I really enjoyed this book and loved that the story grabbed my attention from the 1st page and didn't let go. I also thought the characters were really engaging (annoying and stupid at times), but engaging and made the story fun to listen to. I'm looking forward to checking out more in this series.

This book honestly surprised me. When I say surprised, I mean in the most Pleasant way. The story is about Lizzy who is 18 years old and away at University. I don't know about you guys, but at eighteen I definitely did not have my act together. I like that this character actually does have her flaws and is not created perfectly. She's doing her thing, partying, drinking, smoking and having sex! Bam! Just like that her world is turned upside down. Both of her parents passed away in a tragic accident leaving her the custodian to her two younger brothers. She is pretty much a kid herself and she is dealing with her grief and the grief of both of her brothers. It's pretty much impossible not to fall in love with this entire family and emphasize with their struggles. Enter stage left, her gorgeous TA, Conner. There are moments I absolutely adore him and moments that I want to shake him and knock some sense into him. Normally when I read books like this, I'm drawn to the male characters, but in this case, it is Lizzy I am drawn to. I absolutely admire Lizzy. She's a strong, if not struggling, 18 year old woman. She knows what she wants and she goes after it. The author did a great job capturing the grief she is going through. I enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone looking for a forbidden love story.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audio book of this title, received in exchange for an honest review.

Lizzie finds herself sleeping with someone else’s boyfriend and getting caught by the police? Lizzie’s fling turns into a very sad and emotional day when she finds out her parents unexpectedly passed away. Now Lizzie in her college years takes guardianship over her two younger brothers and needs to figure out how to manage being a parent and a student. Her entire career depends on her passing classes to hold on to her scholarship- how does a 19-year-old do this when she also needs to take care of two young children? She eventually takes up tutoring, starts showing up to classes and dating her TA Connor?! Mr. Lawson is a TA that is absolutely smitten with Lizzie and when the news gets out will Lizzie still have her scholarship, and will Connor still be a TA?
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book for my honest feedback.

Last Will and Testament is the story of Lizzie Brandt college student turned single mom after the sudden death of her parents. I thought there would be some feel good sibling moments here but the story quickly turned to an affair with her teaching assistant (plus an age gap).

Real talk y’all this story takes place in LaLa Land. There is no way this could happen without consequence. I can handle an age gap but the teacher/student thing was pushing it. There was hardly any discussion about the siblings either. I guess I wanted a more feel good story but got raunchy hot for teacher vibes.

A former straight A high school student, turned college party girl must change her act to keep her siblings out of foster care. This is a great story. I love the underlying themes of healthy female friendships and healthy romantic relationship. Lizzie’s personal growth is realistic and relatable. I’ve read this in paperback format, but really loved this in audio format. This makes the story much more emotional.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I was not expecting this book to grab my attention from the beginning. The author does a great job with Lizzie’s inner dialogue, especially given her age. I will admit, the loss of a star is due to the fact that sometimes I found that inner monologue slightly annoying, but kept reminding myself of her age and didn’t find it overly bothersome. I really enjoyed the development of her relationship with Connor alongside dealing with her grief and loss. I found the emotions around death and grief very realistic and relatable. Overall one of my favorite romance novels I’ve read in the last year. The perfect combination of heavy topics and lightheartedness. Also, not for nothing, the narrator of this book did a great job with the emotions of the book.

This book has been out for a few years now but it finally has an audiobook! I didn't like the beginning of the book where someone is actively cheating and they are both in the knowledge that one of them is in a relationship. And then later on, when one of the participants throws the cheating into the person who was cheated on's face. DID NOT LIKE. But I enjoyed the storyline for the most part and how Lizzie is an absolute mess of an 18-year-old college student (weren't we all?) at the beginning of the book. And then her parents die together in a car accident and BOOM! she is the guardian to her 2 younger brothers. She's still a kid herself. Some parts of this were rough to read as a fully-formed (mostly) adult. lol. I will definitely be continuing the trilogy, most excited for book 3!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did, it was amazing, I loved the narration and the overall aspect of the audiobook. My main criticism is that this book feels very early 2000s and not 2014, but overall it was interesting. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to experience this audiobook.

Lizzie Brandt is a university student who is struggling hard in her studies. She loses her parents and is made sol,e guardian of her two younger brothers. What follows is Lizzie's journey coming to terms with her studies and her relationship with her TA Connor Lawson.

I found the book a little difficult to read and in midst of the book fell into a slump. It is too repetitive and most incidents seem a bit same. It couldn't hold my attention for long. I would rate the book a two out of five.

This book tugged at my heartstrings a little. It’s a unique, but completely plausible situation. Every now and then, we feel the need to let loose, lose control, and oftentimes we get back up eventually. Lizzie Brandt doesn’t have that option as a tragic accident leaves her as the guardian of her two brothers (ages 13 & 7). Prior to the accident she missed class more than she was in it, and she needs to get her act together or risk losing the only family she has left. She must do this through her tutor, her Byzantine history TA, Connor Lawson. The only problem is after some back and forth banter, she realizes there’s more to him than the stuffy e-mails, the childish study guides, and his stiff demeanor. As she adapts to her new normal, she must also face some of the consequences from her party phase. Lizzie Brandt definitely has her work cut out for her, but I recommend giving it a listen to see how her story plays out!

Three stars. The blurb was promising, but the end just mad here story not worth it. Plot twists felt more like not so subtlety placed intentional roadblocks for the main charcters. I hadn't ever read a student-teacher romance trope before, mainly because I didn't like the idea, and I guess my instinct was right. My fav character has to be Taylor because of how mature and understanding he is, despite his age. Yes, he's not a perfect brother, but I'd love to have a sibling like him. Narration was brilliant and possibly one of the few things that prevented me from DNFing. Another thing I disliked was the unlimited use of curses and bad language throughout. Just because it is a New Adult book doesn't mean you must use those words.

The audiobook narrator was great and would want to listen to more books by the narrator. The story was okay. I loved Cool for the Summer by this author so I wanted to read a backlist title and this one was not great. The MC was just angry for throughout the book and using her parents' death as an excuse to just shout at anybody. She clearly needed therapy. The live interest was sweet but because I didn't like the MC, I didn't like the romance either. Overall it was an okay middle of the road 3 star read.

Last Will and Testament ~ Dahlia Adler

Audiobook Published 2/8/2022
Listened to 2/4-2/5/2022

Genre= New Adult/Romance

🅾🆅🅴🆁🅰🅻🅻 🆁🅰🆃🅸🅽🅶 = ⭐⭐⭐.5
👩🏻👨🏼‍🦰Characters = 7/10
🗺🎪Setting/Atmosphere = 5/10
✍🏼🧬Style/Structure = 7/10
🎞🔮Plot = 6/10
💡💌Themes = 7/10
🎯🔎Purpose/Focus = 7/10
🧠🫀Internal Response = 5/10
👍🏻👎🏻Enjoyment/Satisfaction = 7/10
🗣💬Recommend to Others = 5/10
👄🎧Narration = 7/10

Thank you to OrangeSky Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audioARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions shared are my own.

This audiobook was a fun read, but was confusing in parts due to the multiple storylines. I adored how Lizzie stepped right up to take care of her two younger brothers. The connection between Connor and her seemed fairly natural and their chemistry could be felt. I don’t mind some heat and romance in a book. However, some of the romance/sexy scenes between them seemed a little over the top because they came out of nowhere and didn’t seem to quite fit in the overall storyline in my opinion, like the scene outside by the tree.

If you’re looking for a cute, fun, & emotional story that causes you to laugh, cry, blush, (& cringe a little), then I would recommend checking out this book or audiobook.

{thank you to netgalley and the orange sky audio for providing an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review}

rating- 2.5/5

This is the first audiobook recording for a book published in 2014. I came across the excerpt on netgalley when I was looking for nothing in particular and found the premise super intriguing. I also don't usually prefer audiobooks, so this was an experience! Samantha Summers, the narrator did a great job with the narration. Her voice fit the main character's monologue perfectly and the voice modulations kept the plot engaging throughout. I had a lot of fun listening to the book and had absolutely no complaints when it came to the audio.
That being said, i don't think i would've liked the book as much if I'd read it instead of listening to it. The writing style was different from what i usually read but seemed to work for an audiobook format.

PREMISE
18 year old Lizzie Brandt has gone into a downward spiral ever since she's come to college. She doesn't care about her grades and spends most of her time in parties and curing hangovers.
Everything changes when she loses her parents to a car crash. Now, she's the sole guardian to her two younger brothers and needs to bring up her grades to maintain the scholarship. She's struggling with parenting at 18 while also figuring out college, when she ends up falling for Connor Lawson, her history TA who has helped her throughout everything. When bad decisions from her past are back to haunt her and threaten her relationship with Connor as well as custody of her brothers, she has way too much on her plate.

{review contains spoilers after this point!}

THOUGHTS
It was way better than I expected for sure. I looked up the actual book on gr, and I'm pretty sure i wouldn't have picked it up if not for the new cover and the audiobook. i.e. it was definitely a good idea to republish in audio format.
➢Connor's character was definitely more likable. I was a little apprehensive that they would use the daddy issues bit to justify asshole-like behaviour, but I'm glad they didn't. His reluctance was completely understandable and makes more sense when he voices his thoughts about his inability to be a good parental figure to the boys. Moreover, their relationship was really well done. It wasn't super quick or too slow and they had great banter and chemistry.
➢the chaotic nature of the plot. Love when the problems are not mine.

A few things in plot that didn't work for me:
➢ the age gap felt a little icky to me, especially because of the power imbalance in the teacher-student dynamic. Would've been different if she was over 20 i think. But atleast they address this in the book instead of glossing over it. Also think it wasn't the best idea for her to get into a complicated relationship mere weeks after her parents death, but then again, it is what it is.
➢ the predictability of the plot. I knew immediately after the whole Sophie conflict that this was going to bite her back in the ass. I also disliked the whole cheating situation in the beginning. Lizzie's definitely in the wrong but is surprised that Sophie is mean to her?
➢Although Lizzie's character is more than realistic, because let's be fair every 18 year old would react similarly in a situation like that, i did find her monologue sliiightlyyy annoying at times. She's whiny and constantly complains about her life falling apart instead of doing something about it.
➢ I understand that losing your parents at 18 is terrible and nobody should have to go through that. But the author mentions her parent's death every two pages and it did get more than a little repetitive.

Overall, it was a pretty fun, fast paced read. The plot draws you in and you can't help but keep reading. I would recommend if you like the college setting and don't have an issue with the age gap.

This was pretty good. I'm a bit too old for this genre.though. Lots of cussing and explicit sex. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this title.

“Wait, am I certifiable?”

Oh my! The ups and downs in this book!

I found Last Will and Testament to be a fun read. I feel like I’m reliving moments in my freshman year in college. I didn’t have it together in college; Lizzie definitely doesn’t have it together. She’s in a transition phase of her life, and partying is all she has on her mind.

But with the sudden loss of her parents, she’s forced to be responsible and take care of her two younger brothers in other to keep them out of foster care. She’s only 18-years-old. This was one of the many parts of the book that I found to be heart-wrenching.

Of course, my favorite part of the book is the relationship between Lizzie Brandt and her nerdy, TA Conner Lawson as it evolves from a small crush to a forbidden romance. As the couple navigates the possibility of a future together, Lizzie tries her best to get a hold “on this whole adulting thing”.

I noticed this book was previously published with a different cover. To be honest, the beautiful, illustrated cover drew me to this audiobook. I’m definitely planning to pick up other two books in this series!

I must note that the narrator, Samantha Stone, played an essential part in making this book enjoyable! Her voice held a warm, pleasant and friendly tone.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSKy Audio for the wonderful audiobook!

Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler is unique. The story has heartbreak, selfless acts, immature scenes, determination, incredible friendships, love, hope, and so much more. I could not imagine the pressure Lizzie felt at keeping her family together and being there for her brothers at the same time. The narrator, Samantha Summers, did a good job conveying a snarky young woman. She added the right emotions to her voice. Thank you #NetGalley and #OrangeSky Audio for letting me listen to this book.

Omgg it has been so long since ive giggled and thrown my feet up into the air because of a pairing.

UGHHH i loved lizzie so much and the way connor tried so hard to be professional but couldn’t help being all over her like yussss

Ty to netgalley and the puplishers for an audio in exchange for an honest review.


Firstly, I have to say that the reaction to Lizzie losing her parents was to me not what I expected. I’m fully aware of the fact that people deal with grif in different ways and I can’t relate to that part of the story, so maybe I’m totally in the wrong here. But I do feel like I wanted something else than the reaction she gave. Her anger and sarcasm just exploded.

Secondly, the blackmail part of the plot, while I know this is a very big part of the story in the last part, it felt a bit farfetched for some reason and that threw me off a little bit. It felt a bit unnecessary and just in my opinion didn’t fit well with the story.

However, with that said, I loved the found family and the emphasis on how important family is. Max and Tyler are both such sweet boys both going through this loss on their own. And Connor such an amazing love interest. He is sweet and caring by nature and that really stuck out to me. And not to mention that this is a healthy romance with I absolutely love. But I do feel like some of the spicy scenes were cliche for some reason, and I wouldn’t be able to pin-point exactly why, but it did bother me a bit and I pulled some ugly faces while listening to them

18 year old Lizzie Brandt is a  college student at Radleigh University. She's living a rather vicarious life going to frat parties, drinking and not having a care in the world. It's all about to come to a screeching halt when a tragic accident takes the lives of both her parents, leaving her the  guardian of her two younger brothers. Life as she knew it is about to change drastically. Determined to not lose her scholarship, as well as keep her little brothers out of foster care, Lizzie has to buckle down and get her affairs in order. It's by far one of the hardest tasks she's ever been faced with. It's hard enough trying to balance her new life, but just in case that isn't enough, let's add a very disgruntled classmate that has it out for Lizzie to make life that much harder. With no family to turn to for help, she unexpectedly finds herself turning to her 25 year old TA from her Byzantine History class. Not only is he an amazing tutor, but he has also helped with transportation when needed, being there to help with the boys and just being someone she finds herself leaning on. When their relationship takes an unexpected turn, they're faced with making a choice; Either go against the grain and take the chance of losing everything, or walking away and never knowing what could have been. Will they be able to figure it out before someone makes the choice for them?
Thank you to Netgalley, Dahlia Adler, and OrangeSky Audio for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook. I really enjoyed this one. Despite everything being thrown Lizzie's way, I feel like she stayed strong and did an amazing job for only being 18 and having to change your life so quickly. This book will hit you with all the feels, from laughter, to anger and frustration, heartache,  and of course love. If you don't mind strong language and smut (which when I first heard it took me by surprise as I was definitely not expecting it) then you will enjoy this book. I rate this ⭐⭐⭐⭐