A laugh out loud friends to lovers romance with a stellar full cast audiobook
Release date: July 28, 2026
Publisher: Bloom
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
From New York Times bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a spicy sports romance filled with late-night book club confessions, forbidden attraction, and one slow-burn love story that refuses to stay platonic.
They’re just friends.
At least, that’s what she thinks. Him? He has other plans.
Bennett Brinkman is San Francisco baseball’s golden boy-focused, disciplined, and very bad at ignoring the one woman he shouldn’t want. Falling for his sister’s best friend was inevitable, even though she’s known him since he was all gangly elbows, bad haircuts, and teenage awkwardness…and still insists on seeing him that way.
Bower knows exactly why wanting Bennett is a terrible idea. She’s fiercely loyal to her best friend and well aware that crossing this particular line could blow everything up. But when she moves into Bennett’s apartment building, that “just friends” boundary begins to blur in the most tempting ways.
The banter comes fast.
The sparks come faster.
And pretending it’s “no big deal” is getting ridiculous.
As feelings get messier and attraction turns undeniable, Bennett and Bower must decide if risking their family ties is worth chasing the love that’s been in front of them all along.
Review:
No one makes me laugh quite like Meghan Quinn. Her books always lean into the ridiculous in the best possible way, and Just for the Plot had me smiling from beginning to end. The comedy, the banter, and the completely over the top situations are exactly why I keep coming back to her romances.
Bennett absolutely stole my heart. I am such a sucker for a hero who’s been quietly pining for years, and watching him patiently love Bower while waiting for her to finally see what had been in front of her all along made the slow burn completely worth it. The chemistry built naturally, making every little moment between them feel earned. The book club scenes where they’re reading romance novels together were some of my favorite moments in the entire story. They were funny, charming, surprisingly swoony, and perfectly captured the playful energy between the characters.
The audiobook, though? That was an experience. Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton are already two of my favorite romance narrators, and hearing them together in duet narration was an absolute treat. They were perfectly matched as Bower and Bennett, bringing every flirtatious exchange and emotional moment to life. Adding a full supporting cast made the production feel incredibly immersive, creating one of those audiobooks that feels more like a performance than simply someone reading a story. It was a dream team of narrators, and every voice elevated the experience.
Perfect for Readers Who Love
- friends to lovers romance
- best friend’s brother
- secret years long pining
- laugh out loud romantic comedies
- slow burn romance with a satisfying payoff
- bookish characters and romance book discussions
- baseball romance
- immersive full cast audiobooks
Overall rating: 5/5
Thanks to the author for my review copy.
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