Pick 1 title (2 titles for Prime members) from our collection of bestsellers and new releases.
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks and podcasts.
Your Premium Plus plan will continue for $14.95 a month after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime.
Toe the Line  By  cover art

Toe the Line

By: Penelope Ward
Narrated by: Erin Mallon,Jacob Morgan
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's Summary

From New York Times best-selling author Penelope Ward comes a friends-to-lovers story spanning more than a decade....

At first, I thought I’d hate spending the summer with Archie Remington—the conceited son of my parents’ friends. What I knew about Archie: He was gorgeous, pre-law, and had always treated me like I didn’t exist when we were younger. When our families bought a house together on an island in Maine, he and I were forced to share a bathroom.

The boy I remembered was now a full-grown man—but with the same attitude. After a rough start, Archie and I unexpectedly started getting along one day and eventually became friends. We shared secrets and bonded during our morning jogs. I discovered that Archie had a wild spirit and that he struggled to conform to his father’s expectations.

Things were cool until I had to go and ruin it, getting drunk one night, and blurting out my fantasy—involving him.

I took it back, but it was too late. Archie had heard me loud and clear. After that, we never quite knew how to toe the line. When that summer came to an abrupt and shocking end, I headed back to college, unsure if anything would ever be the same again. Across the miles over the years, he and I stayed in touch as friends, but fate and timing always kept us from becoming more.

You know the saying: If two people are meant to be, they’ll find their way back to each other?

Let’s just say Archie came back into my life in a way I would’ve never expected. And this time, my heart would really be put to the test.

©2022 Penelope Ward (P)2023 Penelope Ward
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Romance

What listeners say about Toe the Line

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    81
  • 4 Stars
    24
  • 3 Stars
    7
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    81
  • 4 Stars
    12
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    64
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    9
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Overall pretty good.

Here's my take on this story. Sometimes you can have to many bad things happen in a story and it will totally turn you off. The story started off great loved the character building and the development along the way. Then boom bad after bad after bad. It's like geesh how much sadness are you going to give us before we completely stop listening. In this story I feel as if the bad was drawn out and it was not enough good. Then towards the end everything wanted to fall into place but it happened very quickly. Then boom again I mean come on you guys could have truly given them all of a happily ever after. Overall it was just an ok story with steamy scenes and great narration. Had so much potential but limited by the over use of terrible things happening. My stars are for narration mostly and the good parts of this story.

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Definitely a slow burn

Overall it was a good book, probably my least favorite though. Seemed pretty sad the whole way through and I struggled to finish it.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration! Story. . . Ok

I’m a big fan of the author and narrators. This story was just ok for me. I have a really hard time when characters fail to express their feelings and unfortunately these characters did just that FOR THE WHOLE BOOK! It was so frustrating that I had a hard time continuing the book and almost gave up. But like I said I like the narrators, I’d listen to Zachary Webber read the phone book, so I finished listening.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Omgosh another one

I finally took the chance and grab this book from Audible .to say that I absolutely loved it would be an understatement. This book is phenomenal. For a while, I thought my gosh get together already, but when it came to the last few chapters, everything worked out perfectly. The only problem is I wish there was more to it so I can see how their life went after. Maybe someday. Of course, the narrators were awesome. That’s a given when you have the two that narrated this. Very very well. Done, Penelope Ward.

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow… but stay with it!

I loved the book, but in the middle I almost gave up for awhile because it seemed to be stalling out. I’m glad I stayed with it because it was really good. I listened to it within 24 hours.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is .....

EVERYTHING❤️

I can't explain what I'm feeling other then this will be always at the top of my listen to suggest. Thank you!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Loved this book!

I listened this book in one day while driving south! This book had me wiping away tears & laughing like a looney bird alone in my car! I absolutely loved this love story!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Lots of heartache

Get the tissues

Yep, my chest was tight and there was a lump in my throat periodically all the way through this. Also I will say although it was a HEA I was wishing for a different one.

There was mention of it being a slow burn but the story is 12 years and the epilogue even longer so …..

On a different note:
I went through what this woman did and they skipped mentioning a step but this is fiction so I’ll let it go.

I still liked it and feel it was worth my credit.

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Ok

Not great not bad. Just ok. Great author just felt like this book was filler. Will still be reading everything she writes just didn’t loved this one.

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

Big sigh…

Great narration by Jacob. Erin is an overall B narrator in this book. She’s better in this one than in others but she’s still holding on to those syllables like fat kids hold twinkies.

The story was a good and annoying. I can’t believe Noelle pined over this dude for so long. Gosh- kinda made her seem desperate. Archy is a ho with old fashioned beliefs in shot gun weddings yet he’s willing to be his besties baby daddy? Right. Made no sense to me either.

Archy “loves” Noelle but doesn’t really show it until forever later bcz he doesn’t trust himself not to hurt her. After 31 chapters and 12 billion years later he just realized that? Biiihhh…she should’ve stayed with the old dude. I hope there’s a story for him like Neighbor Dearest.

Oh and at one point Archy bought a house down the street from Mariah, then later it becomes an apartment. How?

Stuff I wished I would’ve heard:
- More interaction between Clancy & Noelle
- Cat fight between Mariah and Noelle
- Noelle taking a break from Archy’s drama
- Noelle actually getting pregnant

That’s all. I’m sleepy.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for LilleyLoohLah
  • LilleyLoohLah
  • 03-22-23

A second chance at love

Erin Mallon and Jacob Morgan narrate this friends to lovers, second chance at romance love story perfectly. Two of my favourite narrators bringing the story to life. I always find myself upset when a story doesn’t go the way I want it to, so I was upset quite a bit throughout this story. Why? Because Archie and Noelle waited years to get their happy ever after, and if I’d have had my way they wouldn’t have had any significant others, but I’m no author, and my story would have been boring. This is far from boring. It’s beautifully written, perfectly narrated, and has just enough angst and drama to keep you entertained throughout. Will they, won’t they? When, how, why. I loved it.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Kindle Customer
  • Kindle Customer
  • 03-05-23

Another Winner by Penelope Ward

Penelope Ward, how do you do what you do. Archie and Noelle are the true definition of delayed love. Toe the Line is absolutely amazing, well written, well narrated.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Stormer83
  • Stormer83
  • 03-01-23

Loved

I really enjoyed this book great story and characters definitely one of my new favorites from Penelope Ward, the narrators did a great job

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Highland girl
  • Highland girl
  • 02-28-23

Mind Blowingly Brilliant …

Seriously mind blowing! Be prepared to feel every emotion known to man with this magnificent book. Penelope’s best by far. The main characters, Archie and Noelle, have the most complicated story I’ve ever read. I felt over powering lust, love, sadness, shock, pity, irritation, frustration, adoration - the list of emotions is endless. Without ruining the story I will say it’s the most compelling read/listen I’ve encountered so much so I listened to it in one sitting as I couldn’t stop. This is a MUST read. Enjoy.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User
  • Anonymous User
  • 03-07-23

Another good one

I have to hand it to Penelope Ward, she comes up with a unique story every time, which is hard to find in rom-coms.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for MadHatter
  • MadHatter
  • 03-15-23

Angst and sex - no, thank you

Ok, the first half of this book was them being teenagers - angst and sexual tension. Then they are adults - angst and sexual tension. There is zero humour, plot (other than miscommunication/lost chances), or anything else that might have lifted this book from the mire it is stuck in. If it has been a cheaper book, I would have ditched it by 50%.
If you like 95% slow drama, followed by 5% mush, then this is the book for you.
Also, the hero is just a kicked puppy and the narrator does his very best to portray this.