Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 Audiobook performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 Spice: 🌶️🌶️

by Alison Greenberg – A heartfelt thank you to everyone who recommended this devastating, heartbreaking, and utterly wonderful second-chance romance to me.

Maggie Vine’s life hasn’t turned out quite the way she hoped. As a struggling musician, she’s fighting to keep her dreams alive while making ends meet. Turning thirty-five is a milestone for her—one that carries extra weight because of a promise she made at two very different points in her life: “If we’re still single at thirty-five, let’s get married.” Five years ago, she made that pact with Garrett, a friend (and secret love) who balances life as an investment banker by day and musician by night. But nearly two decades ago, she made the same promise with her first love, Asher Reyes, now a famous but reclusive actor. On her birthday, both men come calling, forcing Maggie to confront her past, her choices, and what she truly wants for her future. Through a series of poignant flashbacks, we’re taken on a journey through Maggie’s life, exploring how these two transformative relationships shaped her and the life events that led to their unraveling.

What. A. Book. Some books are lighthearted escapes, full of laughs and warm fuzzies, and then there are books like this one—stories that break you down only to rebuild themselves in your heart. Maggie, along with her best friend Summer, Garrett, and Asher, experiences profound moments of self-discovery and transformation. Their choices are often heartbreaking but always brutally honest, making each character feel deeply real and relatable. You may wish their paths had taken different turns, but their decisions are achingly authentic. At its core, this is a story about how loving someone and being ready to be loved by them are not always the same thing.

This beautifully crafted novel is available on Kindle Unlimited, and the audiobook, narrated by Katherine Littrell, is superbly done.