Flat-Out Love

Flat-Out Love, Book 1

By: Jessica Park

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

He was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.

So, that was Matt. Who Julie Seagles likes. A lot. But there is also Finn. Who she flat out loves.

Complicated? Awkward? Completely.

But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother’s? This was all supposed to be temporary. Julie wasn’t supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers. Especially the one she’s never quite met. But what does that really matter? Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection. But here’s the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations - it always throws you a few curves. And no one ever escapes unscathed.

©2012 Jessica Park (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Heartbreaking yet heartwarming

Award winning audiobook, narrated by Julia Whelan. Excellent performance. However, her voice for Julie's mom sounded exactly like her voice for the hero's mother in The Witness, by Roberts. I mean EXACTLY.

I enjoyed this novel. Is it young adult or new adult? Chick lit? I think NA, since the H/h are in college. Set in current day Boston, it's family-oriented drama. It's a mystery. It's a romance in the old-fashioned sense, with only one hard passionate kiss and no sex at all. The ending felt abrupt — I wanted more "happy ever after" time — and I could do without the swearing and profanity, but the slowly growing relationship was a flat-out treat, especially given it's rarity in contemporary romance novels. The author kept the pace flowing nicely. As for the closely guarded family secret, I guessed some of it, but not all, and certainly not the specifics.

I really liked watching Celeste — a traumatized 13-year-old — gradually overcome her emotional paralysis. Loved seeing her fearfully release her tight grip on Flattened Phineas, or Flat Finn. Julie's mechanically inventive method for prompting a change in Celeste nearly unhinged me.

Loved Matt. A wonderful brother. Nerdy. An MIT geek. But strong and true when his family needed him most. Like his older brother Finn, he's also Prince Charming.

Good portrayal of a dysfunctional family, including the parents, Erin and Roger.

Julie's relationship with her own father was only lightly textured, but I was definitely moved by that scene on New Year's Eve, with multiple lobster plates and the most expensive champagne in the cellars. ;-)

Each chapter starts with a brief but clever Facebook status update from Julie, Matt, and Finn. Sometimes those postings helped me predict the next scene. Other times, they more fully fleshed out the character's reactions to a completed scene. I chuckled at several of the postings.

Two sequels: Flat-Out Matt, Flat-Out Celeste.

Flat-out-love was Finntastic!

This has to be one of my favorite audiobooks ever! Refreshingly witty and clever, but heartwrenchly beautiful in so many ways! WOW 😂

Audio is just as great as the books

I love Jessica Parks book but this one, Flat Out Love is one of my all time favorite books! I’ve read it three times and will probably listen to it again.

This is one of those books where every character pulls you in. You’ll laugh with them, cry with them and, best of all, cheer with them

Enjoyed it very much!

This touching, heartfelt story is well played-out and well written. It tugs at the heartstrings and does have emotional moments so for maximum appreciation it helps if that's what you are in the mood for. I liked the characters very much (Celeste, for one, is an amazing character..so intelligent and precocious). Though I also very much enjoyed Julia and Matt's characters. There is a lot more to this story than the description reveals...this is the story of one young woman unexpectedly beginning a relationship with a family of highly intelligent and loving people who are also in severe denial and emotional trauma after a terribly sad loss. .. and, of the love she finds with one member of this family. In complete full disclosure, yes some readers may find it a bit predictable (depending on how your mind works at picking up clues) I picked up on what was going on about two-thirds of the way through the book, though I did not guess exactly what happened. That "moment of discovery" doesn't always have to be at the very end of a story. Honestly, that did not cause me to enjoy it any less. Julia Whelan's performance really enhanced the story and brought the characters to life. She does a wonderful job. I definitely recommend this one!

Book unlike anything I've ever read

Would you consider the audio edition of Flat-Out Love to be better than the print version?

I have both editions. I have to say I really enjoyed the audio edition because the narrator did a wonderful job conveying the characters feelings.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Flat-Out Love?

One of the most memorable moments for me was when Julie realizes something is up with Finn and she confronts Matt about it. Matt's raw and heartfelt feelings totally moved me.

Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I've listened to this narrator. She did an absolutely wonderful job conveying the characters feelings.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Definitely!

Any additional comments?

I will definitely listen to this one over and over again. I loved ita,

Carrying around excess baggage in the form of cut out characters

With the heart is in the right place and the intentions unclear flat-out love is about a family who was coping with life in the most unusual of ways. Julie stumbled into this families life wanting to fix Celeste.
Matt was the nerdy MIT geek while Julie was the girl trying to fit into Boston.

Overall:
It’s a highly intellectual story of dialogue far beyond my minds wildest imagination. Before most chapters Finn, Matt, and Julie spewed a few words of wisdom that had me completely confused. This was my least favorite part of the book.

Narrator:
Excellent performance and delivery of dialogue. This was another instance where the audiobook was better than the ebook. Julia Whelan was the solo narrator of all the characters in Flat-Out Love. The sound, tone, and quality far exceeded my expectations. The story was performed word perfectly with no outside disturbances.

This can happen

What made the experience of listening to Flat-Out Love the most enjoyable?

If you have never suffered a loss so horrible you cannot accept the reality, you may think this is beyond what can happen. I can't say I enjoyed this book, I figured it out pretty early on, but I had to know what happened to the characters. I believe this story was well written and well narrated.

What other book might you compare Flat-Out Love to and why?

Easy by Tammara Webber, sort of.

What about Julia Whelan’s performance did you like?

She is a very very good narrator. I have listened to her in several stories. She is easy to listen to and gives each person a voice allowing me to separate the characters easily.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes, I cried. I laughed too.

Any additional comments?

Worth the credit. I admit the titled bothered me until I the light bulb went off and I realized "Flat Fin".

I Am Flat Out In Love With This Book!!

What made the experience of listening to Flat-Out Love the most enjoyable?

Without giving much away, the story was very unique and the characters drew me in from the start.

What does Julia Whelan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She did a great job of narrating and I think she brought out the right amount of emotion that would have been lost in just reading it. I'm so glad I listened to it versus reading it.

Any additional comments?

This is one of those books that took me by surprise. It had good reviews, so I thought I figured it would be worth a credit...but I really enjoyed every moment of it.

A bit juvenile at first, but surprisingly good

Good character development, nice twist at the end. Seemed to be written for teenage audience?

More thanI Expected

What made the experience of listening to Flat-Out Love the most enjoyable?

I was only expecting a fun little New Adult type read, but I got way more. I laughed out loud while listening at work, so much so, that several of my co-workers wanted to know the title. I laughed, I cried (a tiny bit) and I loved. I have to say there were a few twists that I did not see coming and I just loved it as it went along. It was a drama and a comedy and a romance and a little bit of mystery. Good for ages 14 and up for sure!

What other book might you compare Flat-Out Love to and why?

I don't know that I have ever listened to another book that was so charming and funny as this. I read a lot of romantic comedy, but this was so much more than that.

Have you listened to any of Julia Whelan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I haven't read anything else performed by Julia Whelan, but now that I have I might seek her out.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

A little over an hour away from the end of the book there was a moment between the two main characters that really wrenched me. The male character comes across so heartfelt that I just wanted to tell him it would all work out. I also kind of wanted to shake the female character at the same time.

Any additional comments?

I would recommend this for almost anybody. I read about 4 books a week and listen to about 2 a week and I would say I was more entertained by this one than I have been in quite some time.