Review copy was received from Publicity team. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
You Spin Me by Karen Grey Series: Boston Classics #3
Published by Self-Published on April 29, 2021
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 302
Format: eARC
Source: Publicity team
Goodreads
Amazon
Some scars go further than skin deep…
1988 doesn’t end well for Jessica Abraham. In just one week she turns thirty, loses her day job, and loses the role of Ophelia to a younger actress. Rallying, she goes after a part at a theater outside of the city, but the director’s plan to hide her beauty behind hair, makeup and wardrobe from Cosmo’s “Don't'' column shakes her confidence to the core.
For the first time in her acting career, she won’t be able to rely on her carefully managed physical charms. Only her craft will count.
On a snowy night early in January 1989, a woman calls into DJ Callihan Alonso’s alt-rock radio show at the end of her commute. He asks her to call back the next night, and the next, just so he'll know she’s home safe. There's something about her voice that has him wanting more, but the longer they talk, the closer she gets. Compromising each and every wall he's built around his heart.
If two lonely people fall in love over late-night phone calls, will meeting face-to-face make them, or break them?
In this heartfelt, slow burn retro romcom, it may be the end of a decade, but it’s the beginning of a love story.
The Boston Classics series are people stories, with the 80s just a fun aspect, much like the Shakespeare quotes or dogs in one of the books. We’re back to a character we met in the first book, Jess, who is friends with Ben. I do really enjoy when an author further develops characters we have already met.
Jess didn’t impress as a very nice person before, and also one who always got the roles easily. So now we learn her thoughts and feelings. Cal is new to us, a radio personality. Both of them have sort of body image issues. They have struggled their entire lives with guilt and grief, unhappy with the way they looked. So it is perfect they “meet” on the phone when Jess calls in with a contest answer to Cal’s radio show.
Jess and Cal develop a relationship of sorts with their behind the scenes call in chats. They become friends of a sort and get to know each other, over the phone. It’s an emotional and intellectual connection fulfilled with banter. There’s also no worry because one can’t see the other. They are both experiencing difficult changes in their careers and working to adjust to new options.
I loved these conversations as they enjoyed talking and learning. I laughed at their thoughts and teasing, and admired how they also opened up to each other and were honest. It was magical for me and continued as they actually met and started dating. I truly enjoyed how each appreciated the other person and believed in them.
Then there was the drama, which is to be expected. It brought both of them to their personal growth and recognition for a real future. They did this during time apart. I would have liked them to be able to support each other in this period, but maybe that isn’t realistic. Once they came together again, You Spin Me was over. And I just wanted a little more time together at the end I guess.
Tour Giveaway: HERE
About Karen Grey
KAREN GREY is the pen name for award-winning narrator Karen White. A stage, screen and radio drama actor in Boston, New York and Los Angeles in the late 20th century, she started recording books in 1999. Now back in her home state of North Carolina, she shares a home with her family and (probably) too many pets, where she continues to narrate audiobooks as well as make up stories.
Karen White is a classically trained actress who has been recording audio books since 1999 and has well over 150 books to her credit and is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA. Honored to be included inAudiofile’s Best Voices 2010 and 2011, she’s also an Audie Finalist and Best Audiobook of the Year winner for 2009, 2010 and 2011 (The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon Reed, Too Good to be True by Erin Arvedlund, and Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor) and she has earned multiple Audiofile Earphones Awards, recently for and You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam and Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz. Publishers Weekly says of Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick, “Karen White delivers a stunning reading, her character interpretations are confident and well-rounded, and she forges a strong bond with the audience.” Speaking of Audiobooks says of her, “Karen is one of my auto-buy narrators – if I think a book may interest me, her narration will sway me to give it a try.”
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
Friend or follow me at Goodreads.
- 🎧 Red River Road by Anna Downes @whatannawrote @MaddyWithington @MinotaurBooks @MacmillanAudio #LoveAudiobooks - October 3, 2024
- A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara @MaxieDara @jaimebee @BerkleyPub @PRHAudio @sophiarose1816 #LoveAudiobooks - October 2, 2024
- 🎧 Candle & Crow by Kevin Hearne @KevinHearne @luckylukeekul @DelReyBooks @PRHAudio#LoveAudiobooks - October 1, 2024
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- C21-Spring
Oh, I want to get back to this series!!! Glad you’re continuing to enjoy it, Anne. Didn’t you start it on audio?
Great review?
I listened to the first two on audio. But the novella and this one didn’t have an audio yet so I read the ebook version. There is audio for the novella now though.
It sounds like this author really writes relationships well. I love the cover!
Yes I really have enjoyed the characters and the relationships. The feelings and reactions feel authentic.
I see everyone reading this one and I’m starting to be curious
It’s a really fun series and before most technology so the relationships take center stage.
I really liked Cal and Jessica and loved that they got to know each other over the phone. I also would have liked to see more of them together at the end of the book. Great review!
OK honestly, up until 80% in the book, it was a 5 heart book but I didn’t like the apart and very little together at the end. Overall it is a great read though.
I’m waiting for the audiobook and am really looking forward to getting back into this world. I’m loving the characters and stories.
It is always a challenge to decide if you will wait for the audio. I suspect this one will be amazing on audio because of the music in Cal’s work. But also because Jess and Cal are such incredible characters.
Love the 80s, what a fun cover
This whole series is really fun and I have enjoyed every book.
Yep, that title takes me right back to the 80s! I can hear the music to that song in my head! Sounds like a fun premise. Happy to hear you enjoyed this installment. I’ll have to look into the series. Wonderful review, Anne! 🙂
Thank you Rachel. You should give it a try, the series is great! Each book could be read stand-alone but I always get more out of it reading in order, especially the novella is better with the background of the first book.