Waylaid

By: Sarina Bowen

Narrated by: Callie Dalton, Zachary Webber

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

It’s a tale as old as time: The bad boy meets the good girl. He makes a daring proposition. Then the boy gets a mysterious head injury and loses a year of his life....

The first time I meet Rickie, I don’t know what to make of him. The second time we meet, he doesn’t remember the six hours we spent together. Or standing me up afterward.

I’m not the same, either. I’ve got secrets. I’ve told lies. Bad boys aren’t my type, anyway. Even the ones with troubled gray eyes.

But now we’re roommates. Cue the awkward moments in the hallway when he’s wearing only a towel and a smile. He’s determined to win me over, and his talented hands weaken my resolve.

It’s all fun and games until my past rears its ugly head and his secrets come to light, shaking our fragile connection, maybe even breaking it....

Note: This is Daphne Shipley's story. Contents include Vermont-y ice cream flavors, nerdy awkwardness, tattoos, and a playboy grandpa.

©2021 Sarina Bowen (P)2021 Sarina Bowen

A mystery wrapped in a small town romance. Sarina at her best

Sarina is a auto buy author for me and she has never write a book I do not enjoy. True North is a favorite of mine because the Shipley is the most wholesome American family but everyone has a cross to bear. I love how the mystery of their missed date unravels as the story progresses and the character arc she put them through. The amazing thing about Sarina’s writing is that underneath the wholesome setting of rural Vermont lies the darkness that’s pull you in. As the story builds Zachary really elevates his story arc with his performance. Thank you for giving Daphne such an amazing story. You truly outdid yourself with this.

Good, not great

I am a huge Sarina Bowen fan, and this story was solid, but not as good as many of her previous books. My three biggest reasons for this were 1) the chemistry between the main characters felt oddly lacking in this book, 2) one dimensional villain with no clear motive - not usually a problem in a romance book, but this novel presented itself as more of a mystery so I expected more depth on that front than normal, and 3) this might just be me, (slight spoiler alert! but everyone could see it coming so also not really) but I am really frustrated with books that have the heroine change her life goals in order to stay with a boyfriend or in a small town with her family. Sarina tried to turn it around into a good life decision / a reflection of character maturation and with a plot twist that really wouldn't happen in real life academia, but come onnnnnn. To me, a real happy ending is the heroine going to the best school in the country with her boyfriend following HER, then she can move back home after those two short years to be with her fam again. It's like authors feel that a woman always has to pick her family over her career in these 'happy endings', even when the choice is a temporary one. write an epilogue after she's done with school and back in Vermont with her dream job and hanging with her happy family if you have to. Can we fix this ridiculous trend now?

Rant over. In other news, Zachary Webber and Callie Dalton were good as usual, though perhaps owing to the lack of chemistry I felt with the characters I didn't quite love them in their roles like I typically do. I think this was a fault of the story and not the voice actors though.

Another brilliant True North story

Sarina does it again! I was unsure any this book based on the short description but I was completely wrong. I couldn’t have loved Rickey, our hero, any more. And Daphne Shipley too, of course. Both H/h had very interesting back stories. They grew their friendship and let that blossom. To see how’s their past and present come together in the end was crazy and awesome.

Another winner from Sarina Bowen

I love this author so much! I have all her books and know every one of them is a credit well spent. This book will make you laugh, cry, and encourage you to take a nice cold shower. The narrators do a fantastic job. Don't wait. Start listening now!

So good

Great book! The book was so good and emotional. The narrators did a great job.

Amazing

Waylaid was an amazing story. Narrators did an excellent job. I’ve read several books by this other. I recommend this one and her other books.

Addictive story with great narration

One of my favorite books! The story came together really well. The character interaction was fun and engaging, both narrators were captivating.

Couldn’t stop listening

I have loved every book I have read by Sarina Bowen. Yet again I have been sucked into an incredible story that made it hard to stop listening when it was time for me to do something else. The suspense part of this story had me sucked in early on and I’ve looked forward to my drive to and from work just so I could listen.
I have not read the other True North books, but I wasn’t lost in the least. I now find myself wanting to read the other books just so I can revisit some of the side characters from this book.

Starts off rough gets good.

In book 7 Heartland in chapter 24 it’s Daphne Shipley that doesn’t remember Rickie. This Author does great writing a story but frustrating to read a series and have a one of the books major storylines leave you wondering if she forgot what she’s written in previous books. But stay with it the book gets good.. Had that not been an issue it’s a great book. Narrators did a great job.

this story made me laugh out loud, hold my breath!

such a great story! loved the Shipley family stories! Sarina Bowen, you tell a great story! thank you so much! you get great narrators too! Zachary Webber, thanks for all the characters, moods and feelings you emote! Appreciate your talents so much!

An emotional story with amazing narration

I absolutely loved this audiobook. Callie and Zachary did an amazing job with Daphne and Ricky. I’m not gonna go into the plot, that’s what the blurb is for, what I do want to say is that I was so happy to see Sarina bringing important issues out in their story. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’m not going to name the issue raised but I do want to thank Sarina for tackling it with care and sensitivity while highlighting the gender bias that society has placed on it.

So not only do you get a great love story with a new take on a second chance romance. (He has memory loss so doesn’t remember their first meeting) BUT you get a hidden life lesson and I love love love books that have hidden or shouting in the front style life lessons. I think it always says a lot about an author who is willing to weave a life lesson into their plot. Whether it’s intentional or accidental, I don’t care, this one was done well.

I loved discovering all the little details that came to light with regards to Ricky’s past. It was like being a little detective uncovering the clues and at the end we get the full picture.

Of course this book isn’t all heavy heavy, there is light and laughter too with the raucous Shipley clan on the farm and some homicidal chickens!!! This book is well paced and well balanced. I got all the laughs, feels, steam and life lessons rolled into one very tidy package.

With fantastic narration by both Callie and Zachary, you really can’t go wrong with this audiobook.

fabulous

I am so blown away by this series of books I just want to know more and recaps on couple it's so addictive, this story is fab and Ricky omg I would like to have someone like him around. I'm gonna get withdrawal symptoms and the narration is spot on highly recommend a read

Love the true north series

I love all the books in the true north series and this is no exception just can’t wait until the next one…here’s hoping there’s a next one anyway

Loved this

I’ve listened to all the audiobooks from this author and they fantastic these stories and the family and friends included are just brilliant

Great book

I really enjoy that book . I think the story was great with few twists. I listen to few other books from the collection and I would highly recommended . I love the whole family concept and you can’t get wrong with Webber as narrator in romance book :)

Fresh, funny & raw

Ricky & Daphne are amazing, Bowen brings the heat again with this fresh new Vermont tale. Current issues and new generation Shipley antics. Zachary Webber is outstanding!!

Surprising and brilliant

This book surprised me. I was expecting a nice romance and was completely thrown by the twists. It covered some extremely delicate topics in a sensitive way and I was in tears a couple of times. However, I also laughed a lot and loved hearing more about the Shipley clan. Great narration and great story, I definitely recommend.

Enjoyable listen

I enjoyed listening to this book. I knocked a star off because it lost its pace around the middle, and Daphne was a bit frustrating at times - but still a good story.