You know those days when it seems that not one single thing is going your way? That's how things go after Kate is in an accident prompting the hospital to call her "emergency contact". When her ex-husband, Tom, shows up and reluctantly agrees to help care for her injury, it prompts an adventure unlike any other. Will Katherine and Tom be able to get along, or will they crumble under the pressure?

This was a super cute read. It has a bit of a Christmas setting, and would be great for anyone looking for something to read around the holidays. I enjoyed the banter between Katherine and Tom as well!

I did listen to this book on audio, and had absolutely no issues listening. The narrators were great. Super clear and well-paced diction.

🧚🏻A big thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and the authors for providing me with an audiobook copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ALC and chance to give my candid review.

Emergency Contact
By Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne

Narrated by Brianna Cohen & Tim Paige.

Story Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 (0-5)
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Steam: ☄️ 0.5/5.0 (but only two little kisses and that’s it.)

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 New experience with a favorite author: wife and husband writing duo.
🤩 The narration is scrumptious—the characterization, personalities, and feelings are portrayed so well.
🤩 100% captivated and immersed. Great conversations and descriptions.
🤩 Oh, my heart when Tom is on the fence.
🤩 Dual POV and the reminiscing in their heads to tell us their back story.
🤩 Gosh, second chance hurts my heart. If you like heartache and longing, it’s heavy.
🤩 But, goodness, I really needed to know about their past and their regrets.
🤩 I fell in love with Katherine first—she’s sassy, spunky, and makes me laugh.
🤩 I finally loved tom when he did the practice proposal.
🤩 Cute epilogue.

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I’ve never been super attracted to second chance with an ex-spouse.
💫 The longing is good, but it wrecked me and gave me a heavy heart for much of the book.
💫 The love triangle makes it hurt more. Ugh, that heaviness is hard for me to push through.
💫 Marriage is hard. And, it’s really well written in this book, but I don’t love being in all the heavy feels that much in my bookish life. This is why I lean towards romcoms if I can.
💫 If you love those deep, angsty feels, you’ll love it.
💫 Instead of sexy banter, it was a whole lot of annoying arguing.
💫 The one room, one bed trope is totally wasted, so rude.
💫 I wish I could feel the attraction and desire between them.

Thank you Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for gifting Emergency Contact as an audiobook arc. I am happy to say that this book was so cute! The narrators were FANTASTIC, and two of my favorites!!! While listening, I felt as if I was reading a Hallmark movie and actively rooted for the characters to be together… even though I already knew they would. I loved the many misfortunate circumstances and the character growth of Katherine throughout her parts of the story. The ending was just *chefs kiss*
This book was also fantastic as the characters are in their late 30’s and everything they say and do feels absolutely appropriate and perfect. I really loved how giddy and happy I felt! I would definitely hop onto this adorable, holiday adventure!

"Emergency Contact" by Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne just became a new comfort book for me. I loved Catherine and Thomas' love story. I got butterflies, teary eyes, and heartaches - so basically everything one can hope for in a second-chance romance.

This book was just adorable from start to finish. The banter was delightful, the pacing was perfect, and it really kept me guessing up until almost the last minute of if they would make it, both to Chicago and back to each other. Both narrators did a great job too. Do yourself a favor and listen to this for Christmas! Or, right now :) Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I enjoyed every single second I spent with this book!! If you’ve read LL before, it’s got her classic romcom vibes and as always, a great NYC setting. A fast paced, get me home for the holidays story, with every travel mishap you can imagine.

The authors take care to not glaze over the real emotions of a divorced couple forced to readdress their real feelings for each other. Somehow they manage to add the perfect amount of snark and wit to make it both endearing and funny!

What to expect::
•Grinchy x sunshine (she’s the grinch)
•Forced proximity
•He takes care of her
•Rekindled feelings
•Grief
•NYC at the holidays setting
•Travel disasters: think planes, trains, and automobiles
•First person, dual POV
🔥Kissing only
🎧Audio and narration was top notch!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

{My only warning is that Tom is in a relationship for most of the story and while there is absolutely no cheating, some people might be sensitive to the emotions between him and his ex wife while he is in a committed relationship}

I loved everything about this book. This is my first read by Lauren Layne and I am definitely adding her closed door backlist to my list. I honestly wasn't sure going in since Tom is actively in a relationship at the beginning of the book and that usually bothers me. Trust me when I say that they wrote this in a way that made the ending believable. Second chance stories just pull at my heart (maybe because I actually know a real life couple that did this) especially when they have been married to each other. The banter in this book was fantastic. I giggled a lot and laughed outright several times as these two made their way from New York to Chicago. But my heart also hurt for them and it had depth with the feelings that they finally work through as they are forced together. Tom's family and the moments discussing them and around them were some of my favorite parts of this book.

I listened to the audio and thought both narrators did a great job of bringing these characters to life. I definitely recommend enjoying it on audio if you listen to audiobooks. It is dual point of view so you have a female and male narrator for each part.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Kisses, death of a parent

Thank you, NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy of "Emergency Contact" by Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne, narrated by Brianna Cohen and Tim Paige.

I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful Christmas story. From the very beginning, I found myself cheering for Katherine and Tom. Their marriage was marred by miscommunication and unresolved feelings, making their encounter unexpected yet intriguing. Tom, on his way to propose to his girlfriend, suddenly finds himself in the position of helping Katherine after she suffers an accident. Despite their complicated history, they are forced to spend time together, trying to reach Tom's parents for his Christmas Eve proposal.

It was fascinating to witness their rediscovery of the love they had for each other and their personal growth throughout the 24-hour timeline of the story. While it may seem a bit unrealistic for two exes to fall back in love so quickly, particularly after four years apart, I believe that the Christmas season provides the perfect backdrop for second chances.

I must also commend the narrators, Brianna Cohen and Tim Paige, for their excellent performances. Tim Paige's voice was perfectly paced with the character's emotions, and Brianna Cohen was a pleasant surprise as a new narrator for me.

Overall, "Emergency Contact" is a wonderful listen for those who enjoy movies such as "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" and love Christmas-themed romance with heartwarming second chances.

Katherine wants nothing more than to become partner at her law firm. Begrudgingly, Katherine leaves work early to days before Christmas. She gets into a car accident and wakes up in the hospital to find that they have called her emergency contact… her ex-husband, Tom. Tom’s Christmas plans to go home to his family are derailed when the doctor tells Katherine that she cannot be left alone. Katherine has no one else, what is he going to do? Leave her? In an attempt to save the holiday, Tom agrees to bring Katherine along. Weather or his injured ex-wife are not going to get in the way. Along the way everything seems to go wrong for the ex-couple, but as they overcome every obstacle that gets in their way, they start to wonder if the “spark” they once had could still be there.

I really loved Katherine and Tom. Their banter was witty and fun. Their connection was obvious from the start. The two were very well written characters. I enjoyed watching their personal growth throughout the book. I also really enjoyed some of the characters we got to meet along the way.

Overall this was a really sweet, funny, classic romantic comedy that should definitely be on your Christmas TBR. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to an early copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne was released on October 24th, 2023.

A grinch female lead, a male lead who loves Christmas, a past romance and forced proximity. What more could you ask for in a light and fluffy Christmas read? This book was the classic Hallmark movie and lovers-enemies-to-lovers story all wrapped up into one. This was my first Christmas book for the season and I honestly don't think I could have picked a better one to kick the season off with.

If you're looking for a light read centered around the holidays, looking for something that doesn't require much focus to read, then this is a good choice for you. The writing and the narration were great and I was smiling throughout the book.

I loved this book and laughed out loud a few times. Told in dual POV, a divorced couple is forced to be together over the holidays, despite the fact that they hate each other, after the woman is in an accident. As they face the challenge of getting home for the holidays exhausting every mode of transportation possible along the way, they realize that most of the problems are of their own makings and begin to recognize their own faults. This is a truly heartwarming story. A clean romantic comedy along the lines of Sweet Home Alabama, Sleepless in Seattle, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, this book contains no sex scenes or foul language. I have already requested this to be included in our library purchases from Baker & Taylor.

Thank you to netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for a free copy of this audio in exchange for an honest review.

This had snark, banter, humor, romance, spice and did I say snarky banter?! This was SO cute and fun and I highly recommend it for when you crave something sweet yet saucy.

I found our main characters to be so increasingly real and raw. You felt their pain, struggles, angst and genuine love for each other.

THE BANTER WAS NEXT LEVEL GOOD!!!!

The lack of family and found family dynamic was incredibly well done, special and made my heart skip a few beats.

And Gorby? Loved him and his truck

Emergency Contact is cute and quick and exactly that we expect from a Lauren Layne rom com. Her threads of NYC, stilettos and strong women are prominent in all ways in this holiday romance. When Katherine is in a car accident a few days before Christmas, the only person listed as her emergency contact is her ex husband, Tom. Tom is the ultimate good guy and can't leave her alone and in the hospital for the holidays so he takes her along on his trip home. If something could go wrong, it does. But proximity and external conflict bring long over due conversations and old feelings to the surface.

It's a fast and fun read with a delightful audio narration. It's just what you want for a holiday romance on a cold day at home.

4.5! Two days before Christmas Katherine ends up in the hospital and cannot be discharged without a few days of supervision. Forgetting that her emergency contact is still her ex husband Tom, Katherine has no choice but to agree to spend the holiday with him and his family.

Lauren and her husband writing a book together… could anything be better?! This had humor, tension, angst, and emotion all in one. I usually do not love stories where everything possible goes wrong, but the fact that fate kept intervening for the two made it a perfect second chance holiday read. Great on audio too!

What to expect:
-Second chance romance
-Travel adventures
-Forced proximity
-Opposites attract
-Humor and witty banter
-Kissing only

I Love Love Loved this book! The Narrators are amazing — they do a great job with the banter, wittiness and chemistry of the characters —you can immediately get invested in these two main characters. We`ve got reminiscence in this book of —The Grinch and Trains-Planes and Automobiles. The writing is wonderful and the characters are very relatable and watching their growth was endearing. I`m very excited to have another book from this duo writing team!

Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing -Audiobooks. This is my honest review.

I loved this story of second-chance romance! The dual narration was fabulous, and the humorous adventure akin to Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was enjoyable. I liked the polar opposites of the two characters, the growth they experienced, and the adventure they went on. A great romantic, holiday read.

What a great story! I’m a new listener to audiobooks, and I decided to give this one a try while traveling recently to my son’s home in Alabama. (A six hour drive one way). First off, the narrator’s are perfect - very soothing, easy to understand, and charismatic. Secondly, the story itself has a little bit of everything for every reader - romance, humor, drama, etc. - and it pulled me in from the start and kept me interested the entire time. It definitely moved to first place on my rom-com list for the year. My favorite parts were the snarky comments between the two main characters, which made me laugh out loud SO many times. Truly wonderful writing! It was also very emotional and relatable in many ways, so I’ll admit I shed quite a few tears too. I could see this story playing out in my mind so clearly, and I believe it would make such an amazing Hallmark movie. I would happily recommend Emergency Contact to everyone, and I look forward to reading more from these authors in the future.

This easily just zoomed straight to the top of my favorite 2023 holiday romances!! All the rave reviews so far for this book are completely warranted. If there's just one holiday book you pick up this year definitely consider this second chance, dual POV story between two exes forced to work together to make it home for Christmas.

Great on audio and full of great emotional depth with an ending that had me crying happy tears. If you enjoy reverse grumpy/grinchy stories, stories about second chances and rekindling lost love, you don't want to miss this one!! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!!

When attorney Katherine, also known to be a bit of the Grinch, suffers a concussion days before Christmas and must be monitored, it falls in the unfortunate hands of her emergency contact - who just so happens to be her ex-husband. As Tom prepares to head home for the holiday, in part to propose to his new girlfriend, he is forced to take Katherine along with him in a trip that leads to one misadventure after another. Soon old feelings are awakened forcing them both to figure out what they really hope the new year will bring.

You know those books that you finish reading and immediately want to go back and reread? This is definitely one of those books. I knew going into this one that it was a holiday read, however, I had no idea it was going to become my *favorite* holiday read.

Lauren Layne is easily one of my favorite authors. In fact, she is the very reason I stumbled into book reviewing. Her books are insanely bingeable with swoon worthy romance I almost always connect with (cue the emotional lump in the throat that occurs with each and every third act breakup). It is therefore no surprise that her second holiday romance, featuring the addition of her husband Anthony Le Donne as writing partner, was absolute perfection. From the pitch perfect holiday humor to the travel chaos and the fantastic chemistry in between, this book was insanely fun from start to finish.

Told in dual POV, both main characters were fully fleshed out, multifaceted characters who provide the perfect counterbalance. I found Katherine to be a bit of a hot mess to be frank, but also entirely relatable to anyone overworked, overstressed and over-processed come the holidays. She has reason to hate the holidays, and she shows it in every way possible. Tom, on the other hand, is her polar opposite. The bickering and bantering that ensues as a result of their dynamic is in many ways, the best part of the story.

If you only get a chance to read one holiday book this Fall/Winter season, make it this one. I do not think you’ll regret it.

ʀ ᴇ ᴀ ᴅ ɪ ғ ʏ ᴏ ᴜ ʟ ɪ ᴋ ᴇ :
• holiday romance
• second chance
• forced proximity
• opposites attract
• witty banter
• dual pov
• planes, trains, & automobiles

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing and Blackstone Audio for the gifted copies in exchange for my honest review.