What’s stopping you from mapping the Abs of Glory with your tongue?
Kait Nolan
Let It Be Me
Format:
1/12/2021 – ebook
5/8/2023 – update for audiobook
Note: at the time of the audiobook review all of Kait Nolan’s titles (ebook & audio) are available in KoboPlus
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Four years ago, firefighter Caleb Romero saved a child and met the woman of his dreams. But trauma killed the timing, so he’s contented himself with being the friend she needed as she navigated sudden parenthood.
Four years ago, Emerson Aldridge became a mom in the worst possible way. Without qualm, she abandoned her own dreams to shepherd her teenage daughter through their shared grief. Her number one priority has been to raise Fiona the way her best friend would have wanted.
Now Fi’s headed off to college and Emerson has no idea how to feel about her suddenly empty nest. She barely even remembers life before motherhood, but Caleb’s right next door to give her a reminder—along with a toe-curling kiss that catapults them past friends and into something more. The life she wanted before the accident is still within reach. He just has to convince her that their age difference means nothing.
Piece of cake. Right?
Point of view:
3rd Person. Alternating perspectives, not always by chapter, but it’s clearly defined.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
As the beginning of 2021 has left a lot to be desired so far, I was thrilled to have Let It Be Me carry me away. I admit it – I’m a huge fan of Kait Nolan’s writing. Her style clicks for me and she has become one of my buy-it-immediately authors.
Men of the Misfit Inn is a spin-off of Nolan’s Misfit Inn series. What I really appreciated is that while the main character, Caleb, is one of Joan’s many foster children (the MC’s of Misfit Inn were either her foster or adopted children) and there is one chapter that gives us a little heads up of their lives – the references to the previous series do not dominate the book or require having read it to appreciate Caleb’s world.
This was an emotional yet funny friends-to-lovers story. Caleb has waited four years for the timing to be right to woo his best friend and neighbor, Emerson. This also includes some of my favorite themes of a sweet and snarky teen as well as a dog described as “the result of an unholy union between the cat from Shrek and a pit bull.” I don’t think the 8 year difference between the sexy firefighter and beautiful audiobook narrator technically qualifies as “age gap” – but the older woman/younger man was done really well without belaboring the topic.
What I love about Nolan’s writing is that while there is some tension and usually a “big event” (or two, or three!) that conspire to keep her characters from their HEA a little while longer – it isn’t dragged out. We get plenty of time to know Caleb & Emerson, enjoy a burgeoning relationship, relish steamy scenes, laugh at their banter, and can fervently believe in their love story.
Note: I loved Nolan’s dedication in the book, “For Amy, narrator extraordinaire, Thank you for giving life to all the people in my head”. I can’t wait to experience Caleb & Emerson’s story again with Amy McFadden in my ears.
Narration:
I love Amy McFadden’s narrations and especially her pairing with Nolan’s writing. Emerson being an audiobook narrator was a lot of fun. This story has all the emotions and McFadden makes them pack an extra punch. Fantastic listen.
About the author:
Kait Nolan is a RITA® Award-winning Mississippi author who calls everyone sugar, honey, or darlin’, and can wield a ‘Bless your heart’ like a Snuggie or a saber, depending on requirements. She believes in love, laughter, and that tacos are the world’s most perfect food. When she’s not writing, reading, working the evil day job, or wrangling family (both the two-legged and the four-), you can find her obsessively watching The Great British Bake Off.
You can connect with Kait Nolan here:
About the narrator:
From Amy McFadden’s website: I live in Michigan and even in the dead of winter I love to laugh so much that I never have to do situps. Truthfully, I probably wouldn’t do situps anyway, but hey, laughter is the best medicine, so I must be SUPER healthy, right?
I’m an actress now, and I used to be a 2nd grade teacher. I loved that part of my life, but after doing it for a bunch of years, I was ready to move on to the next version of me. They’re not really very different versions-teachers and actresses both reach out and engage people through stories. I’m NOT a morning person, but waking up to tell stories makes mornings better-than-tolerable.
I love books and the Muppets and smart people and kind people (not necessarily in that order) and sleeping and chocolate and coffee and writers and learning and Oreo cookies and a bunch of other stuff-but I’m starting to make myself gag on all this love.
I hate a bunch of stuff, too, but who cares about that junk? It’s probably the same stuff you hate, so I won’t bore you. Except I REALLY hate listening to people eat bananas.
You can connect with Amy McFadden here:
My Favorite Quotes
“An instant. That was all it took for lives to be changed. Lives to be lost.”
“She’d found a happy medium of being able to objectively appreciate his…attributes…without objectifying him. Most of the time.”
“Something had shifted between them, and Emerson didn’t know what the hell to do with it.”
“What’s stopping you from mapping the Abs of Glory with your tongue?”
Rellim Reads 