This was a NO for me.
I found the mmc to be very annoying and a walking red flag.
The audio isn't bad, but not a fav. I think part of it was that I hated the mmc so much I couldn't get into the male narrator.

Life is hard. Sometimes you have to make devastating decisions. Billie had to make just such a decision when she walked away from Marcus. It wasn't easy and it was truly painful but she did it for her family and has moved on.

Marcus just walks into her bakery one day. Handsome, self-assured and with an attitude that he was wronged!

Billie is mad that he is bringing up all the feelings she finally got past and is forcing her to reflect and reconsider the choices she made. She is torn.
She sees her family in happy relationships and wonders if she made a mistake.

Marcus is stuck. He returned to take care of his father who is sick. He can't go anywhere but is not sure he wants to.

They have a talk to get closure but that's not the result. It's more like a door creaking back open. There are still good feelings there under a lot off bad ones and more than a little attitude.

Can they both be vulnerable enough to see if they can rekindle their relationship again?

This was a cute little small town, second chance romance. The MMC was pretty insufferable for a good portion of the book but he grew on me eventually. There was a lot of miscommunication/poor communication that got very frustrating at times. However, overall I really enjoyed the story. I wish it was dual/duet narration but the narrator still did a wonderful job.

Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for my free ALC in exchange of an honest review

I have never read anything by this author, but I will be looking out for other books they write in the future. I really enjoyed the story as well as the pacing of the story.

A sweet, small town, second chance romance. Billie and Marcus broke up 10 years ago, and now that he’s back in town, they can’t help being drawn back to each other. It takes pretty much the entire book for them to resolve the issues that broke them up in the first place, which I liked.

Thanks NetGalley for the free audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth book in the The Donovans: Sweetbriar Ridge Series, a Small Town Romance. I love this series! Billie and Marcus's second chance romance is beautifully written, and heartwarming. This is a great second chance, enemies to lovers standalone romance. chance. Carly Robins did a great job bringing this story to life. #NetGalley

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I love Samantha Chase novels and the Donavan Family is a favorite of mine. I was looking forward to Billie's story for a while since she seems to take care of everyone and had a tragic backstory. I like this book a lot though I wasn't always happy with Marcus's actions or his reasoning but he eventually makes up for it. A feel good story.

The book was a very typical romance with nothing iumping out at me as memorable. It was enjoyable, but not something I would read again or rave about. The narrator is boring. Need to liven it up with diet or dual narration and I think that would help a lot.

If you love, Love and Other Words, Variation, Happy Place, and Final Offer, you should read Seeing You! This is a cute small town, second chance romance. Similar to small town authors like Elsie Silver and Deveny Perry, the Donovan Series is actually interconnected standalones, so you can read them in any order!

Thank you Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for my free ALC in exchange of an honest review!

Taylor song: If This Was A Movie

“Come back to me like you would before you said “it’s not that easy”

Seeing You is a sweet fade-to-black romance featuring Billie, a former finance professional who moves back to her hometown and becomes a local baker, and Marcus, her childhood best friend and boyfriend of 10 years, who stayed behind when Billie headed back to Sweetbriar Ridge.

This story was very cute and enjoyable. By no means the pinnacle of romance books but fun nonetheless. The narration did a great job, and I thought the small town setting was really fun! I would’ve liked to have seen more depth in the characters’ stories and more background info or flashbacks from their relationship.

Marcus was kind of a red flag for a lot of the book, but I think his turn around mostly redeems him - though I would’ve liked that to be a little more fleshed out too.

All that being said, I enjoyed this book for what it was, and I’m very tempted to read the other books in the series now. I’m wondering if reading them first would have enhanced my reading experience for this book, though it can definitely be read as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC in exchange for the honest review!

I enjoy listening to Samantha Chase's audiobooks. I love small-town, contemporary romance. This storyline was heartwarming and the characters are easy to like. The narrators brought this book to life with emotional performances that had it rolling like a movie in my head.

I had missed a couple books in the series, but I didn’t feel a bit lost. This author is way less spicy than I typically read, but a good story is a good story. I’m not usually a fan of second chance stories, but it seems like that’s been changing. This one was really well done. Billie finally gets her chance. She’s always the one looking after everyone else. Marcus couldn’t get away from Sweetbriar fast enough, but it’s looking a lot better now.

Aw! This is a cute one. Once lovers, now enemies. Billie is reunited with her ex when he comes into town to care for his father. There is much animosity between the two. It doesn’t look like there is going to be a resolution anytime soon. Her ex does not understand why she gave up her high profile, high paying job in the city to become a baker. He feels like she gives too much to her family and does not take care of herself.

This is a sweet story. Very enjoyable and easy to listen to. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.

OK so first off I like the narrator and I normally like the stories this author writes. This was one where I like the story, but man did I want to reach through my ear buds and shake the main characters. He wouldn't listen to what she was saying about not wanting to back to DC and was happy with her new career. She finally forgave him, but in the same turn still wanted him even though some of the same issues still existed.

I absolutely loved this small town second chance romance. I loved Billie Donovan, the girl who thought she had it all but was made to choose the love of her life or her family. Her ex fiancé Marcus Calloway wanted her to make that choice, the hardest decision of her life. Billie assumed she would never have the chance for love again and was coming to terms with it until Marcus came back to their small town during to his father having an accident and needing help and care. Marcus coming back changed everything, they both needed closure until they went to dinner to get that closure and ended up kissing and then all the feelings came rushing back. Marcus wanted Billie to come back to DC with him and back to their life they had before but Billie didn’t want to leave Sweetbriar Ridge.

I couldn’t stop listening to this book, I finished it in one day. It was just THAT good. Their romance is exactly the type of book I love, think Hallmark movie where someone gets back with the love of their life. Billie and her sisters and their bakery. The scene when Billie smashed a banana chocolate chip muffin in Marcus face the day she sees him for the first time in ten years. I loved just how far Marcus went to get Billie to trust him and give him another chance. The ending of this book it completely melted my heart, Marcus went above and beyond to work with Billies family to build her a dream home without her knowing till the plan was ready to be executed. He made her dream kitchen and a home big enough of kids and entertaining and a yard for their dogs to play in. I just gush over a happy ending book and I am so glad that Marcus and Billie got married and are starting their family.

If you like to read:
* Small Town Romance
* Second Chance Romance
* Enemies to lovers
* Standalone romance

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance listening copy of this book and thank you to Samantha Chase for giving me this opportunity. This is all my own words and voluntarily written.

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscapemedia for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Samantha Chase's 'Seeing You' delivers another engaging small-town romance within the Donovan series, showcasing her talent for crafting compelling characters and intricate family dynamics. While familiarity with the previous books enhances the experience, 'Seeing You' stands effectively on its own, offering a satisfying story for new readers.

The audiobook narration is a highlight, with the narrator bringing the characters and storyline to life with exceptional skill. The performance captures the nuances of each character, enhancing the emotional depth of the narrative.

What truly resonated with me was the relatability of the characters. The close-knit family dynamic and the genuine friendships portrayed in the book are both heartwarming and aspirational. Billie's journey is particularly compelling. Her decision to leave a high-powered career to return to her small-town roots speaks to her independence and her commitment to family. Her strength and generosity are portrayed with authenticity, making her a truly admirable character. The storyline itself is well-paced, offering unexpected twists and a satisfying resolution.

'Seeing You' reinforces Samantha Chase's ability to deliver enjoyable and emotionally resonant romances. This book, like her others, offers a delightful escape into a world of heartwarming connections and fulfilling relationships. I eagerly anticipate her next work.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #seeingyou #samanthachase

I am so glad Billie finally got her story! Billie has always been hard and stubborn, but loved her family fiercely. So fiercely she walked away from Hudson and her big time career to focus on her family and small town life. With Hudson back in town temporarily to help his dad, can these two exist in the same small town? The tension between them definitely helps pull the story along quickly.

This book was shelved before I had a chance to listen to it and give an objective feedback. Very sad about it since I couldn’t wait to read it.

Another great book for Samantha Chase. Small town romance full of family drama, great characters driven plot, likeable characters, the book has it all. This is part of the Donovan series, so you don't want to miss out on the other books, but it's not necessarily needed to follow along with this one. However, the small town and big family part of the series is so so worth the reads.
The narrator of this audiobook was great. She really brought out the characters and storyline. I don't know that I would've asked for a better narrator.
What I loved:
-the characters. They are all so relatable. I can see myself being close knit with all of them and find myself wanting the friendship and family bonds that they have.
-the independence. Biullie walked away from her career that would earn her a high figured salary to be part of her small town family. Little does her ex know that she's doing better with what she has now, that she would have been even with her career in finance in a big city. Billies bad assery sees all levels and challenges them. She helps her family because she can and because it gives her joy.
-the storyline left me with some unexpected surprises while tying up all loose ends

What I didn't love:
-I never like it when a good book ends. But Samantha leaves little hints and clues for the next one. The next never disappoints.

I always look forward to reading a Chase novel. This one was no different and I look forward to the next one.

I devoured this one in a single day!

This was my first Samantha Chase book and I'm an instant fan! This small town, second change romance was everything I wanted. The audiobook narration was great so I would recommend listening or reading with your eyeballs.

Catch me downloading all of Samantha Chase's other books now.