Flirtasaurus

This is Erin Mallon's debut book but it doesn't read like it. It's funny and sweet and a delight to read/ listen to. A must read/ listen for rom-com fans. The characters are fleshed out and likeable. I loved Ralph so much, he was such a sweet hero, who always put others first and helped Calliope in ways I don't think she even realised, by allowing her to see things in a different way. She was so laser-focused that so much passed her by. She was such a fun heroine, though, I loved that she was smart and not looking for love, but at the same time, couldn't dismiss the Ralph-effect and could admit when she was wrong. Their interactions are funny and sweet, the banter is perfection. If you've read any of my reviews before you'll know I'm a huge banter fan and this book has it in spades. I loved Calliope's family, they were a riot, and I could understand Calliope's responses to them but also loved that part of the story and seeing them connect. The museum setting was refreshing and gave a different spin on a workplace romance, and I enjoyed that aspect to it.

This is going on my perfect summer read/ listen list because it's such a delightful story and filled with humour and swooning moments. If heat level is important to you, this is on the low end but don't let that deter you from a wonderful story. Sometimes you read or listen to a book and it just fills you with happiness, that's what this book does. It was such a joy to listen to. I laughed out loud on more than a handful of occasions, I'm sure my colleague thought I'd lost it. It is incredibly funny. Just what you need during these difficult times. It definitely made my nightshift go fast, that's for sure. It's been a while since I've had the time to devour a book in a day, but that's exactly what I did with the audio of Flirtasaurus, once I started it, I couldn't stop. SO much, that I owe it in all versions, eBook, audio, and paperback. I love the cover, it encompasses everything to love about this story.

I'm not a huge fan of authors narrating their own books, but this is one occasion where I not only loved it but doubted anyone else could have done it the justice it deserved. Erin was these characters, she voiced them in a way that just made them come alive - I read the first 20% of the book before going back to the beginning and listening, so I can comment from both perspectives—as a reader and listener. I'll say I'm super glad I didn't have to say all those dinosaur names, and that was a definite bonus to listening lol. The production was well done and there were no issues of note. I did have a little chuckle at the word museum just because I didn't realise that is one of those words that is pronounced differently in the US to the UK—that's not a criticism, but something that I've never noticed before.