Truly, Madly, Deeply is a slow burn romance with some very intricate and complex characters. I was really into the story. I thought it was so interesting and was keeping me hooked, until that zucchini and candy cane.. after that it just went downhill for me. I truly think that scene was highly unnecessary, only there for shock value and some spicy scenes I felt were forced and didn't bring anything to their relationship.

I had a love/hate relationship with the characters. They were often immature, but they had good banter and funny moments. I did feel the story was lengthy and could've definitely been shortened. I just wanted to love it more than I did but certain things were missing for me.

🎧 The narration by Lila Winters & Teddy Hamilton. I loved Teddy as usual he brought Row to life. Lila was something very monotone and just bland. I lost interest sometimes. Thank god for Teddy. I believe he's the one that made it all worth it in the end.

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia, @bloombooks & LJ Shen for my gifted ALC & copy in exchange for an honest review.

Second chance
Best friend’s brother
Grumpy MMC
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Work place romance
Small town

Audio review
Narrated by; Lilah Winters and Teddy Hamilton
The narration was excellent, the did a great job of bringing the characters to life. Listening made the experience more enjoyable. The grumpy, conceited chef and the anxiety ridden women came through with ease. The humor and emotion well delivered in the banter. The timing wad perfect.

Cal and Ro give us angst, drama, laughter and plenty of emotion in their road to HEA.

Calls Litvin is a ball of anxiety. Quirky, clumsy, but absolutely lovable. She spits out weird facts when she gets nervous which is good humor for the listener/reader. She loves hard and is loyal. She loved her parents so much. Unlike most kids she did things to support them in public; at the cost of embarrassment and bullying. She loved her best friend and supported her. She gave up her crush for her. When she leave town at 18, she left with a broken heart.

Ambrose Casablanca is a Michelin starred chef. If he had a love language, it would be food. His goal is to open a restaurant in Paris and nothing is going to stop him. However, he didn’t bank on Cal returning ti their small home town. He has always loved her and he showed us how much with the broccoli cake and the candy bars!

This story was top tier. Plenty of laugh out loud moments with Cal and her word vomits. Ro added stoic wit and sarcasm. We also get emotional when we hear about their pasts that were hidden. Anger and grief for both of them.
There is danger and jealousy to add angst. The side characters added fun and mystery to the story, I am looking forward to their stories.

Thank you to L.J. Shen, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for an audio eARC or Truly, Madly, Deeply.

This book is the epitome of a guilty pleasure. The characters are cheesy - a good girl trying to run away from her past and a "bad boy" who isn't actually bad. The storyline is incredibly overdramatic - girl comes back to town for her dad's funeral and runs back into the bad boy. And the writing could definitely be better. But MAN did it draw me in. I needed to know what happened to Calla to make her afraid of men. I had to know if Ambrose was truly going to betray the town he grew up in.

This is definitely a book that you read when you need a dramatic love story in your life. The bantering between Calla and Ambrose was funny. The small gestures Ambrose made to help Calla feel comfortable were adorable . I honestly could not get enough. I found myself smiling because the story was adorable but rolling my eyes because it was so cheesy and I LOVED. EVERY. MINUTE. OF. IT.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the male narrator of this book. For lack of a better term - his voice sounded douchey and not how I would picture a "bad boy celebrity". I'm so sorry to this narrator! I have listened to a few of his books and while it doesn't stop me from listening, it does irk me.

4/5 stars

You cannot miss out on this audiobook! L.J Shen has been one of my favourite authors and she did not disappoint with this book. I loved the unique spin of the best friends brother trope. I loved that both MCs did have their flaws but they actually worked on themselves throughout the book. The narration was flawless as well. I am a huge Teddy Hamilton fan and both Teddy Hamilton and Lila Winters did not disappoint.

I came for the best friend's older brother and I stayed for the grumpy a**hole vibes... Like in a good way. He was the most loveable jerk ever written. 🤣

The way that I DEVOURED this audiobook... I could not get enough of these two.

Nothing gets me more than when the guy falls first and FIGHTS for his girl. Like ROW WAS EVERYTHING. He declared his love from the rooftops and left the ball in Cals court. He allowed her to figure herself out and fight her demons, while standing beside her silently and letting her shine.

The push and pull, will they/won't they, the angst. Ohhhhh the angst. My heart broke so many times for these characters. The things they have been through in the past. The things they went through in the present. All leading to them finding their happily ever after.

I laughed, cried and enjoyed allllllll the 90s feels of this story. 🥹

Truly, Madly, Deeply by LJ Shen is an audiobook you don't want to miss, especially if you're a fan of spicy romances with top-tier narration. Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton are absolutely fantastic, and their voices bring so much life to Ambrose and Cal. Winters nails the quirky, compassionate personality of Cal, perfectly capturing her awkwardness and inner strength. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s deep, gruff tone is a perfect match for Ambrose's moody, grumpy persona, and he makes even his coldest moments compelling. Together, they create this electric dynamic that makes the tension between the characters really sizzle. If you’re into Abby Jimenez’s narrators but can handle a little extra heat, you’ll be totally hooked!

The pacing was spot on, and both narrators did an excellent job of distinguishing between characters, keeping the flow smooth from chapter to chapter. I didn’t find myself getting lost at any point in the transitions, which can sometimes happen with audiobooks. Their performance really elevated the story, making it easy to get swept up in the romance and drama. This audiobook is on the longer side, but their narration keeps you engaged the whole way through, even when some parts of the plot felt drawn out.

As for the story itself, it deals with some heavy issues like bullying and physical abuse, which both narrators handled with care, adding depth to those moments without making them overwhelming. I also loved all the music references throughout the book—they added an extra layer of charm that really stuck with me.

For listeners who love a good enemies-to-lovers, grumpy x sunshine romance, this one’s for you. The main characters are a Michelin-starred chef and a true crime junkie, so if those sound like your kind of obsessions, you’ll enjoy this book. Be warned though: the spice is high, so it’s not for the faint of heart! After listening to this, you’ll definitely never look at a zucchini the same way again. Overall, I’d highly recommend this audiobook for fans of steamy romances looking for an exceptional narration.

I got this audiobook as an arc from NetGalley. I will be posting my review on NetGalley, Instagram and Goodreads. I got this book in form of audiobook so I will talk about the narrator first I felt like the narrators did an okay job, I almost felt like the girl narrator could’ve given a little bit more in her voice acting it was her male voice that didn’t do it for me. I would give the narrators a 2.5 ⭐️ rating for this book. I think overall this book 3 stars just because the narrator voices threw me off and I wasn’t able to enjoy this book as much as I think I would have if I would have read it verses listening. The going back-and-forth in time was really confusing and I felt like some of the scenes were rushed and forced. I just don’t think this book was for me three ⭐️ three 🌶️

🎧audiobook review 🎧

Tropes:
💕billionaire
🩶grumpy x sunshine
💕best friends older brother
🩶enemies to lovers
💕second chance
🩶dual pov

I absolutely loved this book. LJ Shen delivered on the small town, grumpy/ sunshine romance that kept me entertained with its story and witty banter throughout
.
This story is the story of Ambrose "Row" and Cal. Our MMC, Ambrose is a cocky, billionaire chef who has been in love with Cal for years. His little sister , Dylan had a falling out with Cal, and Cal hasn't returned home... until now... for her dad's funeral. Ambrose is a grumpy bear most of the time except when it comes to the women in his life he cares about, mainly Dylan and Cal.

Our FMC, Cal has returned home for her dad's funeral. Her mother asked her to stay for a little while, so she does but needs to pay her bills too so gets a job at Ambrose restaurant until she goes back to her life. Cal has zero filters but also suffers from social anxiety. She has always been herself.

This audiobook was performed by Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton. Although I'm not familiar with Lila Winters narration, i thought she did an excellent job as Cal, i could feel not only her past trauma that she had endured, but I felt the emotional aspect of her relationship with Ambrose. There connection.
Ambrose was voiced by Teddy Hamilton and he also did a superb job as Row. I felt all his grumpiness, all the spice and the things he went through as well....
The best part for me was The Banter..... it was 50000 good and it had me cracking up, to balance out some of the other stuff that had me tearing up.

Overall I loved this story, and although it was a slow burn and a bit on the longer side, I thoroughly enjoyed Cal and Rows story and glad they finally got their HEA.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the audio book for review. I really enjoyed this story.

I feel like I’ve read way more than one new to me author each month this year so far, and I loved my first one by L.J. Shen.

I didn’t know what to expect from this one but it was such a great listen! Teddy Hamilton and Lila Winters did such a great job to bring Ro and Cal to life. Their story was familiar yet so unique. I really loved getting to know them and see them open up to each other and say things they couldn’t/wouldn’t before.

I’ll definitely be checking out more books by L.J. Shen! This one is out now and you should check it out! As always, please check trigger warnings. Thank you netgalley and dreamscape media for a copy of the audiobook.

I really did enjoy the premise and plot of the story. My favorite relationship was between Cal and Dylan. Their banter was everything. I do love a good small town romance when every neighbor is so nosey and that definitely took the cake in this one. I really really really wanted to love this book just like everyone else and I can also see why everyone loved it but some of the dirty talk was just not it for me and the way the MMC would think about our FMC really wasn't attractive to me at all. I am happy that dreamscape gifted me the audio copy, all thoughts and reviews are my own.

Loved it, cute story.... fell in love with the characters. Have been a big fan of LJ Shen for some time now, and this book is another GREAT one! Highly recommend, easy ready!

I love diving into a new series, and while I’m more familiar with LJ Shen’s edgier alpha-holes, it was a lot of fun to enter this brand new world where things are less moody and a lot more fun and sexy. Calla and Row were great counterparts in this story, and I loved how each helped the other not only have fun again, but to deal with the deeper issues standing in the way.

🎧 I did this as a quasi immersive read, using both my eyes and my ears. Fan fave Teddy Hamilton and Lila Winters help to amp up the humor in this one as we are treated to some very awkward laugh out loud moments. While I tend to gravitate towards the print when it comes to steamier books, I think you cannot go wrong choosing either format (or both like me).

We were treated to a hint of what is to come in this series, and I am here for it. I cannot wait for book two, coming next April!

Read if you like:
• second chance
• best friend’s brother
• enemies to lovers vibes
• celebrity chef
• small town romance

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the gifted copy.

This book was so much fun to listen to as an audiobook! I loved the premise of the story so getting into the audiobook was a ton of fun to enjoy!

Row and Cal had some interesting chemistry that I really enjoyed in the audiobook. There was angst, chemistry, and in typical LJ fashion, humour that you also got to enjoy. This plot was so much fun and I loved getting to dive back into the world of LJ's books and characters. The spice was probably the best part by far, and I was not disappointed by it! The audiobook was amazing!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of the audiobook!

He’s a grumpy, conceited, but delectable chef. She’s his sister’s best friend. She has many quirks, and she fears men, but Ambrose (Row) Casablancas has it hard for Calla (Cal) Litvin. When Cal returns to her hometown to stay with her mom for a few weeks following her father’s death, her childhood crush domineers her thoughts, dreams, and existence. Their love-hate relationship turns steamy and all encompassing.
This audiobook had me chuckling and rooting for Row all throughout it. The fact that he fell first, and fell hard, captured me from page one. My mom always told me growing up that it’s the boys who are mean to you are the ones that actually like you. Row was the epitome of that sentiment. I couldn’t get enough of Row and Cal’s fiery chemistry and comical banter. While this book was top-notch, I did feel that some parts were a bit overdone/repetitive, such as why Cal has androphobia. This was my first L.J. Shen novel, and I will be sure to read more after Truly Madly Deeply. The fact that this novel was also titled after my favorite 90’s love song by Savage Garden and it was referenced in the book, also helped win me over.
Teddy Hamilton and Lila Winters narrated this audiobook. The voices were perfect for the characters and their personalities. The pacing of the story was a bit slow for my preference but the changes in chapters were very clear and Teddy Hamilton’s sultry voice…(swoon)….
Thank you NetGalley, L.J. Shen, and Dreamscape Media for allowing me the opportunity to listen to this advance audio copy of Truly Madly Deeply and providing my honest feedback.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC. I unfortunately was not a fan of this audiobook. I love all L.J. Shen books and this one was different than the rest of her book. I can’t quite book my finger on what was different but I didn’t enjoy it. I felt it was too long and some of the issues could have been resolved sooner. Row isn’t super likable since he’s suppose to be this grumpy MMC. But he’s loyal to the FMC Cal no matter what and I admired that. Definitely not Leigh’s best work. It was definitely more light than her others on her backlist. I recommend this book as a holiday or Christmas read though!

Thank you to publisher ave NetGalley for eARC of this book for my honest review.
Such a wild ride. Highly recommend.

Row and Calla grew up together she was best friends with his sister Dylan. When the night before she leaves for New York the whole dynamic blows up and 5 years has passed and Calla is back or her fathers funeral and can she re connect with her best friend and the boy she's always had a crush on?

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would it was almost a 4 star for me but the way Row treated her with knowing what we know from his POV really didn't vibe with me and Dylan dropping her as a friend and when she was back just became best friends again with almost zero conflict seemed like hating her for 5 years was pointless. Calla I liked BUT I get her fear but when you found out what happen I wasn't expecting that and seemed like she shouldn't have this fear towards mean as much. I dunno it threw me.

Now if book 2 is about Dylan I think I can 1000% get onboard for her story.

Thank You NetGally for this audio Arc in Exchange for my honest thoughts.

I received and ALC from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Narrators: 💙💙💙💙💙
Story: 💙💙💙💙

This story is dual POV told from Dot and Ro's perspective. I was able to listen to the audiobook played by Lila Winters and Teddy Hamilton. Lila was the perfect voice for Dot. She captured what I imagine an anxious ball of sunshine would sound and Teddy Hamilton, in my eyes the man can do no wrong! They both killed it. Played in dual narration they both played their opposite sex characters just as well as their own.

The story is about Cal (Dot) who is BFFs with Dylan. They have been friends since they were little in this small town in Maine. Dylan has an older brother, Ambrose. Right before Dot heads to college she sleeps with Ro and ends up getting caught by Dylan which causes a huge fallout. 5 years later Dot's dad dies which brings her back to Maine. She is determined to win Dylan back and in turn Ro. Ro was burnt by how things ended with Dot and is determined to avoid her like the plague which turns out to be almost impossible. But they've both suffered trauma which makes trusting each other hard. It doesn't stop the sparks though.

I am in LOVE with Ambrose Casablancas. He is like top tier book boyfriend material. Broody, with touch her and die vibes but a fucking sweetheart to Dot. He just can't help himself and the man is obsessed even against his better judgment. When you find out everything he's done for her I swear I swooned. Ahhhhhh *sigh*

Cal is the super quirky and outgoing stereotypical girl. But it works for her. Shes obsessed with true crime and the 90s. She is like a ray of sunshine filled to the brim with anxiety. She experienced some heavy trauma as a teen and as a result developed a phobia of men. Ro's trauma is just as saddening.

Ro is a famous chef with a new restaurant in his small town of small minded people that are hell bent on making him suffer. But that dude is a fighter. Even in his denial and avoidance he can't help but help Cal and so she works at his restaurant. I swear everything about this couple made me giddy. Dylan is a spitfire and she is fiercely protective of her family and Cal. I had my suspicions about Kieran but he grew on me to. Ry was hilarious and such a playboy. The perfect comic relief for Ro. And the mothers are the sweetest things.

The couple had gone through a lot and the town of small minded douches made me so angry. And that scene with the sherif! Don't get me started... they were definitely sheep being herded by narcissm. The true crime aspect in the book did feel slightly over the top and the showdown was a bit underwhelming in my opinion but at least there was retribution. So..small victories I guess.

At the end, I nearly fell to the floor because that was the most adorable thing I've read in a minute. Those two deserve each other. The perfect grumpy/sunshine duo. Only made better by listening to the audio.

I highly recommend you take a listen or a read or both. Whichever, I loved it.

Swept me off my feet! The characters—oh, they’re like old friends we can’t get enough of. Calla, with her quirks and vulnerabilities, felt so real. And Row (Ambrose Casablancas)? Grumpy on the outside, but a softie underneath. Their chemistry? Off the charts!

The enemies-to-lovers journey had me hooked. Past hurts, secrets, and that sizzling tension—it’s like watching fireworks explode. And the family drama? Intense! We rooted for Calla and Row, even when life threw curveballs.

Now, here’s the best part: more with this group! I'm eagerly waiting for the next installment. Shen’s writing is addictive, and I'm ready to dive back into their world. 🌟

When Cal Litvin decided to stay at her childhood home for a few weeks after her dad died, she wasn't quite sure what she was going to do for money. What she wasn't planning, was working for the man who took her virginity a decade ago. The man who seems to hate her and want nothing to do with her. The man who is her ex-best friends brother..

But in order to stay and visit with her mom while she grieves, this is her only option. So Cal decides what could go wrong?

I really enjoyed the start of this book. I was immediately hooked on the story line. The plot actually went a different way than I thought it would, which is always nice when you are surprised! I do wish we had a little more of a slow burn .. but I'm just a slow burn girlie.

The last 30% I did start to lose a little bit of interest in the book. It just started to feel repetitive and slow. I will definitely still read the next book in the series.

I loved the both narrators!