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readfrenzy's review against another edition
2.0
Audiobook Review
It’s been awhile since I’ve read any books from The Ivy Years series, but I remember liking them. Blonde Date is a stand-alone novella in the series, and I know you can’t rate novellas using the same criteria as full-length novels, but this story just didn’t do it for me.
Romance is fiction, and—true—it leans towards the fantastical, but there needs to be some part that’s relatable in order for me to enjoy it. No part of this book makes sense to me. I think the story is supposed to be somewhat of a romantic comedy, but I didn’t find it funny—just silly and immature. Andrew seems like a decent guy, though, and I even appreciated his insecurities. However, I threw in the towel with the introduction of sexy times. It’s incongruous with the rest of the plot.
It could be my age or my mood, but ultimately the chemistry between the two main characters felt non-existent and the story didn’t interest me.
About the Audiobook:
I’ve listened to the female narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, before and had the same issue with her. Her narration sounds far too flat for my taste. The male narrator, Nick Podehl, is okay, but he reminds me of a teenage boy, which I suppose can be fitting if that’s what you associate with a college sophomore. I do not.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read any books from The Ivy Years series, but I remember liking them. Blonde Date is a stand-alone novella in the series, and I know you can’t rate novellas using the same criteria as full-length novels, but this story just didn’t do it for me.
Romance is fiction, and—true—it leans towards the fantastical, but there needs to be some part that’s relatable in order for me to enjoy it. No part of this book makes sense to me. I think the story is supposed to be somewhat of a romantic comedy, but I didn’t find it funny—just silly and immature. Andrew seems like a decent guy, though, and I even appreciated his insecurities. However, I threw in the towel with the introduction of sexy times. It’s incongruous with the rest of the plot.
It could be my age or my mood, but ultimately the chemistry between the two main characters felt non-existent and the story didn’t interest me.
About the Audiobook:
I’ve listened to the female narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, before and had the same issue with her. Her narration sounds far too flat for my taste. The male narrator, Nick Podehl, is okay, but he reminds me of a teenage boy, which I suppose can be fitting if that’s what you associate with a college sophomore. I do not.
andrea_author's review against another edition
5.0
I love everything Sarina Bowen writes. This was a quick, cute read—but the narrators took it to a whole other level. Nick Podehl and Saskia Maarleveld are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. No lie, this may be the best audiobook I've ever listened to.
lifeand100books's review against another edition
3.0
I'm so happy Bowen wrote about Katie and Andy's date. Honestly my only complaint about the series is that the secondary characters never her their stories told. Therefore Blonde Date is the answer to my complaint. I loved meeting Andy in THE YEAR WE HID AWAY and I'm happy he got a happy ending. He's a good guy.
And can we talk about Katie for a second? Thank you Katie, for fighting the stereotype that a woman who dresses sexy or enjoys sex must be a slut. And Andy for stressing what consent really is. (My big complaint about the novella is that I think Dash and his stupid frat brothers should get in trouble for their actions against Katie. Maybe we'll find out they did in a future book?)
And can we talk about Katie for a second? Thank you Katie, for fighting the stereotype that a woman who dresses sexy or enjoys sex must be a slut. And Andy for stressing what consent really is. (My big complaint about the novella is that I think Dash and his stupid frat brothers should get in trouble for their actions against Katie. Maybe we'll find out they did in a future book?)
petrag's review against another edition
5.0
I work with rape victims and actually recommended this to someone I knew in case she was ever up to reading a story about a girl who is mislead into circumstances she did not consent to, but embraces her sexuality and makes no apologies for the fact that she enjoys sex. The hero of the story is lovely, and while I could not give a fig for the person who abused her, I appreciated how Bowen portrayed his insecurities without excusing his behaviour.
charlottenw1's review against another edition
3.0
I finished this book and loved the easiness of the storyline. The writing was amazing and really kept me intrigued throughout the whole of the book. The characters are so captivating and the conflict is so well written within the story. I love the whole book and it adds to the rest of the series.
valerieullmerauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this was a laugh out loud yet sweet book between Katie who has had some bad experiences with men and Andy who is a nice yet sexy man who treats her like a princess. Must read!!
mssarahbni's review against another edition
5.0
This was a really cute short instalove romance. I loved this story, it had my attention from the start and throughout. Given the length of the story I thought it was brilliant only to focus on the one night and Katie and Andy had enough chemistry to bear only showing the one night. Great short story.
jeannethinks's review against another edition
4.0
Katie with the ponytail story. Finally, get to see more than the flirty girl at met previously. And Andrew is too cute for words.
The preview of Understatement of the Year was enough to hook you for the next book for sure.
The preview of Understatement of the Year was enough to hook you for the next book for sure.