Nothing Like Love

By: Abigail Strom

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Simone Oliver prides herself on being a realist and a cynic. A brilliant set designer for a Manhattan theater company, she thrives in the background and is perfectly comfortable in jeans, Chuck Taylors, and a paint-smeared T-shirt. That is, until Zach Hammond, the award-winning (and sexy-as-hell) British director, turns the spotlight on her. He's clearly captivated by her and won't take no for an answer - but Simone is determined to maintain her position that love's not worth the risk.

A hopeless romantic who can quote Shakespeare on a whim, Zach has spent his life center stage, surrounded by world-famous actors and royalty. But nothing he's seen can compare to what Simone can create. Before long, he finds himself as mesmerized by her brash beauty as he is by her work, and he's determined to seduce her stubborn heart.

But while the two may have been successful at relegating romance to the wings in New York, when their production moves to a centuries-old Irish castle in County Clare, there may be just enough magic to give true love the curtain call it deserves.

©2016 Abigail Strom (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Good Story

3.5 Stars for me!

My rating range of this story... 3 - 4 Stars
If significant, why?

Main Character Ratings...
H = 7
h = 6

Was cheating involved? No
Any major triggers to be aware of?

Scenes with heat... A few
What point does it start? 80% mark
How much of the story? 5%
Anything beyond M/F? No
If yes, explained

Heat Rating... 7/10
Clean or Fade to Black - 1 or 2
Normal to Descriptive 3-5
Detailed Descriptive Sex - 6-7
Um, Wow, Beyond Descriptive Sex - 8 or above

Was there so much sex or unrealistic sex that you rolled your eyes and/or skipped forward? No

The back story... The h is a play set designer trying to win the approval from the director for her sets. The H is a director who becomes smitten by the h.

The Romance... Heavy lust but slow to develop.

The drama explosion... The H runs scared when the H expresses his feelings.

Did it feel real or contrived? A bit
Was it OTT? Sort of
Separation involved? Very short
Was it resolved properly or rushed? Properly

Final Notes... Fun story and full of fluff. A relaxing read during hard times.


HEA or HFN? HEA

Cute

Cute quick read, would have liked steamier love scenes though. Wrapped up pretty quickly but I expected that.

Good book, bad narrator.

This is a prime example if how a bad narrator can ruin a good book.

Slow start but worth the read in the end

Loved the book. It did have a slow start but didn’t disappoint once in the end. It made me laugh, get turned on and cry.

Great, other than the weird attempt at a British accent

I picked this up via Kindle Unlimited after Strom's "Almost Like Love." It isn't a sequel, but picks up with a different couple where the other leaves off. I enjoyed the character development, the romance, the background of theater and Shakespeare, and the story as a whole. It's light and occasionally predictable, but it isn't one-dimensional, either. We come to understand Simone through her deepest fears and losses as well as her joys and wit.

My only complaint was with the narrator's awkward attempt at Zach's British accent. She pulls off a great Irish accent when the time comes, but I couldn't get over the stiffness of the way she voiced Zach. It wasn't quite irritating enough to switch to the text version, and once I got used to it I didn't mind too much - it's just difficult to be enamored with him when he sounds so silly.

finding love

This story was wrote beautifully. Simone wasn't my favorite character in previous books or at the beginning of this one. The author wrote her emotional journey
of the reason she feared loved with life and Zach. It was exciting to see her develope. The narrator was perfect.

The story about thespians...

Simone is the set designer for a Manhattan company...and she has designs on the guest producer for the new show. But her interest in Zach is purely physical since she doesn’t believe in love. Sparks fly between the duo and, as they get to know each other, their may be more...if Simone allows. Add a trip to beautiful Ireland, a jealous ‘special’ friend and this book is rather entertaining.

Not my favorite

My least favorite book I've "read" in a while. Loved the first one. Hoping the 3rd one will be better.

Follow up falls short

I loved the first in this series, so I couldn't wait to read the next one. I'm not sure if it was the narration, story, or combo, but it was by brute force that I finished this novel. The narrator's voices for different characters, particularly the guys and especially Zach, were hard to listen to. The story didn't hold the same electricity as its predecessor. I'm glad it was a short book so I didn't lose too many hours of my life.

Warning! Narrator is HORRIBLE.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I stopped listening a few times and read the Kindle version, then I steeled myself to finish listening so I could warn other readers about the bad job the narrator made of this book.

What other book might you compare Nothing Like Love to and why?

The story was fun, the people and places appealing and attractive. Author's other books are fun -- like this one -- a chick lit theme.

What didn’t you like about Emily Durante’s performance?

Not much. Her male voices were terrible. They sounded like they had colds and the hero's British accent was abysmal. Truly horrible.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

A narrator who could handle the hero's masculine British accent. He didn't sound anything like the hero the author described.

Any additional comments?

I won't bother with any other books narrated by Emily Durante. I'll read them instead. I don't care if they only have American accents. She can't carry off a male voice. I think she needs long term professional coaching and training before she attempts another.