Rumor Has It

Friendship, Texas, Book 2

By: Magan Vernon

Narrated by: Kassiopia DeVora

Length: 5 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

A brand-new stand-alone second-chance rom-com from Friendship, Texas, featuring country music's biggest superstar, Eddie Justice, and Friendship's resident author, Brook Carrington.

“Rhonda? Psst, Rhonda, is that the Carrington girl? The writer who was at the bakery with that country singer Eddie Justice? I thought she was in Austin?” one of the old church ladies not-so-subtly asked the woman next to her.

I rolled my eyes, and Clay looked at me with a mischievous grin. Slowly, I stretched my arms over my head and leaned toward my brother, not so quietly whispering, “I can’t wait to get out of church, so I can go home and get some Eddie Justice man meat.”

The old ladies gasped and started whispering. They didn’t need to know that Eddie and I had only ever been next-door neighbors and friends. Well, until we spent the night breaking a tree branch, if that counted for anything.

©2016 Magan Vernon (P)2018 Magan Vernon

Light and easy listening

This was a fast read (listen) which stayed on the light and fun side.
This is both a best friends to lovers and second chance romance.
I wanted to smack some sense into the characters a couple of times, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
The narrator did a good job at capturing the characters as well.

#lightandfun #fastread #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Great Audio Production!

Ever since we were briefly introduced to these two in the first book in the series, I've been curious about their story.

Second chance romances can be hard to write but I think Magan succeeds in delivering for the most part. We get plenty of flashbacks to the past so it helped define the relationship these two have and why they've always been drawn to each other. It was also great to get half of the story told from Brooke's POV and then from Eddie's. I personally would have liked to have seen more "present" day romantic interactions between the two--I felt like we focus a little to much on their individual developments--so I wasn't entirely sold on why they work as a couple now.

I think I'm in the minority as well when it comes to character likeability. I really didn't like Brooke as a character at all. She came across as vain, somewhat shallow and shameless. I hated how she treated her current boyfriend, Drake, and how she seemed to lack any remorse about her feelings and actions towards him. To me, there was nothing redeemable about her and I felt like she didn't grow either by the end of the book (ie she didn't learn any lessons).

I liked Eddie though. He seemed a little more level headed. And of the two, I think he showed a little more growth by the end of the novel.

As for the audio production, I thought it was FABULOUS! Kassiopia DeVora was a great narrator--I was truly impressed by her narration. The accents were spot on; each character had a unique voice; and she did a great job singing as Eddie when the occasion called.

**I received an ARC/review copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.**

Love this series!

I fell head over heels with Friendship Texas with Edge of Glory. This story has the exact same feel and you’re going to absolutely melt with the way these characters come together. Magan Vernon has a way of spinning words to have you completely captivated. You won’t regret clicking this one!

A Good Second Chance Romance

Brooke and Eddie were best friends, inseparable until Eddie hit it big as a country music star. He left Brooke and their small town of Friendship, TX before graduation, leaving Brooke adrift and lonely. Ten years later, Brooke is back in town for her father's funeral and Eddie returns as well, smarting from a nasty breakup. Can the two pick up as friends after ten years apart, or do they have a chance at something greater?

This is the second book in the Friendship TX series, but I read it as a standalone. It's a sweet second chance romance, told half from Brooke's point of view, and half from Eddie's. I really liked Eddie, he's definitely not perfect but had a great character arc. I loved that Brooke was an author and that let us peek into the publishing business. I also loved the flashbacks to Brooke and Eddie's childhood, and both sets of parents, past and future, were adorable.

Unfortunately I had a really hard time liking Brooke, she was too self-centered for me. When we meet her, she and her family are standing outside the funeral home for her father's funeral, and her mom has to ask her repeatedly to put her phone away and pay attention. She doesn't show any emotion about her father's death until a few chapters later, I had assumed they were estranged. Then we flashback to a few days before the funeral, when she's packing to leave for Friendship. Her boyfriend Drake, a man she's been dating for 7-10 years and who has recently proposed, is desperately in love with her, and she can barely tolerate him. She acknowledges that he's been supporting her financially and emotionally since she left college despite the fact that she doesn't love him. When she finally calls Drake and he asks when she's coming back and if their relationship is over, she just hangs up on him. Later when Eddie mentions he's leaving Friendship for a few days to take care of some commitments, Brooke thinks that there's nothing for her in Friendship and she might as well leave, as if her newly widowed mother and six year old sister don't exist. There were so many times when she was intolerant to those around her, snarking about the church ladies and referring to Noah as "the deaf kid". I love reading about a bold woman with sass and brains, but Brooke was just too selfish. It wasn't a dealbreaker for me, I still enjoyed the read, but I do prefer a more likable heroine.

The narration was really well done, Kassiopia DeVora did a great job. There were some singing parts and I absolutely loved them, she has a wonderful voice.

I requested a copy of the audiobook, and I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Cute second chance romance

Rumor Has It is Book 2 in the Friendship, Texas series by Magan Vernon. It's cute and enjoyable. It's a second chance romance between Eddie and Brooke. Eddie left Brooke 10 years ago and was off to become a famous country musician. Brooke felt left behind and lost. She went on with her life, becoming a self-publishing author and dating Drake for years and years until he eventually proposes to her. Her father's death brings her back to Friendship, where she runs into Eddie after all of this time and they start to see a possibility at a second chance. It's a cute story and I enjoyed listening, though I think I would have enjoyed it a bit more overall if Brooke was a more likable character. Various things that she does throughout the book make her seem quite selfish-for example the way that she drags Drake along for years when she really has no intention of marrying him. Overall though, it's an enjoyable listen.

Kassiopia DeVora did a good job narrating this book. There were quite a few characters in this particular novel and she handled them all well, giving them all a unique voice. This won't be the last book that I listen to narrated by Ms. DeVora, I'm sure of it! I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

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Great BFF to lovers

The overall love story was great, I loved the BFF to lovers. Both Brooke and Ed have a messy ex situation but they manage to fall back into BFFs easily.

I was confused for a while as this story crossed over and weaved through the other books of the series.

The narration was good, she had many characters to differentiate between.

a bit mixed up

I got an email from audible that the chapters in this book were out of order and that i would need to redown it. So i redownloaded it and i think it's still out of order a bit. From what i could piece together it is a really good book and i did enjoy it even if i did get a little confused when it would flash for a quick tibit about the past that didn't seem to fit where it came in. the story didn't feel rushed like a lot of love stories that i have listened to.

"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Friends to Lovers

Second chance romance with a great leading male role. Brooke was a little too selfish and annoying for me. But overall a good listen and the narration was done really well.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Second Chance Romance

This was a great read about 2 friends who missed out on their first shot on love. It was a feel good story that left me smiling. I really enjoyed this book!

nice

the book was actually nice I don't think it was the most original one or the most surprising but I do think it was good it wasn't bad I didn't expect a big surprise and I enjoyed it because I got from the beginning the line of the story I think sometimes we need books like that BTW the narrator was actually good
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review