A Very Good Bad Idea

By: Emma Chase

Narrated by: Sean Masters, Brooke Bloomingdale

New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase is back with this red-hot romantic comedy about two rival real estate developers who inherit the same lucrative property. There’s just one catch: they have to live in it…together.

Block 42 Lot 17 is the most coveted oceanfront property in Shore Haven, and both Damon Burke and Jade Buchanan are certain it’s already theirs.

The elderly owner, Clarabelle Spicket, promised it to Damon. She also promised it to Jade. Awkward…

Now thanks to a provision in the will, the town’s coldest real estate shark and its fiercest power player are forced to spend the next four months living there together or else they forfeit the property.

Even worse, the dilapidated beachfront mansion seems determined to shove them into the same room—and the same bed. As wills clash, tempers flare and walls crumble…so do their defenses.

It’s a bad idea to get too close to your enemy. To care about them, need them, desperately want them.

But when rivalry turns into something far more than either of them ever expected, Damon and Jade discover that love can be a very good bad idea.

©2026 Emma Chase (P)2026 Audible Originals, LLC.

One way to grow closer...

I've just finished listening to the audiobook version of this novel, narrated by Sean Masters and Brook Bloomingdale. I have to hand it to these two: their voice work gave the opening chapters some serious "edginess" (I'm not sure how else to describe it) that almost had me hitting the stop button. I am not the target demographic for the "Survivor" style antics of the plot, so your mileage will likely vary. I kept listening, and as the story progressed, I felt like I could hear Damon and Jade have a believable change of heart that eventually resulted in their happily ever after. I enjoyed how Ms. Chase's inventive take on forced proximity and found family tropes got my attention and kept me engaged. Her writing, along with the narrators' wonderful work, created a complete picture that I can imagine would make a terrific film.

Money Pit meets What Happens In Vegas

Thank you to Valentine PR and Emma Chase for an alc of A Very Good Bad Idea in exchange for an honest review.
4⭐️ || 2.5🌶️
[audiobook out now! ebook/print releases 10.13]
This was reminiscent of the movie What Happens in Vegas mixed with The Money Pit. I had a fun time.
We love an enemies to lovers trope with an “anything you can do, I can do better” comedic vibe.
I also thoroughly enjoyed the performances by the narrators!
If you’re looking for a fun audiobook to listen to while doing chores, add this to your queue.

🔪 enemies to lovers
🧲 forced proximity
🎧 duet narration
🛌 one bed
🚪 open door

Great listen, definitely romantic.

Strong woman vibe! Voices are nice and story line is great. This is a feel good book and family motivated.

This was a fun and hilarious adventure.

Damon and Jade made this fun and hilarious at times I can see they could have end each other. They had some really crazy tactics to get under each other's skin. I could see this on a streaming site with some funny actors. I like Jade was strong that she walked out with her dog, but Damon also took it hard when she did. In the end they both won out and Jade's dad and brother had what was coming to them. Loved it, always do when it's an audible original.

light and engaging

I enjoyed the storyline, the ups and downs of the story, and the conclusions to the problems were not always predictable.