Clutch

A Novel

By: Lisa Becker

Narrated by: Suzanne Barbetta

Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

2018 Romantic Comedy Winner - American Fiction Awards

Clutch: A Novel is the laugh-out-loud chick lit romance chronicling the dating misadventures of Caroline Johnson, a single purse designer who compares her unsuccessful romantic relationships to styles of handbags - the “Hobo” starving artist, the “Diaper Bag” single dad, the “Briefcase” intense businessman, etc. 

With her best friend, bar owner Mike, by her side, the overly-accommodating Caroline drinks a lot of chardonnay, puts her heart on the line, endures her share of unworthy suitors, and finds the courage to discover someone onto whom she wants to hold: the “Clutch”.

©2015 Lisa Becker (P)2018 Lisa Becker

Cute, Sassy, Fun!

Such a cute read chronicling the funny yet disastrous dating life of a handbag designer. It may also include a hot as sin best friend and some crazy situations, but you will never know unless you read it! The narration was fun and quirky. I will definitely be looking up more books narrated by Suzanne Barbetta.

Amusing Romance

Clutch is an amusing journey through, friendship, life, dating and handbags. Caroline's Aunt Mimi inspired her love of all things handbag and encouraged her to chase her dream of making wonderful but affordable handbags. She encouraged her to go to Harvard in order to pursue her dream. Probably my favourite character in this story is Mike, he is sweet, supportive, funny and he owns a bar so keeps our leading lady, Caroline topped up with wine as she stumbles from one disastrous man to another. I found Caroline initially annoying, but her wittiness and intelligence had me really liking her after that initial irritation. The plot was not one that we haven't seen before but the technique of chapters being named after bags that are associated with the men is unique and fun. I would class this as an enjoyable summer listen that will keep you amused but be warned about probable laughter. (if reading in a public place with headphones on) Suzanne Barbetta didn't do a bad job with the vocal acting but she didn't blow me away. I found her to be consistent and clear in her voice acting and I think that on other books she could be outstanding but for me this wasn't a great match between book and narrator. That is the only criticism that I really have. For me it just wasn't the best pairing.

A Sweet & Delight Story!! Great Listen! 🎧

Lisa Becker skillfully created a sweet and delightful story. I love how she named each title after a handbag style and fittingly incorporates it in to each chapter’s storyline. The main characters are very likable, Caroline a handbag designer and her incorrigible best friend Mike. Aunt Mimi was riot too. This was a quick fun read, with a touch of heat and lots of LOL moments. Thank you for the great read! I listened to the audible edition, Suzzane Barbetta performs all the voices, switches characters effortlessly and with out missing a beat. She brings the characters & story to life from the pages to your ears. Thank you for the great listen! Thank you 🎧AudiobookObsession

Romantic Comedy

Caroline’s friend Mike was the best thing about this story. He was hilarious and he really cared about Caroline right from the beginning. For an intelligent woman Caroline could sometimes be a bit ditzy however you couldn’t help but like her. It was a fun story to listen to and Suzanne Barbetta did a really nice job with all the voices. #AudiobookObsession Reviewer 🎧  

Fun romantic comedy

This was a great read. A romantic comedy about a handbag designers dating life. Loved the characters and the story, there was great chemistry. The narrator did great with these characters. 🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Fun Light Read

Clutch is a fun, light read. I enjoyed following Caroline on her journey to find the right one. It was predictable, I knew how it would end, but the story of getting there was entertaining. Her series of dates were entertaining, but I loved when her best friend, Mike, weighed in on them. I loved Mike. His puns and jokes were perfect and he had me laughing. His banter with Caroline had me firmly in his corner. I do wish we had a bit more after where it ended. If you want something quick and fun, i'd recommend Clutch. Suzanne Barbetta's narration was great. I loved the accent and clear delivery. #AudiobookObsession

Nice light read

This is a very cute story. I loved the idea of likening her dates to different types of bags almost as much as I loved Mike. Very clever. At times I found it repetitive; same lines, same descriptions, same words. I also found Caroline a bit cringy but Mike is a charmer and more than made up for that. I couldn’t be happier with the ending and, although it’s not entirely my kind of story, it was absolutely time well spent. 🎧Audiobook Obsession

A very enjoyable ‘Adventures In Dating’ story!

•*¨*•Minor Spoilers Alert!!!•*¨*• What I enjoyed about this chick lit novel: College best friends-turned-lovers / Realistic / Easy-to-read (listen to) / Entertaining / Wonderful characters / Original / Page-turner / Lengthy timeframe covered / Romantic / HEA ★¸¸.•*¨*•★Unabridged Audiobook Info★•*¨*•.¸¸★ Cover gush: I love this cover because it’s quite simply eye-catching and fresh. The color design and the prominent clutch were excellent style choices. •*¨*• Writing style: 3rd Person POV •*¨*• Overall rating: ★★★★★ •*¨*• Suzanne Barbetta’s Performance rating: ★★★★★ This actor is new-to-me, but I thoroughly enjoyed her acting style. She was fantastic at doing both female and male voices in an authentic way that wasn’t jarring at all. I’m definitely looking forward to listening to more audiobooks narrated by her. •*¨*• Story rating: 4.5 stars This novel was a giveaway selection in honor of the audiobook Facebook group Aural Fixation’s 75,000 members status. I’d never heard of this author, but the synopsis and the audiobook sample intrigued me enough to enter the giveaway. And to my surprise, I won a free gift credit to claim this gem on Audible.com. Now normally, I don’t read books classified as ‘Chit Lit’ because my impression of them is they do not always guarantee a happy ending for the main characters. I read for adventure but also to see that adventure end in a confirmed happy after ever status. I also don’t enjoy having a lot of details about the main characters with other lovers. This novel fell into both categories, but to my great surprise I truly enjoyed the dating in the 21st century journey Caroline went on after having a one-night stand with her then college bestie Mike. I loved that they eventually lived in the same city post-college and how much their lives intertwined as they both dated other people. I also appreciated the timing of their physical reunion and how they came to understand they should give the couple thing together a real try. Hopefully, author Lisa Becker and narrator Suzanne Barbetta will team up again for future book projects. I’m now a new fan of both.

A fun, light easy read

This book is a fun read that encourages laughter. Caroline and Mike are so relatable. Their friendship is so strong that bickering comes as natural to them as does the support and joking. They fit perfectly together, but maybe it is because Mike can supply Caroline with an endless glass of wine. Aunt Mimi taught Caroline to find what she lives and to hold onto it. Caroline finds her love for a career, and in purses, but a true love seems to be out of reach. Or is it standing right in front of her? Suzanne Barbetta did a wonderful job with the narration. I loved how she brought out the amazing friendship of Caroline and Mike. Suzanne's narration brought the characters to life. It was easy to follow along with Suzanne's different tones for each character. I loved Aunt Mimi's narration. Suzanne narrated Aunt Mimi exactly as I would have imagined her.

Worth a Shot!

Clutch is a light, fun read that will have you laughing out loud sometimes and frustrated at other times. Join Caroline in the world of dating as she tries to find her “Happily Ever After,” her Clutch. Early on, you know how this is going to end. I didn’t mind that, but I was interested to see how we would get there. Caroline went on a series of dates over time, and each guy represented a purse of some sort. In a weird kind of way, some of the guys I found a little endearing, while I found others tried my nerves a bit. Reading about Caroline’s dating escapades did give some exaggerated misadventures, but over glasses of wine, it was fun to hear her tell her best friend and bar owner, Mike, about them. One of my issues with this was there really wasn’t any character building. At times it felt as though you knew more about Caroline’s dates than Caroline… or Mike for that matter. As someone who hasn’t been to California (yet), it would have been nice to have some sort of details about Caroline’s surroundings. Becker’s writing is fun and easy, making this an interesting read. She accurately describes everyone’s fear of growing old alone. The narration by Suzanne Barbetta was spot on with each character creation. Each character was distinct and brought to life. While predictable, it was still worth the read.

Such a sweet listen

Such an easy, sweet listen. A typical chick Lit. I love the way the men are matched to handbags during Caroline’s dating fiascos. It was entertaining and well narrated and whilst didn’t having me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what happens next, it kept my attention and was never boring . It evoked smiles and warmth.

I want a clutch now

Thanks for brightening my day! This was a good story, a little predictable but so fun to listen to the heroine working her way trough the different types of men and all their shortcomings. It’s not easy to find the perfect handbag and if you are a little oblivious to what’s right in front of you it’s going to take some time. Same goes for the perfect man.

Loved this story

“Find something you love and hold on to it”, that’s what my Aunt Mimi always says. That is what this story is about. It took Caroline a handbag designer and several botched, a few disastrous dates to figure out till see finally see’s that the person she should be holding on to was there in front of her all along. Thank you Lisa for gifting me this gem, I loved it. Suzanne in her narration helped make this story fun and enjoyable.

Clutch

This is a really fun listen. Caroline is a true southern lady always trying to be polite and sweet, but she gets abused a lot for that and her best friend Mike tries to help her break that habit. I loved her aunt, I wish she would have had a bigger part in the book. She was a great character. About 3/4 of the way through the book I was tired of Caroline's ways and totally ready for her to wake up and see what everyone else around her saw. I am so glad she finally did. The narration is nice and I enjoyed the narrators southern Caroline voice. She really brought this story to life.

Lol!!!

I laughed a whole lot during this book! It was great! Narration was good too. She did a good job portraying everyone. I felt some of it was kinda predictable, but the comparisons were hilarious! 🎧 AudiobookObsession

Not your typical romance

Mike and Caroline are best friends and have been since graduate school. Although they did have one romantic entanglement, they decided they were better as friends rather than lovers. And they did it- they became best friends. This was a story about Caroline’s quest for love. It was funny how she compared her men to the type of purse (I mean, I totally appreciate the pros and cons of all the different types of purses and I do love clutches!) The banter between Charlotte and Mike was hilarious and those are the parts of the book I enjoyed most. I have to admit this was different than the books I usually read as the major characters really were friends for the large majority of the book so we have to hear about their romantic escapades with other men and women (mostly hers with other men). Not my preference and it kind of made the ending a little unbelievable in my eyes but the book was well written overall. I received this book from #AudiobookObsession, #AudiobookObsessionReviewer. Suzanne Barbetta was great- She had a funny southern accent that made me laugh just because it felt a little exaggerated but in a good way, very comedic. And she played the multiple roles of the book very well- I liked how she narrated the interactions between Charlotte and Mike.

4.5 stars

This story was a lot of fun to listen to. It's the story of Mike and Caroline as they meet on their first day and it follows them along their road to find their passions. The story flowed really well, the characters were relatable, the narration was exactly right, and it made for a great listening experience. I just love being able to lose my self in the characters. 🎧AudiobookObsessionReviewer

Cute, Sassy, Fun!

Such a cute read chronicling the funny yet disastrous dating life of a handbag designer. It may also include a hot as sin best friend and some crazy situations, but you will never know unless you read it! The narration was fun and quirky. I will definitely be looking up more books narrated by Suzanne Barbetta. 🎧AudiobookObsession🎧

Loved it!!!!!

Absolutely loved Caroline and Mike! It was a lot of fun to accompany this love story! Loved the narration as well! Perfect!

light hearted and fun

Lisa Becker was a new author to me, this was the first book of hers that I've listened to. It was a light hearted and fun story that had me smiling as I listened. Great narration helped with the story.