The Audacity of Sara Grayson

By: Joani Elliott

Narrated by: Libby McKnight

Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

What happens when the world’s greatest literary icon dies before she finishes the final book in her best-selling series? And what happens when she leaves that book in the hands of her unstable, neurotic daughter, who swears she’s not a real writer?

Sara Grayson is a 32-year-old greeting card writer about to land the toughest assignment of her life. Three weeks after the death of her mother - a world-famous suspense novelist - Sara learns that her mother’s dying wish is for her to write the final book in her best-selling series.

Sara has lived alone with her dog, Gatsby, ever since her husband walked out with their Pro Double Waffle Maker and her last shred of confidence. She can’t fathom writing a book for 30 million fans - not when last week’s big win was resetting the microwave clock.

But in a bold move that surprises even herself, Sara takes it on. Against an impossible deadline and a publisher intent on sabotaging her every move, Sara discovers that stepping into her mother’s shoes means stumbling on family secrets she was never meant to find - secrets that threaten her mother’s legacy and the very book she’s trying to create.

©2021 Joani Elliot (P)2021 Recorded Books

I really enjoyed this!

I really enjoyed listening to this, there wasn’t one part that I didn’t like. It was easy to listen to and didn’t want to stop. It was a sweet story.

Fun Read

This was a fun read -- I listened to the audio version. I could easily relate to the characters and was left wondering "what is in the safety deposit box?" Is more to come? I was surprised to hear the performer mispronounce "library" several times. At first I thought it was attributed to a certain character but it was used each time the word "library" was mentioned.

For all the writer out there

This book does such a great job explaining what it really is like to be a writer. The storyline is great!

I loved this book!

The storyline was great and suspenseful in a way that made me not want to stop listening. The narration couldn’t have been any better. Highly recommend!

delightful characterization

I’m big on liking the characters and her characterization drew me in very quickly and I was hooked. The author is very witty and her characters felt authentic. The reader was perfect. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Great book

I really enjoyed the story very much. It seemed as though it was shorter than I wanted it to be because the storyline was interesting. I enjoyed the characters I particularly liked how they interacted.
I thought the story was unique, how the author ship somehow began and overlapped with each character. I like the intrigue the mystery and how it all came together. I will be looking for more books by this author.

Great fun read

Great book for a trip or book on the beach! the story keeps you wanting to know what happens. My favorite quote from the book “is the moment you stop creating is the moment you stop living” . Definitely would read again!

Enjoyable listen to

Audio performance was a bit robotic but the story was good. I would recommend this to others looking for a light story

The Struggle is Real

Loved this piece if women’s fiction and seeing Sarah grow. Her struggle to find her own words will feel acutely familiar to all the writers out there who struggle with intense feelings of imposter syndrome. 😅 I would read a sequel if Joani Elliott decides to open the safety deposit box in the future! 🙂

Slow Burn but Satisfying Ending

Honestly, for the first part of the book I disliked Sara. She was too whiny and insecure. But as the character development and plot twists kicked in, I appreciated her story and came around to liking her when she went to London. :) A bit of a slow burn for me hence 4 stars but ending satisfying. I wish there was news how Sara’s book fared!