Live and Let Grow

By: Penny Reid

Narrated by: Joe Arden, Fiona Fischer

Length: 1 hr and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Alice is in love with her best friend. Now all she needs to do is tell him.  

Best buds Milo Manganiello and Alice Hooper have been the one constant in each other's lives for over 15 years. The charismatic and compassionate physics professor was there when Alice got married, and he was there 10 years later when she got divorced. Likewise, the candid and kind computer science professor has always been there for Milo. She babysits his apartment and plethora of houseplants when he's traveling, and they share breakfast together every day he's in town. Alice wasn't always in love with Milo, but the feeling has grown, and when Milo returns from his latest globe-trotting adventure, Alice decides it's time to spill the seeds. 

Does Alice have the grit to confess? And will feelings take root? Or is hers a love destined never to bloom? 

Live and Let Grow is a 14k-word (short) contemporary romance of long-suffering unrequited love and can be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

©2021 Cipher-Naught (P)2021 Cipher-Naught

Be warned

This books ends in a very erotic way, so if you don’t want this avoid this story. I loved the story and wished this had a warning on it so I could have avoided it.

Knuckle headed professors finally fess up to ❤️

Good thing the story starts at the end, essentially giving us the final chapter of this rom-com, after Milo and Alice have each spent years in the friend zone through their own bone-headedness. I would normally find the lack of communication annoyingly implausible, but this was so short, fun and sweet that I didn’t mind. This was a surprisingly complete story for a 1.5 hr novella. There’s 2-3 F bombs and 1 nooky scene after they finally fess up to their mutual love.

Veeeeeerrrrry short unrequited (but not really) romance

This is a condensed, short story that has all the elements of a romance but falls short for me when it comes to the resolution. It seems like after 15 years of unrequited love, the end of a 17 year marriage, and 2-3 years of seeming unrequited love that there would be way more issues to discuss. And to hop back into marriage after suddenly realizing the love IS “requited”. Eh, I was just a bit skeptical.
What worked was the characterization of Alice, I would have liked to see more of her intelligence, more about her green thumb etc. But I liked her quirkiness, love how Penny Reid does quirky heroines.
Milo fell a bit flat for me, I needed more about him. Everything we know is basically encompassed by his love and longing for Alice and how he’s coped over the years.

Sooo good! 🙌🏻

This short story was soooo good yall! 10/10. Penny literally doesn’t have it in her to write a bad story 😂 Definitely worth reading 👌🏻

Surprisingly Disappointing

I really like Penny Reid, but this wasn't good. Male but not female narrator was good.

Slow going

Slow going, wish there'd been another couple 'parts', but I've read so many other of Penny's books, rather I listened to so many others that my expectations were different. If this is your first Penny Reid book... don't give up! Listen to the Knitting in the City series next! Then the Winston Brothers. You'll be hooked. Thanks Penny!

Novella

Story is short but complete. Lovely characters even the well meaning sister with the bad advice.

CUTE STORY

This is a light listen and bright me back to earlier stories. Quick and fun story.

Short and Sweet

I appreciate this short story but I wish it was longer. So much potential. Worth a listen.

Steamy romance short

This focused on my least favorite romance trope - miscommunication. Otherwise I may have enjoyed it more. Since it was a really short read I don’t know that you could even call it a slow burn but it had a steamy scene at the end which seemed like it came out of nowhere. It was just okay. Would maybe be interested in other books if the author has other romance that doesn’t focus on miscommunication.