3.75/5

This book was hilarious as it was sad. Julia left her hometown at the age of 18, and she was keeping some pretty big secrets. But she's forced to return when her sisters call to tell her, their mother is not doing well. She books the next flight home and then everything falls apart from there.

Liam, Julia's childhood sweetheart, still lived next door. And when he realizes she's back he makes sure to make his presence known ... in quite a big way. And after catching her, he knows what he must do to win/keep her. But it's not as easy as either of them think it will be.

Childhood Friends/Lovers
Second Chance Romance
Boy Next Door
LGBTQIA2S+ Representation (side characters)
Death of Family

I received an advance review copy audio version. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the opportunity to listen to this book. Dara Rosenberg did an amazing job narrating this audiobook.

I usually love Jenn McKinlay’s books, but this one didn’t work all that well for me.

Dara Rosenberg did a great job narrating the audiobook, and her performance was one of the things I enjoyed most about my listening/reading experience.

I enjoyed Julia’s relationships with her sisters and the way they worked through their family dynamic after secrets were revealed. The genuine relationships they had in fighting and supporting and loving each other was a highlight of the book.

As for the romance, it fell totally flat for me. Liam was a jerk, they jumped right into hooking up after nine years of not speaking after Julia left on bad terms, and they didn’t talk about anything to actually rebuild their relationship.

I also felt there were a lot of loose ends and questions left unanswered by the end of the book. I remember seeing on Jenn McKinlay’s instagram that this was originally published on Kindle Vella weekly (or daily? I don’t recall exactly how those stories worked) and I can see how the storytelling style of this book would work to grab a reader’s attention and keep them checking in as new chapters were added. All in one sitting didn’t hold up as well to me though.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media via NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Eeeek mixed feelings on this one!

I looove Jenn McKinlay books, specifically Wait For It is always a fun, bingeable listen, and based on the covers (I know, don't judge) I thought this might be a similar story.

I’m all for a quirky, unconventional main character, but Jules’ inner monologue often felt out of step with both her age and the emotional weight of her circumstances. The story introduced several heavy revelations, but they didn’t seem to get the attention—or emotional processing—they really deserved.

I was taken aback by the whole window scene between Liam and Jules right off the bat after years of no communication after a devastating young love breakup. The overuse of "girl parts" and "boy parts" had me outwardly cringing.

Liam’s behavior also didn’t sit right with me—claiming to be in a committed relationship while immediately pursuing Jules felt manipulative and confusing. It made the whole dynamic feel unnecessarily messy and uncomfortable after such a long stretch of no comunication.

I'm conflicted because the last 30% kind of turned around for me and made more sense, I just think the beginning needed more context and less cringey dialogue and thoughts for me to really feel attached to these characters.

I had a lot of mixed feelings on this book but overall enjoyed it! I thought the narrator did a great job and I was thoroughly entertained from start to finish. The book was fast-paced and had me laughing out loud at certain points. The one thing I couldn't get over was the main character. I did not find her likable - the whole going all-in on winning her ex back despite him telling her he is in a serious relationship really rubbed me the wrong way. I also thought the use of "girl parts" and "boy parts" in the spicy scenes was ....strange and very much out of place.

I Can’t Even is a spicy boy-next-door second chance romance. Julia flees her toxic home ten years ago, leaving her boyfriend behind with no explanation. I liked all the characters and the emotional intelligence of Liam. I just found Babs redemption arc implausible.

Good audio narration.

Julia returns home when her mother's illness gets worse. With her ex boyfriend Liam still living next door, cue the second chance romance. After her mother's death, family secrets are revealed and Julia can't see things the way she used to. 

I listened to this one on audiobook and while the narration was great, the story was just okay for me. It was entertaining enough to keep me listening. I have enjoyed the author's previous books so I look forward to reading more by her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This story of Julia coming home to help her sisters with her terminally ill mother and coming face to face with her high school boyfriend was a lot more emotional than I was expecting. Her relationship with her mother was complicated and toxic. There was a lot of frustrating miscommunication between the characters. This was not the lighthearted beach read I was expecting, but it was a solid story with surprising plot twists.

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, but this was my first by Dara Rosenberg. I listen at 1.5x and it sounded great! She did an excellent job sharing the story.

Thank you, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley, for providing me with this advance reader’s audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

“I Can’t Even” will have you laughing the entire time while addressing tough topics including death, infidelity, and relationships. Jenn McKinlay masterfully weaves together and addresses serious matters with levity and humor.

Julia Blumer returns home to help her sisters care for their dying mother. Julia and her mother have a very damaged relationship and Julia is quite sure her mother has never loved her - returning home is the last thing she wants to do.

We follow Julia negotiating her interactions with her mother and spending time with her sisters. Shortly after her return she learns her first love is back in town and living next door. The last time Julia saw Liam she broke his heart by skipping town and never returning.

Things start to unfold and hearts are broken, wounds reopened and healing begins - lovely story a bit spicer than most of this authors books.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early review of the book

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook of this romcom! The story was engaging with Julia's relationships with her sisters, mum, ex boyfriend, best friend and members of her surfing community all given the attention they deserved.
The writing was fun with banter and sarcasm, with a hit of heartfelt seriousness when it was needed.
Narrator Dara Rosenberg did a wonderful job of bringing Julia and the other characters to life. She gave Julia's inner monologue all the right feels!
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook arc for review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Can’t Even – Jenn McKinlay

This is a must-read summer rom-com that hits all the feels. There’s grief over losing a family member, heartbreak from a first love, and plenty of juicy family secrets. It’s not just Julia and her sisters carrying drama—their late parents had some skeletons, too.

I laughed, cried, and fell in love with these characters. Even though it’s told from Julia’s single POV, every person felt real and layered. I couldn’t put it down.

I listened to the audiobook, and Dara Rosenberg absolutely killed it. Her pacing, voices, and ability to keep you hooked are stellar. She nails the sarcasm and gives Julia’s anger so much authenticity.

This book isn’t only about love troubles. Julia and her sisters get thrown into a wild situation that adds a unique twist beyond the second-chance romance. There’s also LGBTQIA2S+ representation—both the highs and the challenges—which was great to see.

I’m a total romantic comedy girlie, so if that’s not your vibe, this might not be your jam. But if you love small-town settings, family drama, and swoony reunions, this one will definitely keep your attention from start to finish.

Julia heads back to her small California town after learning her mother’s health is deteriorating. While there, she also becomes increasingly interested in rekindling a relationship with her first love. As things unfold, secrets are revealed and she must work to make amends.

I really enjoyed the focus on sisterhood in this book and loved the way their relationships developed and changed over time. The romance and light mystery were also fun, but I appreciated the growth of all the sisters the most. I’ll check out other books within this genre by this author, as I liked that they had a bit of humor and complexity to them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and the author for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @netgalley @dreamscape_media for the opportunity to listen to Dara Rosenberg read @mckinlayjenn story, “I Can’t Even” - I listened to this story so quickly. I laughed and cried it was so good!

The plot twists. Man oh man. Finally finding out the secret with Jesse and about Liam’s new girlfriend, not to mention Julia’s mom. You definitely won’t be bored with this one! I hope to see more from the author about this family.

3.5

Julia left home at 18 and has not been back. She has a tumultuous relationship with her mother. But when her sisters call her home- their mother is sick- she reluctantly goes. It is clear that her mother is actually sick this time. All kinds of emotions come flooding back. Then she sees him. The boy next door, the love of her life, the man who has to hate her for leaving suddenly and without a word.

For a book that has some serious topics in it, this one was very funny. All three Blumer sisters (and Liam) all have pretty real experiences and it feels honest. I liked all the characters and pretty much read this straight through.

It did get a bit campy at the end with the cousin. It lost a bit for me, and right at the end. I was thinking four stars the whole time up until then.

Dara Rosenberg narrates the audiobook.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jenn McKinlay is NOT a one trick pony. While I love her cozy mystery series, her rom coms are just as entertaining! Julia who was considered the black sheep of the family for constantly rebelling against her mom, Babs returns home as her mother’s health is failing. Family drama ensues and add in a former high school boyfriend for good measure. A delightful story full of twists and turns.

I couldn’t get pass how annoying the FMC is. Her inner monologue regarding every single woman she encounters is so full of criticism and misogyny. The way she became obsessed with getting her ex boyfriend back even when they only dated in their teen years, even when he told her he was dating someone else. They hadn’t seen each other in years, YEARS, and just like that they just went back to being madly in love? No. There was no connection other than physical, I don’t buy they were in love, they were just horny. Since we’re in her POV, she seemed the horniest of the two. Girl, get up.
The family story seemed like needed a more serious treatment. I’m all for some more serious plot in romance books, but the kind of dynamic this family had, needed a lot more discussion than what we had and the was everything was just resolved when clearly all sisters had some trauma to deal with.
Couldn’t even enjoy the smut when the FMC talked about her ‘girl parts’.

The narrator was honestly what kept me going. She did a great job, but the source material should’ve been better.

I was excited to start I Can’t Even—the cover art is fun, and the narrator does a fantastic job—but I had to bail early when the FMC described another woman like this:

“A bottle blonde with a faux tan and fake tatas, platypus lips and well, you get the picture. Simply put, Paisley was a whore.” (As alluded to above, I listened to this novel, so I apologize if the quote is not transcribed as it is written in the book.)

Yikes. There’s no narrative pushback against this kind of internalized misogyny, and the book seems to think slut-shaming is a personality trait. Maybe Paisley gets redemption later, but I’m not sticking around to find out. Life’s too short for regressive nonsense, especially when the FMC’s judgmental ranting is framed as quirky or justified.

I hope Paisley gets the hot ex, a thriving career, and a better-written universe. The narrator and illustrator deserved better material.

This fun summer romance is so good. Julia moves home to take care of ill domineering mom . Once home, she notices her old boyfriend, Liam is home too. This story is fun, sweet and romantic. Loved it and highly recommended!