Seeing You by Samantha Chase
Narrated by Carly Robins

Audio Review

This is the third installment in The Donovans: Sweetbriar Ridge Series that I have had the pleasure of reviewing, but, regrettably, I found this story less enjoyable than the previous ones.

Ten years ago, Billie Donovan made the heart-wrenching decision to leave Marcus Callaway and their vibrant city life behind, choosing the comfort of her family over the dreams they once shared. Since that fateful day, she has come to accept the reality that a happy ending—like the ones her siblings have discovered—might never be in her own future.

When Marcus unexpectedly returns to Sweetbriar Ridge, he is taken aback to find Billie working in a charming bakery nestled in their hometown—a place he had eagerly escaped after completing school. The question looms: Can they confront the ghosts of their past, or will the lingering chemistry still spark between them?

Throughout their interactions, Marcus exhibits troubling behaviour, often criticizing Billie’s life choices, despite her heartfelt attempts to explain her path. In contrast, I found Billie’s character to be genuinely endearing and sweet, bringing warmth to the narrative.

Although I generally appreciated the narrator's performance, I felt that Marcus's dialogue was delivered with an overly harsh and angry tone, which made it challenging for the listener to forge a connection with his character.

This was my first Samantha Chase book or audiobook so I had no idea what to expect. That being said, I absolutely enjoyed it! This was such a cute, second chance romance.

tropes:
small town
second chance
closed door
grumpy x sunshine
HEA
family drama

This book follows Billie and Marcus a decade after she left him the day before their wedding. He returns to their hometown to take care of his dad following an injury only to run into his ex fiance thriving and running the business of her dreams. When Billie and Marcus run into eachother, sparks immediately fly but so does the arguing.
Thank you so much to the production company, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review!

This second chance romance had me hooked from page one so much that when I finished reading it I grabbed the audio version and listened to it!

Billie Donovan left her established life, her work and love life, the day before she was to leave for Hawaii to get married and returned to her hometown. Yeah, the hometown she wanted to leave and never move back to. Now she has built a new life and is part owner in a bakery and in demand for all her baked goods from cupcakes to cookies to her wedding cakes. She has also used her investing knowledge for good and invested in all her siblings businesses along with some of the other businesses around town.

Marcus returns to Sweetbriar Ridge to visit his father and when he stops in the bakery he is greeted with a cupcake to the face. Obviously Billie was not happy to see him after 10 years. He has so many questions and after a dinner out they, of course, have a disagreement. After returning home his father has a fall and his brother asks him to come back to help with his care. This time back Marcus and Billie finally have the time to reunite. Will he finally get his head out of arse (so to speak) and they find their way?

I highly recommend this book in whatever form you choose.

Billie was living the life she though she wanted as she had a career in finance and was about to marry the man she loved until she realized she wanted to return to her hometown so that she can be near her family. She now is a partner in a bakery with her friend and is happy but what she would really like is a man to share her life with.

Marcus thought that he and Billie were living the dream until she ended their relationship and returned to their hometown. Family obligations have brought him back, but he has no interest in staying. When he sees Billie again, they are forced to face the feelings they have always had for each other but with their very different views of the future will this be their second chance or are they destined for heartbreak once again.

At times you can’t help but feel for what Marcus is going through and at times he will frustrate you until he realized what truly matters which is family, friends and love even if he created some turmoil for himself and Billie before that happened. The narration by Carly Robbins was heartfelt and she did a wonderful job with the characters of Billie and Marcus

I really was disappointed with this book because it had such great reviews! I have never read a book by this author before. I found the dialogue to be dull and even the fabulous CJ Bloom could not enhance it! Overall, the storyline was generic and it lacked spice, angst, banter, and the characters were one dimensional. If it had been like Helena Hunting’s, Kiss My Cupcake, I would have given it five stars!

A second chance, small town story about love, an invasive mostly from a place of love, but very controlling and a bit annoying family who know no boundaries, and only keep secrets when it suits them. So I have two very different thoughts/opinions of this book. As a continuation of the series, it is on brand with a lovely happily ever after we knew was coming. Billie Donovan was a financial wizard, living a big city life with the man she wanted to have a family and grow old with. That is until he ceased to hear a word she uttered and always thought he knew better. He made unilateral decisions about their life without a single concern about what she wanted. When she realized this would be the rest of her life and it went against everything she held close to her heart and mind, she packed up and left. While she is living her best life with her family, friends and is finally happy in her career, she longs for her own family and all it entails. When years later, Hudson goes home to help his family he shockingly bumps into her in her place of business. Rather than leaving or at the very least, saying hello and being a decent human being, he lets her have it by verbally attacking her with all of the years of rage he built up having blamed her for in his words, giving up on his version of success and living a pitiful​, less than life. He mocks everything about her while trying to add a healthy dose of shame for what she gave up. So of course they get together and do the yes/no thing again and again until she grows a spine and decides enough is enough and he hasn’t changed a bit regardless of his words. And then cut to the chase, voila, HEA. So here is my other issue as mentioned above. In the story, for the most part Hudson is doing what he did seemed sweet and aawww. And her family and friends being in on it, again in a fake world, for most, awww. I absorbed it differently. To me, he did not change at all, the spine she grew disintegrated and everyone else was in charge of her life and she just went along with it. Seemed contrary to everything she left him for. This gave me a big case of the “icks”. I was hoping it would of course lead to a happy ending, but with her having a say in it. She didn't, hence my rating. Pretty sure I’m in the minority, but for me, this isn’t the sweet story it professes to be. HEA should be about both people getting what they want and need in equal measure. Partnership. The only thing that changed about Hudson was his location. Everything else was all about him. Depending on your POV is what will determine whether this will be for you. I enjoyed it if I didn’t think too hard about the inequality in their relationship. That may just be me though.

I didn't know it was the 4th book in the series so I read it as a standalone. it didn't seem to matter that I hadn’t read the other books. I enjoyed the narrator in the audio version and the plot was entertaining and sweet. Overall it was an enjoyable romance read.

Thank you to Samantha Chase, Dreamscape Audio and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a very cute, easy listen small town second chance romance. The connection between Billie and Marcus was undeniable and I loved seeing their relationship evolve and "re-bloom" over the course of the story. The MMC (Marcus) was slightly harsh and selfish but his love for Billie combined with fear of getting hurt again was behind his every action. Seeing his character arc throughout the story was really nice to see!

Even though this book was part of a 4 book series, it was very easy to follow (this was the first book in the series I read/listened to). I look forward to going back and reading the other three in the series!

A solid 3 star from me :)

Thanks to NETGalley for the chance to read/ Listen and review seeing you - Samantha chase

Seeing You is the fourth instalment of The Donovan's: Sweetbriar Ridge series. However it can defiantly be read as a standalone , As I have just done.

*Second chance romance
*Small town Romance


I found the MMC so unlikeable and only thought about money , MFC gave so many chances for the MMC.
I enjoyed the narration by Carly Robins
Rated 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the arc of Seeing You I fully enjoyed the audio I love second chance romance books this was a good second chance and it was cute, love the characters and fast paced

I realised this is the 4 book of the series I haven’t read the other 3 books but you can read this as a standalone I am now planning to read the rest of series that’s how much a enjoy it :)

illie and Marcus worked long and hard to find their way back together. After a decade Marcus finally goes back to his home town and sparks fly when he sees Billie the first time. They both have a lot of resentment toward the other and a lot of questions. She is openly hostile to him and he is furious, but confused with her.

Once they talk, I felt like they were both at fault for their break-up years ago. He didn’t listen but she took the easy way out. He still was pretentious and couldn’t understand why she was living the life she was. I adored their relationship when they both let the walls come down. He was actually really sweet and loving and she was way more vulnerable than I thought she was.

Whether he can figure out what he truly wants and how to make it happen remains to be seen. If she can trust him not to break her heart again is also a big obstacle. I loved her family, especially Levi in this book. When Marcus finally had the lightbulb moment it was fabulous and he truly went all in. I loved this book and can’t wait to see what happens next.

Carly did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life. Every sentence was filled with emotion and had me feeling like I was right there experiencing everything first hand. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

I enjoyed this book! The MMC irritated me in some parts because I wished his character developed more at certain points but overall this was a very lovely book! I'm intrigued and will look into the rest of the books. I really connected to the FMC!

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media and Samantha Chase for giving me an advanced listener's copy of this wonderful book!

I loved the narration and storyline; I kept rooting for them.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author and Dreamscape Media for this audio ARC.

#SeeingYou #NetGalley.

Seeing You is a beautiful second chance love story. Billie Donovan has been making a life for herself back in Sweetbriar Ridge, after walking away from big city life and the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with. Now years later, Marcus is reluctantly returning home to help his ailing father. When he is surprised to see Billie working at Books and Beans, it didn't go well. They were both blindsided and a muffin was sacrificed! lol Marcus is still determined that big city life is better than living in this small town. He is stubborn and condescending and not winning any friends. He and Billie try to get answers to old questions to get closure, but neither is easy. They are different people now, and they both need to honestly look at their lives and decide what will really make them happy. I loved the push/pull between them, and that their story took it's time to break down their walls and build a new and stronger relationship. They are both so stubborn but their love of finance, family and each other make them so perfect for each other. I loved getting to know Marcus' brother and father, and also catching up with all the Donovan clan who add so much fun, and heart to this story.
I love that Carly Robins continues to narrate this series. She does a terrific job capturing each characters personality, and I love the emotion, and passion she brings to her performance. She had me completely invested in these characters and their story. I really enjoyed listening to this sweet, witty, and steamy romance!

Thank you NetGalley for this audio arc.

⭐️2.5 stars rounded up ⭐️

For me this book was just okay. Seeing You is book 4 in an interconnected standalone series and this was the first of the series I read.

This is a small town, second chance romance. Marcus is career driven, loving the big city life in DC. He returns to small town Sweet Briar Ridge to visit his dad. After to 10 years apart he runs into his former fiancé Billie, who is thriving her their home town. Overall, I felt like there was a lot of dialogue that was not needed and the relationships felt forced. They seemed to skip over part of real substance. It was an okay story and maybe would have been better had read the others in the series.

***FIVE STARS***

I freaking LOVE a Samantha Chase romance!

Please let me move to Sweetbriar. I want books and pastries, and I want to visit all the places!

Holy crap did I want to knock Marcus out about 700 times! I didn't think this man was EVER going to get it. He was double down on the ASShole act for far too long!

Carly Robins is one of my all-time favorite narrators and she NAILED this one.

Billie Donovan was so close to having it all when she decided to walk away from Marcus Calloway, choosing her family over their shared future. Since then, she has watched all her siblings find happiness and accept the fact that happiness is not meant for her. But then Marcus walks into her bakery her world is upended.

Marcus has hated Billie for years after she walked away from him and everything they had.. So when he walks into the bakery and sees her working there he finds it hard to believe that she walked away from their financial duo.

Will this be an opportunity for closure or a second chance?

Small town, second chance Romance. Marcus is career driven, city life back in small town Brian Ridge to visit his dad. After to 10 years apart he runs into his former fiancé Billie. Chemistry and passion is still alive, but can they get over their past?

There were many times where I wanted to throw this book (my phone) across the room because Marcus just. wasn't. getting. it.

Billie is an absolute sweetheart and while she was still a flawed character, you couldn't help but adore her. I was rooting for Marcus the whole way through, but boy did that man make me crazy. Every time I thought he was finally starting to understand where Billie was coming from he would go and demonstrate that his skull was a steel trap - nothing in, nothing out.

My heart broke for Billie after she tried over and over to keep her distance from Marcus, because she knew she would fall back in love with him but he still wasn't listening to what she was saying.

In the end, I'm so happy Marcus was able to get his head out of his ***, because you could tell they did love one another.

Carly Robins did a wonderful job narrating this fourth installment of the series. I typically prefer dual POV, but honestly in this case, I'm kind of glad we didn't have it, because Marcus may have driven me even more crazy if we got inside his head lol.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced copy audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley for this audio arc.

⭐️2.5 stars rounded up ⭐️

For me this book was just meh. I realized pretty quickly that this was a book in an interconnected standalone series (book four to be exact) so I feel like I missed a lot of backstory going in. Maybe the other books shed more light and insight into this couple’s history? Idk for them having so much history (second chance) that angst and longing did not come through on page (on via audio I guess lol) and their reunion/getting back together felt super forced/rushed.

Also, the MMC was a HUGEEEEE d1ck to the FMC at the beginning and said some really hurtful, and unforgivable things that really soured me to him throughout the entire book. I don’t think he was fully redeemed tbh.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing/dialogue. There was a lot of unnecessary dialogue. Like, why do we need to hear about the family making dinner plans? Or what daily cleaning needs to get done? Idk it just didn’t flow well or organically.

I’m not the biggest fan of second chance romance so maybe I have a different perspective, but this wasn’t my favorite.