It Seemed Like a Good Idea by Lauren Blakely

Narrated in duet by Erin Mallon and J.F. Harding

RomCom. Stands Alone. First in the Darling Springs Series.

Thank you to Lauren Blakely and her team for an early review copy. This post contains affiliate links.

Lauren Blakely has been one of my favorite authors for over ten years. I’ve listened to at least 75 of her books and loved every single one. It Seemed Like a Good Idea is no exception. But it did feel different. I don’t remember many of her stories being set in a small town. Her settings are most often New York City or San Francisco, so this one had a different vibe, and it was fun for a change.

Ripley owns a lavender farm in the small town of Darling Springs. Her twin sister, Haven, is a movie star, and they’re filming Haven’s next movie right there on the farm. Haven has been rumored to be having an affair with her co-star, so paparazzi are stalking her, trying to get photos. Since the twins look exactly alike, the producers hire a bodyguard for Ripley as well as Haven.

But when Ripley’s bodyguard shows up, it’s none other than Banks, the hot guy she met in a bar last month who was supposed to meet her in her hotel room and then ghosted her.

Lauren has never written a character I didn’t like, and I loved both Ripley and Banks. The chemistry leapt off the page, and the banter was top notch. I especially loved how Ripley kept trying to ditch him, and he was always one step ahead. I did find myself looking for more of a suspense element, since that often comes with bodyguard romances. There was some, which isn’t something Lauren includes very often, but it also added to that feeling that this didn’t quite read like her usual style.

It Seemed Like a Good Idea started so strong. The chemistry was electric. Somewhere along the way, though, it felt a little rambly, which I have never experienced in a Lauren Blakely book. Her books are usually a bit shorter than this one, and it felt like some filler slowed the middle down. But I loved the ending, so I’m glad I pushed through that hump.

Lauren is so good at taking common tropes and putting her own spin on them, and this one had tropes galore: twins, bodyguard, forced proximity, small town, only one bed, forbidden romance, and grumpy/sunshine.

Likes:

Great chemistry.
Fun banter.
I loved the twins.
The way she kept trying to ditch him and he was always one step ahead.
The DIY sex toys.
A little kink and dirty talk.
Of course, an amazing dog.

Dislikes:

It didn’t fully feel like a Lauren Blakely book. I’m not sure why, but I think the small-town setting versus the cities she normally writes in made it feel different.
It got a little slow and repetitive in the middle, which has never happened for me in a Lauren Blakely book.

The Narration:

Erin Mallon and J.F. Harding did a fantastic job with this duet narration. They truly embodied the characters and brought them to life. As always with Lauren, the narration was top notch.

The Down & Dirty:

I loved It Seemed Like a Good Idea. It had a ton of fun tropes without feeling cookie cutter. But it didn’t completely feel like Lauren’s usual style. She often writes smart professionals or athletes in city settings, so the small town made it feel a bit more like other small-town romances. I also felt there was some extra filler in the middle that made it longer than necessary.

Still, I loved it. Is it my favorite Lauren Blakely book? No. Would I recommend it? Absolutely.