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rellimreads's review against another edition
5.0
3/6/2022 - updated review for audio
3/4/2022 - Erin Mallon & Tom Taylorson!
2/28/2022 - Currently listening to ALC of the audiobook. Love these narrators (it’s a secret til Friday).
3/4/2022 - Erin Mallon & Tom Taylorson!
2/28/2022 - Currently listening to ALC of the audiobook. Love these narrators (it’s a secret til Friday).
pattyfgd's review against another edition
5.0
Child of Mine
Boston Classics Book 4
By Karen Grey
Narrated by Erin Mallon & Tom Taylorson
This series pushes all the right buttons for me. Yes, an 80's kid, I can relate to it all! This one takes us on the soap opera journey, with interjections of upcoming plots. I remember grabbing Soap Opera Digest just for those nuggets and these made the story very nostalgic! Bella is a child star with a checkered past. She had maintained her career as a soap opera star, but now lives at home over her mother's bookstore with her daughter. She never thought she would bump into Henry ever again. But the stars align, and now she is faced with telling him her secret. Will he ever be able to understand her decisions? What will he think when he learns of her past? And will their budding relationship withstand the outside pressures? Karen Grey takes us on a look of Hollywood and it's darkness. Creating realistic characters and a story that is compelling and heartwarming, it's easy to become completely enchanted with their journey. Bella is a testament to motherhood, knowing what she wants for her daughter, and keeping her own life on track to give it to her. Henry is the most understanding and loving man. And Lilah is the light of the story. Spunky and smart, she is a sweet and beautiful child. It's a fun listen and a great addition to this series.
Erin Mallon and Tom Taylorson are our story tellers, and with these two, you know we are in for a treat. Mallon voices Bella with a strong and independent sound. She does add a hint of self doubt and vulnerability, making Bella feel real. Taylorson has a warmth to his voice that is unmistakably sweet. I fell for this voice, found his interpretation of Henry spot on and enjoyed every minute. This is a wonderful collaborative narration and hope to hear these two together again.
Preorder : https://adbl.co/3tu80Nt
#ALC #comingsoon #nostalgicromance #singlemomromance ##secretbaby #audioromance #karengrey #erinmallon #tomtaylorson #homecookedbooks
Boston Classics Book 4
By Karen Grey
Narrated by Erin Mallon & Tom Taylorson
This series pushes all the right buttons for me. Yes, an 80's kid, I can relate to it all! This one takes us on the soap opera journey, with interjections of upcoming plots. I remember grabbing Soap Opera Digest just for those nuggets and these made the story very nostalgic! Bella is a child star with a checkered past. She had maintained her career as a soap opera star, but now lives at home over her mother's bookstore with her daughter. She never thought she would bump into Henry ever again. But the stars align, and now she is faced with telling him her secret. Will he ever be able to understand her decisions? What will he think when he learns of her past? And will their budding relationship withstand the outside pressures? Karen Grey takes us on a look of Hollywood and it's darkness. Creating realistic characters and a story that is compelling and heartwarming, it's easy to become completely enchanted with their journey. Bella is a testament to motherhood, knowing what she wants for her daughter, and keeping her own life on track to give it to her. Henry is the most understanding and loving man. And Lilah is the light of the story. Spunky and smart, she is a sweet and beautiful child. It's a fun listen and a great addition to this series.
Erin Mallon and Tom Taylorson are our story tellers, and with these two, you know we are in for a treat. Mallon voices Bella with a strong and independent sound. She does add a hint of self doubt and vulnerability, making Bella feel real. Taylorson has a warmth to his voice that is unmistakably sweet. I fell for this voice, found his interpretation of Henry spot on and enjoyed every minute. This is a wonderful collaborative narration and hope to hear these two together again.
Preorder : https://adbl.co/3tu80Nt
#ALC #comingsoon #nostalgicromance #singlemomromance ##secretbaby #audioromance #karengrey #erinmallon #tomtaylorson #homecookedbooks
pagesinkedinshadows's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was such an emotional and impactful story.
It was full of secrets, trauma, broken promises, family, romance and forgiveness.
Bella had a traumatic experience as a child actor, so she hides away from the public, scared to fall back into bad habits.
Hal is adjusting to a whole new world when he moves to Boston.
This was full of sweet moments, forgiveness, falling in love & healing.
It was full of secrets, trauma, broken promises, family, romance and forgiveness.
Bella had a traumatic experience as a child actor, so she hides away from the public, scared to fall back into bad habits.
Hal is adjusting to a whole new world when he moves to Boston.
This was full of sweet moments, forgiveness, falling in love & healing.
xxbooksilovexx's review against another edition
5.0
Another amazing listen from Karen Grey! Really enjoyed getting to know Bella & Henry. The chemistry between them amazing! And I love that it was set in the 80s. Brings back so many memories for me! Excellent narration by Erin Mallon & Tom Taylorson (new to me narrator).
whatcha_listening_to's review against another edition
4.0
This whole series has been a breath of fresh air.
I’m a go in blind kind of person and sometimes I get a trope that isn’t my favorite. But I try to keep an open mind now I wasn’t a fan of the characters in this book for about halfway through. But then something clicked and I got it.
Isabel is the way she is I think because of her fames are early on. And I didn’t really see the affects that, that kind of life held for her.
I didn’t see why she kept her daughter’s father in the dark for so long. I almost wonder if she would’ve ever told him. And I didn’t really understand it until later that she was protecting herself and her daughter.
Henry I loved from the beginning to the end he stole the book for me he is what made me keep listening. Also the fact that the narration was phenomenal no joke. I was so enthralled and couldn’t wait to see how he would react how he would interact. He just made the book for me.
I have read other peoples reviews and I can see why they loved it so much. I’m not saying I didn’t I’m just saying it was different and that’s OK because in the end I thoroughly enjoyed it. Took me a bit but that’s OK to.
I’m a go in blind kind of person and sometimes I get a trope that isn’t my favorite. But I try to keep an open mind now I wasn’t a fan of the characters in this book for about halfway through. But then something clicked and I got it.
Isabel is the way she is I think because of her fames are early on. And I didn’t really see the affects that, that kind of life held for her.
I didn’t see why she kept her daughter’s father in the dark for so long. I almost wonder if she would’ve ever told him. And I didn’t really understand it until later that she was protecting herself and her daughter.
Henry I loved from the beginning to the end he stole the book for me he is what made me keep listening. Also the fact that the narration was phenomenal no joke. I was so enthralled and couldn’t wait to see how he would react how he would interact. He just made the book for me.
I have read other peoples reviews and I can see why they loved it so much. I’m not saying I didn’t I’m just saying it was different and that’s OK because in the end I thoroughly enjoyed it. Took me a bit but that’s OK to.
lisaluvsliterature's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve enjoyed all of this series, but I think this one might be my favorite! I say that, but really, all of them were good! We’ve gotten glimpses of Isabella in other stories, so it was fun to get to actually read her story and see her get her HEA. And it was really so perfect that her HEA came from a guy who you wouldn’t expect would be perfect with kids. Because he wasn’t. He knew, and he definitely gave several examples as the story got going. However when it came time to meet and spend time with Isabella’s daughter, it mostly seems to work out just fine. His and Isabella’s connection is really hot though, and you can totally feel the attraction between them.
The big reveal is given away pretty quickly in the story, at least for the readers. And then when later on there is one for Henry, the way he reacts is perfect in my opinion, very realistic. Not just drama for drama’s sake in a story. As we get closer to the end, there is an explanation of what love and being married should be, and it is what I want. Working for it. The little things. Compromise. As I said, I think this book was just a perfect realistic story in so many ways, at least wrapped around all the wildly out there aspects of the plot.
The time period, late 80s, really speaks to me as well. Even though I was just graduating from high school and getting ready to go off to college during this time period, a lot of the environmental and situational aspects of this story still brought back fond memories. The teen show Boom! I used to love shows on Nickelodeon and the Mickey Mouse Club, and all those types of things. I remember when smaller bookstores seemed to be pushed out by the bigger stores like Barnes and Noble. This story didn’t bring as much music to mind as others in the series did, well, except for hearing Axl Rose’s voice singing “Sweet Child of Mine” every time I even though of the title of the book.
A great story, and like I said, one of my favorites of the series if not the best for me!
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
The big reveal is given away pretty quickly in the story, at least for the readers. And then when later on there is one for Henry, the way he reacts is perfect in my opinion, very realistic. Not just drama for drama’s sake in a story. As we get closer to the end, there is an explanation of what love and being married should be, and it is what I want. Working for it. The little things. Compromise. As I said, I think this book was just a perfect realistic story in so many ways, at least wrapped around all the wildly out there aspects of the plot.
The time period, late 80s, really speaks to me as well. Even though I was just graduating from high school and getting ready to go off to college during this time period, a lot of the environmental and situational aspects of this story still brought back fond memories. The teen show Boom! I used to love shows on Nickelodeon and the Mickey Mouse Club, and all those types of things. I remember when smaller bookstores seemed to be pushed out by the bigger stores like Barnes and Noble. This story didn’t bring as much music to mind as others in the series did, well, except for hearing Axl Rose’s voice singing “Sweet Child of Mine” every time I even though of the title of the book.
A great story, and like I said, one of my favorites of the series if not the best for me!
Review first posted on Lisa Loves Literature.
ttpwcait's review against another edition
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you like 80s nostalgia you'll love this rom-com! A single-mom, grumpy/sunshine romance set in Boston is a great read. It's a workplace romance with a single mom who is a prior actress, a new in town grumpy producer (who the kids are scared of), and second chances.
Henry and Bella have a complicated history and when Bella runs into him on the set of a TV reboot, she freaks out. She's been keeping a few secrets...including an almost 6 year old little girl. Henry just wants his life back on track after living back at home for 7 years, so he takes an AP job in Boston, where he runs into his childhood crush...again.
This story was well written and I loved the 80s nostalgia. I also thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue in the office as it made me connect more to the characters by learning their strengths both in the office, and outside of it.
There are some overlaps of previous characters in the series and I do think you'd want to read them all in order to have the best reading experience, but this can be read as a standalone as well.
Note to those who follow my smutty readers who follow my reviews: there is fade to black and no real spice here. But the story is great!
If you like 80s nostalgia you'll love this rom-com! A single-mom, grumpy/sunshine romance set in Boston is a great read. It's a workplace romance with a single mom who is a prior actress, a new in town grumpy producer (who the kids are scared of), and second chances.
Henry and Bella have a complicated history and when Bella runs into him on the set of a TV reboot, she freaks out. She's been keeping a few secrets...including an almost 6 year old little girl. Henry just wants his life back on track after living back at home for 7 years, so he takes an AP job in Boston, where he runs into his childhood crush...again.
This story was well written and I loved the 80s nostalgia. I also thoroughly enjoyed the dialogue in the office as it made me connect more to the characters by learning their strengths both in the office, and outside of it.
There are some overlaps of previous characters in the series and I do think you'd want to read them all in order to have the best reading experience, but this can be read as a standalone as well.
Note to those who follow my smutty readers who follow my reviews: there is fade to black and no real spice here. But the story is great!
lostinbooklandia's review against another edition
5.0
*** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ***
Who doesn’t love a secret baby, second chance romance?!? Karen Grey’s Child of Mine, book 4 in the Boston Classic Series was a beautiful, charming, funny, and captivating story. I was hooked from the start. This book is set in the late 80s and beautifully paints a picture of life at that time. Bella and Henry have a passionate one night stand and years later reunite when they both work as producers on a reboot of a children’s show. Henry finds out he fathered Bella’s child, which is funny because he comes off as a grump who hates kids. It was so interesting and sweet to see his transformation and developing relationship with his daughter Lilah, into a loving, understanding, patient father. Bella has her own past demons she is still struggling to accept but with the help of Henry and her family she finally gets the closure she’s always needed. Let’s not forget Lilah, she was girl after my own heart, she spoke to my inner bookworm and she was just the cutest. I loved characters were very relatable and likable.
I found this story even more entertaining with the incredible narration by Erin Mallon as Bella and Tom Taylorson as Henry. Erin Mallon is a favorite voice to listen to and I loved how she was able to showcase all the different facets of Bella, especially her inner dialogue in the forms of Izzy, her younger innocent self vs Quinn, her sassy, bad girl, wild self. Tom Taylorson is a new to me narrator and his voice was just dreamy. He was wonderful as Henry and really captured all the emotions perfectly. His southern drawl was swoon worthy and the cherry on top to make Henry a dreamboat. The best part of the audiobook was all the tabloid Soap Opera headlines that reminded me of when I was a child obsessed with the soap opera Passions, which I had no business in watching, lol. That definitely added to the nostalgia of this 80s classic story. This was a 5 stars for me. This review doesn’t do this audiobook justice, but this is a must listen! You will not regret it.
Who doesn’t love a secret baby, second chance romance?!? Karen Grey’s Child of Mine, book 4 in the Boston Classic Series was a beautiful, charming, funny, and captivating story. I was hooked from the start. This book is set in the late 80s and beautifully paints a picture of life at that time. Bella and Henry have a passionate one night stand and years later reunite when they both work as producers on a reboot of a children’s show. Henry finds out he fathered Bella’s child, which is funny because he comes off as a grump who hates kids. It was so interesting and sweet to see his transformation and developing relationship with his daughter Lilah, into a loving, understanding, patient father. Bella has her own past demons she is still struggling to accept but with the help of Henry and her family she finally gets the closure she’s always needed. Let’s not forget Lilah, she was girl after my own heart, she spoke to my inner bookworm and she was just the cutest. I loved characters were very relatable and likable.
I found this story even more entertaining with the incredible narration by Erin Mallon as Bella and Tom Taylorson as Henry. Erin Mallon is a favorite voice to listen to and I loved how she was able to showcase all the different facets of Bella, especially her inner dialogue in the forms of Izzy, her younger innocent self vs Quinn, her sassy, bad girl, wild self. Tom Taylorson is a new to me narrator and his voice was just dreamy. He was wonderful as Henry and really captured all the emotions perfectly. His southern drawl was swoon worthy and the cherry on top to make Henry a dreamboat. The best part of the audiobook was all the tabloid Soap Opera headlines that reminded me of when I was a child obsessed with the soap opera Passions, which I had no business in watching, lol. That definitely added to the nostalgia of this 80s classic story. This was a 5 stars for me. This review doesn’t do this audiobook justice, but this is a must listen! You will not regret it.
deborah77's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book by Karen Gray that I've read. Even though it is Book 4 in a series, I read it as a standalone and didn't feel like I missed anything.
This book caught my interest for being a single mom and grumpy hero. I love seeing grumpy heroes take on the role of dad. I love reading the antics of kids and Liliah did not disappoint. She was cute, smart, and a bit of a sassy little girl. I would have loved more scenes with her. The secret child aspect had me on my seat waiting for the moment the Henry finds out about Liliah. For someone who didn't like kids, he did not fail as a new dad.
This story is much more than a HEA story. This story is about deep characters who show a lot of growth. Bella is a former child star overcoming addiction who has a one-night stand with Henry. We later find out that Henry never truly forgot his one night with Bella. Fate brings them back together when Henry and Bella start working on a new television show together. It doesn't take long for their connection to bring them back together. Just as things are going well, problems arise.
I was skeptical about the story being set in the '80s. The book did not feel "dated". It was fun remembering TVGuides and VCRs. For others hestitant for the same reason, the story was relevant to any decade, even today.
At first, I found Bella's inner dialogue between her personalities a little different and struggled with this part of the story. For others who struggle, I would say stick with it. Her inner thoughts become a key to Bella's growth. They helped me better understand her character as she worked to overcome who she was in the past and who she is now.
This was an enjoyable read and just the few glimpses of Bella's friends Ben (Book 2) and Jess (Book 3) I want to read their books from the series. I want to know more about Jess and her battles.
This book caught my interest for being a single mom and grumpy hero. I love seeing grumpy heroes take on the role of dad. I love reading the antics of kids and Liliah did not disappoint. She was cute, smart, and a bit of a sassy little girl. I would have loved more scenes with her. The secret child aspect had me on my seat waiting for the moment the Henry finds out about Liliah. For someone who didn't like kids, he did not fail as a new dad.
This story is much more than a HEA story. This story is about deep characters who show a lot of growth. Bella is a former child star overcoming addiction who has a one-night stand with Henry. We later find out that Henry never truly forgot his one night with Bella. Fate brings them back together when Henry and Bella start working on a new television show together. It doesn't take long for their connection to bring them back together. Just as things are going well, problems arise.
I was skeptical about the story being set in the '80s. The book did not feel "dated". It was fun remembering TVGuides and VCRs. For others hestitant for the same reason, the story was relevant to any decade, even today.
At first, I found Bella's inner dialogue between her personalities a little different and struggled with this part of the story. For others who struggle, I would say stick with it. Her inner thoughts become a key to Bella's growth. They helped me better understand her character as she worked to overcome who she was in the past and who she is now.
This was an enjoyable read and just the few glimpses of Bella's friends Ben (Book 2) and Jess (Book 3) I want to read their books from the series. I want to know more about Jess and her battles.
lisa01's review
5.0
I loved this story! It starts in one place and goes full circle. The characters really led me on a merry chase. Watching Henry and Bella grow and become better versions of themselves was wonderful!
The description of Henry becoming a dad was phenomenal. I could understand his feelings, thoughts and his nervousness. It is so charming to feel his worry, concerns and shock over being a dad. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as he was running through these emotions. His first time alone with her was done nicely and I could feel how this situation affected each of the parents.
Overall I enjoyed this story. It is delightful. I fid listen to this on audio. Both narrators do a wonderful job.