Play the Part

Marsford Bay, Book 2

De: Naomi Loud

Narrado por: Amanda Willow, Nick J. Russo

Connie Broadbent loves to run away from her mistakes. So when her glossy Hollywood life turns into a tabloid nightmare on the eve of her twenty-ninth birthday, she does what she knows best and books a one-way ticket back to Marsford Bay. But even her hometown isn’t safe from her past blunders—namely, a year-old impulsive one-night stand with a broody ex-con.

Huxley McKenna believes that his past will haunt him forever. At just eighteen, his life irrevocably changed when a rash decision landed him in prison. Now twenty-five, Huxley is determined to move on from his delinquent past. Despite his cynicism, he stays out of trouble and gets a job in construction to pay the bills. But there’s one thing from his past that he can’t seem to evade: Connie Broadbent. A seemingly impossible task when his older brother is engaged to her best friend.

However, their plan to ignore each other fails when Connie buys a rundown theatre and is cornered into hiring Huxley, thanks to a little persuasion from her best friend. Wanting to keep their shared past a secret, the two reluctantly agree to work together. This inevitably leads to infuriating mind games and messy push-and-pulls, both too stubborn to give in to their attraction. But soon, they will be forced to face the truth: some mistakes might be worth making twice.

*Play the Part is a contemporary romance with a guaranteed HEA. It has mature situations and themes.*

©2025 Naomi Loud (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing

Huxley & Connie

I loved this book. All of the angst and tension between Huxley and Connie was written so well! It's full of raw emotions and messy situations. Both main characters have their own baggage and have to find a way to deal with it and each other. Their journey is rough but the healing and HEA make up for it!
Huxley is Ozzy's brother and just recently got out of prison. He's trying to find his place and going to therapy to help him deal with his past and anger.
Connie moved back to Marsford after her now ex boyfriend, who is an actor, cheated on her. She's learning how to be out of the cameras and make a new path for herself. They end up helping each other grow and develop a trust, beyond the hook ups. The spice is great and even throws in some "good boy"!
Amanda Willow and Nick J Russo were amazing as these characters. Amanda hit Connie's easy going side so well. You could pick up when she was being tough yet sensitive. Nick captured Huxley's hard exterior and pulled out his soft, cinnamon roll side. Both Amanda and Nick were great at all of the emotional levels of this story.

Angsty & Emotional! Fantastic Story & Narration🎧

Wow, this book takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride like no other, an angsty and messy ride that has you wanting to scream at the characters to get their act together and talk it out. Connie Broadbent runs from her high-profile life in Hollywood after finding out her boyfriend, now former boyfriend, cheated on her, and making it worse is it is all over the tabloids. She runs back to her hometown, Marsford Bay, but even there she runs into a mistake, a one-night stand she should not have had because he is her best-friend’s fiancé’s younger brother, Huxley McKenna, who was not happy to see her again either, but not for the same reason. When Connie learns the old movie house is for sale, she purchases it with plans to renovate it and make it into something more, and it is her best friend, James, who suggests hiring Huxley to work on the renovations. Huxley made a big mistake when he was younger and wound up doing time in prison, but he has been out and is only interested in doing good and staying out of trouble. He got a job doing construction and takes woodworking classes, so renovating is right up his alley. It was great watching these two together, seeing there were unresolved feelings between them and a chemistry that was smoking hot and through the roof. These two did not come without their own drama and baggage, with her cheating ex trying to get back into her life and him dealing with emotional baggage and his own inner demons caused by a crap upbringing and parents. His brother Ozzy never gave up on him even in his worst of times and trouble, and it made me happy when he took his brother’s advice. This story captivates your attention right from the start, a multi-layered story with non-stop drama, angst, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. The writing, plot and world building are terrific, as are the complexity of the characters, their growth and development. Naomi Loud, thank you for this great story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Amanda Willow and Nick J. Russo did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life, giving each a voice that was fitting and believable. Willow’s portrayal of Connie was spot on, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her wit to her fierceness, her strength and determination, as well as her vulnerabilities. Russo did the same as Huxley and was just as fabulous, showcasing his personality perfectly, morphing as his character grew, less angsty and more caring. Both were great at performing the roles of the side/secondary characters too. You could hear how much heart they put into their performance, expressing and conveying all the characters’ emotions, and making you feel each one. It was a pleasure listening to these entertaining storytellers, and their captivating performance takes the story to another level.

Nick J Russo's performance

ALC REVIEW ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Play the Part by Naomi Loud is a second-chance contemporary romance that leans hard into unresolved tension, past mistakes, and the kind of chemistry that refuses to stay buried.

Connie Broadbent is running. Again. When her shiny Hollywood life implodes, she retreats to her hometown, only to collide with the one mistake she never truly escaped: Huxley McKenna. A broody ex-con with a past that still clings to him and a one-night stand that was supposed to stay forgotten.

The forced proximity works well here, especially with the rundown theater setting and the shared secret neither of them wants exposed. Connie and Huxley have undeniable chemistry, and their push-and-pull dynamic is filled with stubbornness, unresolved feelings, and emotional restraint that slowly cracks.
I enjoyed how both characters are shaped by guilt and regret, even if at times I wanted them to communicate just a little faster.

Where this story truly shines is the audiobook.

🎧 Narrated in duet by Amanda Willow and Nick J. Russo, the performance elevates the experience. Nick J. Russo, in particular, stood out. His portrayal of Huxley added depth, vulnerability, and quiet intensity that made the character feel grounded and real. His emotional delivery carried the weight of Huxley’s past beautifully and made the tension hit harder.

Overall, Play the Part delivers a satisfying second-chance romance with strong narration, compelling tension, and a guaranteed HEA. It didn’t completely wreck me, but it absolutely kept me listening and emotionally invested.

Highly recommended for fans of small-town romance, messy pasts, and mistakes worth repeating.

Connie & Huxley

I loved being back in Marsford Bay!!! I was not prepared for the angst and raw emotion in this book, but I ATE IT UPPPPPPP.

I absolutely love Naomi Loud’s writing because she is not afraid to be different, but these stories now read more realistic. This book is messy and both characters loved self sabotage, but I loved their story. Their banter and chemistry was off the charts (when they weren’t hurting each other’s feelings lol).

This audio is produced by Blue Nose audio and performed in duet by Amanda Willow and Nick J. Russo. Amanda and Nick were absolutely PHENOMENAL. This is my first time listening to both of these narrators and they are my must listen to list now! Their performance was amazing, I highly recommend this audiobook!

The Angst is Angsting

THIS. BOOK.
I am admittedly an impatient reader. Which means I'm not a fan of slow burns. But when a book is written and performed like Play The Part by Naomi Loud, OMG, it's perfection.

The sassy, sultry Connie, played by Amanda Willow, and the bad boy, cinnamon roll Huxley, played by Nick J Russo, take the reader along on this ride of push and pull angst and edging. Naomi definitely makes you work for that HEA, and when that moment of finally giving in happens, you say to yourself FINALLY, only for it to be a tease.

In. The. Best. Way.

Narrator Amanda Willow has proven she can play any role from dark to sweet to sassy. I loved the strong yet heartbroken, sweet and tough vibes she brought to Connie. (I'd be remiss if I didn't give mention to her Valley Girl voice because it's perfection!) Nick J Russo is a new voice to me, and what an introduction to his work by meeting him as Huxley. THAT. ACCENT. I was swooning from his first chapter. I love the bad boy turned good, tough yet golden retriever energy of his character. He knew what he wanted, and that was Connie, and he was determined to make her see it, too.

Play The Part takes the reader on an angst-filled journey, filled with instantly lovable characters, in this second-chance romance. The performances by Amanda and Nick took this already amazing story and gave me all the feels with their performances!