Review of Hideaway by Rachel Lacey, narrated by Melissa Moran and Abby Craden
Rachel Lacey is an author who’s been on my radar for a while. She writes sweet romances with great chemistry. When I saw that her latest f/f book was being released on audio with two very good narrators, I’ve decided to give it a go. I’m glad I did because the story is very sweet and enjoyable.
Boston Financial consultant Phoebe Shaw loses her job and her girlfriend after a photo of her caught in a rude gesture goes viral on social media. She decides to go to her family cabin in Vermont to avoid unwanted attention. There she meets Taylor Donovan again, with whom she had a secret summer romance while they were 16, which was cut short when Phoebe left. As both women get reacquainted, old feelings resurface but Phoebe is meant to return to Boston and Taylor fears she’ll get her heart broken once again…
Hideaway is book 8 in the Vino & Veritas Series written by different authors. Vino & Veritas is a wine bar and bookstore in Burlington, Vermont where all the romances take place. There are 18 books in this series so far and only two are f/f romances; along with this one, Flipcup by Kim Hartfield (book number 7).
This is a very cute second chance romance, low on angst and high in chemistry. Both characters are likeable and very sweet together and their shared past help them reconnect rather than antagonise. One thing that the blurb doesn’t mention and has a prominent place in the story is that Taylor works in an animal shelter and both women love for animals help as a catalyst for their bonding and reconnection. If you like puppies and enjoy pets in general, this book is for you.
Hideaway is written in first person from both main characters’ points of view. The audiobook was performed by two narrators each reading a different character. I’ve said it before, I personally don’t like audiobooks narrated by two performers as I find the change in the same character’s voice disconcerting. Additionally, in this case, I found that the tone changed slightly between narrators, Ms. Moran sounded more upbeat than Ms. Craden. Having said that, I eventually got used to these issues and just focused on the story itself which was sweet and enjoyable. If you are looking for an equal parts cute and hot romance, then this one is for you. The book is very well written and I wished the audiobook had just one narrator, either of them would have been great. 4 stars.
Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
