Toe the Line

By: Penelope Ward

Narrated by: Erin Mallon, Jacob Morgan

Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.