Audio: Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis @JillShalvis @ErinMallon ‏ @HarperAudio #LOVEAUDIOBOOKS

Posted January 17, 2020 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review / 12 Comments

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Audio: Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis @JillShalvis @ErinMallon ‏ @HarperAudio #LOVEAUDIOBOOKS Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis
Narrator: Erin Mallon
Series: Wildstone #4
Published by HarperAudio on January 21, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Length: 8 hours, 34 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully flown the coop. All she has to do is finish fixing up the lake house her grandparents left her, sell it, and then she’s free.

When a massive storm hits, she runs into a tall, dark and brooding stranger, Camden Reid. There’s a spark there, one that shocks her. Surprising her further, her sister and brother return, each of them holding their own secrets. The smart move would be for Piper to ignore them all but Cam unleashes emotions deep inside of her that she can’t deny, making her yearn for something she doesn’t understand. And her siblings…well, they need each other.

Only when the secrets come out, it changes everything Piper thinks she knows about her family, herself…and Cam. Can she find a way to outrun the demons? The answer is closer than she thinks—just as the new life she craves may have already begun.

Every book in this Wildstone series, has some seriously funny parts (which I always love) and some honestly real, personal issues for the characters to handle. There doesn’t seem to be a strong connection between the books other than the town. (This means you don’t really have to read the series in order)

Almost Just Friends is centered around a family of three adult children. Piper is the oldest and has almost raised her two younger siblings after both their parents and then grandparents died. She follows a tried and true method of stuffing down her feelings and not getting involved to keep from getting hurt.

The main story is about Piper and how she both reaches personal goals AND a romance through her character growth.  Her two siblings, have issues and secrets with their lives.  The side stories about her siblings added depth to her character progression but geez, it would all be simpler if they just talked to each other!

Cam has his own rut where he has been in the military and on his own for years, and previously lived with his Mom before she died.  His brother lived with his dad and now due to a variety of events, he is on leave visiting his dad. They live next door and there’s a bunch of connections there as Cam’s brother and Piper’s sister were best friends.  Cam is getting to know his dad (and he’s a trip!)

There are plenty of bad decisions made in early adulthood on display, as well as people growing up and making a better life.   I found the sweet, funny, hot romance here as well as the realistic aspects of what I like to call life fiction.

Narration:

I have been listening to more books with the narrator recently.  She does have some distinct male and female voices but sometimes I think a voice is someone from another book.  I really enjoy the husky quality of her male voices, almost more than her female voices.  I was able to  listen at my normal 1.5x speed.

Listen to a clip:

About Erin Mallon

Erin Mallon is an actor, writer and voice artist in NYC. Her naturally warm personality and youthful sound have proven excellent tools for the many young adult and romance titles she narrates. She has originated roles in the theater with Ensemble Studio Theater’s Youngblood Company, The Drilling Company, Mabou Mines, Incubator Arts Project and many more. Erin is a devoted volunteer at The 52nd Street Project, the voice of many TV and radio commercials, and was one of BACKSTAGE’s “Career Dispatch” columnists for 2012.

About Jill Shalvis

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • COYER Friends

Posted January 17, 2020 by Anne - Books of My Heart in Book Review / 12 Comments


12 responses to “Audio: Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis

  1. I just finished this book yesterday morning and really enjoyed it. I have to agree that so much could have been solved if everyone had just talked to one another. I am happy to hear that the audio was so well done. Great review!

    • Thank you. Jill Shalvis is someone I always want to read. I always get the audio because I love the contact for audio and on Edelweiss they won’t ever approve me! So the not talking to people is immature but quite realistic as no one wants conflict or to feel like they let someone down.

      Anne - Books of My Heart recently posted: Bitter Falls by Rachel Caine
  2. Jen

    Does Erin narrate all the books in the series, or is each a different narrator? I’ve listened to a book or two from her, but I do see her name everywhere. Trying to decide if I want to listen to this series.

    • The first 2.5 were Karen White and the last 2 have been Erin Mallon. So I don’t know what will happen with the next. Something similar with Heartbreaker Bay, the first ones are all Karen White, then 2 by Vivienne Leheny and the last one by Erin Mallon. My preference has been to either have the same narrator for the series or a different one for each book if it is a new couple in each book. They are all good narrators but I have a special attachment to Karen White.

      Anne - Books of My Heart recently posted: Audio: The Alchemist and an Amaretto by Annette Marie