The What If Guy by Lauren Blakely

The What-If Guy by Lauren Blakely

Duet Narration by Andi Arndt and Joe Arden with special appearances by Emma Wilder and Santino Fontana

Standalone in a connected series.

The What If Guy by Lauren Blakely, like all of her books, checked all of my boxes for the perfect read. Now, with all that’s going on in the world, a feel-good, smart and sexy romance is the perfect escape, and a Lauren Blakely audiobook is always guaranteed to hit the spot.

On a random shopping trip, Bryn, who is a content manager for a lifestyle and dating blog, runs into a guy who she has instant chemistry with.

“Some men are worth staring at.”

They begin to chat and flirt, but when he gets a call, the moment passes, and Bryn has to leave for a meeting. Lucky for both of them, there is a new website that lets you look for a missed connection and they both sign up.

Logan is a single dad who hasn’t had much dating experience, but when these two find each other again, the chemistry is sure there. In fact, they have one super hot night—with Logan being a bit of a Dom and Bryn having no problem speaking up and telling him what she needed.

“Is this how you’d like to be f*cked? Pressed to the wall?”

Until the very next day, when of course it turns out that Logan is the secret investor in her company, and her new boss.

This couple couldn’t have been more perfect for each other, and the fact that they are both cat parents who talk to their cats like best friends just seals the deal. Which brings me to my favorite part. The cats. Emma Wilder and Santino Fontana were perfect as their aloof felines, and it added a fun, albeit silly dimension to the romance.

“Tuna, tuna, tuna, tuna, tuna…He could talk, he could sing, he could do anything if only she could have tuna filling her belly.”

The What If Guy seemed a bit short. Maybe because there was certainly no slow burn, they hooked up the first night. Maybe it’s because the cats took some time from the couple, but I felt like I needed more time with them falling in love—it all moved so quickly. I still enjoyed every word, but I just wanted MORE.

Likes:

Sucked me in from page one and I wasn’t easily distracted for a change.
Fun, light, and a little silly, just what I need right now.
I love how Lauren’s heroines are always smart, successful, professional women, and the heroes have mad respect for it.
The cats. I LOVED the cats!
Sexier than many Lauren Blakely books, with a hint of BDSM.
Bryn is smart, direct, and goes after what she wants.
Logan was the full package—he was hot and domineering, but very respectful of Bryn’s wishes. I loved him.
The easter eggs from other books.

Dislikes:

Seemed to move very quickly. The whole story took place over a matter of days I think (or maybe it just felt like that).

The Narration:

The What If Guy is told in duet narration, which I really enjoy for a change, but I realize it’s not my favorite. It just never feels 100% natural in conversation because there is a pause between each person speaking, making dialog feel a little stilted and awkward at times. Andi Arndt and Joe Arden are fantastic in this, but they were upstaged a little bit by the cats, which were played amazingly well by Emma Wilder and Tony Award winner, Santino Fontana who captured the essence of cat life perfectly.

The Down & Dirty:

When I start a Lauren Blakely audiobook, my expectations are super-high, and she has never disappointed me. I like how she switches her books up from dual to duet to full-cast narration which keeps her books a little fresher and more unique. Though duet narration isn’t my favorite, I do enjoy the change of pace. The What if Guy was very sexy and moved quickly after the couple hooks up on their first date, and I would have liked to spend a little more time with them falling for each other. Their cats, which had their own narrators, added such a fun and unique dimension to the story, that it makes The What If Guy a MUST READ for any cat lover or any romantic comedy lover in general.