I'm a Samantha Chase fan. She writes these fluffy romances that are sometimes total escape reads and sometimes very heartfelt and moving. I would say this is the former. The hero and heroine start the book already having strong feelings for each other and wanting to be together. I sort of had a hard time investing in the romance when it seemed so easy from the beginning. That said, I could see myself coming back to this book for a comfort read in future.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook to listen to through NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Since You’ve been Gone by Samantha Chase, narrated by Carly Robbins, is the 8th book in the author’s Magnolia Sound series. It can be listened to as a standalone. I found the story to be a lovely second chance at love, friends to lovers, small town romance. Garrett Coleman recent veterinary grad has become an internet sensation for some videos he made to help place rescued dogs. The celebrity makes him uncomfortable because he wants to be find a job that wants him for his veterinary skills and not just his good looks and six pack abs. A weekend visit to Magnolia Sound to visit family has him reconnecting with the girl he’s been in love with since he was 8 years old. Emmaline Ryan is feeling overwhelmed, buried in debt from her ex-husband and worried about how her family’s pet rescue will function with her stepfather out of commission due to back surgery, running into her former best friend Garrett is the one bright spot in her day. Their relationship grows from friendship to love, but just when everything seems to be going well, Garrett’s hopes come crashing down and he simply can’t figure out how it can possibly all work out. I enjoyed listening to this audio book and do recommend it.
The narrator does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Steam Level: Medium.
Publishing Date: August 10, 2021. #SinceYouveBeenGone #SamanthaChase #CarlyRobbins #DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley #RomanceAudioBooks #SmallTownRomance #FriendsToLovers #SecondChanceAtLove #RomanceReader #Bookstagram #Bookstagrammer #ContemporaryRomance

I absolutely loved this books. There was lots of drama with Emmaline and Garrett. But it was good drama it added to the plot and added to their love story.

This was the first book I’ve read/listen to in the Magnolia Sound series and it made me want to go back and read the rest of them so I can have the background information on the other characters and their relationships.

Emmaline and Garrett were friends in throughout school and lost touch after high school. But when Garrett has to return to their hometown for a family weekend he reconnects with Emmaline who is now divorced. Their relationship blossoms into something great even among all the drama.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of this audiobook. This is my voluntary honest review.

This audiobook, narrated 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗻𝘀, was so fun to read! I loved the small town theme and of course the fact that it’s around animals, makes A+ in my book! I mean seriously. Emmaline’s dog was named Axl and one of our own mini dachshunds is named Axl. It was fate that I listened to this. It’s definitely a 4 star read/listen. The narrator does a fantabulous job making Emmaline and Garrett come to life for the reader.

Since You've Been Gone
by Samantha Chase
Narrated by Carly Robins

I received an audiobook arc from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.

I quickly recognized the narrator as the same narrator from The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang so I was very pleased with that. Fantastic narration and excellent sound quality.

I have not read this author before. This is #8 in her Magnolia Sound series. However I don’t feel like I was missing much info by not having read the previous books.

This is a small town second chance romance one person stayed one returns situation. Being from a small town myself some of the drama is relatable. However some plot points lacked support. The hero struggled in school so much that the heroine tutored him when they children and with extreme tutoring he made Cs. But then went on to “graduate at the top of his class” at vet school. One of my very good friends is a vet. And vet school is hard. And she is super smart. She was my college roommate and was at undergrad on a full ride academic scholarship and even she said Vet school was hard. Of course there’s no reason that someone with a learning disorder couldn’t become an amazing vet but it didn’t make sense that all of a sudden he would go from Cs with tutoring to As without additional explanation.

There’s almost no reference to any actual veterinary shop talk other than “exams”. My friend constantly had crazy stories from internships in vet school. It made it feel that the career was a fluffy accessory.
If this kind of thing doesn’t bother you then you’ll like the book better than I did.

This is a fade to black, closed door, low steam romance where they are vague about the physical interactions.

The relationship conflict arc largely stemmed from avoidable miscommunications and lack of talking things out. The other situational conflict arcs were more interesting but minimally resolved and while it does not end on a cliffhanger it makes sense that it’s part of a series and may be resolved in a later book.

It can be a little saccharine sweet but sometimes that is what someone is looking for. So if that’s you, Enjoy! For me this was 3.5/5 stars.

Samantha Chase's Since You've Been Gone was a fast paced to the point romance. I usually wish I could speed up the to main characters falling in love but in this case I wish I could have slowed it down! There really wasn't very much character development before they get together and then instead of enjoying their romance it was very dramatic from the get go. I enjoyed the book and the plot, I just felt it was a little cheesy at times. Almost hallmark movie cheesy!

Thank you netgalley for my ARC in Audiobook format in exchange for my honest oppinion.

This was a very enjoyable second chance trope audiobook. Ms. Chase's writing is descriptive and the dialog is just what it needs to be in order to make you feel like you know the characters and want to take part in their lives.

Since you've been gone takes us to Magnolia Sound and here we find Emma trying to help out her parents with their dog rescue facility as they are facing some tough times. She's dealing with some tough times of her own, but she's the type that just keeps plugging away and doing the best she can.

Garrett is a veterinarian who's back in town for some family things. He's always had a thing for Emma, but nothing ever came of it. Now he discovers that her marriage to one of his old friends fell apart and she's available again. The problem is, he's job hunting in other states. Apparently, the practices he's interviewing with want him mainly because of some social media videos he did in the past with his shirt off to get pets adopted. His self worth is in the toilet.

Once Emma discovers that he's been into her for years...game on! Is there any way possible that they can make this work? Of course there is! After all, it is a romance. I love my HEA's!

This is a cute romance that is a great diversion from the stuff that's going on in the world today. The narration by Carly Robins was awesome! Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Four stars for this light, enjoyable read about Emmaline and Garrett finding each other again when they both return to their small hometown of Magnolia Sound. Newly-divorced Emmaline, who is struggling under a mountain of debt from her ex-husband, has returned to help her family save their pet rescue organization. Garrett, a new veterinarian, is struggling to find a job based on his merits, rather than his sexy social media stats. Emmaline and Garrett were best friends in high; tho both wanted more from the relationship, they were afraid to take it to the next level. Now, in spite of financial difficulties and misunderstandings, they’re ready to take on the challenge of becoming “more than friends” as they make their way to a HEA.

Since You’ve Been Gone, by Samantha Chase, is a sweet story that will not disappoint Ms. Chase’s fans. Emma is still recovering from the debt dumped upon her by her lousy ex husband, Steven. She is a speech pathologist who does all she can to give her students one-on-one attention including hours of after school tutoring. Any extra time she has she donates to Happy Tails, her mom and stepdad’s animal rescue shelter. They are filled to capacity and facing some difficulties of their own when her stepdad has the needed back surgery and six months of rehab that will follow.

Garrett Coleman and Emma have been friends since 3rd grade. However, even though there were sparks, neither wanted to jeopardize their friendship by acting on it. So he went off to school in one direction and Emma, along with her ex, went in another. Now Garrett has returned to Magnolia Sound at the request of his older brother Austin for a family event. On his first evening home he and Emma run into each other by accident when her grocery cart bumps him. Instead of groceries, they head down the shopping center to a favorite pizza parlor to catch up. This sets the tone for Garrett to finally act on his feelings toward Emma.

As this begins to play out, something else happens as they catch lunch in his cousin’s restaurant. His deadbeat dad who has been absent for 20+ years walks in and their eye contact is immediate. This throws yet another curve ball. The first curve was the many job offers Garrett’s veterinary degree has brought in. However, even though he graduated at the top of his class, it is the hot doc shirtless videos he has done for various shelters to find homes for animals that the offering companies are interested in. Feeling a lot like a piece of meat, Garrett is over doing this sort of thing which seems to be a condition of employment.

With several twists and more than one turn, this is a refreshingly delightful story. I very much enjoyed this audio book and narrator Carly Robins and I do recommend this book!

This is a great beach read. It’s a sweet story of childhood friends reconnecting years later to give Garrett another chance at his dream girl, but will their past and current insecurities get in the way?

It’s a quick and easy read that will make you smile.

Samantha Chase wrote a really enjoyable small-town second chance romance, and Carly Robins narrated with so much emotion, care and feeling. The end result is just a beautiful love story between two characters that really deserve a happily-ever-after.

Emma and Garrett were long-time friends, but Garrett always wanted more. But Emma was in a relationship, and he loved her too much to interfere. Garrett left town, and didn't come back, until he finds himself at a career crossroads. This time, the sparks are instant, and he wants his chance.

I loved the small-town feel of this story. The other characters, like Garrett's family and Emma's family, felt like good friends, and I fully supported their well-meaning interference. I loved that Emma and Garrett talked about the 'big' things that bothered them, and that their relationship was build on a foundation of a strong friendship that was able to pick up after years of silence. Add to that adorable puppies, and you've got a recipe for success.

The Story: it was a good story, a kind of second chance romance for two childhood friends. Sweet, a little spicy, and full of heart and puppies :) Also, while this is the 8th book in Magnolia Sound, it's a stand-alone romance that may has characters you may want to go back and read about, but reading the others won't impact your enjoyment of this one.

The Narrator: To me the narrator was meh. She's decent, but at times her infliction was off and the end of sentence would sound like it was the beginning of something new. The multiple voices were hard to distinguish at times. An easy listen, just not a great narration for me.

Emma and Garret’s story was sweet. They used to be best friends growing up but they missed the chance to be something more years ago. Now after living their own separate lives for a while, fate finally let them be together while trying to sort out various issues of their personal life.
It would’ve been nice to explore the build-up to their happily ever after a bit more and dig into their chemistry and feelings toward each other. But I think there were too many things going on in the story that overshadowed the romance between the characters.
Career and financial difficulties, reappearing the estranged father and dealing with an ex-husband issues all somehow contributed to the plot but were never fully explored.
The epilogue was nice and I liked the ending.
Narration of the audiobook was fine though a few times it felt like the characters tone were not in tune with the dialogue and content. Like when a character is cheerful and talking excitedly then suddenly they start crying!

Thanks NetGalley for proving this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Best friends and rescue animals = sold! Since You've Been Gone is a story of coming home and following your heart. The narration on the audiobook makes you feel as if you're right there with the characters, and I loved every moment.

While coming home for the weekend seemed like a good escape from the recent fame he's gained on social media, Garrett is forced to face the only woman he's ever loved.

Emma has a lot on her plate, so when her childhood best friend comes back to visit, she's left reeling from what her life could've been.

The genuine friendship between Emma and Garrett is so heart-warming, especially his bond with the rest of her family. The animal rescue aspect will tug at your heart, and I loved the entire story! Magnolia Sound is a town I'd love to live in.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Carly Robbins, who was wonderful as always! This is a sweet, small town story of2 friends who lost touch but happen to ‘run into each other’ when Garrett is visiting town. Once Garrett and Emma realize the foundation of their friendship is still there, they start to explore a romantic relationship. The one thing these 2 don’t do is discuss how much they have grown and changed during their time apart. Emma has learned to stand on her own 2 feet and fight for her beliefs and her man. Garrett is still healing especially with the latest blow. Emma and Garrett truly compliment each other. Their love story is super sweet with a small town setting!

This is a cute, feel good, summer read. Emma Ryan is divorced and spent the last years digging herself out from the debt her ex left her. In addition to working she helps out at her parents animals rescue farm. Garrett Coleman fell for Emma when he was eight years old, she helped him get through high school but he never acted on his feelings and then she was married. Now back in town visiting family they meet again. Garrett is a now a Veternarian (because of course he is) and even a social media star being the #SexyVet helping promote pet adoption. He's tired of being wanted for his looks and ready to put his education to work.

This is a second chance romance with minimal angst. Usually with second chances there is a lot of will they or won't they but they get together fairly early. The book focuses more on overcoming obstacles and insecurities to reach a HEA. The MC's felt real in their interactions with each other and their families. This evidently is the 8th in the series but I read easily as a stand alone. (Although I'm sure a some of other couples from previous books make appearances.) I listened to the audio book and enjoyed the narration. The story flows easily without any big surprises. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Garrett is a YouTube sensation as a veterinarian who helps pets find their forever homes. Being shirtless in the videos is just what gets the views. He is currently looking for a job and visits home to see his family.
Emmaline was his best friend through high school. She currently is still in their hometown and recovering from a divorce. When she runs into Garrett, she gets the familiar butterflies.
With Garrett not knowing where he will accept a job and Emmaline's family having some difficulties, the two are scared of getting involved but just can't keep away from each other.
Opinion
I am a big fan of Samantha Chase so of course i jumped at the chance to read this book. Her sweet style of writing and the small southern town makes this book one that can be devoured. I love the pace of this book. The fact that I live in North Carolina, where the book is set, makes me recognize a lot of how the characters act and speak.
I was lucky enough to listen to the audiobook. The narrator did a fabulous job with different voices for each character and the southern dialect is quite accurate.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook.

Emma Ryan is working her butt off to keep it together. After a messy divorce and struggling to pay down her ex-husband's debt he left her with and taking care of her parents, she is barely keeping her head above water. Her animal rescue is struggling and she doesn't know if it is going to make it. When she makes a comment on Garret Coleman's IG account he doesn't know whether to comment back or not. He has had feelings for her forever, really...forever...since grade school. I love how he overthinks everything, every thing, really! He is an accidental social media sensation and these two make the cutest couple. Each have things going on and really don't know which way to turn but know they want to turn to each other. Will this second chance on love really turn out for the win when forces are coming at them from all angles?

Since You've Been Gone is a cute, easy read. The characters are likable and easy to root for and the narration of the audio version is well done. This would be a great read to transition out of a book hangover, it's light and fun and had me smiling several times.

I received an audioArc in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, easy read. I looked it up and didn't realize that there were 7 other books in the series. Regardless, I loved Emma and it had a cute ending. Great summer beach read.