This book was not my jam but I finished it. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it and would love to have read a different book during that time. Although I DID love his aunt and her sassiness. I was here for that! I would have rather read a book about her and her exploits than his and his surfer dude-bros.

#CaliforniaFever
#NetGalley

I wanted this to be a movie. I LOVE surfer movies. The premise was great and it is always fun to have a story that takes place with some ocean and some surf. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

I went back and forth with this one. The characters were interesting, but the plot was just hokey. It felt like an episode of Scooby-Doo to me, yet I didn’t hate it. I’ll definitely give this author another chance. Thank you for the advanced reader copy.

Casual but not radical, California Fever is a breezy beach read that successfully banks on style to make up for its offbeat pacing. A fun short read that I definitely enjoyed, but probably wouldn’t wholeheartedly recommend to just anybody.

As far as the audiobook goes, I really enjoyed the narration and think it really enhanced the experience!

This was a delightfully light-hearted and unexpected story! I thought it would be a stylized murder mystery, but it was not quite that. I enjoyed the nostalgic setting and the surf culture, the casual and radical Dogs. This book had a nice, relaxed vibe about it - perfect for summer! The characters were funny and laid-back. The whole dressing up into Butler's uniform added a nice touch to it too! Overall a very pleasant easy read.

This was a fun, entertaining California romp. Honestly, I wanted something different from it, but that's on me, not the author. I could see it like a movie playing out, which was fun. And that cover really dragged me in. Such a vibe!

Loved California Fever. Quirky characters and a lot of fun to listen. Fast paced and entertaining.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the audio ARC in exchange for my review.

This was a good, narrated book! The end of the story was hilarious how it all wrapped up. I really enjoyed it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.

California Fever is a delightful farce. In this relatively short novel, the author is able to create memorable and well-developed characters with interesting personalities and experiences. I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys humorous and absurdist fiction.

The narration is masterfully performed by Grover Gardner, a top-notch narrator, and one of my personal favorites. He does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Fantastic!

With the beginning of this book. I really didn't think I was going to like it. I honestly didn't think it was going to be my style. But by the end of it i was totally engrossed in the book.

Dolphin is a beach-bro-surfer-dude who is trying to impress a girl. He is short on cash and comes up with an idea to rent out rooms in his aunts house while she's out of town to make some “quick cash”. But of course, in the way of most things; Things go awry. This is totally not the book I thought I was getting with the first half. And I'm really glad I stuck around for the last half. It was worth it!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing for the ARC of this audiobook
Thank you to John J. Jacobson for this totally surprising book
Thank you to Grover Gardner for the totally engrossing narration.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to listen to an ARC audio of California Fever.
This short novel by John J. Jacobson is a fun romp in the California surf with several dawgs, Aunt Clemmie who writes mysteries and is famous, and a female of interest. Because of her and one of the dawg's, Dolphin's, desire to date her, an idea is hatched to rent out rooms in Aunt Clemmie's large house while she is in New York. Fun ensues. Big surprises, ghosts, brilliant meals, and a cast of characters out of the Al Capone era populate this humorous ride.
Grover Gardner, the narrator, was easy to listen to. He did surf talk far too well and I started cringing every time I heard "dude" He managed to voice every character as well as the narration without drama and sounded like he was having fun himself.
If you are looking for a break from thrillers, an escape from the news, or had enough of the philosophy of literature, this just may be the book for you. Happy reading.

California Fever is light on mystery—even for a cozy—and heavy on silly antics and team play. Dolphin's crime-writer Aunt Clemmie steals the show, though she gets limited attention. The audio edition is narrated by Grover Gardner, who is prolific and well-respected, albeit not a particular favorite of mine. If you need a light read—a break from heavy-duty mysteries, thrillers, politics, and current affairs—this may be a good beach read for you. I don't regret reading it—it was a fine brain-break.

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected August 2.

This was a fun departure from what I have been listening to. Dolphin Smoote is a surfer and the last thing he wants to do is get a real job. His aunt is a big time crime author who owns a mansion on the beach in California and her publisher needs her in New York. She will not travel by plane and being she is so eccentric this is not unusual. Leaving her home in Dolphin's care is, though. He and his surfer dudes come up with a plan to rent out rooms and turn the house into a B and B while she is gone. What they do not expect is to be inhabited by thieves and the FBI. Mayhem and ghost stories and rival surfer dudes abound. Such fun!

Dolphins Smoote is a surfer who asks a beautiful woman on a date. The problem is that he has no money. To try to resolve this predicament, he wants to make some easy money. Now, his life goes haywire and trouble starts. Along the way he meets a variety of different characters and a ghost. A crime story with a mystery all bundled together to make an entertaining story. A story about a man who tries to outrun all the obstacles that are thrown at him. I listened to the audiobook version of this story.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this Audiobook, I received review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.