Quick Take
- Narration: Amanda Davidson brings warmth and comedic bounce to both Paige’s guarded defensiveness and Zander’s steady sincerity, making the friends-to-lovers tension feel earned rather than manufactured.
- Themes: Second-chance romance, small-town homecoming, inheritance and new beginnings
- Mood: Warm and breezy with just enough emotional sting to keep it interesting
- Verdict: A sweet, clean rom-com that delivers exactly what it promises for readers who want comfort without heat and genuine laughs without edge.
I picked this one up on a Thursday afternoon when I needed something that wouldn’t demand too much from me emotionally. My week had been brutal and I wanted a story that was cozy and uncomplicated, with characters I could root for without bracing myself for a devastating plot twist. By the time I hit the burst-pipe scene about forty minutes in, I was fully invested in Paige and Zander, smiling at my phone like an idiot on the train.
Abby Greyson’s Briar Glen Romantic Comedies series has built a devoted following, and this third installment makes it easy to understand why. There’s a consistency of tone here that feels deliberate rather than formulaic. The setup is familiar territory: woman returns to small town, inherits the family business, tries very hard not to fall back in love with the person she swore she’d forgotten. But the execution is warm enough that familiar doesn’t mean stale.
The B&B as a Metaphor That Actually Works
The bed and breakfast renovation at the center of this story does double duty, and it does it without being heavy-handed. Paige has inherited her aunt’s property in Briar Glen, Florida, and the place needs work. What she doesn’t realize until she’s elbow-deep in drywall samples is that Zander Mercier, her contractor problem, is the same man she left behind a decade ago. The parallel between fixing up a neglected property and the possibility of rebuilding a relationship is the kind of structural choice that could easily feel cheap. Here it doesn’t, because Greyson trusts her characters to be complicated people rather than symbols. Paige’s grief over her estranged aunt adds a layer of real feeling underneath the rom-com framing.
What a Canine Companion Adds to Narrated Sweetness
One of the more charming running elements in this audiobook is the role of Paige’s dog, described in the reviews as a comic foil that keeps her from doing anything foolish. In a format like audio, animal characters can either land beautifully or disappear entirely depending on how the narrator handles them. Amanda Davidson plays these moments with a light touch, using the dog’s reactions as a kind of Greek chorus for Paige’s emotional state. It’s a small thing, but it contributes to the sense that this is a story with genuine wit rather than just warmth.
The Second-Chance Structure and Its Inevitable Problem
Here is where I’ll be honest about the book’s constraints. The synopsis makes clear that Zander leaves again before the resolution, and while that moment is designed to create a third-act emotional reckoning, it’s the weakest section of the audiobook. The conflict depends on a misunderstanding that attentive listeners will see coming from fairly early on. One review mentioned that the book is hard to put down, and that’s true for roughly the first two-thirds. The final act asks you to sit with some frustration while the characters work through something that could have been resolved with a single conversation. This is a structural tendency in the second-chance subgenre generally, and Greyson isn’t unique in leaning on it, but it’s worth noting for listeners who find deliberate miscommunication particularly wearing.
Who Should Listen / Who Should Skip
This is a clean, kisses-only romance, which the synopsis states clearly and which the text delivers faithfully. If you’re looking for something with more heat, this isn’t the right listen. But if you want a cozy six-hour escape with a small-town setting, a charming canine sidekick, and a central love story that earns its ending, Greyson delivers reliably. Amanda Davidson’s narration makes the most of the comedic beats, and her handling of Paige’s mix of stubbornness and vulnerability gives the character more dimension than the familiar setup might suggest. Start with Book 1 of the Briar Glen series if you want full context, though this one holds up well as a standalone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this part of a series, and do I need to read the Briar Glen books in order?
This is Book 3 of the Briar Glen Romantic Comedies. Characters from previous books appear, but Greyson writes each installment to function as a standalone, so you’ll follow the central story without being lost. That said, starting from Book 1 gives you more attachment to the supporting cast.
How explicit is the romance? The synopsis mentions kisses only, what does that mean in practice?
Exactly what it says: this is a clean, sweet romance with no sexual content beyond kissing. Physical tension is present but the story never crosses into sensual territory. It’s genuinely suitable for listeners who prefer this subgenre of romantic comedy.
Does Amanda Davidson’s narration distinguish clearly between Paige’s perspective and Zander’s scenes?
Davidson narrates in close third person from Paige’s perspective, so there isn’t a dual-narrator arrangement. She handles Zander’s dialogue with a warmth that suits his character, and her comedic timing during the more humorous scenes, including the burst-pipe incident, is well-calibrated.
The third-act conflict involves Zander leaving again, does this feel earned or contrived?
It’s the part of the audiobook that divides listeners. Some find it emotionally resonant; others find the miscommunication frustrating. The resolution is satisfying, but the path there relies on a genre convention that not all listeners enjoy. If you have low tolerance for situations where a single conversation would resolve everything, be prepared.
