Summer Fling

Players of Marycliff University, Book 1

By: Jerica MacMillan

Narrated by: Tor Thom, Charley Ongel

She was a challenge he couldn't resist.

He was a risk she couldn't take.

Sassy mouthed and impervious to Lance's charm and football-god status, Abby knew their relationship was doomed before it even began. He would leave in August, and she would be left behind. Just like all the other men in her life.

His honesty and caring wins her over, and she decides to take a chance on a limited-time fling. But with summer drawing to its inevitable close, will they be able to maintain their emotional distance? Or will they both be heartbroken in the end?

©2015 Jerica MacMillan (P)2017 Jerica MacMillan

Good Listen

Lance and Abby meet when he is leaving after his summer intern ends. Lance is all in but Abby tries to fight her feelings because she knows that their time is limited. Will love conquer all or will life get in the way. Great narration. I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.

Great story!

I enjoyed this story. The way they meet, their dates and how they slowly fall in love. Well Done!!!
Good writing and good storyline!
The narrators did an excellent job. Their work was flawless and I enjoyed listening the story.

I recommend it :) 2thumbs up

3.5 stars

I struggled to stay engaged with this one at times. The performance was fine but not a lot was really going on.

A fun, sexy summer romance

This story reminded me so much of the movie Grease. A summer fling is always fun to live in the moment. Lance and Abby know that this relationship has an expiration date and yet they enjoy what time they have together. As with all relationships, feelings develop and goodbyes are hard to say when it is time. Lance and Abby make the most of every moment and truly are a fun couple. I found myself hoping for a forever for them. Coming from different backgrounds, it seemed like an odd couple, but they made it work. I could not stop listening to the story.

Tor Thom and Charley Ongel are a great duet. Tor Thom's baritone voice is such a wonderful contrast to Charley Ongel's voice. Both narrated their characters with such emotion, that it brought Lance and Abby to life. I cannot imagine a better duet for this story.

Overall plot has potential. Execution is lacking.

I have now both read and listened to this book. The overall plot has potential but I felt the execution was lacking.

The time between finishing school and starting a job/career is often a time of suspended reality. Lance’s reality has him interning for the summer at a marketing job that he loves while counting down the clock until he returns home to take work at and ultimately take over the family car mechanic business. Something he definitely does not want.

This family pressure and dynamic is an integral part to the storyline. Lance’s time with Abby is severely limited. We regularly hear about these expectations yet not once does Lance’s father make an appearance in this book. Instead, we are treated to a couple of phone conversations that he has with his mother whose primary concern is hooking her son up with a girl. While Lance’s resignation is obvious, I was unsure why. I did not feel this supposedly intense pressure being applied. I am not going to spoil the storyline but the resolution is weak and ultimately undermines the plot.

Abby meets Lance at a party and in a TSTL moment that seems the opposite of her cautious self, lets Lance, a stranger to her, take her home. She is attracted to Lance but having been let down or left behind by most of the people in her life she’s been close to, she is hesitant to start a relationship. Especially one with an end date right from the beginning. Attraction wins the day and she decides to jump in.

The book counts down the days until Lance’s departure. There always seemed to be a dark cloud hanging over the both of them. They both seemed so apathetic to each other at times and several times I questioned why they were even together. It seemed they rarely got any enjoyment out of the relationship.

The book ties up nicely for the characters in the end but I don’t buy it.

Narration: Charley Ongel and Tor Thom do a good job. Emotions are conveyed as described and the book is well paced. Tor Thom has a very deep voice. Great to listen to but perhaps not the best fit for a young man in his very early 20s.