendship for the possibility of an even more amazing love? There are a few miscommunications and missteps along the way for Gabe and Arden as they navigate the friends to more road, but the resolution was so sweet and perfect for these characters. The epilogues were the icing on the cake and I had a huge smile on my face as I turned the last page. Lots of seeds were planted for Blakely's next book, and I can't wait to read Perri and Derek's story next in The Feel Good Factor!
PS - I also love that Lauren Blakely threw a few easter eggs in for her fans by giving cameos to her characters in Unzipped and also nods to her Heartbreakers series. Such a fun tie in!
4.5 stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*
Audiobook Review
Overall 5 stars
Performance 5+ stars
Story 4.5 stars
Joe Arden and Erin Mallon were perfect for this story and had just the right amount of sexy and playful to really bring this friends to lovers story to the next level. Mallon and Arden are 2 of the few narrators that I enjoy both their male and female voices, but the duet style narration worked really well with them. I wish more audiobooks were performed in the duet style. The interview and Q and A at the end was such a treat! I really enjoyed their candid and funny responses about the audiobook process and things that go on behind the scenes. I about died hearing them recite the phone book and a grocery list, in a way only Joe Arden and Erin Mallon can! LOL! I’m a dog person, so hearing Joe Arden’s opinion on cats was also hilarious. I can't wait to hear them in The Feel Good Factor next!
*****
Friends to lovers is one of my very favorite tropes and Lauren Blakely does it so damn well! I fell in love with Arden and Gabe from the moment the book opens (the cheese!!) and couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded. Blakely gives readers a little twist to the friends with benefits story line, that I found really fun and perfect for our characters. This book was exactly what I needed - a sexy and fun, but not too angsty, romcom.
I'm never a big fan of the manwhore hero, but Gabe definitely proves that though he has enjoyed the opposite sex, once he sets his sights on someone, he is all in. I really appreciated that he took the time to get to know Arden, and recognized that even if he wanted to explore more with her, emotionally she was not ready. I loved that he played the long game with Arden. She was such a fantastic heroine - smart, fun, loyal, witty, and extremely relatable. One of my favorite things about her (besides the fact that she loved books and owned a bookstore!) was how much she valued her girlfriends and friendships. Her Bawdy Ladies book club (what a hoot they were!), as well as Vanessa and Perri were such great additions to the story. Gabe's relationship with his family was wonderful too, especially his bond with Pops.
The slow burn build up between Gabe and Arden was exquisite and I about burst into flames when everything finally boiled over. (Side note: I NEVER in a million years would have thought a sentence with the word 'mime' in it could be so incredibly sexy!) I thought the concerns and bit of drama we encounter in the story were realistic and honest. Is it worth it to risk a rock solid amazing friendship for the possibility of an even more amazing love? There are a few miscommunications and missteps along the way for Gabe and Arden as they navigate the friends to more road, but the resolution was so sweet and perfect for these characters. The epilogues were the icing on the cake and I had a huge smile on my face as I turned the last page. Lots of seeds were planted for Blakely's next book, and I can't wait to read Perri and Derek's story next in The Feel Good Factor!
PS - I also love that Lauren Blakely threw a few easter eggs in for her fans by giving cameos to her characters in Unzipped and also nods to her Heartbreakers series. Such a fun tie in!
4.5 stars
*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*