Statistically Improbable

Dating by Design

By: Jennifer Peel

Narrated by: Marie Mitchell

Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

According to the dating service I work for, Zander, fellow matchmaker and self-proclaimed eternal bachelor, and I are statistically improbable. One would think this would make me avoid him like the plague. But no, for some reason I can’t stop thinking about the arrogant man and his gorgeous green eyes that have a way of seeing right through me.

To make matters more interesting, Zander approaches me with an unusual proposition. He’s in need of a fake girlfriend. My first thought is, absolutely not. But what if this is the solution to my Zander problem? What if this is exactly what I need to work the man out of my system? And maybe, just maybe, in the process I could knock the egomaniac down a few notches. It’s a great plan, until the feelings become all too real. Come to find out, there’s more to Zander than I ever knew. Behind that arrogant exterior hides a man who strings popcorn and helps me pass my statistics class. And when he kisses me, I feel as if I’m a part of him. But the odds are more than probable that dating Zander in real life will only leave me hurt. Yet, I can’t help but think, despite what the software says, we are the perfect match.

USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Peel presents a curl-your-toes romcom that proves against all odds, love will find a way.

©2017, 2117 Jennifer Peel (P)2024 Jennifer Peel

Great Clean Workplace Romance

Statistically Improbable is the second story in Jennifer Peel’s rom-com series, Dating by Design. It is a sweet, closed-door fake-dating workplace romance full of witty banter, but it contains no profanity or sexual references.

Zander and Meg Dawson were secondary characters in His Personal Relationship Manager. Zander was Kenadie Marshall’s best friend since high school and introduced her to his college roommate, Jason. Later in the story, Kenadie hired Meg to work at her matchmaking firm, Dating by Design, as a receptionist. Zander appeared to be a ladies’ man, but he was secretly in love with Kenadie. However readers knew that Kenadie and Zander’s personalities were vastly different and a romance between them would be doomed to failure.

Statistically Improbable begins with a workplace meeting at Dating by Design. Meg has been promoted to a Relationship Manager position and she is fighting her attraction to Zander. Meanwhile Zander is trying to bury his romantic feelings for Kenadie while still playing the field with other women. When he realizes that he needs a date to Kenadie and Jason’s upcoming wedding, he asks Meg to be his date and fake girlfriend to fend off other women. Meg agrees because she hopes spending more time with him will help wear off his attraction. Then Kenadie’s mom, Mrs. Marshall, proposes that Meg become a bridesmaid to even out the wedding party.

Suddenly Meg becomes absorbed into the Marshall family, just like Zander. Mrs. Marshall fills the motherly role for Meg when she learns that Meg’s mom was killed in a car crash when Meg was 14. Meg grew up on a Wyoming ranch and moved to Georgia to live with her aunt and attend college when she was 18. She wound up dropping out when her father couldn’t support her financially, and she has slowly been trying to complete her degree in Exercise and Wellness. Zander offers to tutor her for her statistics class so they spend even more time together.

While Kenadie likes Meg personally and appreciates her professionalism at work, she is concerned about a romantic relationship developing between Meg and Zander. The matchmaking software that Kenadie developed indicates that it’s statistically improbable for a successful match between them. The other female Relationship Managers at Dating by Design are mean girls and bully Meg both at work and at wedding activities.

Zander is really a great guy underneath his cocky ladies’ man façade. It takes him a while to transfer his affection from Kenadie to Meg. I wished he would have put a stop to the workplace bullying sooner, especially since he ran the operational side of the business. He eventually comes through for Meg and redeems himself.

Statistically Improbable is one of my favorite Jennifer Peel stories because of the engaging characters and emotional realism. I was thrilled when it was finally recorded as an audiobook. The audio narration by Marie Mitchell is great. She does a great midwestern accent for Meg and an authentic Georgia accent for the rest of the characters. She evokes the right amount of emotion into the story.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) of the audiobook from the author for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I purchased the Kindle edition of this book from Amazon in 2017.

Sit back, Relax, and Prepare to Swoon!

Oh wow where do I start! That was one of my most favorite books and audibles!! The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Meg and Zander and the crew to life. I couldn't stop listening! Meg is full of sweetness and sass, and Zander is just so very swoonworthy. Their chemistry is so fun and electric! I love that Meg is the one that isn't scared to put Zander in his place, and I love seeing more sides to Zander! If you have read the first book in the series, you know the Nanettes and what trouble they can cause in their matchmaking. This story is so fun and full of laughter, sweet moments, crying moments, moments that will make you want to scream, swoon worthy moments, and ones that just make you want to smile. One of my favorite things about this book, is you get a peek of Kenadie and Jason from book 1 and their up coming wedding. I just love all of these fun characters and this whole series! Spend the day with Meg, Zander, Kenadie, Jason, and of course the Nanettes, you won't be sorry!

Zander and Meg will forever hold a place in my heart!

Statistically Improbable. That's what the Binary Search says. But against all the scientific evidence, Meg still finds herself drawn to Zander. She doesn't know what it is but she just can't resist his pull. Maybe it's his charm or his gorgeous face or just him. But whatever it is has her going to goo whenever he's around.

On the outside Zander is the eternal bachelor, the center of attention, the best friend.. pretty much anything anyone needs him to be. He's got to be in order to keep his secrets locked up tight. He's always been good at hiding the real him. There have been very few people who have ever been able to see past his facade. So when the feisty, sassy, beautiful Meg adds herself to that list, it scares the crap out of him and he does his best to keep her at bay.

But with all the chemistry and fireworks between these two, it proves statistically improbable to fight against the inevitable. These two bring out the worst and the best in each other. This is all new territory for the both of them. Zander is bound to make mistakes and say the wrong things, but he will not waste a second to make things right between them. It may take some time, but Meg will prove to Zander that if anyone deserves a happily ever after, it's them.

*dreamy sigh*

I absolutely LOVED this book! I have wondered about Zander ever since we first saw him in His Personal Relationship Manager. Some people loved him, other people didn't. But if you really paid attention to him, you would have realized that there was more than meets the eye. What he was on the outside, was not who he is on the inside. He's a diamond in the rough. And it took just the right woman to make him shine. And Meg was that woman. These two were absolutely perfect for each other!

I know I say this all the time but I swear Ms. Peel's books just keep getting better and better! Just when I think I have found my favorite, she releases a new book and I end up changing my mind. I think I have finally come to the conclusion that I will never have just one favorite book of hers. It's impossible! I seriously cannot choose! Do NOT make me choose!

Ms. Mitchell is a new to me narrator and I already adore her! She did an amazing job of bringing all the characters to life which helped me to immerse in all things Meg and Zander. It was perfection!

As good as I remember!

I read this book years ago & had forgotten how much I enjoyed it! The narrator did a great job differentiating the characters voices & letting me fully immerse into the story!

*Romance level: passionate kisses but nothing graphic

You know you love it when the playboy falls💗

Zander is an arrogant, yet dangerously charming eternal bachelor. With his best friends getting married, he needs a new... wing-woman? Friend? Handler? Definitely not love, but when he starts spending time with Meg, we see that he has outkicked his coverage long before he does.
Committed relationships are not his style and Meg is way too smart to try to change him, but taking him down a notch could be fun. And probably necessary for his own good.

Be prepared to both love and hate Zander. It's reasonable to "Awww" and scream "YOU IDIOT" in the same chapter.
TEAM MEG!

This is the second book in the Dating by Design series. It can be read alone, although I highly recommend His Personal Relationship Manager to get a good glimpse of Zander and Kenadie's friendship—and because it's one of my favorite audio books. Just trust me. You'll want it too.

Statistically Improbable is a single POV, closed door, sweet HEA romcom that is both relatable and swoony with a great narrator.
I loved every minute! You can never go wrong with a Jennifer Peel book in any format.🧡

Another home run by Jennifer Peel!

Jennifer Peel is an auto buy author for me, and I love having all her books on audio. I loved Meg and Zander’s love story, and the progression of Zander’s player attitude. The narrator did a great job, this was a fun and romantic journey!

Loved it!

Loved this audiobook so much! Definitely will be re-listening. Narrator did a great job.

I love Zander and Meg

Opposites can fall in love, but can they make it work? Meg and Zander are about to find out. All the main characters from His Personal Relationship Manager are in this one and it picks up just a few months after the previous book ends, but you don't have to read the first book to enjoy this one.

Oh Zander, the full of himself, southern boy with a heart of gold needs a new fake girlfriend since Kenadie (his boss, best friend and former fake girlfriend) is getting married. Meg has been promoted from receptionist to relationship manager at Binary Search and Zander wants her to be his fake girlfriend. Meg is kind of already in love with the confirmed bachelor and has read his profile enough to know they're complete opposites, so when she secretly runs their profiles through the company's matchmaking program and they come up with a score of only 23%--statistically improbable, she thinks she can handle fake dating Zander. She soon finds out she was wrong and falls for Zander's charm.

Meg is from a small town out west whose daddy wants a better life for her than that of a rancher's wife. She's working and going to school online to finish her degree. She holds to her standards, and stands up for herself with Zander which is great. I think that makes him think, at least a little, about what he says and how he acts around her.

Zander is well, Zander. He acts like he has what he wants because what he really wants scares the heck out of him. His parents' strange marriage dynamic and those of a couple of his siblings have him thinking he would probably screw it up if he got married.

I loved most of the characters in this book. I'd love to be friends with them, although Zander would probably drive me crazy and the "Nanettes" would embarrass me. Kenadie's mom, Mrs. Marshall is the best and has the best lines such as "Honey, if I left town every time I made a fool of myself, I'd be gone more than at home." Lol. Meg lost her mom as a teenager so Mrs. Marshall becomes like a second mother to her, which I could relate to since my mom died right after I turned 18 yrs old. I didn't care for Cara or Eva even before the big scene at the bridal shower, they struck me as those nice to your face but will talk about you behind your back coworkers we can all do without. Meg's brother's antics were too juvenile for me, but I didn't grow up with brothers so maybe that's par for the course.

I really liked the narrator for this book. I'm from the deep south and didn't think the southern accents were overdone as the book takes place in Atlanta.

Clean but good!

Awww what a sweet romance story. Squeaky clean but still worth the listen. Meg n Zander are so 🥰