The Dating Proposal by Lauren Blakely

Narrated Duet Style by Andi Arndt & Sebastian York with a Bonus Story Narrated by Jason Clarke & Andi Arndt

Standalone Romcom

I’m so glad Lauren Blakely explains at the beginning of The Dating Proposal that this was a complete rewrite of one of her older books, Trophy Husband, or I would have thought I was crazy (well….). That was actually my first Lauren Blakely audiobook (or LB book in general) and I really enjoyed it, but according to her, 85% of The Dating Proposal is new, and it’s a completely different plot! To me, only one scene at the beginning was familiar, so don’t let the fact that it’s a rewrite stop you, because it’s completely reimagined, and it’s another Lauren Blakely gem.

Set in San Francisco for a nice change, fashion blogger McKenna Bell is ready to start dating again after being left at the altar, and she is sharing the awful experiences on her blog. When nerdy but sexy video game vlogger Chris McCormick comes to her technological rescue, the awesome Lauren Blakely banter and flirting ensues. This is where a Lauren Blakely audiobook really excels. While most duet style books sound like they were recorded separately then pieced together, you were able to tell they were really feeding off the other.

The chemistry between the couple just jumped right through my headphones. Andi Arndt and Sebastian York, combined with Lauren Blakely makes it the ultimate power trio. The Dating Proposal had a few more funny 1-liners than I think we normally get from Lauren. And as always, it’s very timely and current.

“My God, this is better than Tumblr. This is almost like the best parts of Tumblr weren’t shut down.”

A sweet, light, funny, angst-free romance with some retro nostalgia, The Dating Proposal was everything I love about Lauren Blakely’s writing.

“Love is scary and terrifying and wonderful and enchanting all at the same damn time”

Lauren also provided us with a bonus novella at the end, Delayed Satisfaction, a prequel to Satisfaction Guaranteed featuring Jason Clark and Andi Arndt. Let me tell you, I am now SO EXCITED for Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Likes:

Completely fresh and new, despite it being a rewrite.
Made me happy the whole time I listened.
A mature relationship with no games.
I love a nerdy hero.
Lots of funny 1-liners and banter.
A bonus novella!

Dislikes:

I am running out of ways to say I loved a Lauren Blakely book! lol

The Narration:

I love Andi and Sebastian together no matter what, but the duet narration in this book didn’t sound choppy and pieced together like so many do, it feels like these two recorded it together, and you can feel them playing off each other. I must admit though, that I prefer Andi playing older characters. She just doesn’t have the voice of such a young woman to me.

The Down & Dirty:

I’ve never met a Lauren Blakely book I didn’t love. She never fails to deliver a happy, feel-good, light, funny, sexy and smart audiobook where the narration makes it even better. The Dating Proposal features the same characters as the now unpublished Trophy Husband, but if you think you know the story, nope—it’s all new, and while I really enjoyed the original, I LOVED The Dating Proposal. Lauren Blakely is a no-fail author for me and she just keeps getting better.