• The Girl Most Likely

  • Class of '85 Reunion Series
  • By: Jana Richards
  • Narrated by: Leigh Linley
  • Length: 4 hrs
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (16 ratings)

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The Girl Most Likely  By  cover art

The Girl Most Likely

By: Jana Richards
Narrated by: Leigh Linley
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Publisher's summary

Cara McLeod, the girl most likely to have the perfect marriage, is now divorced and, in her own words, "fat, frumpy, and over forty." The thought of facing former classmates - and the ex-husband who dumped her - at her high school reunion terrifies her. Cajoled into attending by her kids and her best friend, Cara enlists help at the gym to lose weight and look great for the reunion. Personal trainer Finn Cooper is more than willing to help - but does he have to be so to-die-for gorgeous?

Finn thinks Cara is perfect just the way she is. She's everything he wants in a woman, except for one thing - she can't get past the fact that he's eight years younger. To Finn, age and weight are just numbers. But can he convince Cara the numbers she worries about add up to only one thing for him - love?

©2011 Jana Richards (P)2018 Jana Richards

What listeners say about The Girl Most Likely

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Age doesn't matter

As someone who is married to someone else 18 years older I loved this book! This is a sweet story of insecurities and having to get over them and live life. Falling in love and not caring that he/she is older/younger. Don't get me wrong this isn't all about age but it plays a big part. It was a great listen and I would love to hear more from both the author and narrator.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Super cute story

I really enjoyed this story. Although the author's idea of overweight is a bit skewed, the story was super sweet and I enjoyed the back and forth. I really connected with the characters and couldn't wait to find out if it had the happy ending that I was expecting.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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WE NEED MORE OLDER ADULT ROMANCES LIKE THIS

It’s always a pleasure to listen to an audio romance with someone over 40.
The average age range for romance readers is 30 and 54 years-old according to HuffPost. I’m older than that, single, and still in the game, and plan to be for decades more. Most romance novels portray 20-somethings as mature adults with 6 figure incomes, something that’s just not realistic. With the high divorce rate there are singles looking for their one and only way into their 70’s, even 80’s. And they’ve lead some very interesting lives and can realistically have a good sized nest egg or an empire!
Okay. About this book. Jana writes very well but I can’t put it up there with the romance legends (we all have our own personal favorites). There wasn’t a lot of drama and Cara was a bit too gun shy when it came to accepting a relationship again. I expected a different come-to Jesus moment than was presented but that’s good. I like surprises. It has it’s HEA but slacked on the epilogue.
Leigh Linley was excellent. Didn’t miss too many emphasis words and speaks with candor.
I am voluntarily submitting this honest review after receiving a promo code.
I’ll give it Two Thumbs.
👍🏻👍🏻

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Great Contemporary Romance

This is a fairly short story with only 4 hours of listening time. The author did an excellent job developing the characters and they were so real and relatable.

Narration was excellent and brought the story to life.

I really enjoyed getting to know Cara and Finn. They are very different than most fictional romance characters. Both great people that are brought together by chance and there is an instant attraction but because of the age difference Cara tries to ignore their chemistry.

It is nice to listen to a story where the main guy is not a total loser and player! Finn definitely won my heart. The story is so well written and captivating. I absolutely loved the way things wrapped up at the end.

“I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review”

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Wonderful, sweet listen...

The Girl Most Likely is one entry into Jana Richards' Class of '85 Reunion series. Running at about four hours, this wasn't a long listen, but it wasn't quite a short novella either. I'm so glad that I was given this book to review. I haven't listened to any of Ms. RIchards' books in the past, but will definitely be on the lookout for more in the future when I'm looking for a nice, easy and enjoyable romance.

This is the story of Cara and the guy who catches her attention, the much younger Finn. Cara has been divorced for a few years, replaced by a much younger woman, raising her two daughters on her own, and not feeling too confident in herself. She can't believe it when the much younger and super handsome personal trainer that she meets, Finn, seems interested in her. This is a story about gaining confidence, overcoming self-doubt, giving love a second chance and finding happiness.

Leigh Linley did a perfectly good job narrating The Girl Most Likely. She had a good reading voice, though it felt a bit like she was reading the book versus providing narration to bring the characters to life. Thankfully, I had no problem envisioning Ms. Richards' story in my head and overall thought this was a great listen. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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A tale most likely to make you feel not so old

I know a few (young!) women in the late 20s who bemoan how old they're getting, so regardless of one's age, there are aspects of this story that will strike a chord with many. Who among us doesn't yearn to look like we did back when, especially when it seems that maturity favors some more than others? Cara doesn't want to go to her high school reunion because her rotten ex will be there with his younger, slimmer fling. Her life sucks anyway, so she has nothing she wants to share with anyone. The ever-so-gorgeous trainer, though, keeps trying to convince her she has what it takes to shape both her body and her destiny, and the sultry looks he occasionally sends her are enough to send her into total confusion.

The Girl Most Likely is a quick, fun, romance that proves that what you've got combined with a little effort and a little change of attitude are more than enough to see you to the winners' podium. The story takes place in the U.S., but the author and narrator's Canadian ties come through in some of their word choices and inflections and only add to the story's charm. When I finished the book, I moved quickly on to another, but I've since found myself thinking of the book with a smile and hoping that everything continued to work out for Cara and Finn and the kids. I requested and received a complimentary copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this review.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyable Story, Relatable Characters

The Girl Most Likely is about a forty-something ex-cheerleader housewife who is dumped by her high school jock husband and left to raise her two daughters alone. As her 25th high school reunion approaches she begins to feel dismayed about her 25 pound weight gain over the years and questions whether to go to the reunion where her ex-husband will be with his young, thin girlfriend. Through a series of fortuitous circumstances she is introduced to a hunky trainer, eight years her junior, who helps her lose weight and get in shape before the reunion. Romance ensues.

I enjoy older woman/younger man romances so was looking forward to this listen. The relationship between the two characters is believable, although I thought the hero fell for the heroine way too quickly...that felt rushed. Her doubts about their relationship were generally understandable and her own "forty something, midlife" doubts were relatable. I was discouraged, though that she made such a big deal about a 25 lb weight gain. While perhaps not ideal, that is not that much weight and I thought the story put too much negative emphasis on "bad" weight. Perhaps 50 lbs...but not 25. She also very unrealistically sought to lose 25 lbs in 6 weeks. Not only is that unlikely but it is also unhealthy. A poor message to send.

The hero was likeable and he was so sweet with the heroine's daughters. His history made him more than a pretty face and explained some of the relationship/attraction between the two main characters.

Overall, the story sent a message of increased self esteem, taking charge of one's life, making meaningful relationships and allowing oneself to love. At times these messages came across a bit preachy but I enjoyed the listen non-the-less. One point, however, bothered me. The heroine has an issue with her mother who is uber critical and demeaning. The relationship is described as toxic and eventually the heroine cuts her mother out of her life. This was concerning. It is important to remove toxic people from your life but her mother was her only family and I thought this could have been handled differently than totally stopping contact with her very abruptly and never even giving her mom a chance to change. Or perhaps the toxic person could have been someone other than her mother. Cutting family ties is hard but there are often ways to manage things without just giving up totally. I understood the message about getting rid of toxic people but did not like that it was the mother. Mom's are often portrayed as the "evil" one and I did not like that message.

The narrator had a lovely, soothing voice and I enjoyed listening to her. Her narration, however, came across as just that, a narration, not a performance of the book. This is not necessarily bad, many books do this, just what it was. She had little variation of voices of characters, more changes in inflection, and her male voices were nothing like male. I would get other books with her as a narrator, just be prepared for the delivery style. Listen to a sample to make sure you like her style.

At just over 4 hours, this was an overall enjoyable, fairly quick, listen and I am glad I listened to it. It was nice way to spend a roadtrip and I liked listening to a love story where the characters were flawed and closer to my own age and not just some 20 something beautiful girl/handsome man. I would listen to more stories by this author.

***Note - I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my own unbiased review.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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High school reunions!

What do you do when it's almost time for your high school reunion? Cara is faced with this now, a little overweight and sure to see her ex-husband with his new flame. She decides it's time to get into shape. When attending class, she is attracted to her trainer, Finn. Several years younger and eye candy for all, there is no way something can happen between them, after all, why would he be interested in her? Finn is a man of substance. When he meets Cara, he doesn't see the insecure woman that she is, but he sees her! When things start to fall apart, what will Finn do? Run like the wind and find his harem at the gym? What will happen when Cara goes to the reunion? I loved this book. It's my first by Jana Richards and I think it hits close to home. We all have insecurities, and this one plays on things everyone can relate to. She is a real character, and I could feel her indecision and frustration. Finn is amazing. I love his ability to see through the facade people put up, and in his line of work, I would think he has to have that eye. It's a great love story, one I truly enjoyed.

Narration by Leigh Linley was great. It's the first time I have heard her, and I thought she captured the essence of the characters perfectly. She tapped into Cara like she knows exactly her feelings, added great children voices and pulls off Finn with ease. This is a fun, and easy listen and I will look for more of both of Jana and Leigh's work.

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Beautiful Story

This was my first Jana Richards's book. This is a sweet story, between a younger man and an older woman. The characters have flaws, and they seem real. Cara is a beautiful, and strong. She is divorced, with two beautiful daughters. Unfortunately, her ex is a selfish man, and her mom is a toxic person. Difficult to keep a good self esteem in these conditions. Finn is a handsome character, loving and supportive. I like their chemistry. This story is beautifully written. I love the scene when she meets her former classmates, and her ex-husband, at the high school reunion. I love the ending. Leigh Linley did a great job with the narration. She has a beautiful voice, easy to understand, and the characters were easy to distinguish. I enjoyed my listening.I was given a free review copy of the audiobook — at my request — and have voluntarily left this review.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Insecurities of a middle-aged woman

The Girl Most Likely is probably one of the most relatable audiobooks I have ever listened too! I'm 37 years old and might be weighing more than I did when I graduated high school. The things that bothered Cara don't bother me as much as they did her. I feel like we all change after 20 years. We've had kids, if we can. We've packed on more pounds or at least we don't like where our weight is sitting. The breasts no longer sit as high as they did 25 years ago.

I think seeing the ex with a younger woman would be was would get me. I would want to stick it to him. You know, look at what you're missing buddy. Yeah' his 25 year old girl friend might have breasts 3 inches higher than mine but older women have a different confidence. They have a bit more understanding of life and dare I say we know what's happening between the sheets! So obviously Finn knows what's up!!

Anyways, sorry I got a bit hung up on Cara and her inner battle to be comfortable in her skin and with who she is. I loved Finn and I'm so happy the author made him a real man and not just some body builder man of gym perfection. He's had his own struggles and really seems to respect Cara for wanting to fix what shes unhappy with. What starts as a friendship builds into more but they still have that deep rooted friendship that helps them talk through their personal fears and struggles.

The narration was done by Leigh Linley. I felt she did fine with Cara but Finn wasn't the best. There was also a slight echo sound to the sound. It was a bit distracting. Really though, seeing this narrators name on another audiobook wouldn't turn me off from the story. I enjoyed it for the most part.

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