A hot, angsty and emotional romance

After listening and enjoying A Convenient Arrangement, book one in the series, I didn’t hesitate to get the second one, this time narrated by Abby Craden. I’m glad I did because I enjoyed this one even more.

When Amelia Stone crashes her U-Haul on her way to move in with her girlfriend, she is rescued by handsome paramedic Finn Douglas. A tentative friendship starts between them and a growing attraction makes Amelia wonder if her interrupted move wasn’t a huge mistake…

This is a very interesting collaboration between Bella Books author Jaime Clevenger and Bold Strokes Books author Aurora Rey. The first book in the Mile High City series by these authors, A Convenient Arrangement, was published by Bold Strokes Books in November 2021 and this one was released by Bella Books a month later. Both novels intertwine in time and there are some references to the other story in each book but there are no spoilers and the books can be read in any order. I found that this was a very clever way to present a series.

I’ve listened to book one and thought that the introduction of cuffing (dating during the months of winter to keep warm when it’s dark and cold, only to dump the temporary partner when springtime arrives) was an original plot idea. Love, Accidentally deals with a very well-known lesbian practice: the U-Haul (two women who move in together very soon after they start dating). But this book incorporates a cool twist: a traffic accident occurs during the moving process effectively stopping it, acting as a meet-cue between the main characters, and forcing one of them to rethink her current relationship with her girlfriend (I’m not spoiling anything as this happens at the very beginning of the novel).

Both authors write butch/femme romances and I found that their styles are very compatible. In this novel, the seduction is built very well, there is a bit of instant attraction but it doesn’t feel forced. As it normally happens in a romance where one person is involved with someone else, the relationship starts as a budding friendship and the romance is slow burn. However, there is a lot of lusting and repressed desires that build up the heat factor of the story. The temptation of the forbidden works really well here as a source of excitement and angst.

Both characters are well fleshed out and their chemistry is sizzling despite their efforts to ignore it. The introduction of Amelia’s grandma as a hilarious matchmaker introduces a much-needed lightness among all the angst. I found that Amelia’s girlfriend was a bit one-dimensional character but it didn’t really bother me that much. The sex scenes were varied and super hot, something that I come to expect from both authors. I wouldn’t complain if they decide to write more books in this series, just saying…

Abby Craden narrated this installment which in my opinion was an improvement from book one. All the voices were distinctive and her performance of the range of emotions involved was, as usual, spot on. If you are looking for a hot, angsty, and emotional romance, this one is for you. 4.5 stars.

Length: 8 hrs, 4 minutes

Unlike book one, this audiobook is available on Scribd