Just a few audiobooks that were enjoyable listens for the most part. One was a bit too steamy for me, but overall, they were enjoyable stories with humor.

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday, Narrated by Joshua Jackson & Emily Ellet

Published January 30th 2024 by Forever

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Years ago, a teenage Aurora Evans meets a couple of hockey players while working at the mall. One of them becomes her imaginary Canadian Boyfriend. He was her excuse for not participating in things. Fast forward and Aurora has given up on her ballet career and is now teaching kid’s dance classes. Enter pro-hockey player, Mike Martin with his daughter. Mike is a recent widower, with a daughter and he is struggling. The problem is, Mike is Aurora’s “Canadian Boyfriend” from her high school days. Mike hires her to help with his daughter and of course the more time they spend together, the more their feelings toward one another grow. Can they have a real relationship with all that is going on in their lives?

This was a cute story with a humorous premise. I thought the imaginary “Canadian Boyfriend” was hilarious. Who would have thought they would actually meet one day. Both Mike and Aurora had issues they were dealing with, Mike’s was grief and loss, Aurora’s was mental health issues stemming from her mother pushing her so much into ballet. I liked how it was Mike’s daughter that brought them together. My one complaint was the reaction Mike had to finding out about Aurora’s secret Canadian Boyfriend suddenly meaning she was trapping him. Overall, this was a cute story and even though there was a bit of stereotyping of Canadians (I am Canadian), I really didn’t mind it too much. The audiobook was narrated by Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet, which brought the story to life. I liked that they had two narrators to give each of the main characters their own voice. If you enjoy a fun romance, with a little bit of steam, I recommend Jenny Holiday’s Canadian Boyfriend.

Dakota Born (Dakota #1) by Debbie Macomber, Carly Robbins (Narrator)

Published April 1st 1999 by MIRA, April 26th 2016 by Harlequin Audio and Blackstone Audio

3.5 stars:

Dakota Born is an older book by Debbie Macomber, published in 1999. I enjoyed this well written and enjoyable story. The book is set in Buffalo Valley, North Dakota, a small town that is dying. People are moving away, stores are boarded up and the town needs more than just a little TLC. Lindsay Snyder used to spend summers in Buffalo, and has returned to see the family house. She wants to explore family secrets, as well as reevaluate her life and what she wants. Soon after arriving, she meets local farmer, Gage Sinclair . She decides to stay in Buffalo, and help to turn the town around. She and Gage butt heads a few times, but eventually, they fall in love.

This is the first book in Debbie Macomber’s Dakota series and I do plan on reading the others. This was a typical Macomber book, one where there are ups and downs, loving one minute and fighting the next, and eventually getting together and having a happily ever after. It was a quick story, although it lists at 10 hours for the audiobook, it didn’t seem that long. I liked getting to know the characters and rooting for them to get beyond their issues. This story honestly brought the plight of the small farmers/ranchers and what they are up against with the huge conglomerates. The one thing I wish was that Gage wasn’t so high handed and bossy, although they do get it sorted. An enjoyable listen, one I liked enough to want to read more. Carly Robbins does a nice job with the story, although some of her male voices were a bit odd.

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon, Hathaway Lee (Narrator)

Published July 4th 2023 by Berkley, Penguin Audio

3 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐

Business or Pleasure was not my cup of tea. I am not a lover of a lot of open door bedroom scenes and steamy situations, of which there were a lot in this book. I skimmed a lot of it, as I liked the premise and wanted to see how it would end. Chandler Cohen is a ghostwriter, often writing books for influencers. She doesn’t really like her job, but it pays the bills. She is offered the job of ghostwriting a celebrity book, although she has no idea who Finnegan Walsh is. When they meet, she realizes that this is the man she had a horrible one night stand with the previous evening. She still takes the job, but sets Finn straight. He doesn’t know how to please a woman, but she is ready to help him learn. Finn was in a series that has a cult following and spends his time traveling around appearing at ComicCons. I did like seeing them get to know each other, and the process Chandler used to gather information to write the book. Of course with all the steam, you know it will eventually become real, and they develop feelings for one another. I liked Finn’s character. He wasn’t phony or think he was better than everyone else, which some of his castmates were. Overall, this was an interesting story, and even with the skimming of the steamy scenes, I enjoyed the bones of the story. The audiobook was narrated by Hathaway Lee, and does a nice job with the story, expression and voices.