Not as Planned

The Ladies Who Brunch, Book 4

By: Harlow James

Narrated by: Connor Crais, CJ BLoom

Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

“So you’re single?”

“Are you seriously hitting on me right now while I have breastmilk all over my shirt?”

When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked. Not only was the man Gabe Kapler’s doppelganger, but he was also a pilot and good with babies, which my six month-old daughter could attest to as she settled in his arms while I changed into his shirt, contemplating all of my life choices at that moment.

Being a single mom is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but that was the decision I made when I chose to have a child via sperm donor since I was tired of waiting on Mr. Right.

But suddenly, Mr. I’m-Too-Sexy-for-my-Shirt appears in my life—not only once, but twice—and has me wondering where the hell he’s been and why I didn’t meet him sooner?

Grant demonstrates time and again that he’s invested in me and my daughter, shows up for me when I need him the most, and makes my toes curl in a way I didn’t know was possible.

He’s perfect. Our relationship is perfect.
Until it’s not.

When the inkling that I’m missing something comes to fruition, there’s only one question I need to answer…

Will my heart end up broken like every time before, leaving me destined to be alone?

Or could our path to find one another prove that not everything happens as planned?

©2023 Harlow James (P)2024 Harlow James

Let Grant Taylor fly into your life

🎧ALC AUDIO REVIEW🎧
NOT AS PLANNED
📚By: Harlow James
🎤Narrated by CJ Bloom & Connor Crais

Harlow James has outdone herself with the 4th book in this series. She's written literally the perfect book about being a mother, whether you're single or not & how falling in love can complete the dream you've been wishing for all your life. Every mother, new mom, woman whose pregnant needs to read this book. I think back to being a new mom & how hard it was & this book would have saved me so much time feeling the "mom guilt." Feeling like I was not a good mom because the career I had, I stopped, & now I didn't know who I was without it. Motherhood changed my identity. There were days I didn't feel like I wanted to be a mom, felt exhausted & wanted a break from my child. Feeling guilt of wanting to go to the store by myself or have dinner with my girlfriends because society told me this was my #1 responsibility. Motherhood is a part of me, not all of me. It's a role I play along with many others & that's ok. Harlow's writing of what it's like to be a new mom, her description of situations gone bad & embarrassing circumstances hits home hard & real! A book that brought me utter joy with every word I listened to & reminded me that my feelings were valid back then & I still loved my children despite feeling all of that. My kids were and still are my world.
Noelle is a single mother, a successful literary agent, who decides to have a baby on her own because she hasn't found "the one." Life hasn't gone like she outlined for herself years ago. She feels all the feels of new motherhood & her friends are right there cheering her on, giving her support & great advice.
She literally runs into Grant Thomas, a hot pilot, & he gives her the shirt off his back (his uniform shirt) because baby Scarlett has made a mess of hers. Their attraction is fast & they fall hard. Noelle is feeling overwhelmed & discouraged & Grant.....GAH, there is not a more perfect man. He is everything. He listens to her, really listens, making little mental notes along the way & I haven't fallen this hard for a fictional man ever! Truth!🙌 He helps her with Scarlett, gives her time for herself & with her girlfriends. He's perfect & she's wondering where he's been all her life. He shows up time & time again for her & her baby but Noelle has the notion that she's missing something & things finally come to a head. She's wondering if she'll end up with a broken heart again or if their paths crossed for a reason because not everything always happens as planned.
CJ Bloom is astounding as Noelle, depicting the exhaustion, anxiety, & fear of being a new mom. She's emotional, funny, dramatic, & delightful. I can't say enough about her performance. She's an enchantress.
Connor Crais....well, suffice it to say, when he would say "How are my girls?" I melted like snow on a sunny day, sinking down like soft pudding.🥵 He turns the thermostat up & you'll be sweatin' from swooniness. He's absolutely perfect as the tender, protective, thoughtful & loving Grant.
Every woman needs to read this book. It reminds you that happiness isn't a destination, it's a choice. We are mothers but that's not ALL we are. The women before we were mothers still matters. We're gonna have curve balls thrown at us, but the way we react to them is what will make the difference in how we feel about our lives. The IF and WHEN is trivial, it's the WHO that truly makes us happy! Thanks for reminding me that Harlow!💕

Thanks to @homecookedbooks for providing the copy. All thoughts are my own, honest opinions.

“You are the end of my new beginning, Noelle."

Not As Planned was the fourth book in the Ladies Who Brunch series and it’s finally Noelle’s turn. After years of searching for Mr. Right, Noelle decided to have the baby she always wanted by herself. Now she’s a single mother who is juggling motherhood and her job as a literary agent when she meets Grant. He’s an airplane pilot who seems too good to be true, but he’s facing some demons of his own. I loved watching the relationship develop between Noelle and Grant. They were perfection together with baby Scarlett.

I loved how realistically Noelle was portrayed with her struggles with single motherhood. She loved her baby so much, but it was difficult doing it all. Grant was such a sweetheart with how he stepped in from the moment they met to help her with Scarlett. He re-affirmed her as a mother and as woman in such a beautiful way.

Grant struggled with his own issues due to a past illness and how it changed the trajectory of his life. He was absolutely swoony even when he was also facing his own doubts and insecurities.

The audio was voiced by powerhouse duo Connor Crais and CJ Bloom. They brought the story to life and made me feel every emotion that the characters faced. Grant and Noelle were couple goals with how in tune they were with each other and how they supported one another through all of life’s challenges. Not As Planned was a emotional and angsty perfection and I loved every minute of this amazing series.

Grant & Noelle

Is there anything sexier than a man who would offer you the shirt off his back?! Grant and Noelle’s story definitely had a unique start. A handsome man in uniform showing off his gentlemanly ways and don’t get me started on his sweet interactions with Scarlett. Noelle always seemed to be the quietest of the brunch ladies, but the love of a good man helps her find her voice. It was entertaining listening to CJ Bloom and Connor Crais bring this series to a close.

Sweet and Spicy

Not As Planned is the 4th book in The Ladies Who Brunch series by Harlow James. The series follows four women who met in college and have formed quite the girl squad. Not As Planned follows Noelle and Grant’s love story. Each story from this series is so unique! You can’t help but love this group of girls and the way they support each other.

When Noelle’s life doesn't go as she planned, she takes life into her own hands and becomes a single mother to her sweet baby Scarlett. A few months after Scarlett is born she meets Grant. Grant is a commercial airline pilot who has given up on love after surviving a traumatic past experience. The two bump into each other at a coffee shop and the attraction is instant. After leaking through her shirt (IYKYK) Grant literally gives her the shirt off of his back. SWOON!

I absolutely loved this book! Not only was it spicy and romantic but the description of motherhood was spot on! Noelle’s struggles and internal thoughts were all too relatable. No matter how much you want to be a mother, or what you go through to become one, your feelings of wanting a break or missing your old life are completely valid and I feel like Harlow James captured that so well in this book.

The narration was perfect! I mean at one point Connor Crais is reading a romance book, within a romance book. Does it get better than that?! This was my first time listening to CJ Bloom and I loved it! She was the perfect Noelle. She also captured all of the other women so well. Anytime all of the women were together she did such a wonderful job giving each of them a unique voice, I never had to wonder which character was speaking.

Sweet, swoony and babies ❤️

Short quick easy listen. Connor Crais as Grant was top tier! Loved the female character as well!

Me. I’m Too Sexy For My Shirt

Not As Planned- Harlow James
Narrated by CJ Bloom and Connor Crais

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

I loved this so much. I am not a mom but I imagine this book would resonate with moms, especially at those beginning stages with your first kid and you’re just trying to figure it out. I loved that this wasn’t your typical story. I did guess at the beginning what the big twist was and I predicted half right, but I liked that it wasn’t completely predictable and didn’t go where I thought it was going to go. It was very emotional but still so funny. This was my first series by Harlow James and I’ve just been blown away by how the characters are so funny but she can still get super emotional with some heavy topics, literally crying one line and cackling laughing the next.

CJ Bloom and Connor Crais did amazing in this narration. Connor did such a great job handling the heavy emotional stuff in Grant’s past and CJ was stunning in her portrayal of Noelle and her acceptance of everything Grant had and her growth from beginning to end. There was one part where Noelle was talking about Grant’s big muscular arms and all I could picture was Connor’s arms. Is that the real reason Harlow cast Connor as Grant? 😂😂😂

Love everything about this story

"We don't leave impressions on this planet by what we do, but by our relationships with others. " Grant

Noelle has always played it safe, but when she meets a sexy pilot who saves her day at a coffee shop, all bets are off.

Grant gives her the shirt off his back, literally, and then another chance encounter has them both thinking they shouldn't let this opportunity go and see where it takes them

I have thoroughly enjoyed each book in this series, but I have to say, this one has my heart. I love that Grant truly sees Noelle, and he gives her experiences she's never had. He's pure swoon.

I always enjoy listening to Connor Crais and CJ Bloom and their performances of these characters is beautiful. I felt the emotion of Grant's pain, knowing he possibly could not give Noelle a future she may want. As a mom myself, I could also feel the emotions of Noelle always questioning her choices as a mother. These two give a stellar performance.

"Happiness isn't a destination, it's a choice" Noelle

No swoonier man has ever been written!

Book Title: Not as Planned
Ladies Who Brunch book 4
By: Harlow James
Narrated by: Connor Crais and CJ Bloom

Dual narration
Pilot
Single mom
Infertility
Found family

Narration: 🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

📚Story Summary and Review📚
Noelle Parker: “lover of romance, believer of soul mates”, planner, and “type A” to a tee. Tired of waiting for her Mr. Right Noelle takes matters into her own hands and makes herself the mom she always wanted to be via sperm donor. Tired, overwhelmed, and covered in leaked breast milk, Noelle meets the swooniest and most chivalrous man on the planet. A dead ringer for Gabe Kepler, he leaves her nothing short of speechless.

I devoured this story and it easily moved into first place of the series for me. There were so many laughs! Noelle goes on a rant about her ex’s that will have you rolling. The funniest part is that Harlow said they’re all true stories from readers! 😂🫣

Not As Planned wholly and accurately reflects the trials and tribulations of motherhoods. The good, bad, ugly, and smelly….And the MOM GUILT!

@harlowjamesauthor writes the most relatable and real life characters. I cannot express my gratitude enough that Not as Planned captures just a glimpse of the internalized emotion and struggle surrounding infertility.

Having experienced a not so straight forward journey myself, the emotion and connection I felt for these two fictional characters was off the charts! These two could easily be our friends, family, or neighbors and it was truly a beautiful reminder that we never really know what others are going through, and there’s no right way to make a family.

🎧❤️Audiobook Review❤️🎧
In the world of narration, @carleyrobinson and @connorcrais are remarkable talents who consistently mesmerize me with their captivating performances. Their seamless delivery, rich character portrayals, and impeccable pacing make every listening experience unforgettable. It's simply another job well done, they consistently deliver nothing but excellence.

Special thanks to: @homecookedbooks and Harlow James for this ALC. It was my pleasure.

**These are my own honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.

My favorite in the series that I love so much!!

Reason why is because Noelle and Grant make you believe in dreams becoming reality, love, second chances, and that everyone deserves to find their person.

Noelle is perhaps the most daring of the four best friends’ when she decided enough and wasn’t going to wait around for Mr. Right anymore to have a baby on her own. She pretty much had written off the notion that she would find him and just be on her own with her daughter the rest of their lives.

Grant, like Noelle, no longer believed that he would find the person he was meant to be with. He had been badly burned by his last girlfriend after she left him fighting for his life on his own.

Fate brought them together giving each other the most perfect gifts. They are romantic, sweet and beautiful along with also showing their intense passion and mad chemistry. Grant will make you swoon!

We could not ask for more perfect narrators than Connor Crais and CJ Bloom. They were meant to portray Grant and Noelle. I fell in love with these characters so much they made me wish the story didn’t have to end.
Harlow James, this series will hold a special place in my heart ..


"Scooting closer to her, something hard digs into my side. “Crap. What is this?” She reaches under me and extracts a small tablet. “Oh, that’s my Kindle. Sorry.” “Did you finish your book?” “No. I got close, though. Unfortunately, I had to stop at a sex scene, because I didn’t want to get myself all worked up in the bath.” I press the button to awaken the screen. “Well, why don’t we read it together?”

The joys of motherhood

This book could also have been called “How to be a Mom”. The relatable information Noel shared was spot on. Grant was the most charming mmc I’ve read in a long time. I mean he literally gave her the shirt off his back! He was sweet, caring and supportive. The way he loved that baby made me weak in the knees. C. J. Bloom was stellar as Noel and well, Connor Crais was just dashing as Grant. Throughly enjoyed this one from a phenomenal series. Way to bring it to an end.