I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I really enjoyed this audiobook. I liked the main characters and the supplemental characters and their stories. The setting was lovely, and the story kept me guessing.

I was fortunate enough to receive this as an audiobook ARC from NetGalley.

This is a story about Gigi, who is a young woman who lost both of her parents. For comfort, she turned to the audio version of a book both of her parents loved. She becomes enamoured with the narrator’s voice and convinces herself that he is her soulmate. For her birthday, Gigi’s friends get her a 10 day bus trip through England with none other than the narrator, Zayn, guiding it.

I really enjoyed this story as well as the narrator! Gigi’s character grew significantly throughout the story. Was it predictable who she ended up with? Yes. But that didn’t taken away from any enjoyment whatsoever!

Gigi's been running her parents' bookshop since their sudden death. She specialized; now, it's a love story bookshop. She loves reading romance novels and her parents only met because of a certain book they both were reading at the same time. A while ago, Gigi discovered the audiobook version of that exact book and the narrator, Zane, doesn't only have an attractive voice as an Instagram search shows, he also has a really nice face - and works as a tour guide in his parents' British bus tour business. It's meant to be. After listening to the audiobook for what feels like a hundred times, Gigis friends book her a spot on one of the tours so she can finally meet the man she's been dreaming about forever. Only problem is: when she arrives Zane isn't there. Instead, she's confronted with Taj, the bus driver, who might be really hot but he's a total pain in the ass, too.
It felt very appropriate to listen to this story on audiobook! I really really enjoyed the voice of the narrator and I really enjoyed the use of tropes in this story. I also really loved the quirky characters and how their struggles and lives were woven into the main plot of this story. At times, I found the book a bit predictable, but in a comforting, familiar way. (Also, I just love books about book nerds!)

I love how real this story was. The plot isn't far fetched and straight-out-of-movie as the blurb made it seem (and what it felt like initially) I adore the characters who are so well fleshed out and Gigi is a great MC.

The author (Chantel Guertin) took time to build a backstory for each side character which helps us to connect (there are quite a lot). These lovely people fill in the puzzle and bring out the big picture.

What I disliked the most was the lack of development and reasoning behind Zane's behaviour. I believe that the characters and descriptive settings (which are so well written) were fantastic but the external event was lacking and wasn't memorable.

Hats off to the narrator (Natalie Naudus) for her brilliant vocie. I could help but notice the wase with which she flowed from different characters and accents. The personalised voices she gave them are engraved in my memory. It's safe to say that she is my new favourite audiobook narrator.

This is…fine? It has some good things going for it: bookstore owner, tropey romance, England holiday, etc etc. Unfortunately, it just falls flat. I could not get into the main plot line of tracking someone down because of their voice—it felt a bit creepy, tbh! There were some cute moments and it was okay to listen to, so I can’t fault it too much. I wouldn’t rush to recommend this one to anyone.

2.75⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and RB media for providing an arc of the audiobook in exchange of an honest review

I thought the concept of the book would be a cute story but it felt like I was cringing more than the cute moments
the fmc being 30 and obsessed with an audiobook narrator was getting weird as the story went by and her actions didn’t appeal to me
the parts with Taj were cute but it’s hard to overlook all the other things

3.75-4

Narrator: I enjoyed the narrator chosen for this story. She did a great job telling the story and transitioning among the characters throughout. I was drawn in from the start.

Story: I liked that the story was told in a diary format, so you get a day by day account of Gigi's trip. The characters and their side stories add to the overall story. I didn't feel big emotions over the book in general, but parts of it made me smile and were entertaining.

If you are looking for a cute happily ever after this is a great choice. Book lovers will enjoy the references and places the author uses throughout the book.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Gigi, listening was an enjoyable and light book, who at times tackled very important toppings such as parent loss, family disagreements and illnesses. I loved the cast of characters in the bus, and i loved how we saw Gigi interacting with them at last while at first she didn’t want to have anything to do with them. The love story was a bit predictable but still very cute. The audiobook was entertaining and the voice fit perfectly in what i thought Gigi would sound like

This is so delightfully charming! While the romance is lovely, it really acts as the impetus to Gigi’s personal journey. I mean, a man is the reason she goes to England, after all. But that’s simply the beginning of Gigi’s new beginning. And as someone who’s never been to England, I thoroughly enjoyed the bus tour along with the passengers, looking up pictures of the many places mentioned. So it was a fun journey for me, as well. The narrator did a great job and has such a smooth flow and delivery. I only wish she could have differentiated between Taj and Zane a little bit more.

Gigi‘s parents’ love story is on for the ages - meeting because of a book. So when Gigi finds the audiobook of said novel is voiced by an angel, she falls a little in love with the narrator. Okay, maybe a slightly unhinged amount? Turns out, said narrator does bus tours of England, and Gigi’s friends surprise her with a trip for her birthday. As she goes on vacation for the first time since taking over her parents’ bookshop, things don’t go exactly as planned, but turn out to be exactly what she needed.

It’s only fitting that I listened to the audiobook of this story, and it was great! Natalie Naudus is one of my favourite narrators, and luckily has an extensive collection of books to listen to.

This story was a journey of discovery for Gigi, and she found a lot of unexpected friendships with the other tour passengers - I thought that all of these unique personalities made for a great mix of characters and perspectives. As always, I have a particular fondness for the older characters on the.

Taj, the driver, is such a sweet character, and I loved the dynamic that he and Gigi had. The friction at the start of the tour turning into developing feelings was super fun.

There were moments that my me laugh, and moments that were heart wrenching, but this book was an utter delight. I’m so glad I jumped when I saw Natalie Naudus was narrating and never looked back!

This book was okay. I did enjoy it for the most part and continued to listen until the end. However, it kind of dragged in the middle a bit. I found myself finding another audiobook to listen to and then kept coming back to it. I did like the characters and the story. It was well written with great character growth for Gigi. I thought the audiobook narrator did a good job narrating the story. Huge thanks to Netgalley and the audiobook narrator for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This novel tugged on my heartstrings. An adorable rom-com. Not repetitive, has a consistent storyline and more than a handful of splendid characters. I can’t think of anything that I would change in this novel. Mild sexual content. No profanity. It’s a girl’s daydream shared on print. In my case on audio. The narrator was sublime.

This was a cute rom-com! I loved the fact that she had a chance at the guy she originally went after and didn’t end up choosing him. A perfect depiction of how we can build people up in our minds and they turn out to be nothing of what we expected. Plus, the best romance is the one you don’t see coming.

🌀Synopsis
Gigi is in love with Zane. She’s never met him but she knows if they meet it will be love. In fact, she listens to his audiobook on repeat just so his voice can soothe her.
She finally gets the opportunity to go to London to meet him but when she gets there he is gone. Since he is supposed to return anyways she goes along with the tour. She quickly makes friends on the tour and the group grows closer daily. She has an on/off friendship (maybe more) with their bus driver Taj.
By the time Zane shows up, Gigi is already having feelings for Taj. Zane is who she came for though and she’s determined to take her shot with him. The more they are together, though, the more she realizes they don’t have much in common and he isn’t who she thought he was. By the end of the tour Zane has shown her his true colors and in the process wrecked things between her and Taj. She leaves the tour early and is determined to fix things with Taj before she has to leave.

Plot: .5
Writing: 1
World Building: .5
Characters: .5
Themes: .5
3/5

Spice: 0/5

This story is about a romance bookshop owner who falls in love with the voice of an audiobook narrator. She is gifted a trip to Europe by her friends to go on a guided tour his family owns. When she arrives, nothing goes according to plan.

This is a fun one with lots of nods to the romance genre. The actual romance, however, wasn't my favorite. I do like how things play out but honestly, I just wasn't invested in the characters. Gigi is just so obsessed, it leads to so many cringey moments that just turned me off. I did like the tour group and their side stories. The LGTBQ+ rep are side characters.

Natalie Naudus is the narrator and she does a great job with this. I'm also very glad she has an opera background and was able to sing the small singing parts on key.

Is this one worth it? If you like light and clean romances, you might like this one. I just wanted a little more.

I listened to this book via Audio Arc by Netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for advanced access to the audiobook of Gigi, Listening to Chantel Guertin in exchange for an honest review. (Published under the title Two For the Road in Canada)

CW: death of parents (not on page), misogyny, see full list on StoryGraph

Gigi owns and operates a romance bookstore that she inherited from her parents. The store is open 7 days a week, and open on holidays. She never takes a break or a vacation, this store is her whole world. It's where her parents met, it's where they fell in love (a story she loves to tell to almost everyone for its beauty and whimsey), and it is her one and only means of keeping her emotions in check. When her well-meaning friends decide to send Gigi on a bus tour of the UK themed around romance books for her birthday, Gigi is hesitant, but takes the leap. Unfortunately, the bus tour doesn't turn out quite as she expected, but it may turn into much, much more.

This is one of the cuter and more creative romances that I have read in a long time! I love Gigi as a character and could empathize with so many of her anxieties and unprocessed traumas. I loved watching her evolve as a person as she put herself in unfamiliar situations. While the romance element of this book definitely was cute, but I think the romance is less important here than the actual character development.

I really enjoyed this, and my final rating was 4.25 stars, with the extra quarter star added for setting. I adore books set in the UK! Such a fun read, definitely pick it up on it's release date, March 28th, 2023!

Gigi Listening by Chantel Guertin
Narrated by Natalie Naudus
Pub. Date: March 28/23
Format: ALC audiobook 🎧

Gigi Rutherford is a romantic. She owns a romance only book store and has one book she is obsessed with; well one audiobook in particular. Or better yet, she is obsessed with the voice of the narrator of the book. So much so, she imagines meeting him, and that he is ‘the one’ she has always hoped to find.

Having lost her parents at a young age, Gigi went on to take over their book store. Gigi loves the store but it is not enough to help her heal her grief from their loss. Gigi Listening follows her in her quest to find love and healing from her grief.

I liked the basis of this story. A character, who loves a book that meant so much to her parents, and who tries to hold onto her bond with them through it. I even really enjoyed the characters on the bus trip, they were funny and endearing and liked their portrayal by the narrator. However, I did not really like Gigi. I found her to be whiny and incessantly wistful. The idea that the narrator from a book would be the love of her life was a bit of a stretch. I would have liked her to be stronger, which she eventually becomes, I just wish it could have been throughout the book. I am not certain if the narration made her seem this way or it is just the character. I think a humorous approach, jest that he would be her love, and the willingness to seek out the adventure, just in case, would have been easier to take.

I am thankful to NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook arc for my honest review.

"I want a story, and if I can't have a story, I'd rather be reading my book."

I feel like I was just saying something very similar to this today to my girlfriends!

This was probably my favorite audiobook I've listened to on @netgalley. It was really hard for me to pause or walk away from. It had such a cute storyline with just the right amount of banter and angst. The way that Guertin took the time to make every character have a personal story; not just the main characters, was great. I'm OBSESSED with Francis. I loved him so much (and no, he's not one of the main characters or love interests.) All his fun facts and quiet mumblings had me rolling laughing! In other parts of the story, I was legitimately crying real tears. This book gave me all the feelings.

Also, an character that should be mentioned was the English Countryside. All the places she referenced sounded so beautiful and made me want to be there myself!

The love interests of Gigi were entertaining and at times frustrating because it felt like she wasn't seeing what was so clearly obvious. But that's how these stories go, and I get that. Many times, we don't see what is right in front of us until perhaps it's too late.

Highly recommend! 10/10!

I really liked the first half of the book. Gigi was a bit too obsessed with Zane for me but it was okay.
I think I liked the most when she was traveling with a group of very interesting people before Zane arrived.

Her and Taj together was great during that time and I loved their banter but as soon as Zane showed up I got soooo frustrated with the story.

I don‘t like it when character don‘t act their age and this whole miscommunication as a plot is so annoying.
You‘re adults! SPEAK WITH EACH OTHER!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

3.5 rounded up

Gigi is a romance bookstore owner who has fallen for Zane, the audiobook narrator of her dreams, the thing is she hasn’t even met him. Her best friends have gifted her a 10-day European tour and Zane is the tour guide. Reluctantly, Gigi decides to leave her bookstore in her brother’s not-so-capable hands, and go meet Zane. When she shows up for the tour, he’s not there. Will he ever show? Along the way, Gigi gets to know the other tour guests.

I liked the story, and grew quite attached to the side characters. I think I was more attached to them than Gigi. At times, I found Gigi to be a bit whiny. I loved Charlotte’s southern charm, Angus’s humor, and the relationships that Gigi builds with them along the way. The scene in the waiting room was well done and I genuinely felt for the characters at the end.

I did have a hard time with Zane, and the romance with Gigi until about 75%. It felt awkward and forced.

Overall, the ending bumped up my rating. It was cute and a fun story.

2.75⭐

Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, bookshop owner, road trip, slow burn, no steamage

GiGi loves love and just wants what her parents had before they died.

I wanted to love this one ~ she owns a bookstore, her parents meet cute was adorable, but she's in love with a voice y'all and is convinced Zane is her soulmate and she hasn't even met him. I have listened to 100's and 100's of audiobooks and there have been some voices that I wouldn't mind whispering sweet nothings to me, but I probably wouldn't track them down...maybe that's just me. More on the narration below.

GiGi was kind of mean sometimes and too much with her quest to meet this guy. Her friends bought her the 10 day trip, which probably wasn't cheap, and the first minute she realized Zane wasn't there she wanted to leave ~ how rude and wasteful, but she stuck it out and had mostly a good time, when she wasn't snoozing and missing out on the lovely scenery.

I did like the side characters on the trip, they seemed like they'd be fun to hang with. The road trip though England and scenic descriptions were great.

Overall, there were some fun moments that kept me listening. Sure is predictable, but I liked the ending.

Narration:
Natalie Naudus ~ 10 hours 8 minutes ~ she did a fine job, HOWEVER the book is about her loving the voice of Zane, so why did we not have a male narrator for his parts? I mean if she can rub one out to the sound of his voice we should be able to hear what all the hype is about.