Perky

By: Julia Kent

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's Summary

An all-new stand-alone from New York Times best-selling author Julia Kent

One hundred years ago when I was young and impulsive (okay, it was five, alright? Five years ago...) I let my boyfriend take, let's just say...compromising pictures of me. 

(Shut up. It made sense at the time.) 

Surprise! The sleazy back-stabbing jerk posted them on a website and, well, you can guess what happened. That’s right. 

I’m a meme. A really gross one. 

You've seen the pictures. And if you haven't - don’t ask. And don't look! 

As face recognition software online improves, I get tagged on social media whenever anyone shares my pictures. You try getting a thousand notifications a day, all of them pictures of your tatas. 

So. I’m done. 

It’s time for revenge. Let him see how it feels! But how do you get embarrassingly intimate pictures of your jerkface ex who double-crossed you five years ago? 

Especially when he’s a member of the US House of Representatives now? 

Getting sweet between the sheets with a congressman is pretty much every political roadie’s dream, right? I’m one in a crowd. 

Except to this day, he swears he didn’t do it. Pursued me for months after I dumped him five years ago. Begged me to take him back. 

And I almost did it. Almost. I was weak and stupid and in love a hundred years ago. 

Okay. Fine. Five. 

But I still have the upper hand. Second chance romance has all the emotional feels, doesn’t it? 

I can’t wait to punch him in the feels. 

All I need to do is sleep with him once, take some hot-and-sweaty pics of him in...delicate positions, and bring him down. That’s it. Nothing more. 

Pictures first. Revenge after. And then I win. 

At least, that’s how it was supposed to happen. But then I did something worse than sexting.

I fell in love with him. Again.

©2019 Julia Kent (P)2019 Prosaic Press

Hilarious, but sometimes frustrating romcom

Overall 3 stars
Performance 5 stars
Story 2.5 stars

I laughed a ton in this second chance/enemies to lovers romance. We met Perky in the previous book Fluffy, but this story can still be enjoyed as a standalone. It will be most appreciated though if you read the books in order.

Perky starts off pretty much where the previous book left off, but I don't think new listeners will have much trouble getting up to speed. There are lots of over the top and hilarious moments throughout, but the main drama was a little too drawn out for me. Perky's constant running away and refusal to talk to Parker got old pretty quickly. When any opportunity would arise for them to actually speak, they would choose to speak with their bodies, which was hot, but also frustrating. It was clear where the plot was going/what the big reveal would be early on, and I wasn't a fan of the OW drama thrown in just for drama's sake. The best part of the book for me was Parker. He was all in from the very start and his tenacity and loyalty were so endearing. He was so honest about his feelings for Perky and I can't tell you how much I appreciated that he didn't sow his wild oats during their separation.

There was lots of page time with Perky's BFF's, Mallory and Fiona. I love all of their friendships. The Taco Cubed scene and discussion had me cackling! (The ratio!) Some the energy/witches talk though was a bit much and I felt like it killed some of the momentum. Erin Mallon is fantastic as usual in this romcom. Her comedic timing is perfect and I'm always impressed by her ability to voice both male and female characters so wonderfully. She narrates with so much enthusiasm and feeling. The book ended with a great set up for Feisty's story and I'm looking forward to learning more about her and Fletch next!

🎧AudiobookObsession

Stagnant

Book really didn’t progress, it felt very stagnant. There were unnecessary events and characters that did nothing for the story. Heroine and hero didn’t share a lot together until towards the end. Nothing really happened until almost the end. Overall I found it boring and shallow. The heroine is not likeable and a lot of nagging between friends . This is my first time reading this author and the last time.

Great follow up to book 1!

I usually have my audio books on while working and can follow the story more or less. This one I had to keep rewinding because the ‘wait, what did she just say?!’ moments kept on coming. This was funny and very fun to listen to!

What a dreamy and not Perky story!

Another great book by Julia Trent with stellar narration from Erin Mallon.

A second chance romance that was actually just THE romance. The end all be all. IT. OTP and everything. The melding of old money and new money with a couple that doesn’t hold wealth as a weight for their worth. A dreamy guy who is 100% in it and a passionate woman who is hurt by a misunderstanding she never knew. The banter is quick and Erin is totally on top of it. This book made me laugh out loud and made me want my own 28th emotion with a man.

A lovely romcom that just made my day.

Funny, Perky, and Sassy

Erin Mallon does a fantastic job delivering the no nonsense wit and sassy back talk.

Perky meets the love of her life when she was arrested. Parker falls hard for Perky until their photo goes viral.

Parker now a congressman travels home for a wedding only to bump into Perky 5 years later. Perky decides revenge is a meal best served cold even though Parker swears he didn't betray Perky.

Perky is brutally honest, sassy and has a come back line that will give you whip lash, and Parker is up for the challenge.

Perky

I really like Perky's personality, and that Parker didn't give up on her, even 5 years later. I liked that they both readily admitted that they still loved each other. I am totally annoyed that Perky just kept shooting him down and wouldn't hear him out. I'm just as annoyed at Parker that he wasn't stronger about the picture that broke them up. He should have just put his foot down and said to her outright that he hired someone to figure out how the picture ended up on the web. This was a huge reason for only giving it 3 stars. If they would have been adults about the situation, they could have said, "ok, let's figure it out together and get to the bottom of the posting". Be reasonable, why would a person you are in a good relationship with do something like that, which is out of character of them. Revenge porn generally happens AFTER the relationship has ended, not during the relationship, especially if it was as good as they said it was. That being said, I was annoyed at Perky's infantile behavior when it came to Parker. It wasn't until the last hour or so that I truly enjoyed the book.

Love the comedy, hate exaggerated instant love.

Love that the author has a sense of humor. I hate all the unrealistic “I love you I will die without you” sex and marriage after two days. It’s so fiction it’s ridiculous fiction in this book. Please a man in his twenties pining away for one woman and does not have sex with anyone for five years!

Finally gave up trying to get through it.

Bad story line. Ridiculous dialogue. Maybe the characters save it? Nope.
How old are these women? How many times do they run out of a room in a huff, mad, crying?! What man is going to persist in wooing back an old girlfriend who not only will not listen to his side of things, but over and over again tells him she doesn't believe him? That would be exactly zero. The number of stars I would have given this book.

Good narrator, shun the story

I'm usually complaining about the quality of the narration. Not this time. This whole series by Julia Kent should never have been published, let alone turned into audiobooks. TSTL heroines, contrived angst, any and all values in the toilet. The first book, Fluffy was pretty bad. This, the second in the series was so much worse that I couldn't even get through an audiobook with limited attention. The conflict here is based on the "fact" that the protag's, Perkie/Persephone, ex-boyfriend released an extremely embarrassing but funny sex video of her on the Internet. This book is set five years after the fact. It soon becomes abundantly clear that the ex is not the big bad, and if she had talked to him in the moment, there would have been no drama...and NO BOOK! So, yeah, can you say contrived???

Too flip flop for me

I loved the first book but couldn’t get past chapter 5 in this one. Perky was just too “all over the place” for my enjoyment. Make a decision already, do you believe him or not?!! Toying with another persons life, sending mixed messages, and publicly embarrassing someone because you just “aren’t sure” is no way to treat someone.

Excellent narration

For once, I listened to this audiobook without reading the Kindle version first. In the same vein as the first book, Fluffy, it was fun, comical and sexy!

Persephone AKA Perky and Parker have a history. Five years ago, she was so in love with him until he shattered her heart by posting an intimate photo of her on the internet, which then proceeded to become a viral meme. As a consequence, she completely ghosted him and never saw him again…until she comes face to face (or lips to lips) with him at her best friend’s wedding 'rehearsal rehearsal' dinner! She’s bent on revenge but he just wants another chance. She keeps running away from him and he just wants to talk. Snarky banter and sexy times ensue as Parker persistently pursues her, and Perky starts to question everything she thought to be true five years ago. I just wish she hadn’t been so frustratingly stubborn, as Parker is so swoonworthy!

Erin Mallon is just brilliant. I love her tone, her delivery and her timing. She really brought this story to life. Well worth a download if you fancy something lighthearted and funny.

Very Funny

An absolute treat of a story from Julia Kent, that I would definitely recommend for anyone looking for an entertaining and funny rom-com audiobook.

Persephone aka Perky had her heart broken by her ex Parker five years ago, and by chance they meet up again at their mutual friends wedding rehearsal dinner. Perky and Parker's break-up was particularly brutal, which Perky has never forgiven Parker for. This is an energetic and witty second chance romance story. Perky is a mix of hilarious, bitter, angst-ridden and desperate, while Parker on the other hand is smooth, assured but is eager to put things right between himself and Perky. Sparks and drama follow. From here their relationship progresses in a very enjoyable and engaging way.

The ensemble cast of characters in this novel are warm, engaging, and witty and there's plenty of heart, heat and romance to keep this audiobook moving forward in an entertaining way.

Erin Mallon provided the excellent and effervescent narration.

Absolutely hilarious

Omg. I didn’t stop laughing all the way through this book. It’s written so very well. With so much humour you will be hooked. A fantastic performance from Erin.

A funny second chance romance.

Perky and Parker haven't seen each other for 5 years since he broke her trust and made her an internet sensation as a meme of her topless and a couple of furry friends in the background. Anger that has been pent up for 5 years exudes from Perky but so does the undeniable attraction to Parker. Angry, confused and out for revenge Perky is determined not to fall for Parker again.

This story has all the wit and laugh out loud moments that you would expect if you have read the previous books in the 'Do-Over' series. I have to say that I might have preferred this book to the previous one as the more you get to know each character in the series you like them all more. It was great to see the others from the previous book and continue with their story too so I would definitely recommend listening to them all in order as it will add to the experience.

My only snag really was that although I thought Erin Mallon did a great job narrating the book as she did with the other one I went straight from finishing the first book to this and so I had to take a minute to get over that it was the same voice. Having got so caught up with Erin voicing Mallory I might have preferred a different person for this book but that is purely a personal thing and it didn't detract from the story once I got into it. I would highly recommend these books.

Another hilarious instalment!

A mix of laugh out loud and aww, with this part of the series.  Full of the hilarious situations that lead you to laugh and love the characters more… But this really was a rubbish situation for Persephone, and for Parker to just turn up after 5 years, leaves you thinking he is a monumental douche!  But as the story unfolds you really do fall in love with him!

Superbly performed with a gripping taster of the next book in the series! Can’t wait to listen to Fiesty!

The audiobook is pure perfection

This series gets better with every book. Now that we know more about Mallory and her friends, we’re even more attached to them, and their stories get more emotional. This time, we focus on Perky, aka Persephone, the one who suffers because of a naked picture her ex-boyfriend posted online, and that became a meme. When the ex comes back for Mallory’s wedding, he wants to convince her to give him a second chance.

The dynamics in the group of friends is hilarious. They love each other, but they also know each other’s flaws and don’t hesitate to call each other out on them. Through their conversations, you can both feel the love they share, and laugh at their playful banter. They also support each other. I really like them together.

I also enjoyed Parker’s perseverance. He obviously have deep feelings for Persephone, as well as a lot of respect and admiration, and he’s relentless. Also, he’s a giver, if you know what I mean. His chemistry with Perky is amazing, the embers of hate and resentment turning into scorching flames of passion and desire.

I’d have liked to know a bit more of what was going on in Parker’s head, but since the story is written exclusively through Perky’s point of view, we just get his words and actions. But they speak for themselves most of the time.

The audiobook is pure perfection. The narrator’s delivery of those hilarious lines, with energy and seriousness, offer another dimension to the book, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Love love love I’m in love

So this one deals with a pretty heavy topic (leaked photos) so I was a little nervous going in with how it would be dealt with. Well I’m happy to say it was really well handled and this book was just as funny as the last one. Once again the narration was spot on which just really increases my enjoyment.

I love that this book can stand alone however the first book really adds a nice level of backstory which I felt increased my enjoyment

Laugh out loud romance

Julia has done it again with this hilarious romcom. Excellent narration by Erin Mallon. Get carried away with the ups and downs and misunderstandings between Parker, Perky (Persephone) and their best friends.
Definitely a warning against posting anything compromising on the internet!

3.5 Stars

As much as I was looking forward to this, it wasn't as funny as Fluffy. It made me laugh, sure, but this was actually a lot more serious in tone than Fluffy. And as much as this COULD be read as a standalone, you get a lot of the back story between Persephone and Parker in Fluffy.

The history is a major spoiler for both books, but needless to say this second chance hate to love romance is really funny and sweet, even though it deals with a pretty heavy topic.

Perky, Feisty and Mallory are a friend group I'd love to be a part of because they have each others back and I love it.

An advance copy was provided to me for review and I volunteered to leave an unbiased review.

Romantic Comedy - Second Chance Romance

Perky by Julia Kent is a romantic comedy that I listened to on audio narrated by Erin Mallon. This is the second book in The Do-Over Series but each book can be read as a standalone. However, I would recommend reading in order since it does reference characters from the previous book.

Julia does an amazing job making the characters very relatable. You just can’t help but fall in love with Parker and Persephone (Perky).

Erin did an amazing job on the narration. I love that she uses different voices/tones for each character it really brings the story to life.

I would highly recommend this series to anyone who loves romantic comedies or second chance romances.