Wanderlust

Let me just take a moment to give a high five to Audible. I love LOVE that they're giving audiobooks a bigger platform to get seen. I know myself and many audio listeners are loving the Audible Original series. I'll admit that I always thought I wasn't much of a fan of celebrity narrations, however, the ones I've listened to so far have been wonderful and it's really helping to get the world of audiobooks out there to the masses. So, Yay!!! (Now let's get the gifting option sorted, yeah?)

Lauren, Lauren, Lauren why do you do this to me? Just when I think things can't get any better, that I've reached the peak of Lauren Blakely goodness do you surprise me with the beauty that is Wanderlust. I think this might be my favourite Lauren Blakely book to date. I wanted to finish it, to know how it ended BUT I also didn't want it to end, it was such a beautiful story. I may have thrown my phone at one point (it landed on the sofa, I'm not THAT crazy!) because I was in tears and cursed LB because I'd done so well not getting emotional throughout the story, but then she hit me with it. I should have known it was building up to it, but, nope, I was caught off guard. I also laughed... out loud... in public. The strange looks were worth the enjoyment of the story though. And let's not forget about the swooning.

In full disclosure, when I heard this story had a British hero I had my reservations. As a British woman I don't see the appeal of the British hero, but of course, Griffin had to prove me wrong, because I saw his appeal and I loved it. Also, I'll be the first to admit, I'm judgemental, I do the whole rolling my eyes thing when I hear an American author is writing a British hero, because, you know, it's not all bloody this and that, and drinking tea. Well, I am super happy to report that Lauren NAILED the Britishness of Griffin's character, ok, I still wish he wasn't a tea drinker, but, that's a pet peeve, overall, he said and did things that you'd find any Brit doing. Which was refreshing and made the experience of this book so much more than I ever imagined it would be.

This book is filled with wonderful characters, I can't be the only person hoping for a spin-off for some of the friends - one couple in particular, or maybe Joy's sister. Joy and Griffin are such a delight. They have a zest for life that cannot be ignored, it was contagious. Let's start with Griffin, swoon, yes, I just swooned over a British character, it's like I don't even know myself anymore, but Griffin is that swoon-worthy that it cannot be helped. I loved his attitude, I loved his backstory, I loved how suave he appeared. But, I also loved his vulnerability it added to his appeal. Joy, she is the sweetest thing, I loved her so much, one of my favourite heroines ever. The way she experienced everything was intoxicating. I loved that she didn't hold back, and she had a wicked sense of humour.

I feel like Paris was a character all of its own too. Paris has never appealed to me until this book, now I'm looking up hotels and flights and my husband is wondering what is going on, but also happy he gets a holiday out of it. It was such a beautiful setting for this book. It really made the romance come alive and allowed the readers to get lost in the beauty of it all. I think setting the book in Paris was quite genius, I think most of us have been to a place where we've felt out of sorts, wanting to fit in and just not having the skill to do so, it's not always about language but that is such a perfect example and used throughout the book which gives the listener that connection to the character of Joy.

The banter between the two of them was perfection, and just the right amount, the passion, sheesh, talk about melting those headphones. I loved that it was more of a slow burn relationship until it hit that one moment when they just couldn't hold back anymore, and boy did they not hold back. The emotion of the story is truly what held my attention and had me listening long into the night. I don't want to spoil anything, but the last few chapters are worth a credit alone, although without the build-up it wouldn't have the same impact, just trust me, it's worth it, and it is BEAUTIFUL!

This was a dual narration with Grace Grant and Richard Armitage, I really feel their voices complemented each other. They both performed the entire book brilliantly, especially considering the array of accents within the story.

I need to talk about the amazingness that is Grace Grant, seriously, she was perfection as Joy. She nailed every aspect of the character, I also have to say I felt she did a wonderful job on the British side of things, it's not easy to pull off a convincing accent, but she does, it isn't over-played, which I think helps, it was subtler. And I loved it. I just love listening to her, I could do it for hours, oh wait, I did!

Richard Armitage was a perfect Griffin, I was on the fence, to begin with, as noted above, but he really performed him beautifully, the vulnerability side of his character really shone through. Obviously, having a Brit perform a Brit was the best choice, even though the bulk of the story included the correct usage, still nothing quite like hearing those words from a native (so to speak). Please, please everyone take note of the pronunciation of the word twat, this is important. It loses all meaning when you say it wrong.

The production was lovely, with no issues. The music at the beginning and end of the audiobook really set the feel for the book, although, I do wish it had ended or the volume decreased before the narration started as it was a little distracting, especially during Grace's performance. There is an interview with Lauren Blakely at the end of the book and it was lovely, her passion for the book, and for audiobooks in general really showed.