Hello Darling

By: Kayley Loring

Narrated by: Shane East, Mackenzie Cartwright

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Millions of women all over the world would drop their knickers for British movie star Evan Hunter. Now he’s falling for the one American woman who won’t...yet.

Everyone on Main Street has been talking about Evan Hunter, the British movie star who’ll be filming on location in our small Pacific Northwest town for a couple of months, and all I have to say about that is: “Who?”

When he shows up two weeks early to escape the London paparazzi after breaking up with some starlet, all I want to know is: “So?”

When he walks into the gym that I manage for my dad and brothers, to start training for the action scenes in his movie, I’ll admit I do say to myself: “Hmmm...”

But he’s not my type. I’ll take a fireman or a lumberjack over a pretty actor any day - I don’t care how blue his eyes are, how chiseled his features or how crackling our chemistry has been from the first “hello.”

Okay, so it turns out Mr. Charming and Sophisticated isn’t quite the polite English gentleman when we’re alone together in private. He may, in fact, be a filthy-mouthed sex god. He may, impossibly, have his sights set on me.

Obviously, there’s only one way for me to prove to him that I’m immune to this British actor nonsense. I’m going to prove it to him so hard.

But I have rules for flings with out-of-towners and I will continue to enforce them, even with ridiculously beautiful international film stars. Even though he gets along so well with my family. Even though we somehow seem to understand each other in ways that no one else ever could. Even if he makes me wonder what it’s like out there in the world outside of this coastal paradise I’ve always called home.

I’m staying right where I am, no matter where he claims to want to take me with him when he leaves.

Every time he says “Hello Darling,” all I hear is: “goodbye heart.”

©2018 Kayley Loring (P)2020 Kayley Loring

Hello, Darling!!!

In the mood for a good love story? How about a book about a famous British actor? If you love swoony, romantic leads, you are going to love Evan Hunter. A famous public figure, he is enamored with Stella. She is a hard working woman with a cat she adores, and after a few encounters is taken in by the charms of Evan. Keeping things light is the name of the game, quiet, out of the public eye and casual, this couple is enjoying each other. But can they continue on that way? Will they be seen by the paparazzi? Will feelings get in the way? And a bicoastal relationship is impossible, right? Kayley Loring keeps me so engaged when I am listening to her stories. Her characters become good friends of mine, and Evan and Stella were the best! Great banter, incredible chemistry and a little bit of angst make this couple one of my favorites. Evan is wonderful. Romantic, good reputation, monogamous and very up front, he is the man we all drool over on screen. Stella is all of us. Loves being with him, but will find every excuse not to invest that last bit of her heart. Loring melds these two together, with laughter, passion and love. It's a fantastic story, one you do not want to miss.

Loring chose her narrators so perfectly, it was like she wrote the characters with these voices in mind. Shane East is Evan Hunter. His voice is smooth, and romantic, an incredible fit for his personality and had me falling in the first chapter. Stella needed a little coaxing, and her hesitation, and affection comes through with Mackenzie Cartwright's voice. These two give an incredible performance and kept me completely entertained.

Hello Shane East

I am glad I didn’t listen to the not so great reviews about this book. I found it funny and heartwarming. Shane East was superb. I hope there are more books based around the side characters in this book to come soon.

Funny and enjoyable

A fun listen with a little angst thrown in of course.

Narration was great and fun.
Enjoy

A TRUE GEM OF A STORY

Oh Kayley Kayley Kayley.. you’ve done it again!.. you’ve created two loveable characters, made them from very different worlds stirred the pot with sizzling chemistry, free-flowing banter, animal attraction, sex, sass, family, end dates, conflicts of the heart vs the head.. and love love love. It’s a wonderful swoony and sweet romance. It’s an adorable, charismatic, charming, handsome English actor romancing a down-to-earth ‘girl next door’ type Yoga Instructor/Gym Manager who just sees the man behind his famous face.. but feels unworthy of the Mega Movie Star. It’s family roots and small town comforts.. it’s private bubbles, laughs and no strings flings.. its a Thanksgiving Day welcome to the family. It’s saucy and sexy.. with passions and pleasures.. being brave, achieving balance and happy ever afters. And it’s a beautiful blossoming of love.. with a side-order of heartache when someone acts on their doubts.

WORTH A CREDIT? OMG YES - this dual POV love story was so damn entertaining with its laughs and feel-good appeal.. and Shane and Mackenzie were the perfect fit for this couple because they brought the skill and magic that made this story into a compelling audiobook. Swoon-worthy, drool-worthy, sweet, heartfelt, highly-charged chemistry, delicious and with a lickable leading man ;)

Fun, funny, and thoroughly romantic rom com

I loved this listen! I'm a huge fan of Shane East, for sure, but he has to have the right words to deliver a performance this great, and Kayley Loring definitely put the right words in his mouth. and Mackenzie Cartwright was a great female lead.

This story has so much heart and humor, and plenty of heat to leave a romance novel fan satisfied. The humor was off the charts!

Highly recommended - scoop it up now if you're a fan of LOL rom-coms with heat.

The Brit Movie Star and The Yoga Instructor

Stella Starkey has lived her whole live in Port Gladstone, where she manages the family-owned gym and teaches yoga. She is pretty much content living there.

She doesn't do flings with out-of-towners, so when pretty boy British movie star Evan Hunter waltzes into her gym to train for his new movie being shot in the town she goes "hmmm' but she has no interest in the man whatsoever. Right?

Pretty boy Evan is more a Henry Cavill/Hugh Grant hybrid than the Jason Momoa lumberjack types that appeal to Stella, but he is going to dial his charm up to 11 if it means catching Stella's eye...and her heart. 

I absolutely loved loved loved this book! Evan is a movie star but a very level-headed one and he's so in need of something "real "in life and you can't get more real than no-nonsense Stella. I love their banter and how besotted he is with her. I wanted to knock her over the head with a frying pan and say "he loves you, girl!!!!" a few times, but well, it's a romance novel and we need a little conflict. I also loved how the "conflict" was not someone else thrown in or something bad one does to the other. They just needed to recalibrate things and finally get their HEA. Loved it! 

Added bonus: how can you not fall in love with a guy whose inner monologues are in Hugh Grant's voice???

And I want to change my ringtone to HELLO DARLING. 

Narration: Mackenzie Cartwright is a goddess and can't do no wrong and (even though I think he has narrated EVERY.SINGLE. BRITISH.CHARACTER in romance - well, Jacob Morgan does it too - ) Shane East is always a joy to listen to. His voice is like warm honey and British accents are swoony.   

Wow!! Sorry for the long review..(not sorry)

I’m truly disappointed in myself for not listening to this book sooner. I’m a proud/avid KL connoisseur and I’m just so sad this wasn’t in my life until now. I have three post-it notes worth of notes, but I mainly want to give a standing ovation, all around.

Kayley delivers a sweet, hilarious and HOLY-CRAP type of “hotness” story in Hello Darling. The relationship between Stella and her family makes me really jealous and I just want to give them all a hug. One of the many things about Kayley’s writing that I love is that I can count on her to not rip my heart out and shove it in a blender while in the middle of falling for these characters. There is very little angst but still just enough to pull at your heart and round out the heroine. You understand her better without needing a box and a half of Kleenex.

Can we talk about Mackenzie freaking Cartwright for a second?? WOW.
I am just blown away by the talent that she has and it’s no wonder why Kayley has adopted her. Her accents are perfection, her tone is AMAZING and the fluidity in her narration is incredible. You literally make me laugh out loud with the way you articulate the writing.

Ok, Mr. East.. I have enjoyed your talent for a while, but HELLO, DARLING. Phenomenal performance. I don’t want to get repetitive, but so much skill in this narration! Your American accent is fantastic and you made my glasses fog. Also, you said “muffin top” and I’ll giggle forever for it.

I cannot recommend this read/listen enough! Go buy it… NOW!

Happy reading/listening!

Darling Indeed! 😍⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Swoony, British hero ✔️
Opposites attract ✔️
Sizzling chemistry ✔️
Fun banter ✔️

If love all these things than you need HELLO DARLING playing in your headphones! Evan and Stella’s story is all things romance and swoons with just enough drama and angst to keep me well invested.

Narration was performed by Shane East and Mackenzie Cartwright. I’ve never come across a narration by both these powerhouse narrators that I didn’t absolutely love. This was no different. They were the perfect Evan and Stella and enjoyed every minute.

another I loved by author

between the fantastic narration and a story line that not only can has you connecting to the characters but laughing out loud at some atics with the complementary eyebrows comments I would swoon in one chapter and use the giggles the next definitely a recommend.

Audiobook Obsessions 🎧

Get ready to laugh A LOT

I’m all for a royal, dark, brooding, or billionaire Shane East performance, but it’s not said enough that he does comedic work is just as great. “Hello Darling” is a perfect representation of that.

This is also only my second Mackenzie Cartwright experience and she lives up to the hype. Will definitely be adding her to my favorite female narrator list.

This is also my second Kayley Loring book and her writing is sassy and superb. I rarely have laugh out loud moments when reading and this book got me several times.

Now I’m going to spend my Sunday with a Hugh Grant marathon. 💗