Release date: June 24, 2025
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Thirty-five year old Edie Pepper, a rosé loving, reality TV obsessed copywriter from Chicago, dreams of plucking her soulmate from the depths of Hinge (or Tinder or Bumble). Following yet another dumpster fire of a date, Edie is consoling herself with boxed wine and E! Newswhen Ryan Seacrest drops a bomb: Edie’s high school sweetheart has been cast as the lead in America’s most beloved reality dating show, The Key, and wow, does he look different. Charlie Bennett, Edie’s chubby cheeked, cosplay loving high school boyfriend has had a serious glow up, and is now a world traveling, extreme sports hunk.
Desperate to reclaim her One True Love, Edie DMs the show’s conniving producers, who are more than happy to shove Edie headfirst into the competition. But Charlie isn’t quite who she remembers, and he’s as desperate to hide his past as Edie is to reveal it. Further complicating matters is Peter Kennedy, The Key‘s cranky showrunner, who, despite his best efforts, finds himself drawn to Edie’s everywoman charm.
Navigating increasingly absurd dates, Edie starts to rethink everything she thought she knew about love. Is the biggest risk she’s ever taken about to culminate in disaster? Or is Edie about to secure the Happily Ever After she’s always wanted?
Find out this season on The Key.
Review:
The setup is pure entertainment, but what sets this rom com apart is its sly commentary on dating culture, media manipulation, and the pressure women feel to “perform” for love. It’s a sharp, funny, and delightfully messy behind the scenes peek at the world of reality dating shows, and it’s an absolute treat on audio thanks to the incredible narration by Patti Murin.
The authors writing is sharp and full of wit and exactly my style. The humor is spot on and strikes a great balance between laugh out loud funny and emotionally grounded. Edie is such a relatable protagonist, she’s funny, self aware, and just trying to make sense of what she wants in a world that rewards spectacle over sincerity.
And then there’s the audio narration. Patti Murin is one of my all time favorite narrators, and she proves once again why she’s in a league of her own. Her animated, engaging delivery breathes even more life into Edie and the entire cast of characters. She captures the humor, heart, and occasional heartbreak so perfectly that you can’t help but hang on every word. This book was made for her voice.
If you’re a fan of The Bachelor, Love Island, or anything with a bit of romantic chaos and insider drama, Fan Favorite should be at the top of your TBR, especially on audio.
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
Novelgossip 