Great Romance!
4
By Djs_84
This was such a great romance listen! Nate and Violet shared a romance and chemistry that just couldn’t be denied. I love me a great small-town romance and enemies-to-lovers romance are my jam so YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE by Karen Grey was right up my alley! Romantic, sexy, and full of feels. This book did not disappoint.
Narration was performed by Jack Calihan and Maxine Mitchell. The casting was clearly spot on as these two effortlessly bring the story to life. Credit worthy.
Fun new series
5
By dektolia
I am a fan of Karen Grey's Boston Classics series, so I was excited to read the new Carolina Classics set in North Carolina in the late 1990s. There are extra layers of fun for readers who are familiar with Dawson's Creek, but it's also written in a way that you don't have to know it to understand the references.
You Get What You Give stands alone in the sense that this is Nate and Violet's HFN, though I was glad I read I'll Stand By You to have some additional background on the characters, and there is definitely more to a bigger storyline that continues into the next book.
I received a copy of this book at my request, and the opinions here are my own.
90s nostalgia romance fans will love this book!
5
By laurie anne77
Karen Grey fans are going to love this series! Its a bit different than her previous series Boston Classics in that it feels more like an epic tale written over several books instead of a standalone book. Hang on to your kindle and try not to throw it when you get to the ending, I promise its worth it!!
Violet's hot one night stand turns out to be her rival in this enemies-to-lovers romance!
Nate is looking to find his purpose in life and a place where he fits in. Loved how they fought everywhere but the bedroom. Bossy Nate is HOT!!!
What you'll get in this book:
More of these 5 friends from the prequel novella, Signed, Sealed & Delivered. Focus is mainly on Violet and her love interest, Nate. Set up of the next book, Hold on to Me. A cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more right now (well done, Karen! You got me hooked!!)
You'll get a HFN for Violet & Nate.
What I loved about this book:
The relationship between these friends and the family they've created. I really wanted to be the 6th friend in this group!
You'll get all the 90s lovin references throughout that had me wanting to listen to my greatest hits Playlist. Loved the setting of coastal North Carolina.
I know I'm not the only one is impatiently waiting on the next book to find out what happens next.
**Audio Update **
Jack Calihan and Maxine Mitchell nailed their roles as Nate and Violet! As much as I enjoyed this eyeball read, I absolutely loved how the narrators brought this book alive for me.
Violet and Nate
4
By B.E.15
Their one night stand doesn’t end like they thought. Violet just opened a casting agency and is barely making it. Nate comes from money and is in the same business. Will they put their differences aside and work together for the greater good.
All the nostalgia!!
5
By teriann81
You Get What You Give by Karen Grey was a great fun start to a new series. I was hooked from the start. This book took me back to all of those teenage feelings I forgot about. I usually don’t connect with era books but this one hit home so hard.
Violet and Nate go from a fun one-night stand to work enemies. The work enemies trope is so near and dear to my heart as it’s essentially my own HEA. I love seeing how others portray these relationships. Both Nate and Violet have lovable personalities. Nate is so much fun and easy going while Violet is strong, determined, and a workaholic. (Imagine the angst!)
You Get What You Give definitely gives you all the sexual tension, strong easy-to-connect with MCs, and witty banter. Overall, I surprisingly enjoyed this book. It brought me back to the days of horrible teenage dramas on The WB, pagers, dial-up, and using paint to make screensavers of your crush's name.
Great listen!
4
By lindydierks
This book was a lot of fun! I absolutely love that Karen Grey sets her books in the 80s/90s. It’s clever and fun! I love Violet’s drive for independence and her business. I wasn’t sure about Nate at first. He was a lost soul just trying to please his dad, but he won me over in the end. This book had solid character development and good conflict to keep me listening. Both the narrators had great sounding voices. They did a good job telling the story. Huge thank you to the author for allowing me to listen to the audiobook and review!
Great start to a new series
4
By RellimReads
While the Carolina Classics series is a loose “spin-off” from Grey’s Boston Classics series (both sets of MCs meet in the prequel, I’ll Stand By You) – you could start here and be fine. New location, new folks, new connections.
Grey mixes it up a bit and this series isn’t interconnected standalones. Each book focuses on a different couple, but you’ll meet all the MCs and there’s definitely some story lines (drama!) that will weave throughout the whole series. I love these kinds of series where you can settle in and really get to know all the characters. 🥰
That doesn’t mean that Violet & Nate are cheated out of their chance to shine. Such a fun couple to get to know as individuals and together in a relationship. After an amazing one-night-stand, a family feud immediately pits these two against each other. Working for competing casting companies suddenly turns lovers to enemies. I really enjoyed the way Grey brought them back together, helped Nate find his real passion, and Vi become a standout in her own right.
Most of the drama comes from Nate’s family, Vi’s friends, and a hurricane. Coastal folks know the chaos created when a tropical storm upgrades at the last moment. Violet’s lifelong friends: Dani, Whitney, Ford, & Sully are also weathering their own storms. While Nate & Vi get a wonderful HFN, a big announcement ends the story on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to see who gets the next book.
Wonderful characters and wonderful setting. Can’t wait for more
4
By Northwoman
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Now we have Violet's book, You Get What You Give. I really liked Violet in the prequel and even more in her own book. Violet is hard-working, capable and kind. She is a lot more straightforward about her thoughts and feelings than most people, and it makes her relationships easier in that people don't have to guess. She handled all her curve balls with poise and generosity, no matter how they might hurt her. This allowed her to move along with her relationships and make the best of every situation.
I didn't think quite as highly of Nate, although he is a couple years younger. He really hasn't had to work as hard because of family money and businesses. Some things may have been harder for him though because he hasn't really had the family support and interest so some things were tedious for him. From the beginning, he did do his best to care about Violet and her feelings.
I really enjoyed this and the development of both their careers and their personal lives. Their situation in careers is tricky. I think they handled things really well and honorably. It's the only way they would survive in a smaller community. They were great as a couple and also their work strengths and interests complemented each other so well. I would say they are happy for now but there is more to develop with their families and business, which I hope we get to see as a sideline in future books.
All the nostalgia!
5
By Lasvegasluna
**Audiobook Review**
As soon as I finished the prequel to the "Carolina Classics" series, I knew the series and characters were going to be all that and a bag of chips. "You Get What You Give" is a fun and nostalgic story set in the late 1990s that brought me back to my favorite era.
Violet has opened a casting agency in a small town in North Carolina when a new teen drama is being filmed there. But a new man in town, Nate, has also set up an agency right next door. And he happens to be her one-night stand from a few nights ago. Now Violet sees her one-time fling as the enemy. But as these two start to battle it out, the attraction they have for each other starts to win.
I absolutely loved the angst and tension between Violet and Nate as they worked next door to each other. Violet is outspoken, smart and driven. It doesn't matter if she's working on casting or helping her grandparents, she gives 110%. Nate was swoon and an instant favorite for me. Nate's personality is fun, caring and I was drawn to him just as much as Violet was. The rest of the crew were fun to read and I can't wait to read their stories, especially with that ending Karen left us with.
I loved Maxine Mitchell and Jack Calihan in this audiobook. I don’t think I’ve heard her with a Southern accent and she was so good. I haven’t listened to much narrated by Jack but I loved him as Nate. I loved the added theme song musical notes before each chapter. A perfect addition to the story.
Fun & Flirty Retro Romance
5
By Gesnaughts
You Get What You Give is a marvelous kick-off for Karen Grey’s new Carolina Classics series. I adore the world she has created in Wallington, North Carolina. This enemies-to-lovers, small-town retro romance is bursting with nineties pop-culture fun, deep-seated friendship, and lots of spice! Just when Violet Davenport hits her professional stride and makes her dreams come true, her business is rocked by an unforeseen rival. Nate Fowler is searching for his place in the world when he meets a beguiling, funny, tenacious redhead. The insta-lust connection between Violet and Nate is palpable. Their flirty back and forth is charming and so fun to read! This book drew me in at the first chapter heading, and I couldn’t put it down! I loved the pop-in character cameos from previous books. You Get What You Give will take you on a nostalgic nineties adventure full of Dawson’s Creek, Point Break, and ‘90’s Brat Pack vibes.
“The man hasn’t even kissed me, and I’m all aquiver with lust.”
Violet could be Nate’s port of solace in the tumultuous storm of his life. Violet has met the adventurous match to balance her workaholic personality. Karen writes unique, well-rounded, relatable characters with passion in their hearts. You Get What You Give is a low-angst, thought-provoking, refreshing rom-com that will warm your heart. I snort-laughed at nineties easter eggs, took a few trips down memory lane, and shed some tears for the endearing, heart-stealing characters. Violet is a hard-working, loyal, slightly high-strung entrepreneur, and theater director. Nate is a charismatic, laid-back cinnamon roll who may need some help in business, but doesn’t need direction in the bedroom. Violet’s group of friends Sully, Whitney, Dani, and Ford are wonderful. Violet’s found family may have rocky moments, but they are fiercely loyal and always there for one another. I loved getting deeper into their characters and look forward to reading each of their stories. Each ancillary character adds layers to the story without overloading it with superfluous voices. Karen’s imagery is so vivid, that I felt as though I had been transported to a picturesque coastal town. Karen’s poignant storytelling, mature, compassionate, scorching hot characters, and amusing nostalgic references make You Get What You Give an outstanding series launch. I love Karen’s heartwarming, cheeky, adventurous, witty stories, and You Get What You Give is absolutely a must-read!
