Excess Baggage (Standalone)

Publisher's Summary

Stuck in a dead-end relationship, Erica Bennett finds herself daydreaming of her first holiday romance. She was 15, and it was exciting, new, and full of possibilities...and Jack Lawson was hot as hell. That kind of thing leaves a mark.

So when her friends suggest a girls' holiday to Luna Island, it’s exactly what she needs to take her mind off things. What she doesn’t expect is to spot Jack - a much older, hotter version of him - across the hotel lobby.

Their attraction is still there, and it isn’t long before sparks fly, but 15 years is a long time. They aren’t the same people they were back then, and besides, it’s only a week, right? Is it a second chance at something real, or will their excess baggage ruin their shot at love after they leave Luna Island?

©2017 Laura Barnard (P)2019 Laura Barnard

Cute short story

The story is cute but typical. The narrator's voice was anoying to me. She flowed well but her tone is grating. This is a basic 2nd chance book but I'm glad I took the time to listen.

Entertaining short listen

4.5 Stars for Audio Review of Excess Baggage
I have read a few books by Laura Barnard but as I’m fairly new to Audio books Penny Scott-Andrews the narrator is new to me.
Excess Baggage is a second chance romance mixed with some hilarious laugh out loud moments especially the scene at the Water Park. Erica Bennett is away on a trip with her girlfriends and the last person she expects to bump into is Jack Lawson the man who broke her heart. First loves are always special and for Erica and Jack it seems nothing has changed over time, the attraction and chemistry are still there so with the help of some interfering girlfriends life starts to heat up once again for this couple who fate has given a second chance at love to.
Sizzling chemistry, witty banter, great friends and a entertaining plot all added up to make Excess Baggage an enjoyable fun listen.
The narrator did a great job with so many characters to portray.

A good story

This is a second chance at love story and although I have read several books form Laura Barnard, the narrator Penny Scott-Andrews is new to me.
This is not a particularly long book to listen to and although I enjoyed the story line I could not get into the narrator at all.
A girls trip away leads Erica Bennett to a blast from the past, when she comes face to face with her first love Jack Lawson, the man who broke her heart. However, the attraction is still there and now all that needs to be considered is whether they should act on it since nothing has really changed from when they were 15.
The chemistry between Erica and Jack is intense and thanks to their interfering friends life becomes complicated. I really enjoyed the camaraderie with the secondary characters who were entertaining.
Can Erica and Jack, get through the emotional baggage from their past and in doing so create a future or should they quit while they are ahead?

Sweet audible that will make you smile and laugh

Erica is stuck in a relationship she doesn't want and when her friends tell her they should all go for a getaway Erica agrees. What Erica didn't plan on was seeing her first love there Jack. Erica met Jack when she was 15 her first love and heartache and now there both grown up! Will they reconnect or will Jack and Erica make it a just a getaway romance since they both have separate lives? Will they both tell each other how they feel? Great second hilarious chance romance that will have you laughing and swooning at the same time. Plus the narrator made the story come to life! 4/5 stars

Fun second chance, vacation romance

This is a great second chance, vacation romance. This is the story of Erica and Jack. They had a fling on vacation as teenagers. Their relationship ended up in heartbreak. Years later they are both adults and moved on with their lives. By chance they are on vacation at the same place. The feelings they both tried to forget resurface. There are complications of course. It was a fun story to follow. I wanted these two together so bad. I am a sucker for second chance romances. Jack had me swooning for sure. I loved Erica. She was fun and I could relate to her inner turmoils. The supporting characters were also fun, the friends with them on vacation. I would love to see another book with these characters. Narrator Penny Scott-Andrews does a great job telling the story to the listener. I loved her voice and she was a perfect Erica. Even when she reads Jack's parts I heard Jack as a male not a female. This is a great read/listen that will become a quick favorite.

Second Chance at love

Erica and Jack fell in love as teenagers but being teenagers it was hard to maintain a long distance relationship. They broke up. Fast forward fifteen years and Erica is on vacation with her girlfriends. Who appears at the same hotel? Jack. Her first love. The one that got away. The one who broke her heart and made her feel unworthy for a long time. What follows is a hilarious (on Erica's part) story of the same chemistry that they had as kids and fighting the attraction but at the same time not. Will it work out this time? Can they make it work?
This is a sweet 'short' second chance romance that will crack you up and also make you facepalm yourself at Erica's unfortunate happenings. I highly recommend.
Penny Scott-Andrews does an amazing job bringing to life all the characters and I'm going to keep her on my watchlist.

A great Short Listen

This audio is perfect for when we feel unsure what you need, it has funny situations, a dash of second chance love story with a twist that turned into a secret revealed in the end. it was written as a perfect getaway to find young love remicing.

This Narrator did an outstanding performance creating a whole gang of characters making them as unique as possible to the listener.

Second chances

3.5 stars

An enjoyable, fun second chance romance.

I listened to this in audio. Brilliantly narrated.

I loved the whole girls on holiday, getting away, letting their hair down kind of story with girly times, laughter, humour, flirting, sassy & witty British character's, which gave it a Bridget Jones kind of feel. Throw in a group of boys and Erica meeting her first love from a holiday way back when she was a teenager at just fifteen and this girly holiday turns into a sexy second chance romance.
Fun read with plenty of giggles.
​Told in first person dual pov. leads to a hea with a surprise I didn't see coming so I also felt it was a little bit of a rushed ending but overall I liked it.

A Great Listen

Excess Baggage is a great book, but I will say it's even better to listen to. Penny Scott-Andrews was the perfect narrator for this, although I found her voice a little baby-ish at times, I think it was just right for Erica's character.

This a great second chance romance, with lots of humour. Its a good job I work by myself as I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times.

If you like a light read or listen and a bit of humour I highly recommend this Audio.