Format: 🎧 Audiobook (Advanced Listening Copy via NetGalley)
Airhead by Avery Flynn is exactly what I needed—a short, sweet, and totally entertaining 80s-themed rom-com that gave me big Hallmark movie energy in the best way.
This novella is actually a prequel to the Hartigan series (which I didn’t realize until halfway through!) and tells the story of how the Hartigan parents—Katie and Frank—met and fell in love. And let me tell you: it was adorable, hilarious, and full of heart.
The banter? On point. The chemistry? Immediate. The vibes? Pure small-town 80s magic.
Katie was sharp, witty, and had every reason to be suspicious of Frank—but man, was Frank down bad for her from day one. He was trying so hard, and it was honestly so endearing to listen to. I was giggling nonstop while traveling with this audiobook playing in my ears—it made the journey fly by.
Frank being a firefighter added just the right touch of charm and depth to his character. Yes, he had insecurities, but he was also incredibly smart and determined. I found myself rooting for him hard. And the twins? Pure comedic gold.
The only critique I have is that the synopsis doesn’t really do the story justice. The “incident” mentioned in the blurb happens much later than expected and isn’t even the main plot driver. So if you’re reading the description and wondering when things are going to kick off—just stick with it! The story is so much more than what it suggests.
Best of all, even though this is part of a larger series, you can absolutely read (or listen to) it as a standalone. No prior knowledge needed. It was light, fast-paced, and totally self-contained—but it did make me curious about the rest of the Hartigan family. I might just dive into the full series now!
If you’re in the mood for a nostalgic, flirty, small-town rom-com with an 80s twist and a whole lot of heart, Airhead is definitely worth checking out. Perfect for fans of quick romances, laugh-out-loud moments, and that Hallmark movie warmth.


Thankful to be getting this ALC through NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing

*3.5 Stars

This was cute and a lot of fun, especially with the quality and quantity of 80s references!

The reason why I didn’t give this a higher rating is that Katie’s issues with Frank were a bit grating, and you couldn’t help but think, if she had just said to him from the start, “I won’t be another notch on your bedpost”, he would have set her straight and that would be the end of that. I think it’s probably because we know from Frank’s POV that it was never like that for him and it made it more annoying. That being said, Frank was a gem.

I had an audiobook for this read, and the narrators both did a good job, although I was not a fan of Savannah’s attempt at Frank’s voice. Aiden’s narration on the other hand was swoon-worthy!

This audiobook was giving allllll of the 1980s retro vibes and that really added another element to the fun.

It was short and sweet. Also, who could resist that cover!?!

The characters won’t throw you all that miscommunication that some romance novels give which is kind of refreshing. Strong FMC goes a long way too, esp with a man that embraces her strength and gives her space when she needs it.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.5/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 (0-5) I bump up for public places/outdoor spaces.

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 I love the retro 80s—it’s a totally tubular new adult romance!
🤩 3rd person dual POV, but I love how the inner thoughts are in first person POV.
🤩 Savannah Peachwood & Aiden Snow play Katie and Frank’s personalities so well and give us an amazing performance with their conversations.
🤩 They’re both twins.
🤩 Boss’s daughter—when daddy forces them to work together on something.
🤩 When the obsessed playboy says about his playboy ways, “Just getting ready for you.”
🤩 The unwanted attraction (from Katie) and banter between Frank and Katie. Oh, boy, does she play hard to get.
🤩 Frank’s dirty talk.
🤩 Katie’s snarky replies.
🤩 That wrist wrap to check her heart rate.
🤩 The mall and movie not-a-date, plus the parking lot hotness.
🤩 When Frank protects Katie after her revenge vandalism attempt.
🤩 How Frank makes Katie feel seen.
🤩 Hello steamy scene in the Pinto. And the supply closet.
🤩 Big families. Family plans. And, yes, now I want to read all of the Hartigans series!

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 Third person does feel harder at times for me to be immersed.
💫 It’s fine that Frank is the airhead, I guess, but I just don’t like how he looks down on himself, especially talking bad about being a firefighter. We like our firefighters to be proud of their bravery!

Ａｕｄｉｏｂｏｏｋ Ｒｅｖｉｅｗ
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Airhead by Avery Flynn is a quick, easy, cute read! This novella is about two sets of twins. The spice was good. The storyline is set in 1982.

The audiobook is dual narrated by Savannah Peachwood and Aiden Snow. They both did a good job; it was easy to listen to and understand. I listened at 2x speed.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Brilliance Publishing for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Short, sweet, spicy 🔥
This has a cute plot and characters, and a surprising amount happens for such a short read! The narrators did a great job with this one and really brought the characters to life.

This book was fun.
Perfect for a quick summer read by the pool or on the beach.
I was born in the mid-80s, so it wasn't crazy nostalgic for me, but my husband who is quite a bit older than I, found it to be fantastically nostalgic (yes - we are an age gap romance).
Katie is a teacher and fighting her attraction to a local firefighter named Frank.
They have great chemistry, and the banter is top tier.
Loved the way Frank treated Katie throughout!
We get 80's big hair, throwback movies, and some great music.
The plot was structured well, and the pace was adequate for a shorter story.
The character development was great, again, especially for a short story!
This is the prequel to another series, so I highly suggest this history!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this story!
Happy Reading!

Cute. The spice was good. Storyline was decent. The 1980s timeline was a little forced though…….3.25 stars

3.25 🌟
Spice: open door
Format: ALC

This is a prequel/novella, quick read. Unfortunately I just didn't connect with these characters at all. Perhaps it's the 3rd person writing? I jist found myself to be bored. There is also a strange focus on her days of the week underwear and it's just strange to me. It made her seem like a child.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the alc in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute read. It was quick and fun especially since it was set in the early 1980's. Frank and Katie's story started as an enemy to lovers read that turned into more quickly. This quick read was a great way to step back in time and strap in for a story. The chemistry between the characters was off the charts from the start no matter how hard Katie was trying to avoid Frank. Overall, this was a great read that I enjoyed from start to finish.

3.5⭐️ rounded up

Well, I was excited to read this after reading the description but unfortunately the execution fell a bit flat for me. But first let me focus on the positive as I do think many will enjoy this very quick read that can easily be read in one sitting. For those looking for a fun romance and add in some spice this meets that need.

What I had a challenge with is I was excited for the 1980’s vibes with how the description was written but with the exception of saying “gag me with a spoon” more than once and a brief description of a classic 80’s car, this read like a modern romance. There is little about it that takes you back to the early 80’s. There were so many opportunities to embrace the era with language and themes and it just wasn’t there at all. I don’t understand why the author chose such a specific time period if she wasn’t going to make it a prominent part of the book or any part of it for that matter.

On top of that, the book has way too much going on while also feeling really repetitive especially for such a short book. It needed a good developmental editor to give it some direction.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrators Savannah Peachwood and Aiden Snow did a good job. They both spoke at a great natural pace for the 1x speed and you could still easily understand them at 2x. I will say from a personal standpoint I do not like the voice Mr Snow was using for the main character. When he did other voices it was a breath of brief fresh air as the very deep bass was getting to me.

The book is out with the audiobook dropping on June 6th.

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC from Brilliance Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary audio ALC or eARC from through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

This was a fun sexy, he falls first and hard romance between Frank, a firefighter and Katie, a small town teacher who has no intention of dating one of her dad's co-workers. I loved that this was set in 1982! All the 80s references were totally rad and nostalgic. There was also tons of spice and emotional depth for such a short read. Great on audio as well narrated by two favs, Savannah Peachwood and Aiden Shaw. Highly recommended for fans of books like Livy Hart's Talk flirty to me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!