This was so much fun! It was a funny, witty, fast-paced, and suspenseful with just the right amount of romance to round this out. I loved the “mission” Penny ends up on accidentally and how despite being a bad*ss, she still has her sister nagging her at every turn. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend to anyone looking for some adventure and intrigue with their romance.

The audio was extremely well done, no issues.

This book is buckets of fun. A super fast paced adventure romance perfect for fans of Ally Carter’s ‘The Blonde Identity’

Penny and Anthony have super tangible chemistry and while escapist to the max the plot holds water. The only thing I’m docking my rating for is the ending, after such a fun ride it does feel a little anticlimactic.

Audiobook was fabulous- perfect voice actor, pleasant to listen to and made the story easy to follow

I received an Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media!

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Narrator(s): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️
Tropes, etc: Instalove, On The Run, Kidnapping
POV: Single, 1st Person
3rd Act Breakup?: No

Brief Summary: Penny was just trying to help a grieving man avoid being swindled during an estate sale, she hadn’t intended to start bickering with him. When onlookers sense the chemistry between them and assume they’re a couple, Penny is kidnapped as leverage.

Vibe Check: Funny, Suspenseful, Sweet

FMC Is: Sassy, smart, a professor
MMC Is: Compassionate, funny, a fixer
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪

While Reading I: Laughed out loud, swooned, gasped

What Kept Me Hooked: Penny and Anthony’s undeniable chemistry, the unique premise

Room For Improvement: I would’ve liked to see more of Penny and Anthony actually together!

Final Thoughts: I really loved it! The banter was hilarious, the plot was interesting, and all of the characters were so likable. It was a fun combination of romance, action, and mystery.

This was really fun. The story started out quick and strong and gets chaotic right from the jump. A dead body in her sister's neighbors house? Yikes! The narration was fantastic. The writing was funny and attention grabbing. Penny and Anthony had me cracking up.

Penny, a computer science professor, plans to spend the summer working toward making tenure. Wanting to spend time with her sister before the summer gets too busy, she finds herself at an estate sale, where one moment she’s haggling the price of antique candlesticks with the new owner of the house, Anthony, and the next a dead body is falling out of the closet. Penny, being mistaken as Anthony’s girlfriend, finds herself evading kidnappers, dodging bullets, and going on the run with her so called boyfriend.

The premise seems like it should be a fun, action-packed rom-com, but unfortunately it did not fully deliver on the romance part. There was just instant attraction, no tension.

Overall, this was a cute, quick listen with fantastic narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored the madcap super campy romp this book provided. I'm a teacher myself so I desperately needed the distraction that this book provided.

It kind of remided me of Finlay Donovan is Killing it, Code Word Romance, or Every Time I go on vacation somebody dies. They are all for me I the same vein of light romance murder mysteries that try hard to be funny and they manage it.

Starting off with a garage sale and a candlesticks ripoff, this book goes off the rails pretty quickly. While you do have to suspend your disbelief for the duration, you'll be happy to have done so and to get out of your own head and life for however long it takes you to read this book. Buy it now, thank me later.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC în exchange for an honest review.

Big Fix by Holly James
Narrated by Lila Winters

This was such a fun and hilarious listen, blending suspense, mystery, and romance in the best way. I absolutely loved Penny and Anthony’s dynamic and the start of their accidental relationship had me hooked.

If I were Penny, I would have been terrified of Anthony after their first encounter, but wow, their chemistry is undeniable!

I’d definitely recommend picking this one up as a fun summer read or adding it to your TBR for a quick vacation listen. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing a free advance listening copy.

I enjoyed listening to this action romance.

A case of mistaken identity has Penny running around with Anthony a "fixer" who she just met.

They are on the run an the media is convinced they are a couple. As the escape abductions and runaway from the bad guys they obviously get close.

Quite a few funny moments kept me entertained.

Great narrating by Lila Winters

Many thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC and opportunity to share my thoughts.

Penny Collins is not really interested in going to an estate sale with her sister, but tags along anyway. After ending up in a public argument over candlesticks with the deceased owner's nephew, Anthony, things go from bad to worse when a body tumbles out of a hall closet. The press is all over the story, and other attendees of the estate sale are quick to share that Penny and her "boyfriend" were having an argument right before the body was found. While Penny had never met this man before, she is now tied to Anthony in the investigation. Rather than focusing on her tenure in her professor position, Penny is now on the run, dodging bullets and stabbing henchmen.

This was a cutesy romance/suspense read. The characters are likeable, and the story was entertaining enough but overall pretty underwhelming. There is a little bit of humor in the writing. Romance aspect has no tension, its insta love from the first time they meet each other. I felt like it needed a build-up. They meet, they are attracted to each other, and they very quickly and easily trust and like each other. There was no build-up, so when they did get together, it was predictable and like, "ok." The suspense aspect is pretty straightforward and didn't have much in the way of twists. I kept waiting for it to have more, and then it was over. The whole thing was very mild and just alright. I wasn't bored listening to it, but it doesn't give you anything to really think back on, and I will easily forget this one. The narration was good, though, and that did keep me listening.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audiobook for review.

Story: 3 ⭐
Spice: 🚫 There was only innuendo, closed door and some kissing.

This was pleasant read. Cute dialog mixed with a tame thriller. It's perfect for someone who is just looking for something to cleanse the pallet. Not a lot of twists/turns or epic world building just a woman who was in the wrong place at the right time for all these events to happen.

-Thriller romance (mild)
-Cute Banter
-Murder Mystery
-Napping
-Guy next door
-Not who you think I am

Narration: 4⭐

I thought the narrator did a great job and really help with the enjoyment of the story.

This was a highly entertaining read with a perfect mix of mystery, humor, and a bit of romance. Penny comes to visit her sister, who wastes no time trying to set her up with the neighbor, Anthony. Their first meeting? Less than charming. But things take a wild turn when Penny’s nephew opens the wrong door—literally—and they find a dead body. From there, it’s non-stop chaos.

As gossip starts flying and suspicions rise, Penny and Anthony are forced to go on the run together to figure out who’s targeting them and why. The situations they end up in are both intense and laugh-out-loud funny. Facing off against a billionaire villain really ups the stakes, and I loved watching these two navigate danger, twists, and unexpected teamwork.

If you enjoy quirky mysteries with fast pacing, fun banter, and a little romance, this one’s worth picking up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this free advanced copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved this book! I actually could not "put it down" - I listened to it in one day! It was a great romcom with some light suspense. This book was similar to the Finlay Donovan books.

Penny's sister tried to set her up with her neighbor's nephew, Anthony, during an estate sale. Penny, her sister, and her nephew discover a dead body when her nephew opens a closet door that was off limits. While at the police station, the news media capture a photo of Penny falling and Anthony catching her. They wrote in the newspaper articles at the two were dating.

Penny decides to attend Anthony's uncle's funeral. She goes back to the house to snoop and hopefully find some clues as to why there was a dead body in the closet. Penny is then kidnapped and Anthony has to rescue her. They end up escaping their kidnappers, getting a ride from a Stanford undergrad with his own Designated Driver app, and drive from CA to NV to save a friend. Along the way, Anthony and Penny fall in love.

This one’s got a fun setup—bookish professor meets hot fixer, cue chaos—but the execution didn’t totally land for me. The mix of rom-com and action had its moments, but the pacing felt uneven and the plot a bit too disjointed to fully hook me. Penny is smart and likable, and the banter works at times, but I found myself losing interest between the big scenes. It’s not without charm, but I didn’t feel that urge to keep picking it back up. Entertaining in theory, just not as gripping in practice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars
Rated PG-13 for language, mild sexual content, action violence, and some rom-com absurdity.

Thank you to Netgalley, Holly James, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this ALC. If you're fans of the Finlay Donovan series... trust me when I say... you'll LOVE this book. It had all the FD vibes with a little more of an adult vibe. There was all the excitement of murder, kidnapping, mystery and more combined with some forced proximity insta-love and what-ifs. The narration was phenomenal and only added to the already exciting story.

I had so much fun listening to this audiobook. I always enjoy Holly James, and even though this is a little outside of her usual genre, it is such an exciting little romp. There is action, mystery, and a little romance. I absolutely ate it up and was gripped from start to finish.

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly I loved the concept of this being a rom com/action but it kinda failed to be either. The relationship and tension between the FMC and MMC fell flat. The plot was predictable to a fault. I was just forcing myself to finish the book because I was already 60% through. If you enjoy simple predictable reads and the premise then go for it. Just wasn’t for me.

Narrator did do a pretty good job 👍 3.5 stars for her.

This was a fun, feel-good read with a unique premise and a strong feminist message. I really enjoyed the mix of magical realism and contemporary romance—it gave the story a fresh, unexpected twist. The main character is relatable and easy to root for, and her journey toward self-discovery and standing up for herself was empowering without being heavy-handed.

The pacing was solid, and the dialogue felt natural, with plenty of witty, heartfelt moments throughout. While a few plot points were a bit predictable, the overall message and tone made up for it.

This is the kind of book that leaves you feeling hopeful and inspired. If you're looking for a smart, engaging rom-com with a dash of magic and a strong message, this one’s worth picking up.

The FMC, Penny, initially got on my nerves just a bit. She seemed a little immature, but as the book progressed, that got better for me.
A funny meet-cute at the neighbor's house where a garage sale is happening. Penny and the grandson of the neighbor get off to a rocky start. When Penny's nephew opens a closet door, a dead body falls out. Herein starts the craziness of this story.
This was a quick read and a great palate cleanser before a heavier read.
Spice in the book was not overwhelming and was PG, which I appreciate when a book can make a scene spicy without all the intimate details about body parts, etc.
This book gave me some mystery, thrills, spice, and Hollywood vibes.
Short, sweet, and simple. So if that was what the author was going for, I think she has achieved it!
I did find it a bit predictable, but it was still entertaining.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
Happy Reading!

I inhaled this one.. A day laid up meant all the time to me to just listen and this was the perfect audiobook for that and well I really enjoyed this.

It was a fun rom-com / action mystery, the synopsis serves it well without giving too much away after listening to it I’d say it really just gives you enough in that to give you the idea of how the story will go.

The relationships between all the characters flowed well however especially the 2 main characters Anthony and Penny their personalities were lighthearted and humorous.

I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times, was it predictable maybe a little at times yes but honestly it didn’t matter and I really didn’t even feel like it was noticeable because it was such a lighthearted fun well narrated listen.

Lila Winters really does an outstanding job at narration to the point I felt each and every every single character was brought to life making this such an engaging experience overall and so immersive I was completely hooked from beginning to end.

Huge thanks and gratitude for this enjoyable listen from NetGalley & Dreamscape Media in return for an honest open review. 📚🎧🙏🏽❤️

This was absolutely fantastic! It was witty, hilarious, romantic, and exciting. I was giggling and kicking my feet the entire time. The characters were well flushed out and had so much depth. I felt like I was a part of their crew and was extremely emotionally invested. I hope this becomes a series because I will be first in line for them all!