I received this book for free from Caffeinated PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Love Interest by Kayley Loring Narrator: Teddy Hamilton, MacKenzie Cartwright, Connor Crais, Shane East
Published by Kayley Loring on April 26, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 7 hours 13 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Caffeinated PR
Dear Fiona,
I hope this letter finds you well—and by well, I mean significantly less infuriated than you were yesterday. I’ve wanted to continue our conversation from the night we met, but there are so many things I can’t say or do, now that I’m your professor.
As an anonymous letter writer, I can give you some idea of what I have planned for us, once the year is over. As an author, I can share my work in progress with you. Not for you to critique but to show you how much you mean to me.
When you’re done reading this page, destroy it—and then write me back. Don’t sign the letter. Don’t put a return address on the envelope. Mail it from a random mailbox.
Yours in problem solving,
MeP.S. I still think you’re wasting your talent on that historical romance novel.
P.P.S. I really wanted to push you up against the door and kiss your beautiful, angry face. I will. One day.***
Dear Emmett,
Your handwriting is almost as terrible as your mood swings, and it would have been my instinct to destroy that letter even if you hadn’t ordered me to.
If you show me your work in progress, I will critique it.
I am currently still too infuriated to write about all the other feelings I have for you.
Expect another letter soon.
Your problem and your solution,
MeP.S. I still think an overpaid, overrated, overly handsome bestselling author of thrillers has no business teaching creative writing at a prestigious New York university.
P.P.S. To my great horror, I really wanted you to push me up against that door and kiss my angry face too. I understand now that your appalling way of treating me in class has been overcompensation, but I don’t forgive you for it. I’ll kiss you again anyway. One day.
My top thoughts:
I am so glad I decided to request this book for review! I thought from the blurb that it sounded interesting, possibly funny and likely steamy. It did not disappoint on any front.
What I liked/didn’t like:
I think my favorite thing about this book was the humor. I laughed out loud so many times. There’s a giant cock – not what you think – and there’s the relationship between Fiona and her mother, as well as Emmett’s relationship with his adorable niece. All hilarious!
Despite making me laugh frequently, this book also has a lot of heart. Emmett and Fiona both grow so much over the course of the story. Emmett starts off this fabulously successful author of a action suspense series that is a movie franchise but still grieving the death of his fiance almost a decade ago. His character tells him (because their characters talk to them — LOVE THIS!) he’s ready to have a love interest, and while Emmett isn’t quite ready, his search for inspiration opens him up just enough for Fiona to push in.
Fiona is at the start of her writing career – for really great, but spoilery reasons – and so she’s holding off on love/sex to focus on her writing. And then in walks Emmett to the dinner where she’s working and bam! Obvious where this going, right?
Except, not at exactly! Just enough time had passed since I read the blurb that I forgot what the book was about, which was perfect, because I didn’t see the challenge between Emmett and Fiona coming. And I enjoyed every minute of their sexual frustration, which is marvelously played out in the writing of their books (you get chapters here and there of their stories — almost like 3 book in 1 — and it’s very inspired by their experiences) .
Narrator thoughts:
The narration takes this to another level. You get not two, but four narrators! As you’d expect with multiple narrators, one is for Emmett’s point of view and one is for Fiona’s. The unexpected twist is they each get a narrator for the books they are writing as well. It really adds to the feel that those characters are unique and separate from them as authors. So great! I was new to these narrators – and author – but wouldn’t hesitate to listen to – or read – any of them again.
I thought this sounded interesting. Great review! Anything with Shane East narrating is going to be good.
So glad you enjoyed this.
I need to get back into audiobooks. I’ve been so swamped with podcasts that I’ve only been listening to those but I love audiobooks as well. Just need to get back to them. This one sounds so great!!