Boston Classics Box Set Volume One

Thanks to Home Cooked Books and the author for the chance to listen to a free ALC copy of this box set and the chance to give my candid review. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5) Audiobook Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5) Overall: 4.5 (0-5) Steam: 🔥🔥 (0-5) foreplay is descriptive and then fade-to-black What I’m Starry-Eyed Over: 🤩 Entertaining voice narrations—All of them give an amazing mix of feels that are super cute and totally hot!! 🤩 80s vibes—some might even find this series a bit historical romance .ha The Brady Bunch fandom, cool beans, frisky feelings, corded phones, pay phones, answering machine messages, Walkman, letter writing, seatbelt learning, mixtapes. 🤩 Laugh-out-loud funny (with all the feels, and even with intense topics and grief). 🤩 Delicious description of physical attraction—it’s one of my favorite things in books. 🤩 First kiss goodness. 🤩 Pets in books. 🤩 Male actors, trying to find their way. And, females making their way in male dominated careers. Adorable and likable characters. Great characterization. 🤩 In the novella, I loved the teenage fun (which sometimes doesn’t work for me because I have teens and YA of my own). What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About: 💫 I liked the steamy descriptions during foreplay. Then I was caught off guard when it was more fade-to-black than I was expecting. 💫 I wish What I’m Looking For had some physical connection/intimacy after the drama. It helps me believe in the HEA. Trigger Warnings: 🔬 Loss of a loved one in a car accident.

What I’m Looking For This is the first book on the Boston Classics series. This retro book takes us back to the 80’s and all the nostalgia from they time - limited social media, answering machines and corded telephones. Kate is a bit awkward, working in a man’s world and doing her best to fit in. Will is an actor/ part- time bartender who is full of humor and has a great personality. Kate and Will happen upon one another and their friendship/relationship begins to bloom…with a lot of Shakespeare quotes along the way. There are ups and downs along the way but they both find what they are looking for. Joe Arden and Karen White do a fabulous job with the narration. They bring the perfect emotion and personality to each of the characters! I love audiobooks because they being a whole different experience to the story. Signed, Sealed and Delivered This is a great pre-quality to Forget about me. We are introduced to Ben and Lucy and their young romance…I love their letters to each other. Lucy is first and knows what she wants. Ben is a bit of a rule follower but is so smitten with Lucy she can persuade him to do things. This is a great quick listen. Carly Robins and Bradley Ford did a fantastic job with the narration. Their voices were full of emotion and gave these characters great voices. Forget About Me This is book 2 of the Boston Classic series - another fantastic retro stories taking us back to the 80’s. This second chance-brothers best friend romance is a great read filled with nostalgia, laughs and smokin hot chemistry. Ben and Lucy have a history that’s been a secret between the two for many years. They both have some baggage they are trying to work through along with some hurt…but they can’t fight their attraction to one another. They are both amazing people that always put others ahead of themselves. Karen writes great books that take us back - phones with long cords and mix tapes are just a few mentioned in the story. Emma Wilder and Brian Pallino do a fantastic job with the narration. They bring amazing emotion, accents and a variety of voices to these characters. The 80’s twang is awesome!! I liked the 80’s music references at the beginning g of each chapter. Also, during the flashbacks there was the sound is a tape rewinding that added to the audio experience.

What I’m Looking For (Book 1): 4.5 ⭐️s… definitely the romance you’re looking for… The first book in Grey’s Boston Classics series sets up the time and place masterfully. She creates a world and characters you just can’t help but want to know more. Kate is adorably nerdy and her struggle with the rat race has very Working Girl/Baby Boom, etc. vibes - appropriate considering the ‘’80s setting. She’s great at what she does and is unapologetic about it. Her journey towards a more fulfilling career that better aligns with her values was something I think many aspire to. She was also a fully rounded character and her emotional journey was as satisfying to follow as her professional one. She and Will were well matched; the reasons they shouldn’t fit were far less important than the ways that they did, and how they each come to that realization was compelling. Will’s development was equally satisfying, plus he is also just a fun character. I loved his dynamic, not just with Kate, but also with his his fellow actors; his Shakespeare quote duals with Jessica were especially fun. Grey lays some ground work for a lot of great characters here, without detracting from the central relationship. If there is any downside here, it is perhaps that the conflict came up a bit fast. This was a couple that was so up-front about the importance of their work and their expectations in the relationship that the fight seemed a bit forced. It would have felt more earned if there had been at least one other instance of thwarted expectation. Still, this is a minor quibble and does not take away from all the wonderful things about this story. I also listed to the audio. Karen White’s Kate performance is pitch perfect; I just love the way she plays the character. She hits the every note from humor to heart. And Joe Arden as Will was his usual amazing self. Just excellent casting all around, making this an excellent listen as well as read. *** Forget About Me (Book 2) - 5 ⭐️s Signed Sealed Delivered (Book 1.5 - FAM prequel novella) 3 ⭐️s This novel was a beautiful exploration of grief. There was so much I loved about the way Grey portrayed both Lucy and Ben’s character development through their grieving for Tony. It’s such a complex emotion, and learning that you’re allowed to be happy can be a real struggle, which Grey never flinches from showing. There were also those moments that show that life does go on and that you can laugh and have joy; not just can, but should and how she shows Lucy and Ben coming to that realization rang so true. I also loved that their growth and development was on an individual level; they had forge their own roadmaps before they could travel together. It was all just beautifully observed and some of the lines really spoke to me. I especially appreciated the perspective on anger being healthy (“A cleansing fire leaving room for growth…”) and Ben’s dad’s advice to “Live the life you’ve been granted, the one you wish you had. The novel was not without it’s flaws and for me, those were mostly related to story structure. And since my thoughts are this relate to the prequel novella, and I’m combing my thoughts because they are of a piece. Honestly, the novella was a rather unnecessary as much of what was there was included or hinted at in novel proper. I was frustrated by the structure of both, but especially the novella and wish it had just been chronological. In fact, the chapters of the novella and the flashback elements of the main novel should have been combined; then, rather than inserting flashbacks into the main storyline, those flashbacks and the novella could have been a “before” section in the novel and the main story line could have been an “after”. I know that story structure does not have to be linear to work, but in this instance - because of the overlap and so as not lose the moment of the main FAM storyline - a traditional linear structure would have been more effective. I also listened to FAM and narrators Brian Pallino and Emma Wilder did a wonderful job. I am so sad that Pallino is no longer with us; I have loved every narration of his I have heard and his portrayal of Ben was another beautiful performance. If SSD gets an audio, he will be very much missed, but I cherish FAM and his other performances all the more (he’s particularly wonderful in Avery Flynn’s The Hartigans series). Wilder also does a great job as Lucy, striking a fine balance between the lighthearted moments and the heavier emotional beats. *** I received a review copy of this boxed set via the author. All opinions are my own.

If you are looking for some fun, nostalgic romance stories, look no further! Karen Grey brings us back to the 80's with great memories, humor and stories you can sink your teeth into and enjoy! First we have What I Am Looking For. A blast from the past! The answer machine was imperative so we didn't miss that important phone call. Listening to Kate and Will's story brings back all those fun times. Kate is a woman working in a man's field. Determined to prove her worth, she takes on every opportunity. She also fends off those male advances that were prevalent. Will is an actor who moonlights as a bartender. Helping Kate out one night starts this unlikely romance. With the tables turned, and Kate being the super ambitious woman and Will being the starving actor, will they find a happy medium? Then we have Signed, Sealed, Delivered, a witty meet cute and look at Ben and Lucy before we get their second chance romance. Summer love, love letters and more come with this novella!And Lastly we have Forget About me with Ben and Lucy as they meet again years after the death of her brother. Now years later, Ben returns, a successful model to,his quiet hometown and the sparks still fly. But is that enough to again? Grey weaves in 80's music which I love, realistic life issues of grief, guilt and loss as well as falling in love again. The secondary characters bring matchmaking and sage advice, and Puck the dog is a joy. Karen Grey captures the essence of the time, each couple having chemistry off the charts. The humor had me smiling, the nostalgia gave me the feel good happiness I love.