This was an enjoyable read. Lots of fun to listen to while driving. I loved the narrators- it’s always fun when there is a male AND female narrator on an audiobook.
This is part of a series- it can be read alone but it was fun to see characters from previous books make appearances.
This is a hallmark type of book- sweet and fun.

ALC REVIEW:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With summer on the way out, I wanted to squeeze in some last minute beach reads. Hoping to savor the good weather I dove into Julie Christianson’s audiobook, That Time I kissed My Beachfront Boss.

This is a workplace romance that follows Olivia and Hudson as they find love while revamping an inn. The small-town setting and forced proximity trope were perfect for a burgeoning romance. While their first impressions of one another was less than ideal, the tender and lighthearted moments more than made up for it.

I had the pleasure of listening to this as an audiobook. Due to the story being told in dual POVs, it was narrated by two phenomenal voice actors, Andy Harrington and Amanda Friday. This dynamic duo has been paired to narrate RomComs in the past and once again contributed to a stellar production!

Special thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape Select, and Julie Christianson for allowing me to listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

* If there was one thing I could have done differently, it would have been to read the first two books in the series. There were a handful of character crossovers that would have been more enjoyable had I fully grasped the reference. For that reason, I hope to go back and read the series in chronological order for optimal enjoyment.

This book is exactly what it promises: sweet, fun, and delightfully escapist. Julie Christianson delivers a charming romantic comedy full of beach vibes, witty banter, and just the right amount of swoon—all without crossing into steamy territory.

The premise is adorable: [insert main character’s name] finds herself working for her (very attractive) boss at a beachfront resort, and things get complicated after an unexpected kiss. Cue the awkward tension, sun-drenched moments, and a cast of lovable side characters.

What I loved:

The chemistry! Clean but still full of spark.

Light humor that made me smile throughout.

The beach town setting is vivid—you can practically feel the sand between your toes.

Low angst, which made it a perfect palate cleanser between heavier reads.

4.5 stars
I love Julie Christianson’s books and I was so excited to see that another one of her books was getting an audiobook. That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss is the third book in her Abbeville Love Stories series. Audiobooks are hit or miss for me because I am super picky about the voices but I ended up really liking it.
Both Olivia and Hudson both had a lot they had to go through throughout the book. They were both searching for themselves and it was fun to read about them connecting with each other. I loved seeing Olivia’s family and the cameos from other books.
I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. I really liked the guy’s voice, I felt like it fit well. I had to get used to the girl’s voice but it ended up being fine. I really like how they had dual narrators and every time a guy talked, the guy narrator would voice it.
I would totally recommend the book and audiobook! That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss is a closed door romantic comedy.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

I knew I was going to love listening to this book. Not only does it have two of my favorite audio narrators, Amanda Friday and Andy Harrington, it’s a book of Julie Christianson’s. This book was such a fun read. I love books that make you laugh, while also being full of heartfelt and swoony moments.

Olivia is down on her luck when she arrives back in Abieville. Olivia is living with her mom and grandmother (who is a riot!) and takes a job at the local inn to bring it back to life, with Hudson. A guy who rejected her a couple years previously.

I haven’t read all of Christianson’s Abieville books and I need to remedy that. I love how she writes this small town and these characters. The text chats with the siblings were so fun. I enjoyed how Olivia’s and Hudson’s relationship develops and there are some hilarious moments mixed in with excellent chemistry between Liv and Hudson.

Hudson is such a great guy. Not only is he constantly taking care of Olivia, he reads books from her favorite authors. There are many tropes I adore in this book: work place romance, forced proximity, dual POV, protective MMC and so many more.

Friday and Harrington are the best. I loved the dual narration and these two interact so well together. Their ranges of voices are always so enjoyable.

I received a NetGalley approval for the ALC from the publisher. I purchased the ebook. All views are my own.

Olivia is a triplet. Can we give a round of applause to that mama? Sheesh. Olivia was my person. I so related to her struggles and celebrated her wins. She returns home to figure out all the hard things after being turned down for a promotion.

Of course she runs into a guy she kissed because of a dare in a totally embarrassing meet. And now he’s even more the hottie Hudson. And he took the job she wanted.

So many funny moments and things to love:
-sibling texts
-working together
-Big Mama
-cupcake fiasco
-Olivia’s superpowers
-Hudson’s big protective heart
-trust
-the ending
-interrupted and uninterrupted kisses

This totally stands alone and feels like that romcom you just want to marinate in for days. And this author ALWAYS brings the feels. The double narration is perfect!

Can Olivia see her worth and find her own place? How can Hudson let Olivia fill his heart space?

I need to read more of Julie Christianson’s books because this was delightful. This had second chance romance, forced proximity, work romance, small town, lake/beach read with a minor car accident at the end.

This was sweet and cozy and a perfect summer read. Knowing this is #3 in a series, it can be read as a stand alone, but the other characters mentioned have their own books and make appearances.

This book released last year but the audio is out now as of this month. Thanks to the author and Net Galley for the audio arc. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

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.