A Guy Walks Into My Bar

2.5 stars. Hmm... very mixed feelings on this one.

First of all, if you're gonna pick this book up and if you listen to audiobooks at all, you have to read this through audiobook. It's got a full cast of narrators and is a delight to listen to. The two main narrators of this story also have a conversation at the end of the audiobook after the actual story ends, and for some reason I realized that the chemistry and banter between the actual narrators—Joe Arden and Shane East—was much more wholehearted and funny and full of wit than the actual main characters the romance was about. Yikes.

This, unfortunately, made me realize in hindsight that the romance in the book felt too scripted and artificial and overly manicured. I don't want realism in romance books, I want something escapist, but even as a work of fiction this story felt too scripted. I was LOVING the first few chapters, there was a playful push-and-pull dynamic brewing, but afterwards the characters jumped the gun so fast. I just could not find it believable how much they claim to have fallen for one another,

This is not a bad story by any means. I know this story will check a lot of boxes for people. I just need my romances to feel believable and I could not convince myself that the main characters here blossomed a relationship that was worth declaring such copious amount of commitment and love over within such a concerningly short time frame (5 days!).