Singled Out

A Forbidden Love Small Town Romance (Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake, Book 1)

De: Amy Knupp

Narrado por: Erin Mallon, Sebastian York

Duración: 7 h y 27 m

Resumen del Editor

Sometimes love singles you out when you least expect it—or want it

Harper

Commitment was never my thing. But I've been directionless for far too long. It's time to take on some responsibilities and get my life together. Bidding on my best friend's brother at a bachelor auction didn't help me with that. Neither did having a hot, secret fling with him. Too bad that didn't stop me. Because now I'm in way over my head. And I'm afraid I might not be ready for the biggest commitment of all. Love

Max

I've got more commitments than I can handle. I became a single dad overnight. Between that and my coaching job, I don't have time for romance. Especially not with her. Harper's not only my little sister's friend, she's also my boss's daughter. There are a million reasons why we shouldn't be together. And I can't seem to remember any of them when she's in my arms

Singled Out, book 1 in the Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake series, is an emotional, sexy, opposites attract, small town contemporary romance. Download today and get ready to fall for Harper, Max, and Dragonfly Lake.

©2024 Amy Knupp (P)2024 Amy Knupp

Loved it

From the first chapter to the last I was fully invested in single dad Max and free spirit Harper. Narrated by Sebastian York and Erin Mallon they did a wonderful job in bringing the characters and story to life.
 
This book ticked all the boxes for me and I found the characters easy to relate too. If you want a book with all the feels, then this is for you. I found myself smiling throughout and saying to myself, just one more chapter.
 
The narrators voices suited the characters and were easy to listen too. Cannot wait for the next book in the series.
 
 
 

Good way to start a new series

Book 1 of a new series within a greater universe of interconnected series. You can start here without any confusion. If you have read others, you might get happy at mentions of characters from previous stories.

Harper is dealing with grief at the loss of her friend/roommate, carrying out that legacy, honouring her memory, but also adrift and seeking her own purpose as part of the aftermath.

Max is in a similar boat, dealing with the loss of his cousin, less recent, but the daily reminder of the loss and his responsibilities come from raising a little boy who lost his parents when he was only 6 months old.

Add to the mix that Max is Harper's friend's brother and/or that Harper is Max's boss' daughter, that they have some incredible chemistry, and we're in interesting "keep it secret" territory with a smattering of "don't catch feelings" as part of the deal. We all know how that's going to go.

The audiobook was performed by Erin Mallon and Sebastian York. These seasoned pros always deliver fantastic characters and emotions. Erin had me choking on my feels when we get to the emotional climax of the story. And that special quality that Sebastian has when his characters are being jerks (because of assholery or just general emotional cluelessness) just makes you want to slap him upside the head until he's worked out his feels and makes everything right with a good quality grovel.

I requested and was provided with a copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

I love Dragonfly Lake and you will too

I first fell in love with author Amy Knupp’s sexy, witty small-town romances with Untold, the prequel to the Henry Brothers Series. Each book was wonderful and the last one, Unraveled, gave us a glimpse of Max, one of the single dads who meet regularly in Dragonfly Lake to chill, talk about the difficulty of being a single dad, and just have some man time with others who know where they’re coming from and don’t judge. So imagine my delight at being given an advance listening copy of Singled Out, the first book in the new Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake series, starring – MAX DAWSON!!

I love Dragonfly Lake and all its tentacles: each successive book and series moves forward while also looking back to people you’ve already met. Kind of like finding more family and friends who are somehow all connected to one another. Both Harper Ellison and Max Dawson are from Dragonfly Lake, but that’s about all the have in common.

Harper’s never really left and she’s not sure she ever will because she has no life plan. Not for anything. Not for a career. Not for a relationship. Take life as it comes is her motto. Day-by-day is almost too much commitment for her. Hour-by-hour is better. She’s capable, talented and has friends, but it seems she’s never really finished anything and doesn’t think long-term things work out. Until her friend Naomi dies and she starts thinking about her approach. And until she meets Max Dawson.

Max is one serious guy, and the opposite to Harper in his life plans. Once a football quarterback, he’s now living back in Dragonfly Lake and teaching high school math. He became an instant daddy when his cousin and cousin’s wife were killed in an accident and Max became the baby’s guardian. Little Danny is his whole world, and he takes that responsibility so seriously he actually believes he should not date, much less marry, until Danny is grown. What if something should happen to a woman Max brings into his life? He would subject Danny to another loss, that’s what, and Max will not do that. Certain in his belief and life plan. Until he meets Harper Ellison.

Max is a good man. Serious, generous, caring, dedicated and oh so worried and uncertain. You have to fall in love with him. Harper sounds like a flake on paper, but she’s not. She just won’t take that step to move forward, to find herself. When these two get together it’s amazing. Instant connection and instant attraction. Max drags his feet and resists and resists, but it’s almost like an invisible force is pushing him towards Harper. They agree no strings, no commitment, no future, no one getting hurt, no one getting feelings. But you know – life. And life can be pretty funny. Avoiding, falling, pulling back, and drawn together like magnets – and some hilarious shenanigans involving a llama.

Singled Out is a perfect addition to a wealth of stories that make you laugh, a lot. But you will also feel sad about situations people think they must stay in, and of course there’s the heat. That mad wild attraction that just will not cool down. Amy Knupp creates such a wonderful world, so magic you won’t want to leave.

Thanks to the author and Home Cooked Books for providing an advance listening copy of Singled Out. Knupp’s books are amazing, but in audiobook? Whatever is beyond amazing is what they are. And that’s what Erin Mallon and Sebastian York are – beyond amazing. Erin Mallon is almost always perfect – well, actually, no almost about it, she is always perfect. And Sebastian York did such a terrific blend of that worried daddy and hunky football player thing that it was just tingly. Yes, tingly. We had Knox’s single dad story in Unexpected, and now we’ve had Max’s. But there are a lot of single dads in Dragonfly Lake and I can’t wait to see whose story is up next. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

A Sweet and Well Written Small Town Romance

Sweet but spicy, this small town, opposites attract romance will leave you swooning. It's Max and Harper's story, and they're definitely not a pair you'd expect to work. He's the former pro-football player that's now the high school coach and math teacher as well as a newly single dad, and she's the free-spirit diner waitress that's also Max's boss. Despite neither of them being into commitment for their own reasons, things progress between them quicker and more intensely than either anticipated. Can they work in the long run, or will their non-committal hangups end their love story?

I so love all the characters that live in this small town. Max as the newish single dad pulled at my heartstrings. I mean his relationship with his son literally made me go "aww." Plus, he's just a genuinely decent guy, and I adore him for that. Then we've got Harper, and she's going through so much when the book begins. She's such an endearing character, and it's easy to see how and why she is the way she is. Her very nature and joie de vivre had me loving her from get go. Together, though, they're somehow even better. They complement each other so well and really just make sense even though maybe they shouldn't on paper. I just couldn't get enough of them. And the secondary characters? They all served a purpose throughout, and I really hope we get to see more of them in future books.

Also, I listened to the audio of this book, and I'm so happy I did! Both Sebastian York and Erin Mallon did a phenomenal job bringing Max and Harper to life. I was able to feel the emotions clearly, and hearing the characters brought life to them. York and Mallon's portrayals of these characters added personality and feeling to Knupp's words, and I highly recommend the audio version of Singled Out.

Singled Out is a must read for small town, contemporary romance lovers. It's a well written romance that I didn't want to end, and I'm excited to see what's next in this series.

Thanks to Home Cooked Books for giving me the opportunity to listen to this book.

Great start to a New series

Singled Out is a small town single dad romance narrated by Sebastian York and Erin Mallon.

This story is about Harper and Max two people at different times in their lives. Harper is younger than Max and best friends with his sister. She’s more free spirited and still trying to get her footing in life. Max is a single dad, a teacher and coach who wants his focus on being a good father. Neither are looking for or want a committed relationship but after Max’s sister convinces Harper to bid on him during a charity auction the two end up in a secret no strings attached fling…..until strings start to form pulling them closer to what they were never looking for..

I enjoyed this audiobook very much. First Erin Mallon is one of my favorite narrators she seems to so seamlessly bring characters to life. She captures the essence of each character she voices and makes them uniquely hers but in such a way that you feel you know the characters. And Sebastian York has such a distinctive voice and style that just worked so well for Max, manly and strong with a soft edge. They were wonderful choices for this book 5 star just for narration alone.

The overall story was good, I really liked the contrast between Harper and Max it gave them a good balance for a solid relationship. Both characters were fantastic and relatable with obvious chemistry. I felt a connection to both characters not only as a couple but separately that made me care about them which made the HEA so much sweeter for me .

I would definitely recommend this listen it’s a good solid romance that has many tropes , single dad, best friends brother, bosses daughter, and age gap, without feeling over the top. I enjoyed the secondary characters (Danny was adorable) and the story flowed well. It’s spicy, it’s emotional, it’s sweet and swoony and I’m definitely excited for more books in the series

Perfect!

LOVED THIS! Omg, the beginning was so fun how they met. He owns the bar she frequents for their yummy fries! She accidentally has something delivered to his bar instead of her address!! Of course his Grandma opened the package! omg hahaha!! Gage being the hero he is has to get the "package" to the correct owner! I enjoyed the flirting they did and the pillow talk texts. Super cute romcom.

I love a good fake dating/marriage trope!
Gage is so sweet I love him and Elodie! They are a perfect couple!

Lauren you really can right an amazing romcom! Bonus I got the audiobook and read the book at the same time! Vanessa Edwin and Teddy did an amazing Duet performance in this book!! I love those two!

Great Love Story

Singled Out is a single father, small town romance. Harper and Max are very likeable, the sensitive dad and the out going girl. they're type of arrangement never works out for anyone, my heart swelled 2x by the end of the book. i like that this ties in with another series by this author. I love the small town feel, everyone knows everything. I love Amy Knupp's writing and I look forward to listening to the rest of this series and much more. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing this book to life.

Couldn't stop listening

This was a really cute story! A great start to a new series! It really kept me intrigued wanting to find out what would happen next. Can't wait for more in the series.

Performed in dual narration by Sebastian York and Erin Mallon. They were great as Max and Harper. Always love listening to something they narrate together.

Singled Out

First, let me say that this is the first book that I have read by Amy Knupp and it will not be the last.

Singled Out is book #1 of the Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake series and it was wonderful.

We meet Max who is a single dad to Danny and he lives his life for his son. Max didn’t have the best family life growing up, so he will not risk doing anything that will hurt or cause Danny any harm. Dakota (Max’s sister) best friend, Harper, needs a date to a fundraiser so that she will not have to go alone and will have someone to lean on. Harper wins Max in an auction, so that he can be her date.

Things progress slowly between Max and Harper, because neither one wants anything serious. What happens when it ends and hearts are broken? Everyone besides Max and Harper knows what’s going on until it’s too late.

Erin Mallon and Sebastian York did a wonderful job narrating Singled Out. I would highly recommend reading or listening to Singled Out by Amy Knupp - You will not be disappointed!

Single dad, bachelor auction, secret fling, brother’s best friend

Thanks to The Author Agency for the eARC and to Home Cooked Books for the ALC.

Singled Out
By Amy Knupp

Narrated by Erin Mallon & Sebastian York

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨(4.5/5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall: 4.75/5
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5)

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 Fabulously entertaining and beautiful sounding narrators--perfectly cast.
🤩 New series but back in the small, lake town of Dragonfly Lake. Take me to Earthly Charm.
🤩 The bachelor auction is everything—such an amazing and captivating start to the plot.
🤩 The sweet theme and donation in loving memory of her dear friend—Art Lights Up Lives.
🤩 Everything so beautifully described—the setting, the plot details, the conversations.
🤩 The tropes—single dad (whole series coming of single dads), best friend’s brother, boss’s daughter, age gap (no ick), unwanted physical attraction, secret fling!
🤩 Max’s sister Dakota’s hand in all of it! She’s such a sweet friend and sister.
🤩 Amazing characters and characterization.
🤩 Devoted single dad Max Dawson is a retired NFL player and current P.E. teacher.
🤩 Passionate artist Harper Ellison is a bit lost but trying to find her way in this world.
🤩 The natural care, friendship, trust, and chemistry.
🤩 How they resist the pull and then fireworks when they can’t possibly resist anymore!
🤩 Oh, my hotness—these two definitely have it goin’ on!
🤩 I’m a sucker for a little jealousy.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I like Max’s grovel and apology, but some steamy lovin’ after the time apart would help us believe they still have what it takes!
💫 A little more Danny sweetness would be great, especially the bond between him and Harper.
💫 Some counseling would be good for dealing with their trauma.