4 Audiobooks To Borrow From Hoopla

I have really been making use of my library card and getting the most out of my Hoopla credits. The following four audiobooks are books that I picked up from Hoopla. I have to say I really recommend borrowing these audiobooks as I found something enjoyable with each listen. Also, side bonus — I am whittling away at my Netgalley queue by listening to these books via Hoopla. Also, my wallet is thankful too as I am borrowing these through the library.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

A Lot Like Adiós by Alexis Daria
Narrator: Seraphine Valentine
Length: 9 Hours 48 Minutes
Series: Primas Of Power #2
Published by HarperCollins on September 14, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Own Voices, Fiction / Romance / Multicultural & Interracial, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
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Goodreads

"Alexis Daria's A Lot Like Adiós is a charming, sexy spitfire of a novel! Romance readers, this is your new favorite book!" --Emily Henry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of People We Meet on Vacation

The national bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola returns with a seductive second-chance romance about a commitment-phobic Latina and her childhood best friend who has finally returned home.

Hi Mich. It’s Gabe.

After burning out in her corporate marketing career, Michelle Amato has built a thriving freelance business as a graphic designer. So what if her love life is nonexistent? She’s perfectly fine being the black sheep of her marriage-obsessed Puerto Rican-Italian family. Besides, the only guy who ever made her want happily-ever-after disappeared thirteen years ago.

It’s been a long time.

Gabriel Aguilar left the Bronx at eighteen to escape his parents’ demanding expectations, but it also meant saying goodbye to Michelle, his best friend and longtime crush. Now, he’s the successful co-owner of LA’s hottest celebrity gym, with an investor who insists on opening a New York City location. It’s the last place Gabe wants to go, but when Michelle is unexpectedly brought on board to spearhead the new marketing campaign, everything Gabe’s been running from catches up with him.

I’ve missed you.

Michelle is torn between holding Gabe at arm’s length or picking up right where they left off—in her bed. As they work on the campaign, old feelings resurface, and their reunion takes a sexy turn. Facing mounting pressure from their families—who think they’re dating—and growing uncertainty about their futures, can they resolve their past mistakes, or is it only a matter of time before Gabe says adiós again?

A Lot Like Adios by Alexis Daria apparently is second in the Primas Of Power series according to goodreads. However, I am here to let you know you can read this book not having read the first and have an excellent time. A Lot Like Adios is a second chance romance that is quite spicy. It follows Michelle and Gabriel. The two have a past from their childhood/teenagehood in the Bronx. However, both grew up and Gabriel left for the opposite coast. Now, Gabriel owns a small chain of gyms and is planning for a New York expansion. So, he hires Michelle to run the PR for his launch. Sparks fly between the two.

I quite enjoyed my time with A Lot Like Adios. I walked into this book really having no expectations. Admittedly, I was surprised by all the spicy scenes. Eventually I learned to only listen to this while driving alone. There is also the theme of Michelle and Gabriel having written fanfiction for a show about Hispanic people in space that was cancelled too soon. This was an excellent element and added some fun. The couple is ambitious and also thoughtful about each other. Seraphine Valentine narrates A Lot Like Adios with style. The audiobook was fun to listen to – all 9 hours and 48 minutes of the story just fly by.

I received this book for free from Library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

The Backup Plan by Jill Shalvis
Narrator: Andi Arndt
Length: 9 Hours 14 Minutes
Series: Sunrise Cove #3
Also by this author: Wrapped Up in You, Holiday Ever After
Published by HarperCollins on January 17, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Women
Pages: 384
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis returns to Sunrise Cove with a heartwarming tale of three people who are brought together when they’re bequeathed an old Wild West inn that has the potential to pull their lives apart, but instead turns into the gift of a lifetime.

When Alice receives a call about an unexpected windfall, she’s stunned to learn the gift is a falling-apart-at-the-seams old Wild West B&B she once considered home—and she’s inherited it along with two strangers. Except they weren’t always strangers. Once upon a time, they were friends. One is her ex-BFF Lauren. The other is Knox, the only guy to ever break her heart, all while never even knowing she existed.

It turns out their lives are unknowingly entangled because they once separately helped the same woman without expecting anything in return. Years later, Alice, Lauren, and Knox are broken in their own way, with their own history—and secrets— causing them to start out on the wrong foot with each other. But according to the will, they must renovate and be partners in the inn for one year or else lose their inheritance.

Stuck together, they make a list of rules to keep the peace—rules that end up doing the opposite, but by some miracle they find what they didn’t even know they were looking for—acceptance, true friendship, and in a case (or two!), true love.

The Backup Plan by Jill Shalvis is the third book in the Sunrise Cove series- and has quite a concept! The story follows three main characters – Alice, Knox, and Lauren. Essentially, Alice, Lauren and Knox were bequeathed an old Wild West Inn that apparently was on a tv show. They all knew each other in the past — Alice and Lauren used to be best friends. However, in the present they just are not in each other’s lives for various reasons. And so, they work together renovating the inn to re-open it or sell it and consequently get to know each other. Turns out, they haven’t exactly lived easy lives over the years and the inn may be just what they all need to heal.

Overall, I thought that The Backup Plan was quite a relaxing sort of read. Listening to it didn’t stress me out which is something that I like and prefer sometimes. The characters are good people who maybe made some mistakes. I also liked that they had these house rules so living together at the inn was manageable and they didn’t kill each other, haha. Also, Knox and Alice had nice chemistry and their pairing for sure made sense. The only sort of issue I had was that I sometimes confused Lauren and Alice while listening to the audiobook. FYI, the audiobook is narrated by Andi Arndt and is 9 hours and 14 minutes long. I for sure recommend picking this one up if you are stressed and need something to relax you. Also, bonus, it is available on Hoopla.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy
Narrator: Adenrele Ojo
Length: 10 Hours 6 Minutes
Published by Dialogue on April 26, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Own Voices
Pages: 320
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

“This feel-good, uplifting read is filled with positive messages about self-care and self-love. It is sure to please foodies, home-makeover buffs, and anyone looking for a light-hearted romantic read.” –USA Today

A sexy romance about a plus-size sweetheart who gets a full-life makeover after a brutal breakup and falls for the incredibly hot contractor renovating her home.

Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma—who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations.

Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations. First, Savvy passes out during hot yoga. Then it turns out that the contractor she hires is the same sexy stranger she unintentionally offended by judging based on appearances. Worst of all, Savvy can’t seem to go anywhere without tripping over her ex and his latest "upgrade." Savvy begins to realize that maybe she should’ve started her renovations the other way around: beginning with how she sees herself before building a love that lasts.

"A heartfelt, hopeful, and humorous exploration of the importance of learning to love yourself...a joy to read.” –Booklist, STARRED review

Don’t miss Taj’s new book, Zora Books Her Happily Ever After: A heart-pounding, curvy romance about an indie bookstore owner who finds herself in a love triangle!

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell by Taj McCoy was the kind of contemporary romance that was also inspiring. Don’t get it twisted, there is some spice in this book it is absolutely not closed door. However, I thought Savvy’s story was inspiring. We open the book with Savvy who has made herself small and conformed her life to what her boyfriend of six years wants. He unceremoniously dumps Savvy because he wants an upgrade and she has gained weight/is fat. To which I say F him. Savvy is the catch in that relationship. However, this whole dumping sets Savvy on the path of making some life changes – engaging in wellness activities, making her house over, making her whole life over. Along the way, she hires this contractor who really revs her engine.

I think that some people got a wrong impression of Savvy Sheldon Feels Good As Hell. The book does mention a revenge body but that’s not really the point. It’s more that Savvy gets comfortable and confident in the body she already has while implementing exercising and things that make her feel good. She still makes and eats really good food – which plays a big role in the book. I actually really liked a lot of how this book played out and was like oh, maybe I want to move my own body more and do things like yoga. She also finds a work life balance too. We see some of a romance with Spencer the contractor and his dog also steals Savvy’s heart too. But more of the story was about her life transformations. The audiobook is narrated by Adenrele Ojo and is 10 hours and 6 minutes long. I liked Ojo’s narration – so much so that the next book I picked up to listen to was also narrated by Adenrele Ojo.

I received this book for free from Library, Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin
Narrator: Cynthia Farrell
Length: 9 Hours 19 Minutes
Also by this author: Hidden
Published by Penguin on September 28, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural, Fiction / Romance / Suspense, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 336
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: Library, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

When they face the most baffling missing person's case of their careers, a fiercely ambitious lawyer and a homicide detective have no one to turn to for help except each other, from New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin.

Up-and-coming attorney Leigh Larson fights for victims of sexual extortion, harassment, and online abuse. She is not afraid to go after the sleaziest targets to get payback for her clients. Leigh is laser-focused on her career—to the exclusion of everything else—until a seemingly routine case and a determined cop turn her world upside down.

Austin homicide detective Brandon Reynolds is no stranger to midnight callouts. But when he gets summoned to an abandoned car on a desolate road, he quickly realizes he's dealing with an unusual crime scene. A pool of blood in the nearby woods suggests a brutal homicide. But where is the victim? The vehicle is registered to twenty-six-year-old Vanessa Adams. Searching the car, all Brandon finds is a smear of blood and a business card for Leigh Larson, attorney-at-law.

Vanessa had hired Leigh just before her disappearance, but Leigh has no leads on who could have wanted her dead. Faced with bewildering evidence and shocking twists, Leigh and Brandon must work against the clock to chase down a ruthless criminal who is out for vengeance.

Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin is a romantic thriller. I really don’t read much in this genre – so it was nice to change it up and try something new. Normally I read either straight up thriller or straight up romance – not the combination. To complicate matters further, when I started listening to this for about an hour I was under the impression this was from a series I had read about women who escape a cult. FYI, not from that series, ha ha. Rather, this book opens with a young woman, Vanessa Rodriguez who has gone missing. All that’s left is her car, a blood spatter and a business card in her car for Leigh Larson, attorney. So, Brandon Reynolds, homicide detective in Austin meets Leigh who doesn’t remember Vanessa. The two then team up to try and figure out where Vanessa went – dead or alive. 

I genuinely enjoyed my team reading Last Seen Alone. Leigh is awesome – I appreciate her mission and why she takes the cases she does. She also had great chemistry with Brandon. The mystery left me guessing and taking different turns. I liked that this was different from what I expected. The plot was one I found engaging. I like the combination of romance and thriller, it turns out. I will for sure look for more from Laura Griffin in the future. The audiobook is narrated by Cynthia Farrell and is 9 hours and 19 minutes unabridged. It’s on Hoopla and is well worth borrowing.