This is a first audiobook recording for a book published in 2014. I had never heard of this book or series before, so I went into it blindly. The book is about a freshman college student named Lizzie Brandt, who is thrust into becoming the sole caregiver for her two young brothers when her parents unexpectadly pass away. Lizzie ends up falling for her TA, 25-year-old Conner Lawson. Chaos ensues as Lizzie's past bad decisions come to haunt her and threaten her relationship with Conner as well as the custody of her two brothers.

This is a New Adult book, and I am well above the targeted age range for this book. I was immediately drawn to the cartoon cover, as I thought this would be a rom-com. This book is a true romance, with a bit of late-teen drama. I think I would have enhoyed this much more if I was in the new adult age range.

I had an issue with the main plot of this book: I do not think that a 25 year old TA (aka a graduate student) dating an 18/19 year old freshman is as big of a deal as the book made it seem. I knew plenty of people in college who dated graduate students within their departments. They would simply be re-assigned to a new class section or the TA wouldn't grade the student's work. But I went to a huge university and Radleigh seemed smaller, so that may play a factor in the feasability of the situation.

Overall, I thought it was a fine read if you are in the targeted age range (18-20 ish) and enhoy romances. I most likely would not recommend this book to the general population, but it was not a bad read. I did really enjoy the narrator and although her pace was a little slow (I had to speed it up to 1.2x), her acting was fantastic.

Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler.

Thank you NetGalley and OrangeSky audio for this ARC of this audiobook!

Lizzie, the main character, unfortunately suffers the loss of both of her parents and is left to care for her brothers by herself. Meanwhile, she struggles through school as she adjusts to not only college life, but also carrying on without her parents. Enter, Connor, the hot TA who is about to turn her world even further upside down.

This book was a fun and quick read! The relationship between Connor and Lizzie was sweet, although I thought it would be creepy at first, given the relationship between TA and student, but Connor was a stand-up character who I appreciated.

Overall, loved this book. Quick and easy read. Beautifully read. My biggest complaint would be with the lack of developing the emotional side of her parents’ death and how it impacted Lizzie herself.
4/5

This book was shockingly heartbreaking from the get go. I was not expecting Lizzie to have to overcome so much, I expected a fun rom com. At first I struggled with Lizzie and Connor’s relationship, but the heart wants what the heart wants. The characters had their own internal struggles which made it very relatable. I really enjoyed this read, and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an audio copy.

Lizzie’s life has been turned upside down in a heartbeat. Her parent’s sudden death put her as a guardian of her two little brothers, in her second year at college and failing miserably with her grades, which means she can lose her scholarship. When her TA not only help her with her grades but with her brothers, and all her problems she feels a connection with him. CAn Lizzie and Connor relationship bring them together or make their lives more difficult? Great audiobook.

Last Will and Testament is a cute romance novel that has a sadder plot than most. The main character, Lizzie, is suddenly orphaned and in charge of her two younger brothers when she is a college sophomore. Adler includes a lot of Lizzie's thoughts and emotions which make her a relatable character and I felt invested in knowing the ending pretty quickly! The story has the cliches of romance and it's just predictable enough to be 3.5 stars for me. However, it was a fun, heartwarming read so I'm rounding up to 4!
I listened to this on audiobook as a NetGalley ARC and I did have a bit of a shock and adjustment period to hearing such strong language.

The Last Will and Testament by Dahlia Adler is a truly enjoyable new adult romance about college student Lizzie Brandt who becomes the unexpected guardian of her two younger brothers following the unexpected loss of her parents. I really liked Lizzie's character throughout the story, and I appreciated the growth her character experienced throughout the course of the story. The real highlight for me, though, was the love interest in this story. He had me smiling and swooning throughout. The characters had great chemistry, and I was surprised by the heat level of some of the scenes in the book because the adorably sweet cover had me fooled! I felt like the book went just a little bit long for the story and got a tad dramatic toward the end, but it was overall a really enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion. This book is the first in the author's Radleigh University series and I'll definitely be checking out the others in the series.

I listened to the audiobook of this title, which came in at just under 10 hours. The narration was done by Samantha Summers and it was very fitting for the story. It was easy to listen to, and the narration drew me into the story. I'd highly recommend listening to this title. I think fans of NA romance books such as the After series would enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for the opportunity to listen to this title. This review is voluntary, and all opinions are honest and my own.

This is so much fun! I love Dahlia's writing and I loved Lizzy's brothers. Connor is so kind and a nice. I love the relationship they all have.

I truly loved this book! Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Brandt found her life thrown into a whirlwind when her parents die in a car accident and she has to become the caregiver of her two tween brothers. Only an 18 year old college student barely staying afloat Lizzie has a stark awakening to adjust to her new life.

From vendettas threatening to ruin all she has worked towards to forbidden romances, from laughter and flirtarion to grief and helplessness. This book has it all.

My heart went out to the Brandt family and I felt emotional for Lizzie trying to stay a float with everything going a wry. Her younger brothers lives upheaved and their struggles along with college, finances and grief.

I loved the support from Nancy, Kate, Frankie and of course Connor. Just when Lizzie feels shes at her lowest she proves time and time again that she can do this. But not until her furious enemy threatens it all.

With tough decisions and a crazy personal life how will Lizzie come out on top?

Wow I couldn't have felt anymore emotions from one book. But such a fun read where it remained realistic in the characters vocabulary and behaviours.

This was cute, good plot, but overall not the greatest. The smut was good, but It could have been much shorter. I liked the narrators. 3.5/5 stars, rounded up to 4.

Unfortunately this was archived before I could read it. I did not pay attention to the dates and requested it the day before it was due to be archived. I will be providing a five-star rating as that seems to me to be the best way to approach the rating in this situation without penalizing the book and author.

What would you do if you were a freshman in college, your parents are killed in a car crash, and you are suddenly the guardian of your brothers? Lizzie is smart, but she is spending most of her time partying with questionable guys. Her scholarship is at risk, her questionable activities have labeled her a slut and now she has to get her brothers to school, fed, and keep up with their daily needs. Connor, her teaching assistant, is the only one she can turn to in order to raise her grades, and for help with the boys. Connor listens, is willing to help, and seems to understand Lizzie. Their relationship develops into something that is inappropriate for a student and TA. This is a great book and I enjoyed seeing Lizzie develop into a responsible adult. Her trials and how she reacts is both humorous and sad. Her brothers are a joy as they struggle with their lives without their parents and their home. A death brings on more problems than Lizzie expected and her struggle to be a friend, guardian, and a student is a great story.

There are a lot of good things, and a few not so many good things about this book. I always like the idea of a forbidden romance. It creates natural tension, and it makes me root for their relationship from the jump. It's a tried and true method (Romeo & Juliette), but there is also something extremely honest about it. It is something many of us have experienced in our lifetimes, especially in our younger years when we tend to be drawn to that which is forbidden rather than what is truly best for us. In this, I truly liked the concept of the book.

I liked how it was told from the perspective of the student rather than the teaching assistant. I would have liked her to be more conflicted about the nature and danger of their love affair, but I wasn't disappointed with it. I did get annoyed with how whiny the main character could be at times, but I think that, too, was an honest rendition of a how an eighteen year old girl would deal with the amount of strife thrown into her life. She would be whiny. She would be focused on her own pain and her own sense of loss. So, while I found that part of the character annoying, it was also a necessary portrayal of her emotional maturity.

I was annoyed with the Greek life portion of the book. I wasn't into the sorority/fraternity world when I was in college - I actually stayed far away from it - but it strikes me as odd that there was this all-powerful couple. It felt like the cliché mean girl cheerleader and idiot football jock from so many high-school portrayals. It also annoyed me that neither of the characters had much depth. They seemed like they were cruel just to be cruel. A little back story on their characters would have probably solved this issue. I love villains - they are always my favorite characters - but I need them to be more three dimensional. That wasn't present here, so I docked a star for it.

Otherwise, it was an enjoyable, honest read.

The story starts with a major tragedy changing the trajectory of Lizzie’s life. Transitioning from high school to college is such an adjustment and one that is bound to have bumps in the road. Lizzie’s world is flipped upside down.

I loved that each step of the way, Lizzie rose to the challenge. She showed love and care for her brothers even if it wasn’t always perfect. She regained her footing in her academics and even found her passion for learning again. It felt like the growth was authentic because she didn’t change overnight. She still had moments where you remember she a young woman in college with lots of learning ahead.

Connor was such a great character. I found him charming, caring and genuine. I loved the scenes with Max and Ty. I also loved that there was so much attention paid to describing his clothing evolution. I couldn’t wait to see what he was wearing next!

I do not typically enjoy a student-teacher relationship storyline, but genuinely enjoyed Connor and Lizzie’s relationship. If Connor was a TA at the university and just not for Lizzie’s specific class, I see it as a none issue. The fact that he was the TA for her class of course complicated things. Connor dealt with his conflicting feelings of whether to pursue this relationship the best way he knew how. They definitely caught a few lucky breaks and ultimately belief in both Connor and Lizzie’s character and determination played in their favor.

I thought it was refreshing that they had a pretty open line of commutation with one another. Often times in romance novels, the characters hold back. Thoughts and feelings they want to share are just inner monologue. Lizzie specifically did not hold back. I think that’s what allowed them to actually build a foundation for their friendship and subsequent romantic relationship.

Outside of the romance, the characters were all dealing with loss and grief. They normalized therapy and seeking help to not work through those things alone. My heart broke for Tyler when he finally shared how alone he was feeling. Losing a loved one, especially a parent is devastating. I am glad that they had each other and could even find help in other unexpected places.

The side characters all played well into the story. From Kate & Frankie, to arch nemeses Sophie & Trevor and the rest of the history department- all helped enhance the story and move along the plot.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced copy of the newly released audiobook of “Last Will and Testament”. The narration was fantastic and kept the already engaging story a breeze to listen

Started this audiobook for my Romance February challenge! The premise was intriguing and who doesn't love a good reformed bad girl takes on raising a family at a very young age.
Lizzie was valedictorian of her high school but as soon as she gets to Raleigh University she does a complete 180. Lizzie is more concerned with partying than homework until tragedy strikes. Both her parents are killed and in order to assume guardianship of her two younger brothers, Lizzie needs to focus on her grades instead of frat parties. Enter Conner, a shy teacher's assistant who agrees to Tudor Lizzie. Lizzie is young but she means well and Conner turns out to be less shy outside of the classroom.

Enjoyed the story and will most likely continue the series. I much preferred the book to the audiobook.

This was the 1st time I listened to an audiobook without having read the book before and the experience was better than I expected. I expected not to be able to pay enough attention, but this book managed to hold me, and I was rarely distracted!
Although the story revolves around a tragic event, the death of the main character's parents, this is a light book and ideal to intersperse heavier reading. For me, a regular fantasy reader, it was a refreshing break between fantasy books and the ideal companion while recovering from the 3rd dose of the covid vaccine since even holding a physical book was a challenge. The characters, especially the main characters, are well constructed with well-defined personalities. Lizzie begins as a young adult with no major worries in life beyond parties and casual sexual encounters, until her world is rocked by the tragedy of her parents' death and the consequent responsibility of becoming guardian to her two younger brothers. This event sends Lizzie into a spiral of personal development, and this is one of the main aspects of this story, the growth of this character that I loved following. Collin, the main male character, is interesting, but I couldn't create a connection with this character as I did with Lizzie, as I felt he could have been better developed. The same happens with the secondary characters, who often seem to get forgotten in the middle of the plot, something that may be on purpose since this book is part of a standalone series. Despite this, the unfolding of the relationship between Lizzie and Collin was quite enjoyable, but with several repetitive moments as they enter a sort of dance of "I can't resist and I'm going to let myself go with the flow" counterbalanced by the guilt of the forbidden relationship between teacher and student. The rest of the plot is developed with satisfying depth without overshadowing the romance.
Overall, a book that gives us some good moments, focusing on the growth of the main character and touching on the theme of grief and overcoming loss, with a fluffy forbidden genre romance where you feel the chemistry and tension between the main characters. Not a read that pulled the rug out from under my feet, but one that I can't help but recommend to anyone who enjoys a cute romance!

Plot | ⭐⭐⭐
Characters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Read | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Quality of Audio | ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Overall | ⭐⭐⭐,75

Review to be soon published on my bookstagram account @direadsomebooks!

An adorable with a slice of how shit is life story and a tiny spice.

This is the second story I finished just listening to an audiobook and darn it, I understand it easily. I'm proud of myself.

I'm a type of reader who listen to an audio, but eye-reading it at the same time because I'm not really good in listening comprehension thingy. But this audiobook made my reading experience easy. Maybe because the author's writing style isn't complicated at all. And maybe because how the narrator narrates it —a clearly understandable. There's a magic in her voice narrating this tale and she dominated with familiarity every character. Particularly on Tyler and Max part. She has an endearing voice.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this audiobook.

#lastwillandtestament #dahliaander #samanthasummers #netgalley #Audiobookarc

No idea how this book knew what I, a new college grad who went from being top of her class in high school to being in one of the lowest of lows in college, needed. Not only is the cover super cute and the audiobook narrator so soothing and enjoyable, but this book was the TA/student romance I didn't know I needed. It was the story I didn't know I needed. An unexpected surprise, but a lovely one. I can't wait to keep reading Dahlia Adler's works in the future.

Rating. 4.3

Last will and testament is one of the few New Adult books I actually enjoyed reading. Angst, growth, and love frame the path to a happy ending for our main characters, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Brandt and Connor Lawson.

Lizzie was in the middle of fraternizing with a popular yet taken frat boy when she heard that her parents had passed away in an accident. Her grieving is brief as she, at only 18 years old, is now the sole guardian of her two young brothers, Ty and Max. Lizzie has to juggle her failing grades, a souring reputation across campus, and a budding crush on her TA, Connor Lawson, with her new maternal responsibilities towards her brothers. Lizzie nearly reaches her breaking point multiple times, but she has a strong enough will to protect herself and her family.

Lizzie's early attitude after is a bit annoying, she is excessively rude at some points, and her actions are very impulsive. However, throughout the story, it is clear that her early behavior acts as a point of contrast to her later growth and mild behavior.

Conner is wonderful. He compliments Lizzie's boisterous behavior with his demure personality. He is cautious, which results in some frustrating miscommunication between him and Lizzie. Overall, he is sweet, and that sweetness is something that Lizzie desperately needs after everything she and the boys have gone through since the death of her parents

The frustration and subsequent explicit scenes are just *chef's kiss* perfect. One of the best things about this book is the tug and pull of sexual frustration between Lizzie and Conner. I listened to this story via audiobook, and listening rather than reading these scenes was vastly more enjoyable.

On the quality of the audiobook, the reading reflects the emotion of each character with near-perfect accuracy. The reader could hear the hurt, anger, frustration, passion, love with each word the narrator delivers. The articulation of Conner's French during his and Lizzie's sexual encounters was just sublime and lewd. However, I will say that Conner telling Lizzie to ride him like a f**king pony momentarily broke the sexual tension of the scene prior in a very awkward way for me.

This was a lovely slow-burn romance that really made you feel for the main character. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to be starting my own life and then have to take care of my much younger siblings.

The romance between Lizzy and Connor was one of my favorite romance tropes - teacher/student. The slow burn was a nice build-up to their passionate romance.

I requested this book without reading the description, and honestly, I love every time I do so. Thanks to the publisher for providing me with this ALC! This book has all the things I love about romance novels--angst, pining, protagonists with good hearts, what more could you want?