Finding Mr. July is everything you’d want in a summery romance audiobook. It’s flirty, feel-good, and full of charm. The narration adds an extra sparkle to this emotional yet playful story about rebuilding your life after heartbreak. And accidentally falling for the hot-as-sin firefighter posing for a charity calendar.

With wit, heartfelt moments, and tear-inducing joy, this one is the kind of listen that’ll make you grin like it’s your birthday. Highly recommend for fans of lighthearted romance with a side of unexpected emotional depth.

I was very excited to receive this copy since I have enjoyed the authors books in the past. This started off super cute and I was into it. Then it just kind of fell flat.

I enjoyed this book!
I loved it for what it is, a quick, fun summer book. I read it very quickly and even found myself laughing out loud.
Holly and Jonathan were cute characters. I enjoyed them so very much. I found them to feel so "real," and their romance was so relatable.
Our FMC, Holly, is starting over. New career. She left the legal field and now wants to be an environmentalist.
Our MMC, Jonathan, is also trying to start a new chapter, but more so in the sense that he is trying to heal.
Add in an environmental not-for-profit photo shoot of men and their dogs. This is where the two MCs come together. I thought this was a cute and unique meet cute.
Holly and Jonathan go down the tunnel of workplace romance, forced proximity, starting over, and a slow-burning romance.
I thought this was such a fun and cute read.
The characters were decently developed. Lots of surface, but in-depth enough to relate.
The plot was well structured, and the pace was a slow-burn.
The dynamic between Holly and Jonathan was so great.
This book is a sure add to anyone's summer TBR I think you will enjoy it!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!
Happy Reading!

Addendum: I also received a copy of the audiobook, and I still stand with the above review! Loved it!

Mr. July by Anna E. Collins (a new-to-me author) had a promising setup that initially pulled me in. The main characters are a bit older than the usual romance leads, which I appreciated—especially since both are at a bit of a crossroads in life. Their connection through a workplace competition added a fun twist and some charming chemistry. The stakes were clear: fall in love or win the job (and a one-way ticket to Scotland). Intriguing, right?

While the premise had heart, the execution was just okay for me. The pacing lagged in parts, and I didn’t feel as emotionally invested in the romance as I’d hoped to be. Still, the story had its sweet moments and a few smiles along the way.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Lauren Ezzo. I’m not usually a fan of solo narration, especially in dual-POV romance, but Ezzo did a solid job—particularly with the male voices, which is no easy feat. I’d definitely listen to more of her work in the future.

Overall, this wasn’t a standout read for me, but it was enjoyable enough. I’d be curious to see what Anna E. Collins writes next!

ALC provided by Hachette Audio Forever and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to listen!

I was looking forward to a cozy summer audiobook but this did not deliver. The FMC was insufferable and the MMC wasn’t much better. I was hoping to get lost in an upbeat, lighthearted, summer romance but unfortunately the author decided to put more focus on personal politics than her storytelling.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of Finding Mr. July by Anna E. Collins.

Holly King has had a rough go of it, but she won't let her past get in the way of her dream job in her newly dreamt up future. All she has to do is secure the win in a fundraising competition among the interns to seal the deal, escape her horrible ex, and make a new life for herself in Scotland. The onlyyyyy thing that might pose an obstacle in pulling this thing off is having to pair up with the office grump, Jonathan Summers.

It's an adorable rom-com that had me giggling. The characters were cute and loveable and I was rooting for them all the way. The audiobook was really well-read, annunciated exactly as I would have pictured it in my head.

Told from Holly's POV, each chapter opens with a countdown to her deadline, which builds tension and suspense.

I personally had a few issues re: the believability of Holly's fundraising campaign having worked a bit in non-profit myself, and the 3rd act conflict gave me a bit of the ick. But that might just be a me thing. All-in-all, Finding Mr. July was a great light-hearted rom-com with spice and it was a fun audiobook listen. I would LOVE to get a follow-up story following Rachel and Jude's story!

𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮:
🐶grumpy x sunshine
🐶workplace romance
🐶puppies!

3.25 ⭐️ overall

This was an adorable book! Holly is an intern at a non-profit (but she’s in her 30s because she’s switching careers). She is competing against the other interns for a job in the Scotland office. Unfortunately, the only person left to help her in the competition is grumpy photographer Jonathan Summers.

Holly and Jonathan had great chemistry and easy banter right from the beginning. I loved watching their relationship progress. I also appreciated that both main characters had thorough backstories and great character development. The competition aspect made the story exciting and fast-paced, and the romance was so sweet.

The audiobook is narrated by Lauren Ezzo. I loved her voice for Holly. I thought the male characters’ voices were hard to tell apart, but it didn’t distract from the story. The narration was easy to listen to and engaging.

Thank you to Anna E. Collins, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for this ALC; opinions are my own. I highly recommend this sweet and summery story!

Read if you like:
💕 Grumpy x sunshine
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Adorable puppies
💕 Photography

4.5*! This book felt like a fun trip on a whirlwind of a project! It was wonderful to see Holly and Jonathan figure out their second chances and overcome their fears in this novel. I would like a copy of the calendar! The jealousy between them while they worked side by side was a bit childish at times, but the steamy scenes made up for it! Important lessons about never settling are taught!
Thank you NetGalley and Hatchette Audio for the opportunity to listen to and review this novel in advance of it’s release!

“Finding Mr. July” by Anne E. Collins is an adorable, uplifting romance full of heart, humor, and hounds. Holly, a former lawyer turned unpaid intern at an environmental nonprofit, is determined to win a permanent role by organizing the most profitable fundraiser among her cohort. Her plan? A calendar featuring swoon-worthy men and irresistible puppies. To bring it to life, she needs help from Jonathon—the grumpy, reluctant (yet irresistible) web designer.
What starts as an opposites-attract, forced-collaboration setup slowly transforms into a sweet and emotionally satisfying love story. Holly’s willingness to reinvent herself and chase what she wants is admirable, while Jonathon’s quiet strength and emotional growth make him truly endearing. Their chemistry feels natural and builds with just the right amount of tension and charm.
The supporting cast—from Holly’s niece and brother to Jonathon’s dad and the calendar models (both human and canine)—add warmth and color to the story. The calendar concept itself is a delight, and the romance is tender with themes of second chances, resilience, and self-made futures.
The audiobook (thank you, Hachette Audio, for the ARC) is exceptionally well done—narration is expressive and perfectly captures the emotional beats of the story. Whether you're here for the romance, the rescue dogs, or the joy of watching two people find their spark, this story delivers.
Highly recommend for fans of lighthearted workplace romances, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and heartfelt second-chance stories.

Thank you to the author, Hachette audio & NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a warm, witty summer treat that had me smiling, giggling, and kicking my feet in delight. Between the grumpy-but-swoon-worthy photographer, the chaotic (in the best way) heroine, and an overload of puppy content, this book fully delivered on the feel-good vibes.
It’s a workplace romance with real chemistry, actual character growth, and just enough chaos to keep things interesting. Hollys life pivot from lawyer to unpaid intern was…bold (maybe a little too bold?), but I admired her determination to start over. And Jonathan? Grump turned softie, total calendar-worthy material.
It dragged slightly in the middle and got a bit repetitive at times, But honestly? If you're into hot men, dogs, banter, and photography,
this one's for you.

This book was so cute! The audiobook made it that much better. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a fun "holiday" read that is filled with fun and romance.

A thousand times yes to this book! I had been looking for something light, but also inspirational when I got this ARC—his hit the spot for everything I was craving in a read! The pacing was perfect, the storyline was excellent. I was left wanting more, but not in an unfinished story way, more in an I love these characters and I want more—l would love to see a certain romance progress.

Narration was also good—I recognized the voice and finally figured out where from.

Excellent book!

That was adorable. The epitome of grumpy/sunshine and making a calendar for a fundraiser is classic, throwing in hot men with dogs in nature? Brilliant. I love how supportive he was for her dream even if that meant her moving away from him

Fun, cutesy, summery. Exactly what you want to read this time of year. Nothing too serious, just sweet with a little spice. Loved it! Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio copy of this book!

Finding Mr. July is a cute grumpy/sunshine, co-worker romance. I think Holly and Jonathon's characters really help each other grow and explore new passions. The premise of the intern competition for a full time job seemed a little unrealistic but I have heard of companies doing weirder things so maybe. There are a lot of cute dog descriptions in here. If you are a dog person, you'll love this!

The narration is fantastic! Lauren Ezzo did such a good job! You could really feel the characters. For example the character is described as tired and she's yawning through the lines. It was perfect! Her male voice is very believable too.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley!

What a cute, fun read! I really enjoyed this story and thought it was well done. I also loved the narrator and thought she did a great job.

Look, I really tried to like Holly. But we didn’t click, like at all. And here’s why: She just thought she was so smart and special when actually, she was annoying, entitled and incompetent. Like I’m sorry, but it wasn’t all that hard to pull off the calendar thing, and she still didn’t manage it, blaming anyone but herself.

And then there was her behaviour trying to find models. So weird, if not borderline creepy. If this was a man trying to find models for his calendar fundraiser thing this way, no one would be okay with it and for good reason.
Take this as an example: Holly just casually decided to catfish guys on a dating app, chatting with them for a while pretending to be interested so they’d agree to go on a date with her, only to then spring her calendar thing on them at said date. She thought it wasn’t ideal but ultimately fine to waste their time and get their hopes up because she needed models and there’s obviously no other way to get them (there were other attempts to get models, like her chasing this one guy… I don’t want to talk about it). Her attitude really rubbed me the wrong way, she acted so blasé about it like they should be thanking her for having been given the opportunity to be part of her work project and on top of that happily volunteer their time for free. Delusional.

And sure, it wasn’t all bad. The audiobook narration was well done, it was easy to listen to and entertaining at times, but overall, Holly just pissed me off too much to actually enjoy the romance or the story as a whole.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Holly was a successful lawyer, up for partner when an incident occurred that made her leave the profession and start from scratch as an intern for a non-profit. Only one intern can get the permanent role (all the way in Scotland) but the intern has to win the fundraising competition, and Holly is determined to win. The only way she has a shot at winning is if Jonathan Summers, the cranky creative guy at the office, helps her. The two start off the competition partnership with a tequila induced steamy beginning but then they become friends, but maybe they will be much more, even if Holly is hopefully going to Scotland soon.

This was fun and a bit spicy - exactly what I wanted on a Friday in the summer. I’m a sucker for a book that has dogs and this one has a whole bunch of dogs! I am generally wary of the enemies to lovers trope (because sometimes it gets rather silly and I don’t love that) but here it worked for me and their banter never went over the top. I enjoyed the main characters’ story lines and interactions with each other. I listened to about 1/4 of this one and I wish I could have listened to more but the day lead to more reading than listening.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the ALC to review

3.5 ⭐️

It was a good read summer read. I really loved that this book is centered on environmental nonprofits and hot guys with dogs—I mean who can say no to that.

For characters who are supposedly older they are a bit immature. but it is still undeniable that Holly was very likable and somewhat relatable.

This wasn't just a romcom summer read but also a book about finding one's true passion. I really loved that part about the book and something to keep in mind next time I think about my career.

As for the audiobook production, it was good! My only qualm was that I hope the narration was a bit faster.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio, NetGalley, and Author Anna E. Collins for granting me this ARC.

This was such a beautiful cosy workplace romance, the characters are so well written, an unhinged FMC ( in a loveable way ) and a grumpy lowkey softie MMC is the way to my heart 🫣 if you're looking for a cutie summer read or just want something that I'll make you feel warm inside and giggley then be sure to pick this up! If you're a lover of animals puppies ro be specific, hot men, photography and new beginnings then this one is for you! Also if you love Sarah Adam's books then you'll love this one just as much! This was my first reading experience with this author and it won't be the last!