Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

I enjoyed this, it was interesting and the romance was cute. But yeah it was a cute romance with a really interesting plot that was happening at the same time. And the mystery of what was happening was great. I’d definitely read it again.

What is scarier...facing 40 or facing a murder charge? One might say it's a toss up but for Savannah they both are reality.

This was one of those moments where I really needed the main character to catch a break. Thankfully A.C. decided to have mercy on her and provide her with Andrei who happened to be the sexy saving grace Vannah needed. He definitely seemed too good to be true but who questions the water mirage while in the desert? Not me. I can tell you I wouldn't be able to keep my sanity if detectives were pinning my husband's death on me, someone broken into my house while I was in it and I had to face my abandonment issues all in 30 days. This book is the definition of being place on God's strongest soldier list.

For my first A.C. Arthur book, it was a solid read. My favorite character was her spitfire Granny; if she could have her own adventures I'd read it.

When a woman embarks on the next phase of her life, it’s all she can do not to break under pressure in a smart, cheeky, and bighearted novel about moving on by the author of The After Party.

Savannah Carlson has one month before she hits the big four-oh. With her best friends, Jamaica and Ronni, she’s making every weekend toward that milestone count—party-wise. Vanna’s plans go awry when her shady, no-good, unreliable, estranged husband, Caleb, dies in a boating accident. The real sucker punch lands when Vanna is arrested for embezzlement at his funeral. Her man certainly is the gift that keeps on giving.

Talk about mixed emotions. Grief over good years wasted with the wrong man. Rage at her vindictive mother-in-law. Fear of that unjust felony hanging over her head. And even some bliss given her long-simmering attraction to an old acquaintance that’s coming to a sweet boil. Amid the chaos, Vanna refuses to spiral. She has her faith, her cheerleading, gun-toting Granny, and her besties to help her through the most trying times of her life.

Freakin’ forty and still fly? Vanna has to believe in that now more than ever.

My take:
When I receive an ALC, I strive to immerse myself in the narrator's voice and the portrayal of the story. A truly successful experience will prompt me to recommend the audiobook version over other formats. In this case, the narrator immediately captivated me, causing me to stop what I was doing to focus on the story. If the synopsis intrigues you, consider trying the audiobook version - it is engaging.

This was my first book by A.C. Arthur and sadly it just wasn't for me. Not a straight up romance or women's fiction story, it revolves around Savannah (Vanna), a Southern Black woman charged with burying her estranged dead husband.

While home she also gets a second chance with Aiden, a college crush who helps her with a court case she's involved in. It was all way too dramatic with a lot going on and though the narration by Wesleigh Siobhan (a new to me narrator) was really strong, it didn't make up for the chaos of the story. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a super approachable well written book that I enjoyed just didn’t quite relate to. I really appreciate the raw emotion and honesty through some tragedies that happen to Vanna. I really enjoyed the audio version the narrator does a great job with tone and expressing some humor. I Was getting a similar vibe to when Stella got her groove back. Which again I may be just too young to relate. Would recommend and certainly read more from this author.

Just when I thought reading this story was great. Listening to it took my enjoyment to the next level. Wesleigh Siobhan gave everything that was supposed to be given with this narration. She really brought these characters to life. Hearing her act of these characters showed the genius behind Arthur pen. It was a match in literary heaven. This is a definite audiobook buy and recommendation. 10/10

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and A.C. Arthur for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book kept me guessing all the way until the end. In fact, I couldn't tell if the love interest/MMC WAS the love interest/MMC until the end. (Anyone else? He was giving red flag/red herring vibes and he still doesn't sit right with me.. but if that's our FMC's type- then good for her!)

Narration was really well done! I would absolutely listen to this narrator again!