That Time I kissed my beachfront boss
By Julie Christianson
Narrated by Andy Harrington; Amanda Friday

Published June 4,2025

This was such a cozy and cute audiobook. I smiled the whole time I was listening. The beginning was a little slow for me. I felt grandma was a little much at points. I did really enjoy the big family. This was full of growth, love and lots of friendship.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. All words are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for my ALC of this book!

That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss by Julie Christianson
This was a sweet, closed door romance about a down on her luck social media manager (I think? I honestly can’t remember what she did for a job, but I think it was this) who moved back home to the small town she grew up in. The local Inn is under new management and she needs a job, but the new manager is someone she has an awkward past with. She’s hired to do some work for the inn anyway and they end up falling for each other.
This one was really not memorable at all, but I do remember it being very Hallmark Movie type. It was a clean book, so not even swearing was included. It was cute, but kind of cheesy and predictable.
3⭐️

Mini Review

That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss by Julie Christianson was my second read by the author; the first was a free novella from her newsletter. This is the third in the Abieville Love Story series but can be read as a standalone. This one is adorable.

Things I loved:

* Big Mama
* The Dare that started it all.
* sibling texts
* the way hudson cares for her
* small-town setting
* He Falls First
* Forced Proximity
* summer storm
* The Narrorators

Olivia and Hudson were just the best. The banter between the two, the sparks between the two, the love between the two. It was all there and all the best. Julie once again knocked it out of the park. It was so fun coming back to Abbieville with Big Momma and spending the summer with Olivia and Hudson trying to get the Inn up and running. It was great to have Mac and the rest of the triplets back and also the cameo from Lincoln and Hadley. I couldn’t put this book down. A great, fun, quick and of course hilarious read from Julie.
The narrators were great. Really brought the story to life. I loved the dual narration because it really brought the story to life and made you feel like you were experiencing the story, not just listening to it.

I listened to this as an audiobook and it was the perfect escape! From the first chapter, I was hooked by the narrator’s delivery—equal parts sassy, vulnerable, and full of spark. Olivia's voice is full of that snarky, down-on-her-luck charm you can't help but root for, especially as she’s crashing on grandma’s futon while watching her dream job slip away into the annoyingly attractive hands of Hudson Blaine—aka Mr. Rejection himself.

The chemistry between them was absolutely sizzling. If you’re a fan of the forced proximity trope (hello shared office and unresolved tension), this one checks every box.

But what really stood out was how the story balanced its humor with emotional depth. Underneath the banter and awkward workplace encounters, there’s a lovely arc about rebuilding confidence, trusting yourself, and confronting old wounds. The setting—a beachfront inn on the brink of a comeback—felt like its own character, atmospheric and cozy.

The narrators brought the characters to life brilliantly, making the awkward moments cringe-laugh funny and the romantic ones swoon-worthy. If you're looking for a summery listen with heart, heat, and a heroine you’ll cheer for, this one’s a gem.

I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Select and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Reread update: The audiobook was fantastic. I loved this story just as much the second time around. Julie writes sparking chemistry, hilarious banter, and heartfilled romance that will have you swooning throughout the whole story. Definitely recommend.

"I'd definitely make room for you on the floating door if we ever ended up in the Atlantic Ocean together."

"Right now, my soul is only worried about her soul, and my connection to her feels far stronger than physical."

Oh. My. Goodness. I adored this book. Olivia and Hudson were darling, and their story was everything a good romcom should be.

Full of banter, tension, and stomach-swooping feelings, TTIKMBB (I was too lazy to type out the title here, sorry) is definitely being added to the stack of books I will read again.

The overall pacing was great—the perfect length for a quick read while still giving you plenty of character building. I loved the cameos of the Olivia's siblings and all the McCoy cousins. I can't wait to read the rest of the families' stories. We also got a Link and Hadley cameo from Faking the Fall, so that was fabulous.

This book is light and fun and hit all the right notes for me.

If you like small-town stories, sweet romances, and hilarious family group chats, you'll want to pick this one up for sure.

General Notes:
Book: That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss
Author: Julie Christianson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Romance: Kisses
Language: None
Violence: None
Trigger/Content Warnings: Parental neglect

Thank you to Julie for trusting me with your story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love this book! I’m so happy I got an advanced copy of the audio book! This was such a fun story to listen to. Hudson and Olivia have such great chemistry. Watching their sweet story unfold as they acknowledge their feelings for each other and fall in love was so fun. Julie Christianson balances comedy and romance so well! I cannot wait to read the rest of her books!

I loved this book when I first read it last year and I loved experiencing it again in audio when I listened to it on a family road trip.

I found Hudson and Olivia to be extremely likable people. The awkwardness that they experienced with each other when they reconnected once Olivia was back in Abieville created excellent tension between them that had to be worked through.

Once again, I liked that Hudson was able to see that he had misjudged who Olivia was when they had last been around each other at her cousin’s wedding. As he began to work with Olivia and really talk with her, the attraction and connection grew between them in a very organic way. They were such a sweet couple!

The narrators did a great job of bring Olivia and Hudson to life in this audio book and I really enjoyed listening to this story.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book, but have purchased print and ebook copies, as well. All opinions are my own.

4⭐️ – This rom-com was super cute and totally charming!

That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss had me engaged from the start. I stayed engaged the whole way through thanks to the natural flow of the story and the down-to-earth, relatable characters. While I love a billionaire romance as much as the next person, I really appreciated that this story leaned into something more grounded and realistic.

The setting was beachy and fun, with a touch of workplace tension and slow-burn sweetness. The romance was clean but still packed with chemistry, and I really enjoyed watching the dynamic between the main characters grow. They felt like real people with real issues, which made their connection all the more satisfying.

Big mama was my favorite though!! Loved her character!

Ahh I loved this book! It’s a girl comes back to her family’s small town kinda book with a lot of family support built in. Don’t let the title of the book fool you, the Beachfront isn’t an ocean beach, it’s a hotel on a lake in the Adirondack mountains, and I loved the quirky small town!

Favorite moments:
- Recurring underwear problems
- Olivia’s willingness to take risks and dream big
- The storm
- Post crash recovery
- Forced Proximity
- Second Chance

Overall this was a fantastic book. I listened on audio and really enjoyed the narrators and how they brought the story alive. I would categorize this as a clean romance and would recommend this to teenagers and older who want a romance with kissing only. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance listener copy of this book. A review was not required.

This was a no for me. The writing felt very amateur, and I just couldn’t get into it. Nothing really stood out, and it didn’t hold my interest.

THIS WAS SUCH A FUN BOOK! I had such a good time while reading about Hudson and Olivia’s romance! The forced proximity and workplace romance tropes were so great and the romance was clean yet so swoony! A must listen for the summer!

3 stars
Sex: no
Language: no

This wasn’t my favorite Julie Christianson book. I’ve really enjoyed her Apple Valley stories, but this one fell flat for me. The narrator’s and writing were fine, if uninspired. I didn’t connect with the characters or feel invested in their insta-love. I frequently zoned out during dialog which is uncommon for me. It felt as if nothing of importance happened the entire book. It wasn’t a short book, but very little happened. I was ready to be finished before the halfway point. Thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC to review.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audiobook for an honest review.

I have read other Julie Christianson books, but did not realize this was part of a series (which I have not read the others yet!) This could however be done as a standalone.

This is a cute, fun, clean romance! Our heroine, Olivia, is a triplet! And she feels she is less than her siblings. Besides the romance with Hudson, we have a focus of personal growth for both of our couple. Dual point of view with male and female narrators truly captured the characters and they felt genuine in their portrayal.

4 stars

After not receiving the promotion she’d hoped for Olivia decided to resign and try something new. If moving back home to live with her grandmother wasn’t humbling enough her one job opportunity got snapped up by the guy who rejected her years ago. Just as she’s about to flee town Hudson offers her a job.

Talk about a lovable couple. Olivia and Hudson come off as very genuine and their connection is undeniable.

I loved revisiting the sweet small town as well as characters from Christiansons other books. I wish I’d read it sooner because I’m sure I missed out on some fun easter eggs.

You can’t go wrong with any of Julie Christiansons books, especially if you enjoy sweet small town romcoms. She’s incredible.

Read this if you like
💛Workplace romance
🏡Small town
🫶🏼Kissing only
✨Character development

This was such a fun summer read! I thought I had pretty much exhausted all the fun summer reads when I stumbled upon this one, and I'm so glad I did!

This book follows Olivia, a triplet whose all grown up but still trying to break free from all the stereotypes she got thrust into as one of three identical girls. When she decides to take a risk and leave her job where her employer was undervaluing her, she finds herself licking her wounds for a bit in the small town where her family lives...and when I say family, I mean alllllll the family.

While biding her time and waiting for her next big break, Olivia finds a temporary job helping to revitalize the marketing for a small lakefront hotel. The only problem with the job is that it somes with Hudson, her new boss and her former crush who she had been a bit humiliated by back when she was younger. Fortunately, Hudson and Olivia manage to find a rhythym as friends and begin to work very well together...so well, they begin to wonder if something more than friendship is blooming.

I really did enjoy this book. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators were great. I flew through this book and looked forward to picking it up each day. It is a closed door romance and is just genuinely sweet. Both main characters are genuinely likable good people. Olivia's very large family is endearing and were good side characters throughout the book.

I hadn't read any of Julie Christianson's books before, but I will definitely be going back and reading the other two books in this series! Thank you to NetGalley and Julie Christianson for the ALC in exchange for my honest review :)

I read this book when it first came out and loved it, like I do all of Julie Christianson's books. I love her writing style and storytelling. Both Olivia and Hudson have some issues they have to work through before they are able to fully open their hearts to the love that is right in front of them. This family is so fun (and huge) and Big Mama is the perfect quirky side character. I recently listened to the audiobook and enjoyed getting lost in the story again (I had forgotten many elements of the book). The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.

Another charming and adorable clean romcom from Julie Christianson; I was totally head over heels for Liv and Hudson.
I really enjoyed this dual POV contemporary romance. Liv is an identical triplet who has struggled with comparison most of her life. I truly loved how Hudson SAW her for who she really was and that she in turn saw what was behind his personal protective walls. The story was cute and fun to read with a good sense of humor, but also some excellent depth. I absolutely loved their first kiss, but even more the one that counted most later. Hudson's protectiveness and supportive manner were so sweet and I loved their shared interest in fiction. The cameos from Julie's other books were delightful particularly seeing #hadlink. I loved this story!
The audiobook version was easy to listen to. I liked that it was done duet style, with the female and male narrators speaking the respective parts of dialogue. The two narrators worked well as a team. I would listen to it again.
I received an advance listening copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The first time I read this book, I was completely and utterly besotted!! "So Much Really!" It's like a pure shot of sunshine strait to the heart! And now, listening to the swooniest narration ever? I am a fan for life! The audio brought the story to life and made me fall in love with it even more!!!

Jobless and homeless, Olivia returns to Abieville to stay with family while she figures out her next step. When she learns of a job opening as manager of the Beachfront Inn, she knows it would be perfect for her!

Unfortunately, the job has already been claimed by Hudson...the man who rejected her two years earlier...

Hudson needs help with the reopening of the Inn and offers Olivia a temporary job to help with the marketing. Things are a little awkward based on their history, but it's just a month, right?

Besides, Hudson isn't looking for a relationship. And definitely not with Olivia.

What to Love:
Boss/employee
Small-town
Lakeside setting
Dual POV
Forced Proximity
Sworn off relationships
He Falls First
The summer storm
"I dare you."
He takes care of her
One bed twist
The cupcakes
Hadlink
The second first kiss!
No 3rd act breakup
"Only you"

Can I give a book infinity stars? Doesn't matter cause I think I just did. This book deserves them all!!!

K, seriously, what is it about a man falling first AND being adult enough to share his feelings? Is there anything better in a romance?

Okay, maybe the way Hudson took care of Olivia over and over. Or perhaps the way he actually listened to her and supported her choices. Or even all the fun, flirty banter between them. Or the absolutely swoony almost kisses AND kisses.

In truth it was all of it put together that made this darling love story steal my heart! I finished it 24 hours ago and am still basking in the glow of it's perfectness. There are countless scenes that will live rent free for a very, very long time and I will be shouting about this one from the rooftops to anyone who will listen.

Go read it and fall in love!!

This book is second in a series but can be read as a standalone.

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

This sweet romantic comedy had all the small-town summer vibes I love—beachfront views, summer storms, and a whole lot of sizzling chemistry (with a totally safe, closed-door romance 👏).⁣
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Olivia is determined to keep things professional—especially since Hudson, the man who once rejected her, just landed her dream job. But when a summer storm strands them together, all bets are off. Add in forced proximity, a comforting hug (swoon!), and a charming found-family vibe, and I was completely hooked.⁣
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The audio, narrated by Andy Harrington and Amanda Friday, was pure perfection—like music to my ears. And best of all, I didn’t have to worry about awkward headphone moments with my kids nearby!⁣
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If you love clean romcoms with all the chemistry and none of the blush factor, this one’s for you. Olivia and Hudson totally stole my heart! 💕