Sleeper

By: Kayley Loring

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Mackenzie Cartwright

Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

Shane Miller Sleep Diary:  

Went to bed at: Late.
How long it took to fall asleep: Forever. I have insomnia. Duh.
Number of caffeinated beverages you had consumed: Zero. Thanks for advising me to quit!  

My stress level is off the charts.
I can’t sleep right on a normal day, and lately my days are filled with the best kind of chaos.
My ex-wife and husband number two are filming in Poland for three months, so I’m turning down movie parts to focus on the most important role of my life - impossibly charming and somewhat capable young single dad. 

My son won’t stop asking questions.
My daughter won’t brush her teeth unless I sing her showtunes.
Our regular nanny quit.
The only person I could trust to hire as a temp nanny is my best friend’s sister. 

If Mary Poppins and Bill Murray had a baby it would be Willa.
Fresh out of grad school and beautifully weird.
She hates my movies, and my kids adore her.
I couldn’t sleep last night because she wasn’t here.
Turns out I can’t sleep unless she’s in my house now.
Turns out she’s what’s been missing from my life all along.
If my friend had any idea what I want to do to his gorgeous troublemaker of a sister, he would smother me with a pillow. 

The chances of us succeeding as a couple are about as good as that little indie movie that I made being a huge hit.
But it’s a chance I’m going to take.

©2019 Kayley Loring (P)2020 Kayley Loring

Loads of humor and heart! 5+ stars!

Don't you just love it when you get to re-experience a story you love in a different format and it's even better the second time around? Kayley Loring was one of my favorite author discoveries from last year, and my introduction to her stories was through an audiobook, and I'm so happy that my second listen from her is just as good! I'd originally read Sleeper in December of 2019, and I quite adored it, so when the opportunity to listen to it came along, I jumped right on it. This audiobook is narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Mackenzie Cartwright, the same dynamic duo that narrated my first-ever Loring audio, Back for More, and these two were truly perfectly matched!

Sleeper is a falling-for-your-sibling's-best-friend slash single-parent romance with a Hollywood twist to it. Twenty-eight-year-old actor Shane Miller may have played a wizard when he was younger, but there's no magic potion out there that can help him get enough sleep and take care of his five-year-old twins, Summer and Lucky. His nanny went off to get married, and hiring one isn't all that simple, especially with his ex-wife demanding prior approval from her end. But then his best friend, Nico Todd, recommends his younger sister, twenty-four-year-old Willa, take the nanny position while she concocts original fragrances for her Etsy store. This is the perfect setup for everyone concerned. Now, if only Willa could stop herself from acting on her old teenage crush on her brother's best friend.

I may now be a wee bit addicted to Kayley Loring's audiobooks! Gah! It looks like I'm going to have to tap into my cache of Audible credits if this keeps up so I can get my greedy ears on her back list. Sleeper was an awesome audiobook to listen to, and Teddy Hamilton and Mackenzie Cartwright did justice to the wonderfully hilarious and scintillating story that this author penned. Shane and Willa were the sort of fictional romance couple that you simply can't resist falling in love with, and that love extends to the winsome twosome that was Summer and Lucky. Then there was Nico, Willa's older brother, and while I know his story is next, I can't help but get excited for the audiobook edition of that one as well. If you're looking for a rom-com with lots of heart and humor to it, especially with everything going on in the real world recently, find your perfect with Sleeper. This gets five-plus stars. 🖤

2 people found this helpful

Oh Yes!

From the very beginning I was already laughing and smiling. The story itself is written in such a way that you can't help but be sucked into the story between Shane and Willa and the narrators just bring it all to life. A single dad needing a nanny quick and the one person that's available happens to have had a crush on him for years. The chemistry is explosive. The narrators did such a great job with the characters. The inflection and the attitude and the banter and the voices, I was hooked and I had a hard time being able to stop listening.

1 person found this helpful

Loved

This was the perfect book for me to listen to this week. This is my first time reading a book by Kayley Loring and it won’t be the last. Teddy Hamilton and Mackenzie Cartwright do a great job bringing the story to life. This book put me in a good mood while listening to it.

For as long as Willa can remember she has had a crush on Shane. Their first meeting was she was 12 and knew they were meant to be together. Now they are grown, and Shawn is a single dad and he needs help. He is an insomniac and his nanny left him to get married. His twins are so cute. Being their nanny is the perfect temporary job for her while she gets her performer business going.

This was such a fun listen. I highly recommend this book!

1 person found this helpful

This is a fantastic story!!!

I’ve loved everything Kayley Loring that I have read or listened to. Her stories, her characters, her writing style... they hit every good vibe for me! This one is one I will listen to again.. it’s that good.

I love how Willa knew, when she met Shane the first time when she was 12, that they were destined to be together. Shane killed that by marrying someone else... so Willa is protective of her heart. This is what makes this so fun to listen to!!

Teddy Hamilton and MacKenzie Cartwright do such an excellent job with the narration! I love their voices.

I recommend this book for everyone!!

1 person found this helpful

Love

Willa and Shane are what good dreams are made of. This was such a sweet brother’s best friend/nanny romance I had a goofy smile on my face while listening!

Loved it!

Shane and Willa's story is sweet, fun, and beautiful. Shane, an actor and single Dad, is in need of a nanny. He is handsome, caring and protective. He is also Willa brother's best friend. Willa, a perfumer, is a lovely woman, independent and smart. She has a crush on Shane since she was a teenager. They share an undeniable and strong chemistry. The twins are so cute, and fun kids! The supporting characters are great and interesting. I love the beautiful happy ending. Teddy Hamilton and Mackenzie Cartwright did a great job with the narration. I love their voices together. I enjoyed it!

You won't be able to sleep Until you're done with this book

this is my first time to experience a Kayley Loring Buck and I am hooked. Her character development is stellar and I love the humor throughout this story. Teddy Hamilton if I already wasn't a huge fan of his I would certainly be after his performance of Shane. oh my goodness Shane is so boyfriend book worthy. McKenzie Cartwright is adorable her voice was
perfect for Willa.
if you want to laugh ! feel like you can smell beautiful fragrances and enjoy a "I've been in love with you forever and now it's happening" book --you cannot go wrong with this one.

Sweet and lovable!

This was such a great story that was only enhanced by the phenomenal narration! An excellent performance and a story you definitely want to hear!!

Cute, but a little long

**3.5 Stars**

I really enjoyed the first half of this book, but then the first half of the middle dragged and the last half of the middle towards the end moved at warp speed, if that makes sense. I guess my main problem is the pacing (clearly).

Shane was my favorite character in the story. I thought he was a great dad and was attacking parenting the way we all do- blindly and hoping for the best. He was really great to his kids and I loved that they were his main focus. I really liked the way he was towards Willa and how he treated her. When she told him she was upset about something, he fixed it. He didn't battle with his emotions, he handled them and carried on. It was great to have a decisive hero. That doesn't happen that often.

Willa on the other hand, I really liked in the beginning and then not so much throughout the rest of the book. It was almost like the author decided to change her character completely part way through the book. In the beginning she seemed like a person who was very dedicated to being a perfumer. She knew what she wanted and she was going to attack that with a vengeance. Unfortunately, as the book went on I felt like she became a little bit of an insecure fan girl. She kept harping on her childhood crush on Shane and then her jealousy and insecurity in regards to Margo even though Margo never gave her a reason to and Shane assured her, multiple times that he never even loved her. It just got to be too much. I also thought she took on the "mom" role with the kids a little too quickly. When Summer did what she did toward the end, I felt like Shane was in the right when it came to her punishment, plus he's her dad. Willa didn't have any right to criticize his choice in her punishment. I don't know. She just bothered me at the end, unfortunately.

Overall, the story was enjoyable and I'm glad I listened to it. Teddy Hamilton did a fantastic job, as per usual and this was my first time listening to Macekenzie Cartwright and I really enjoyed her narration. So yes, I do recommend this one, despite my earlier comments about Willa.

Great Romance!

This book was adorable! I loved the narrators and Shane and Willa were so cute together. Shane was a child turned adult actor and it was refreshing to see him be all about family instead of women on rotation. I loved how Willa had a crush on Shane since she was 12 and how cute they were interacting with eachother. After all these years they were still drawn to one another. It was a steamy, quick light read.

Seriously smitten!

There are some audiobooks I listen to without headphones and such as I clean and do laundry. This is NOT one of those books! This book is super duper naughty so headphones are a must! There were so many times I cringed at some awkward hilarious scenes. I popped my head in the freezer several times to cool down because Shane and Willa are just insanely hawt!!!

So, saying that... these characters are seriously sweet and charming, they're hilarious, and completely endearing. I love the way if feels like a couple falling in love and learning to live life. I love the way they stumble through and find their way. It had my heart swooning, gave me several surprise laughs, might have caused a few tingles in the Netherlands. Oh yeah... it's worth the credit!!

Mackenzie Cartwright did a fabulous job as Willa. She sounds just as sweet as you'd expect but this little nose sniffer is a vixen! And Cartwright did a superb job playing her voice just right! Teddy Hamilton always perfects his men. Shane is tired but so.... up for a good time. He's charming and you get that from the narration

Fantastic listen!

Kayley Loring never ceases to amaze me with her books. Each time I listen to one propels me into the story and keeps me there until the very end, like I am hearing a story from my best friend. This one is one of my favorites. The single dad of twins, Shane in need of some help while his ex-wife is away filming a movie. When he meets up with his best friend, he finds his sister, Willa in need of a job with experience as a nanny. Willa has had a crush on Shane since she was 12, so this is no hardship for her! And it will give her time to build her perfume store on Etsy. And our romance begins. Single dad and best friend’s sister are two tropes I love. The chemistry between Willa and Shane is undeniable, the twins are adorable, but what really caught my interest were all the fun facts Willa would tell the twins to answer questions! Or how she concocted a mixture of fragrances! Or the way Shane would see her when she didn’t notice. It’s romantic, has laugh out loud moments, times of fear we have all had happen and a narration that just brings it all alive. It may be titled “Sleeper” but this book will not put you to sleep! It’s a wonderful book.

Mackenzie Cartwright is one of my favorite female narrators. There is something about her cadence and voices that I just love. She expertly connects with Willa and lets us see and feel all of her emotions, from being a kid infatuated with a star to her adult love. Teddy Hamilton is so easy to listen to. His narrations are so comfortable with his conversational style that I easily get lost with him while listening. Together they are magic and their storytelling brings it all out.

A first but definitely not a last!

As a first, Sleeper was a fabulous way to pop my Kayley Loring cherry. The story of Shane and Willa is brought to life by Teddy Hamilton and Mackenzie Cartwright, especially in their performances of show tunes!

I loved the relationship that developed between Willa and the twins as well as the more intimate relationship between Willa and Shane.

All in all 'Sleeper' is sweet, funny and thoroughly entertaining!

An absolute delight!

I loved reading Sleeper, but this audio is just a total delight. The wit and warmth of this funny, romantic, well written story is performed with great skill, tone and deftness by the wonderfully talented Teddy Hamilton ( who I could listen to forever!) and Mackenzie Cartwright. Both capture the characters with their sympathetic portrayals and create a listening experience which is second to none. 😍😍😍😍😍