The Date

A Love in O'Leary Prequel Novella

By: May Archer

Narrated by: Michael Dean

Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

Caelan James should've known better than to let a dating app set him up on a blind date. Nothing in life was guaranteed-perfect, especially not guys, and most definitely not guys in the immediate vicinity of tiny O'Leary, New York. But then, sexy Navy SEAL Ash Martin walked into Cal's bakery, and made him wonder if fate might have cooked up something sweet for him after all. 

Their connection was immediate, all-consuming, and definitely not vanilla...but could their perfect date last for more than just a night, or even a season? 

Note: This is a 23,000-word short story that first appeared in the Heart2Heart anthology as “The Baker and the SEAL". It's been slightly expanded from its original version.

©2018 May Archer (P)2021 May Archer

Short and sweet

Cal and Ash get a short, sweet story. O’Leary’s favorite couple has an origin story that is as sweet as their love. Find out how a man who is the opposite of friendly finds his perfect match in a gregarious 6’5” former navy SEAL. Fanaile’s owner turns out to not be as vanilla as the name suggests. Just long enough to barely sate curiosity and not a word longer. This couple could have used a full length book.

excellent Listen

this is a good addition to the series and was well written. Good Job all around.

Short, Sweet, and Perfect!

Hilariously funny, cute, sexy, and romantic. This truly has it all. Perfect narration, as usual by Michael. Highly recommend!

The perfect prequel

Cal and Ashe were two of my favorite characters in the other Love in O’Leary books. This prequel provides all the lovey goodness I could want in a short story, and ties in well with the rest of the series. Another great one from May Archer!

short, sweet, and sassy

An appropriate, sweet, and humorous prequel to the O'Leary series. Cal is a cynic who meets his match on a dating app and finds what he thought was never possible--insta-love. Adorable couple with great chemistry. A fantastic set-up for the other O'Leary men and this idyllic, quirky town. Loved it.

Totally Loved This Sweet Snippet!!

Discovered this fast & sexy gem as I wanted a "Michael Dean Fix," and this prequel looked interesting. Then purchased the Love in O'Leary series knowing a different, but very decent, duet narrated the first three books.

I laughed from the beginning lines, all through the short & steamy book #0.5. I hope humor is as skillfully laced throughout the next five sagas as I'm sure the same will be true for the delicious passion. May Archer has yet to disappoint! When enjoying a series I will often wait to review until my second go-through. Allows me to be sure of how well the series flow together, and how well characters are woven in & around new and existing ones.

Get ready to enjoy a relaxing beverage, put yer feet up, and prepare to have the tickly bone excercised! Happy listening.....

Loved!

There is a good reason why I am such a fan of Michael Dean....he always does an amazing job of narrating a story. He draws you in and connects you with the characters.
The Note is the perfect morsel to spend an afternoon with.
This story is fun, sexy and everything I have come to expect from May Archer! As a prequel to the wonderful O'Leary series it sets just the right tone for what is to come.

Love love love

What else can I say. It’s May Archer and it’s amazing. The is the perfect start to the Love In O’Leary series. Caelan and Ash are the cutest. If you are like me and listened to this after the rest of the series then rest assured all your questions about these two will be answered. My only complaint is that it is too short. Everyone needs more of the cutest couple in O’Leary. Michael Dean did an amazing job narrating this novella! Get it and the whole series. You will not regret it!!!!

Such an amazing short listen!

I absolutely love listening to this short story. Cal and Ash are so sweet. Their story is just funny, cute and sexy. Then Michael Dean does an absolutely fabulous job with this narration. I love the voices he does and it just pulls me more into the story. Such an amazing listen.

Such a great story!

I really love this story about Cal and Ash. I already had the ebook and loved it, so I thought the audio had to be good too. This is actually my first book narrated by Michael Dean and it was fantastic!
I got so caught up in his voices for the characters and the way he told their story that it really brought Cal and Ash's story to life for me. I really enjoyed listening to Michael and while this was my first listen with him it definitely won't be my last! I would definitely recommend listening to this!

Sweet and short

A very short but extremely sweet story with Cal being a bakery owner... Seriously though, a well-written novella that gets you all warm and ready for the rest of the O'Leary series.

As I listened at 1.25 on Audible, Michael Dean did an excellent job as usual, and he was clear, precise, and easy to listen to. However, it did make a short book even shorter.

The Date
A Love in O'Leary Prequel Novella
By: May Archer
Narrated by: Michael Dean
Series: Love in O’Leary Series, Book 0.5
Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins

❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.25 speed on Audible

Great introduction to Love in O'Leary

This is the prequel novella that kicks off May Archer's terrific Love in O’Leary series. The story is as short and sweet as the instalove between Ash and Cal. But Ms. Archer manages to pack all the elements of a successful full-length MM romance into a small number of pages. Cal and Ash are sassy, with sizzling chemistry. A genuine relationship develops beneath the attraction and despite that they are complete opposites, they fit together as a couple in an authentic way. I loved the descriptiveness of the bakery, Fanaille, and all of the creative concoctions Cal came up with. Yummy.

Michael Dean really helps deliver this short burst of sweet, sexy story through his always on-point narration. His vocal choices for Ash and Cal perfectly matched how I expected them to sound and he packed emotional content into every line he said, delivering it with emphasis appropriate to the context.

Overall, I highly recommend the audiobook of The Date. While Ms. Archer’s words craft an engaging story on text alone, Mr. Dean adds a dimension you don’t realize you’re missing until you hear it … and then can’t imagine experiencing the book without his voice bringing the characters to life.

A perfect start to one of my favorite series!

Archer does what so many others have failed at and writes a completely fulfilling and wonderful novella. In so few pages, I fell in love with the characters and the town, making it the perfect intro to the series as a whole and setting the scene beautifully. Cal and Ash have a wonderful relationship that is far from vanilla and absolutely joyous to hear Michael Dean bring to life.

Warm and cuddly

Story: In true O'Leary fashion, The Date is an awesome story full of witty dialogues, know-it-all secondary characters and all the feels! Loved it! An awesome quick read that will have you smiling all the way.
Narration: Great performance by Michael Dean. Worked perfectly with the characters and the vibe of the story!

Sweet but not as you know it...

What a cute, feelgood story. I love when the characters act out of the expected stereotypes. Nothing vanilla in that bakery .... An enjoyable short read, by this dynamic duo of writer and story teller.

Insta-love and a bit of kink in small town O'Leary

This story is so cute! And the beginning of the wonderful series that is the Love in O’Leary one.
I have loved it since the first time I read it in the Heart2Heart anthology and I have lost count of how many times I re-read it: now listening tto it in audio, narrated by the oh so talented Michael Dean it was even better!
I love both Cal and Ash, for different reasons. Cal amuses me with his fiery temper and grumbly disposition, and despite his smaller size he his a force to be reckoned with. Ash, the former Navy SEAL, is just a huge teddy bear, especially in the capable hands of Cal!.
Insta-love, small town festival extravaganza and a touch of kink, what more could anyone want?

So good!

This was sooo good! It’s been a while since I read this story when it was part of the anthology and it was so nice to be back! I forgot how much I love O’Leary and all the crazy characters there. As always Michael dean just brought everyone to life and made my listening experience so great!!!

Baker meets Seal in this prequel to amazing series

In this short prequel to the Love in O’Leary series, instalove and a case of mistaken identity combine when a baker and an ex-Navy Seal meet in this rural burg right out of a gay Hallmark movie. A perfect introduction to O’Leary and the men who run the bakery which is at its center, and despite this being a short listen, it is packed with heat and all the feels. The narration by Michael Dean is wonderful, and truly brings Cal and Ash to life. Several characters who figure prominently in future books are introduced, which only makes you want to come back for more.

A glimpse at O'Leary

Somehow it is better having read all the O'Leary books first to go back and see hints at things to come.
Cal and Ash are the perfect introduction to the town and I enjoyed the little vanilla joke throughout.
There is some inconsistencies with the narration with the voice of Ash in particular changing in some scenes. I found the narrator a little over the top during the sex scene too, but that is personal taste.
I now want to go and revisit O'Leary

Totally Enticing 🥰

As usual, May Archer never disappoints 😊

I love ❤️ all the O’Leary audiobooks in the series and this novella is the proverbial icing on the cake.

Brilliantly written and excellently narrated.

Just loved it and definitely worth the wait 🥰

Definitely gets 5⭐️’s