The Way You Are

Carolina Connections, Book 5

By: Sylvie Stewart

Narrated by: Amanda Stribling, David Black

Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

“They say nice guys always finish last. I say the only place that should apply is in the bedroom - it’s just good manners, after all.” (Brett MacKinnon, nice guy and frequent resident of the friend zone)

LIV: There are really only three things I need in life: sex, baseball, and winning. My hot boyfriend and season tickets take care of the first two, while I always do my best to cover the last. So developing an unexpected crush on a new friend is more than a little inconvenient. I don’t have anything but friendship to offer Brett, but with the way he looks at me, he has me wishing I did.

BRETT: I’ve been put in the friend zone so often, they’ve got a sandwich named after me. You’d think I’d be used to it by now. But when it comes to the delectable Liv, I’m determined to ditch the friend zone and show her I’m boyfriend material. Too bad the position’s already been filled by a ball-playing caveman who could flatten me with his pinky.

What will it take to show Liv that nice guys can be more than just friends, and that love is the one game truly worth winning?

©2018 Sylvie Stewart (P)2019 Sylvie Stewart

Rom Com

This is my first experience with Sylvie Stewart's books and I thought the book was fun. I enjoyed the story, although there was some profanity peppered throughout it. Amanda Stribling and David Black did a great job as narrators portraying a unique voice to the characters and thereby adding to the entertainment of the story. I was given a free copy of the audiobook and I have voluntarily left this review.

another fun story

this was another fun story! I cracked up several times while listening. I enjoyed these two narrators quite a bit. this is only the second book I've listened to from them. I haven't listened in order, so I wasn't familiar with some of the supporting characters

Hilarious, Sweet and Sizzling!

I am loving this series so much and this 5th book was just as fun, sweet and sizzling! I loved both Olivia and Brett. They start out as friends, having the most hilarious meet cute as they were each cheering for their home baseball team. Olivia is dating one of the players, Troy, but she loves hanging out with Brett because they have so much in common. Of course Troy isn't happy about their friendship, and then his real nature is revealed. Brett is so easy going, funny, and authentic. He cares and supports Olivia, and is so sweet as he waits for his chance with her. Olivia is smart and sassy, and so unapologetic. She and Brett are so perfect together in this slow burn rom com. It was also fun catching up with Brett's roommate Gavin and all the rest of their friends and family.
Amanda Stribling, and David Black are back narrating this sweet, and engaging romance. They easily brought out all of the different emotions that Olivia and Brett felt, from sassy to vulnerable, heartbreak to passion, and everything in between. I really enjoyed both their performances and thought they made this hilarious, exciting, and steamy romance even better!

Loved It!

I love Sylvie! She writes characters you can get involved with!! David and Amanda were great with the narration...of course!! You really need to listen to this series from the beginning so you can understand the characters and how they intertwine. Now I need to go find the next in the series. I love these "people"!
I requested this free audiobook and am giving an honest review voluntarily!!!!
Next!!!!!!

Out of the park

I adore Sylvia Stewart books because she doesn’t write the typical alphahole books that are so popular right now (god knows why). She writes men that don’t make you want to kick them in the nuts.

4 Stars

What a fun and unique take on a sports book. It was funny, sexy, and HEA. It’s a great light book!
Narrative did great also- both!

Love this book!!

I received this book as an audio arc for free for my review and I have to say this book and entire series really is fantastic! The writing is great and so is the reading of it!! Not boring I LOVE Brett and Liv since we met Brett in the fix I have wanted more of him he is quirky and adorable!! Liv makes me so happy lol she is strong and funny and the perfect mix of tomboy!! Love this book and love this series!!

Witty banter, secret longings and sexy beards!

How enjoyable is this story!! I loved it! The witty banter, the secret longing and the sexy beard...all good reasons to devour this book! Olivia is a hoot! She sure has a mouth on her! She cracked me up at the games! Brett seems like not the type of guy she would go for. His outward appearance might have people shy away or look down on him. But I side he is a golden boy! He has this great big heart. We get to see and spend some time with Gavin and Emerson. They really help the story move forward as does Haley, who is Olivia’s best friend.

This isn’t my first book by this author. I have read all of the others in this series. They all have a little fun, some sexy men and strong sassy women. I love reading this series and look forward to the next one!!

So fun!

I feel like I write the same thing every time I review a Sylvie Stewart book. I loved it. It’s so much fun. Great story. All the feels. And the performances for audio are wonderful. Very smooth. Very in character. I’d like to change it up this time but I can’t. It’s all that. Read it. Listen to it. Enjoy it.

Real people

I was so happy for Brett’s story. A dedicated friend throughout the series needed a story of his own. I love a story about your average person. Brett isn’t a rockstar, or star athletes, or physical perfection. He is a steady and relatable man. He and Liv are the perfect couple. I enjoyed their journey together.

Second half makes up for the first

This is the 5th in the Carolina Connections series about a group of ever expanding friends and family. Brett has been mentioned or lightly featured in previous books but this is where he comes to the fore and gets his own story. This is complete with its own HEA and you don’t need to have read any of the previous books in the series.

Liv is brand new to the series so this is the first time we meet her - and she didn’t get off to the best start with me. At the start of the book she’s got a boyfriend - the hot but dim Troy. And boy does she bang on about how hot he was and how much she enjoyed sex with him. As she gets to know Brett, she’s still with her boyfriend despite him treating her quite poorly and still enjoys the sex. It was just a bit icky. There wasn’t really any cheating but I don’t like to read about either of our main couple with other people, and her actions and reasoning for staying with Troy made her appear vapid and shallow. I also didn’t like her cheering and jeering during the baseball games. It was embarrassing and classless - but that just might be my Britishness showing!

Liv’s character was made worse by the wonderfulness that is Brett. He’s such a sweetheart. He’s very much a nice, normal guy - a marketing exec with a normal body and a massive crush on the girl he can’t have. He was funny and cute, smart and sexy - I just adored him. And I felt bad for him that he couldn’t have fallen in love with a nicer gal.

I was feeling quite ambivalent about the love story until about half way through the book. At that point, Troy was out of the picture and it was all about Brett and Liv taking their friendship to the next level. That’s when the book really kicked off for me and I started to very much enjoy the story. A classic friends to lovers, slow burn romance.

As always with Sylvie Stewart, along with the love story we get such a rich story that’s always an absolute hoot. This bunch of friends - while appearing less so than in the first few books - are friendship goals. I laughed out loud, not just with them but with Brett and Liv, too. I know I can always rely on Ms Stewart’s stories to perk me up and raise my spirits.

The story is narrated by Amanda Stribling and David Black and both are very good in telling the story. I always do prefer when there’s a different voice actor for each different character - it really does help to build the story and get to know the characters.

I wouldn’t have missed this story as I make my way through the Carolina Connections series. It wasn’t my favourite of the series but luckily, the second half of the book definitely made up for the first. The audio was eminently listenable and if you are reading through the series, or like to read stories where the cast is more ethnically diverse (Liv is Asian) then I would recommend this book to you.

Sweet story

This is such a sweet and satisfying story..
Although frustrating at times because man do these two get their wires crossed a lot..lol...A wonderful friends to lovers romance that I highly recommend.
Fabulously narrated by Amanda Stribling and David Black.

Full of fun

Brett gets his awkward turn at falling. And it’s full of laughs, Great Dane slobbers and awkward moments.

A Great listen

Both Amanda Stribling and David Black, are great narrators.

This story has fun and drama.

Brett has always liked Liv and after a breakup with her boyfriend, she turns to friend . Then discovers his true
feelings. Between the misunderstanding you will find yourself laughing.

Excellent series with great narration

While The Way You Are is a stand alone story, it's better to listen the series in order because the characters from previous books feature prominently. Plus, it's a really fun series with characters that come to life in the audiobooks. The Way You Are is an entertaining friends to lovers story. I recommend it for listeners who like a slow build up into a relationship.

The performances by Amanda Stribling and David Black really add to the story. They make a great narration team.

Wonderful characters making you laugh out loud 😁

Continuation in the series bringing attention to Olivia and Brett's friends to lovers story. Olivia determined to keep him in the friend zone whilst Brett uses every trick in the book to break down her barriers. An excellent job by the narrators in bringing life to all the characters. Can't wait to finish the series.

Out of the friend zone.

While I loved this story, I'm not a great fan of the narrators. They just didn't do it for me, but the book was still still enjoyable just the same.

friends to lovers

Brett is sitting, not so comfortably, in the friend zone. Liv knows Brett is always there for her. It was easy to see through out the story how much Liv relied on that friendship. Brett wants more than friends, but is respectful of Liv's choices. This makes Brett totally lovable. I fell hard for Brett and wanted Liv to see him more than just a friend. But sometimes the path to love is not always the straightest. That crooked path is within each word of this story. I could not get enough of these two. I found myself laughing so hard at times, I had to quiet myself from not waking anyone in the house. I cannot wait to read more of this series.

Amanda Stribling and David Black really bring this story to life. They make the characters become like friends and bring the reader into the story. Amanda is a great Liv. She narrates Liv exactly as I imagined her. I love David's narration of Brett the most. He really brings Brett to life. Through the friend zone regrets, to the desire for dating Liv, David brings out each emotion and makes Brett relatable and loveable. I easily got lost in their narration and could not stop listening until the end.

Olivia (Liv) & Brett

I enjoyed this book and it’s characters. A lot of misunderstandings that makes it fun and interesting. Olivia cracks me up. These books are standalone but I think the characters show up in other books so I wish I would have started with one. The narration was great I recommend this book/series.

🎧Audiobook Obsession

Good Listen

Liv is a baseball fanatic and Brett wants her. He is getting to know her and decides that she is the one but is taken. When she breaks up with the boyfriend she runs to him and discovers that she has feelings for him and is scared to act on them. This book is funny and drama filled.