Flirting with Forever

Great narrators, familiar plot.

I really enjoyed this book. It is Kendall Ryan at her best. Every book I read from Kendall is classed as my favourite, because there is just something about them that pulls me in - it's the writing, of course, she just nails every trope she writes and she writes it so well that the reader...or in this case, listener, gets lost in the fantasy of the story. This is how a friends to lovers story should be tackled. Actually seeing the friendship, believing the friendship and watching that blossom to something else is perfection and exactly what I want from this trope. I need that build-up, I need those thoughts of uncertainty because what about the friendship? And Kendall delivers...big time. I just wish it was a little bit longer, but that's mainly because I loved Natalie and Cam so much.

This was such a cute, fun story. It has very little angst - I love angst as much as the next girl, but, sometimes, I like things smooth and easy...but not too easy. I think Kendall got the balance just right with this book. Cam and Natalie are such a cute couple, Cam is all the swoons, seriously, he was sweet and sexy and caring, he was the type of guy everyone wishes they had as a friend. Natalie, on the other hand, was sassy, yet sweet. I just loved them both so much. I loved how they tried to fight the attraction and it took them a while to figure out that they had feelings for each other. And how deep those feelings ran. Then the difficulties of navigating a friendship and relationship, especially since their friendship included a third. The friendship between Jack, Cam, and Nat was so great - the way they all interacted was lovely and it was clear they'd been friends for a long time and were comfortable with each other. Jack's reaction to the reveal about Nat and Cam's relationship change was brilliant, I'm really glad Kendall decided to go that way. If you're wondering about the sexy times, don't worry, Kendall wouldn't leave you hanging like that...and neither would I, the sexy times are, well, sexy, they'll leave you wanting more and maybe in need of a fan. They fit with the story and aren't overly done. Just the right amount of hotness. The epilogue was wonderful - everything I could have asked for - the rings though! (Insert heart eyes and tears here!)

Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber are fan favourites and for good reason. They always deliver fantastic performances and nail the emotion of the situation and make the characters and scenarios believable, this book was no different. They were Cam and Natalie for me, without a doubt. I believed that they were friends that developed feelings for each other. The thing with Zachary is that his voice carries a lot of emotion and that shines through in his performances. He's one of my go-to's for an emotional connection to characters. Andi is just fabulous no matter what, she is always on point and I just love every performance I've heard from her. Books like these are good reminders as to why these narrators are so sought after and why they're so loved. I loved every second that I listened to. This book was such a joy to listen to and I think it was casted perfectly. I didn't note and production issues, it was a clear, smooth recording.

Extra note: This book is a little on the short side and feels more like a novella than a full novel, however, I am seeing a trend at the moment for books that are on the shorter side, so it's not really a criticism but a note for other listeners who may be expecting the book to be longer than it is. This one is just over 4 hours long. The remaining time is made up of the first chapter of Dear Jane narrated by Andi Arndt which is coming to Audible soon, and a sample of Love Machine which is available to buy now, narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York.