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!

This book gives me Finley Donovan vibes and fits into the genre of everyday citizens getting swept up in solving a crime/mystery unbeknownst to them. There's a slap-stick vibe in the opening scene but it settles down into a more serious crime solving novel so it was hard to figure out if the author wanted there to be comedy element to this story or not. I wasn't really feeling that throughout and would have loved the author to have leaned into it more to lighten the mood. There were some serious moments and undertones here and more banter and laughing to cut the tension would have worked here. With that said, the main characters are very likeable even if the story requires us to suspend some disbelief in order to make the pieces come together. The epilogue didn't really satisfy some questions for me (what does one of the main characters do for work 3 months later? The audiobook is narrated by Lila Winters and she does an excellent job of voicing men and women and varying her voice for certain characters. I found her pleasant to listen to and enjoyed the inflection of her tone. Will I think this book is a must read, page turner? Not necessarily but it will make a great summer beach read as it moves fast and isn't overly complicated. It's a closed door romance that feels playful and at times fun. 3.75 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun time! Suspenseful, romantic, great quips between Penny and Anthony. It was a little cheesy, but it added to the charm, and it was a nice break from the heavy hitting reads that I've read recently. This is my first book by the author, and I'm definitely interested in reading more by her! I love the fact that the characters had such great chemistry with each other, and the author didn't need to resort to smut for the more intimate scenes. Such a relief, seeing as most books are all smut and no plot nowadays. It's definitely a fun and quick read that should be added to your TBR!

Penny and Anthony’s meet-cute seems doomed when they can’t stop arguing about the price of antique candlesticks, just to have a body fall out of a closet minutes later. The following days lead to kidnapping, escaping, maybe another murder, and falling in love.
I really enjoyed this book! While a bit predictable in some ways, it was nonstop fun. The audiobook was a great listen. I really enjoyed the performance of the narrator.

This was a lot of fun! I loved the quips, the hijinks, the phrase "dynamic listener" (which I fully intend to use the next time I find myself peppering someone with questions during their story). Obviously a story like this requires some suspension of disbelief, but it's a fun ride so I was happy to do so. I think I'm increasingly realizing that I love romantic comedy action/adventure novels. This is up there with others I've adored, like Ally Carter and Sara Desai's novels.

The MCs were a great mix of quirky, kind and snarky. The side characters all had distinct personalities that were delightful. Like I adored the FMC's sister and later Gio after only a few paragraphs. Again, this was just a lot of fun.

To be honest, I didn't love the narrator though. It's not that I thought she was bad. I just didn't think her style suited this kind of story. Sometimes she was a little flat when I think the story called for lighter and zingier.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC!

From the very beginning this book grabs your attention. Penny and her sister Libby stumble into an estate sale and the adventure begins. The mysterious man next door with a dead body in the closet. Penny gets nosey and accidentally gets close to Anthony by poking around.
Penny and Anthony are so much fun. The witty banter and the situations they get themselves in. I laughed through this whole book. I enjoyed every bit! I will definitely read more by Holly James! Hehe done lil quotes I enjoyed!! You have to read to put it together!!
“A very sexy banana”
“Trunk Pills”
“Beastly closet on wheels”

#bookrecs #bookreview #kensingtonbooks #betweenthechapters #thebigfix #hollyjames