Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am someone who choses books by their cover, and never reads what they're about before diving in. This one started out ok... until I realized I swimming in holy water. As an avid romance reader, this is not a genre I care for. As the book progressed, it became more and more eye rolly. I also don't think I've seen the "one bed trope" that ends with someone actually sleeping on the floor?? This was pretty childish and cringy. Not a fan. If you prefer the G rated Christian romance genre, this would highly appeal to you.

*Title: Love in Tandem -a standalone

*Release date: 4-2-24, read:4-9-24

*Author: Becca Kinzer, never read author

*Format: eBook and audiobook

Thanks to NetGalley, Tyndale House Publishers, and RB Media for this ARC & ALC💙 ! I voluntarily give an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

*Narrator: C.J. Bloom

*Run time: 8:24

*Setting: Bailey Springs. IL

*Genre: Christian Rom-Com

*Tropes: fake dating, small town, slow burn romance, forced proximity, 1 bed/sleeping bag, opposites attract, road trip

*Synopsis: Charlotte is a middle school music teacher that has lost funding, and Charlotte may lose her job. The reliable donor A.P. Hopkins has a new "challenge" for prize money to fund the program- $25,000 for a tandem bicycle 500 mile road trip.

*Characters

* Charlotte Carter- has a failed engagement and helped her mother (47) w/ cancer diagnosis, now in remission.

* Zach Bryant-a world traveler, returns home for his brother Ben's wedding

*Benjamin "Ben"- Charlotte's ex fiancé and Zach's brother

*Sophia-Charlotte's younger sister, a college student working part time @ the local hospital.

*Joshua-at the hospital when A.P. Hopkins died. Meets Sophia and tells her the truth about Hopkins "challenge."

*Shannon-Zach's ex, marrying his brother Ben

*Will-Charlotte's brother, released from prison a year ago, estranged from Charlotte.



*Review : The narrator is C.J. Bloom who read all the characters . I believe the voice fit the characters with standouts of Charlotte and Zach. Their voices complimented each other through their fighting and banter. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The book had a table of contents which helped me follow along with the e-book and audio. I loved the wholesome feel and fun, and I'd love to read Will's story.


*Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another fun time from Becca Kinzer! The embarrassing moments, the heart pounding kisses, and the non-stop adventure will have you begging Becca Kinzer to please give us another book!

A 500 mile Tandem ride goes awry when Charlotte and Zack are tasked to go the mile, in order to save Charlotte's music career. What they weren't expecting was chaos and maybe a little love mixed in.

I love the characters, the faith and the fun good times that almost had me laughing out loud at a "Silent" Book Club.


*thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook copy of this book to read and review, all thoughts are my own.

This contains an audiobook review as well.


I hate when books make me want to get off my couch and exercise! (Of course I can use that as an excuse to listen to an audiobook!) But that's exactly what this book has done to me.

This is such a cute and heartwarming tale of Charlotte and Zach! I laughed as I followed along on their journey.

It was more than just a romance. There are threads of family and healing and humor throughout the book. I just loved it!

The best part comes in the author's note! I won't tell you what that is, but if you listen to this book and don't get the author's note read to you, make sure to go find it!

There are some mentions of faith but they aren't delivered in a preachy way. I didn't feel like they were meant to influence the reader's beliefs, if the reader felt differently than the characters.

As for the audiobook, I thought the single female narrator did a very nice job of narrating the story and providing a range of voices for the characters. She was easy to listen to and added to my enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to RB Media and Netgalley for the chance to listen to an early copy of this book. I'm voluntarily leaving honest review.

As a bike lover myself, I may have grown a bit envious while reading about long bike trip (though I’ve never tried a tandem bike). Love in Tandem had so much sweetness (and laugh out loud moments!) but it also felt grounded. The characters dealt with real and at times raw emotions. I loved that one of the characters chose to go to counseling to work out things vs. pretending everything was fine.

I am very excited to be reading this book! My full review to follow.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Love In Tandem is a fake dating romance that follows Charlotte and Zach as they masquerade as a couple to tackle fraught weddings, a church youth group canoe trip, and most importantly... A 9 day, 500 mile tandem bike ride to win an insane cash prize, that would fund Charlotte's music program where she teaches, and save her job. With a lot on the line, we follow Zach and Charlotte through all the ups and downs of their journey.

This book was funny, charming, and full of swoon worthy moments. It had all the aspects of a feel good romance that I love. It was a quick read, one that I read alongside a heavier fantasy book... The best way to describe it was that it felt like a breath of fresh air.

What I liked most was that the plot really hit the ground running. I felt like I was plunged directly into the action. Which, is very refreshing. Usually it takes time to get to know the characters, and then getting to know where the plot will take you... Not with this book. You get to know the characters through the small subplots that kick off the book. I really appreciated that, and felt like I got to know the characters better through their actions rather than being told what their dispositions are like.

That being said, I do wish we got to know some more details about the subplots! I was so invested and just know it would've been funny and that I, as the reader, would've ate it up.

While the book did have references to Christianity, it didn't feel too overpowering for someone like me who isn't overly religious. It was definitely there, and it did contribute to the plot and the vibes of the book, but the plot didn't revolve around it.

At the end of this day, this book was all about the connections we make when we open ourselves up, and what happens when we just live life and how the life we envision for ourselves might not be the path that we end up following.

***Thanks to RB Media through NetGalley for providing me an ARC for my honest review***

Charlottes life is a disaster. Her fiancé dumped her two years ago and he is now getting married on the same weekend that she was supposed to be married on. Her job as a music teacher is hanging by a thread and her mother and father are acting strangely. Charlotte worries that her mothers cancer might have returned. Somehow she gets wrangled in to being the maid of honor in her Ex's wedding party and pretends to be the new girlfriend of her Ex's brother Zach. It's all a bit much to take in. In order to raise money for her family and job she and Zach enter a 500 mile tandem bike ride challenge and take off together camping and biking across the country. Unfortunately the adventures they have on the ride were not believable for me. Zach and Charlotte fall in love on their ten day bike ride but at the end it takes them many weeks to actually decide to get together. I'm sorry to say this story just did not do it for me and the second storyline of Sophia, Charlottes sister in my opinion was unnecessary. 2.5 stars.

This was another winner of a book from Becca Kinzer. Her characters are so easy to love and I just love her books! The sweet clean romance of this book is just such a great read!

Thanks Netgalley for the advanced copy.

2.5 stars. I received an audiobook copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The was a very well narrated audiobook especially considering that the story was told by a few different characters point of view. Sometimes that can be a hard listen for an auidiobook but thought that this was done very well. The best way I could describe this story is cute. I didn’t realize until a few chapters in that this was a Christian romance novel which I have never read that genre before. There were mentions of faith sporadically (although not as much as I expected) and there is ZERO spice to the main characters romance. I had just finished reading a book that was a real tear jerker so this was a nice mindless palate cleanser type of read after reading something so heavy and serious. If you need an easy read in between books or an easy listen this would be a good pick.

I enjoyed reading this ARC by NetGalley.
A good mix of serious topics and humor. Every relationship isn't always sunshine and roses from the beginning or through out and this is a good example of that.
I also enjoyed how faith and God was brought into their lives separate and together.
If you enjoy a fun romance with life thrown into the story then I will recommend this book.

I almost want this to be 2 stories one where her sister has one of her own stories :)

#LoveinTandem #NetGalley

“Nothing today turned out how it was supposed to. Nothing for years turned out how it was supposed to.”

Charlotte’s life falls apart in every possible way. She’d been abandoned on her wedding day, her mother had cancer and now her job –the school music program– is in jeopardy. She has to find a solution, and it could come from her Ex fiance’s brother, Zach.
If I loved the audio production, and (as usual) the narrator (who is probably the only one I’m able to spot by her name to this day and listen like a “long time-friend”), I’m afraid this book wasn’t for me. When I saw the title and cover, I was expecting a book about wandering into Nature, and the first couple of chapters brought me exactly here, telling me how Charlotte was a mess as soon as she crossed a door leading outside. Unfortunately, the first half of the book turns around Charlotte and Zach’s exes, and uses misunderstandings and lies as narrative structures. Some parts are supposed to be funny, but it didn’t work for me, alas. Once the wedding over (around the 50% mark), the settings change as we start Charlotte and Zach’s adventure. I really thought I’d be enjoying that part, but the author chose to change the POV she used until this point. Instead of keeping Charlotte’s and Zach’s POV, she introduces Sophie’s (Charlotte’s sister) too. This was a bit confusing for me, and added another storyline that didn't bring much IMO –the lesson could have been revealed at the end, not around this storyline and would have been more impactful, and Sophie’s story been another book.
With these changes, and –and that’s on me– my expectations unreached, I couldn’t make an attachment to the characters and truly enjoy the story, which makes me very sorry because I loved the idea of that challenge and where it could bring them.
Rate 2.5/5

Thank you NetGalley, Becca Kinzer and RB Media for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

Title: Love in Tandem
Author: Becca Kinzer
Genre: RomCom
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrator: C.J. Bloom
Publisher: RB Media/ Tyndale House Publishers
Pub Date was: April 2, 2024
Star Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Pages: 311

Awww a sweet Rom Com.
It is the end of the school year for music teacher, Charlotte Carter; only no ‘see you in September’ from the Principal as the music grant has not been renewed and therefore no job for Charlotte. Ouch! Additionally other things aren’t going well for her - she is recovering from her broken engagement and now her ex-fiancé is getting married.
His brother, Zach, is back in town for the wedding and the next thing we know Charlotte and Zach are on 500-mile tandem bike ride – even though there was a stipulation that the tandem riders be a dating couple.
So they become a pretend couple.

The growing relationship and banter between Charlotte and Zach was enjoyable. plus we are sure they are no longer 'pretending' to be a couple.
True Charlotte’s whining got annoying. Although I am sure the sore behind she got from the 500 mile bicycle ride would cause me to whine as well.
The narrator C.J. Bloom did a great job in performing the characters. – including the whining.

Enjoyable story; plus I always love a HEA story.

Want to thank NetGalley and RB Media/Tyndale House Publishers for granting me this audio Galley.
Publishing Release Date was April 2, 2024.

This book wasn’t really my favorite ever. I know romance books never mirror reality, but the fact that these childhood friends randomly reconnected via their exes’ wedding because of the cryptic message of a woman dying. Neither had tandem biking experience before embarking on a 500 mile ride. They didn’t even confirm that the prize money existed before leaving. And her mom with grown adult children who barely beat cancer got pregnant? So many things about this were super confusing to me. The writing was cute though and I enjoyed reading a romance with faith woven throughout!

Love in Tandem is a really sweet, light-hearted romance and I really enjoyed listening to it! Charlotte and Zach got themselves into some very unusual situations during their 500-mile bike ride - all of which were very entertaining to hear about. And Sofia’s storyline was also really cute, and it was a nice way to pass time whilst the main characters were cycling.

I did see some other reviews discussing the Christianity theme within this book. I am not Christian, and I really didn’t feel that the theme overtook any of the storyline at all - it was very briefly mentioned throughout the book, and I felt that it was beneficial to understanding the characters.

Thank you to Net Galley and Becca Kinzer for allowing me to read an ARC of Love in Tandem - I highly recommend!

Love in Tandem - Becca Kinzer - 4 Stars

Love in Tandem was SO funny! I loved Dear Henry, Love Edith last year by Becca and was so excited to dive into her next read and I was not disappointed! I laughed and laughed in this book! If you are looking for a book that is light hearted with LOTS of laughs, this is for you!

I really needed this book to during the time too after reading a fairly heavy historical fiction read. So glad I picked this up! I love Becca's writing style too!

In this story, we follow Charlotte who is a music teacher. She realizes that the grant funding for the school's music program is getting cut and she is concerned about how to continue the program. We see Charlotte in a HILARIOUS meet cute situation meet up with Zach Bryant - her brother's ex-fiancé- and somehow their family thinks they are dating! So, in this fake dating situation and thrown together in a 500 mile tandem bicycle contest for some BIG prize money- and you have a great story that is sure to bring lots of laughs.

There are also a couple of nice faith moments. I did want more with the romance personally, so I feel like this was more "com than rom", but still really enjoyed the story. I also loved reading the author's note and learning about Becca's real life experience on a 500 mile tandem bicycle trip with her husband - how fun!

I look forward to seeing what Becca writes in the future! One of my favorite authors for sure. Highly recommend! Also the narrator for this audiobook was great!

Thank you to the author and publisher for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Charlotte Carter is a simple small town woman. Her job as a music teacher is everything she could ever need and more. Yes it is true she was close to walking down the aisle two years ago but that’s all water under the bridge now, right? On the last day of school Charlotte learns that her precious music program is at risk of being shut down. Unemployment and uncertainty now hanging over her head a chance encounter could change everything.
Zach Bryant, an outdoor adventurer has returned to his small town long enough to watch his brother get married. Fresh off of being hired and quickly fired Zach is unsure of his next moves but it sure won’t be staying in that town. When Zach runs into Charlotte- who just happens to be his brother’s ex fiancée a highly emotional night from years ago comes flooding back . Charlotte and Zach uncomfortable with the awkwardness of their families prying questions accidentally pretend to be a couple. Since they’re pretending to be a couple Charlotte’s sister has the brilliant idea to enter them into a contest with a huge cash prize. This prize has the ability to drastically change both of their circumstances. They just need people to believe they’re together long enough to win the money. The catch- they’ll need to ride a tandem bike 500 miles to collect that money. Will they be able to complete the challenge then go their separate ways? After all we readers know they’re just pretending, don’t we?
Becca Kinzer’s book was a delight to listen to. I love the tropes of fake dating and forced proximity best of all. This work successfully handled both exquisitely and left me wanting for nothing. Charlotte and Zach were witty and complex and challenged each other in every way possible. Their journey led them to meet such interesting, rich characters and be put in situations that tested the strength of their resolve. A special thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy.

This book was a HOOT! I listened to the audio version and feel this was best because there was so much dialogue. The narrator was outstanding. I rarely read this genre and am thankful I found one so delightful. I felt all the characters were well developed and memorable. This author was new to me and from what I could find, this is her second published book. The first one, Dear Henry, Love Edith is available from the audible plus catalog if you have an audible membership, at the time I’m writing this review. I’ve already downloaded it and will start it soon. There is a great deal of faith expressed in this book, and that made it extra special for me. I loved the concept of this story. There were several things that couldn’t have happened, but please remember this is fiction. For example, Charlotte who is out of shape is able to bike 70 miles a day at times. I had several giggle snort moments. I was blessed with a free audio ARC of this book, and I’m voluntarily leaving my review. Highly recommend if you enjoy clean, contemporary, Christian, humorous romance.

This was a sweet book! The characters were very well developed, and their dialogue had me giggling throughout the book. The only frustrating part is that it felt like every major plot point in the story had a one-in-a-million chance of happening. I've realized that I am willing to suspend belief once or twice in a story, but this felt like a bit much. But it was a fun read overall!

Audio Format. This book is a Christian fiction Rom Com. It was refreshing to listen to a Rom Com that didn't have much spice to it. I find when I listen to modern Rom Coms in audio I find it super weird to hear the spicy scenes out loud so when I saw this title and read the description I thought I would give it a try. There are some references to God/preachers and faith but it's not over the top with the Christian content.

In a nutshell, the plot centers around Charlotte, a music teacher, who learns that the school's music program is closing. In an effort to earn prize money she teams up with her fiance's brother Zach on a 500 mile tandem bike adventure. There's a little bit of a haters to lovers (well kissers as this book is Christian fiction) trope along the way.

What I liked:
-The main plot of the bike ride adventure was super fun and had a few laugh out loud moments
-The book was overall charming and light
-The narration was animated and overall enjoyable as a whole
-It was refreshing and enjoyable to listen to a cute rom com book that wasn't heavy on the spicy scene

What I didn't like:
-I didn't feel any chemistry between the two main characters. I think it could be the audio format - I didn't like the narrator's voice for the male character as it felt very forced and awkward and to me there wasn't a connection like I have experienced in other audio romance books
-Honestly this book was about 30% longer than it needed to be. I couldn't find how many pages this book is but the listening time is just under 8.5 hours but it felt a lot longer because the first 30% of the book was spend on the background info. Once it got to the actual tandem bike plot I really enjoyed that but I almost quit listening at just over 30% because of the lack of plot at the beginning.

Overall this was an enjoyable listen. However I am giving this my average rating of 3/5 as I felt the book was really slow to get started and was quite draggy by the end. I feel if it had more biking adventure and less background building at the beginning it could have been a much higher rated book for me.

Thank you Net Galley and RB Media | Recorded Books for the audio copy of this book.