Lovebug by Erin Mallon | Audiobook Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Lovebug (The National History Series Book 2) by Erin Mallon.

Narrated by Erin Mallon

Romantic Comedy. Second in a related series, but can totally stand alone.

Last year’s Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon was one of my favorite books of 2020. I couldn’t wait for Lovebug and I feel so bad that I didn’t review it before now, because if possible, I may have loved it even more.

Erin Mallon has a phenomenal talent for playing quirky women (well let’s face it, she has phenomenal talent no matter what she does) and her comedic timing is just perfect, especially when narrating her own words. Lovebug put a non-stop smile on my face and had me giggling like a loon. It also just put me in a fantastic mood. The light, sweet, smart, funny banter was enough to lift anyone’s spirits.

Mabel McGonigle is a 24-year-old entomologist and head counselor of a nature camp. Her awkward and innocent personality make her the perfect camp counselor. She’s a good girl and a people pleaser without a mean bone in her body. Until Wally, the camp groundskeeper with the dirty mouth rubs her the wrong way…and then the right way… if you know what I mean.

Mabel has been with her one and only boyfriend for 6 years and has no idea how much she is missing in life until the gruff groundskeeper, “The Wall”, shows her what a real man is. When some truths begin to come out about her fiancee, I love the way Wally (The Wall) helped her grow into herself and gain the confidence to stand up for herself.

“But I didn’t say ‘oh god’ in an emergency way. I said it in a… porny way.”
“A porny way?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you think it sounded porny?”
“Mabel – and I mean this in the most respectful, gentlemanly way possible-I find everything you do to be porny.”

Likes:

I smiled the entire time.
I learned a little about bugs and they were fascinating facts, even for this bug hater.
Visiting with characters from Flirtasaurus (though it’s not necessary to read first, it’s amazing so you should read it!)
The quirky and sweet innocence of Mabel.
How much Mabel grew in the book and learned to assert herself.
I was giggling a ton, laughed a lot, and just felt happy during the whole listen.
Even though it’s goofy it’s smart.

Dislikes:

None! I loved it all.

The Narration:

Erin Mallon is already my favorite narrator for a book like this, but it’s made better by the fact that since she wrote it she knew how it is meant to sound. She voiced every character without you ever wondering who was talking, and her delivery was just perfect.

The Down & Dirty:

Lovebug by Erin Mallon is for sure going on my best of 2021 list. Any book that made me this happy will for sure be on my favorites list. But it wasn’t just the story, it was the story and the delivery. While I’m sure this is a fun, adorable read, listening to it made it a favorite. If you love a smart, sometimes silly, feel-good rom-com, you don’t want to miss Lovebug by Erin Mallon. I anxiously await the next in the series!