This was soo cute! The imagery in this book was truly stunning and I wanted to immediately hop on a bus tour of English churches and castles. I also loved that Gigi owned a bookshop and how that and her love of books wove throughout the entire story. The mention of other novels through the story was also great. I loved Gigi's growth throughout the story and Taj was so, so swoony. Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington books for the ARC.

3 stars.

"Gigi, Listening" by Chantel Guertin is a decent rom-com, but it's not the best book I've read this year. The main female character, Gigi, a bookshop owner, is gifted a guided bus tour across England by her three friends so she can meet the man of her dreams: a man named Zane, who narrated the audiobook version of the book her parents were reading when they first met and fell in love. Seems wild and wacky to make a trip across the world for someone you've never met and someone who doesn't know you exist, right? Some may call this cute, but...is it cute when it's essentially stalking?! If you can suspend your disbelief (or your morals) for the premise and just enjoy the book for its "guided reading trip adventure," you may find some enjoyment here. Guertin's descriptions of England are where this book shines. I felt like I was sitting on a guided tour right alongside Gigi and all of her interesting, unique bus mates! The trip aspects are the strongest elements, as are said bus mates. What a compelling, intriguing group of people to be on a tour with! They all meddle in each other's lives for 10 days and get to know one another in an intimate way. We connect with them and learn each of their struggles as the tour days tick by. Unfortunately, Gigi is not that great of a character. She has a lot of growing up to do as a person. She's incredibly immature and selfish, especially where her brother, Lars, is concerned. She seems obsessed with Zane who is not a celebrity, but rather just a regular ol' guy who happened to narrate an audiobook. To fly around the globe to meet someone you don't know because of some misguided cosmic connection is ludicrous. I knew where this story was going as soon as Zane showed up half of the way into the bus tour. It's super predictable. The romance and chemistry are essentially non-existent until maybe the last 10% or so. Some readers may call this a slow-burn, but I'd call it a no-burn meaning that it's slow PLUS nothing really happens in the end.

Natalie Naudus does a fantastic job narrating this book. She does some terrific voices to differentiate between characters, and her inflections and tones are perfect for the source material. It is her narration that kept me interested and invested in finishing this story, otherwise, I may have stopped reading it without the audiobook version.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chantel Guertin, Kensington Books, and RB Media for the ARC/ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.

It took me a while to get into this one. I almost gave up around 18% because I just couldn’t get into the storyline. The obsessiveness over one man was too much. Overall, it was an okay read.

I really loved this travel-focused contemporary romance! Gigi becomes a bit obsessed with the audiobook narrator of a favorite book and discovers he leads tour groups through England. For her 30th birthday, Gigi's friends surprise her with a trip on the tour group to meet him, but, of course, nothing goes as expected.

I wasn't sure what to expect and while this book could have taken a lot of cliched routes (LOL, sorry) I really appreciated that the author never took the easy way out. So many times I thought "oh, here we go with the really simple misunderstandings..." but they were easily corrected and other, more nuanced conflicts popped up that felt much more authentic to the characters and the story. The love triangle romance was a nice angle and the author did a great job giving the many secondary characters of the tour group interesting backgrounds without having them take over the story. This was very much Gigi's story but against a rich backdrop that enhanced her growth instead of competing for the story's attention.

This is a slow burn, closed door romance but the strength of the writing has me recommending this to all romance readers.

At first it took me a while to connect with this book. It's not that I didn't like the idea but I wasn't feeling all the story because well... She was in love with a voice. I'm not saying it's not possible but as I say it took me some time. Overall it was a nice book.

3.5 stars
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book has a lot of things I love- roadtrip/ travel book, closed door romance, a girl who is feeling a little lost and a little over it, I also like it when a book that describes itself as a rom com actually has funny bits. So good job, Chantel Guertin!
That being said, there were a lot of parts that left a bit predictable and cliche, so this didn't completely blow me away.

This delightful and heartwarming novel takes readers on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected romance. The protagonist's quest to meet the man behind the voice she admires leads to a charming adventure through the English countryside. The diverse cast of characters adds depth and humor to the story. With its blend of love, family, and self-realization, this book is a perfect choice for fans of feel-good romantic comedies.

Predictable but fun. I loved the cast of characters and the tour trip
Many thanks to Kensington Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Overall a cute travel rom-com! I think following the main character that just wants to replicate the kind of love her parents had is relatable and allows the reader to feel connected to Gigi. It was a quick and easy read that had some fun moments that kept me going. I do think the premise of being obsessed with a guy and wanting to track him down simply based on his voice is a little unrealistic and it's an obsession that results in Gigi being not so awesome to her friends at times, so that left quite a bit to be desired for me. The ending was a tad predictable, but it was still cute and fulfills the HEA.

I actually loved this book! I was hesitant at first to know how I was going to feel about it but the setting alone is what sold me to want to read it. I'm a sucker for books set in England! It was charming, heart-warming, and a full ride.

Thanks to Kensington and Netgalley for this advanced copy!

Gigi, Listening is a fun romance about a woman who wants to hang on to a love story, almost missing the one happening right before her eyes.

Gigi is a bookstore owner who is sent to England on a tour where the tour guide is the voice behind her favorite audiobook, and this is kind of a ridiculous premise for a book, but somehow it works? I appreciate how the author kept to this while still giving Gigi the space to recognize this whole idea is ridiculous and she is missing out on discovering more in life.

Some of the book felt a little cliche at times, but I liked the secondary characters. The end ties ups nicely (even if a bit too easily) but it's still fun and I liked the idea of having the characters go all around England.

A nice, comfy book for anglophile romance lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC which I received in exchange for my honest review!

GIGI, LISTENING is the first of Chantel Guertin's books that I've read - I found her writing to be lovely, easy to read, and thoroughly enjoyable. I found the plot of GIGI to be a little heard to believe and it wasn't entirely my cup of tea. Gigi Rutherford, our main character, is a book store owner with a crush on an audiobook narrator - her crush goes a bit beyond reason and I found aspects of it far-fetched.

Ultimately, this wasn't the book for me, but I'm sure many other readers - lovers of Guertin's other work, romance fans, etc. - would likely love this story!

Gigi meets a number of quirky people on her bus trip in England. The places on the trip made me want to visit there. A quick rom com read for summer. I look forward to more from the author. 3.5 stars

I loved this book for the cast of characters on this bus tour first, the romance was second to it and not as strong, but I really enjoyed all the characters and their interactions!

This book was so cute and funny, I really enjoyed everything about it, I love London 💕 so this book is lovely
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the book

Gigi, Listening is about a romance bookstore owner who sets out on an overseas adventure to take a bus tour, narrated by her favorite audiobook narrator. Sadly, things don’t go according to plan. But maybe they end up better? I appreciated Gigi’s pure heart and optimism. And the British scenery didn’t hurt either!

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly this book was not for me. I really wanted to love it because the premise felt perfect since I also love listening to audiobooks, but instead of being cute and fun, it felt really cringy and over the top. I think some people will love it, but unfortunately, it was a miss for me.

Reading "Gigi, Listening" I feel connected to Gigi a lot, especially on the love for books and reading. I definitely have fallen in love with an audiobook voice, so I totally understand her. I also love the other characters too. Chantel Guertin creates a story for every character, and I was moved by how connected the group is and their stories.
While I did enjoy the book, especially the twist in the ending, throughout the book it was rather difficult for me to not skim sometimes because of the many side-track descriptions. They may have taken the focus on the story for me. Gigi is a bit annoying sometimes, especially about the fact that she looks down on the character for being a driver.

This was ok. The plot had a few nice moments, most of them describing England. Gigi was unlikable and immature. I never connected with her as a character or her motives.

Gigi Rutherford loves romantic stories. She reads them, she sells them at her romance bookstore. Sure happy endings are great, but Gigi is in it for the meet cutes. But when it comes to her own love interests, Gigi is out of stock. Instead of enduring bad date after bad date that never starts with a novel inspiring meeting, she’d rather curl up with her favorite audiobook and the voice of the only man who makes her heart skip a beat: Zane Wilkenson.

Then, she’s presented with the chance of a lifetime: a ten-day bus tour through the English countryside led by Zane, in the flesh…or so she thinks.

The premise of the story is a bit ridiculous for my taste. BUT I thought its development was quite fun. The side characters bring a lot of charm and punch to the story. There are many meaningful, relatable story lines that tug at the heart strings. Dementia, widows, re-finding love, love late in life, dealing with monumental life changes, etc. And our central romance is organic, fun, and all in all quite lovely by the end. I thoroughly enjoyed all the literary references as well as the historical facts and scenes around London, whilst on the tour. The friends are fabulous, supportive, and realistic. I had a really fun time with this one.