Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Mr. Romance

SERIES: Franklin U, Book #3

AUTHOR: Louisa Masters

NARRATOR: Greg Boudreaux

PUBLISHER: Self-published

LENGTH: 7 hours and 7 minutes

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2022

BLURB: 

When you’re clueless, Mr. Romance can help.

Charlie

I’m not sure how it happened, but it turns out I’ve unknowingly been dating three people.

Friends don’t spoil other friends, apparently. My trust fund means I can afford to, though, and what’s a meal here and there? Or some clothes? Or textbooks? That doesn’t mean we’re dating, right?

Others disagree. If I want to get through the rest of college knowing who my friends are, I need help from someone who knows all about dating and can tell me what not to do.

Someone like Mr. Romance.

Liam

When people look at me, romance is the last thing they think of…but I’m still the first person they call. Need a first date planned? A big romantic moment? Gotta beg for forgiveness? I’m your man. When it comes to romance, I’ve got it handled.

Not personally, though. My romantic life is…barren. All I really want is someone to snuggle with and spoil me. What I’ve got is planning dates for people who have no clue about romancing someone.

But now I’m somehow Charlie Martin’s anti-romance consultant. Charlie, who’s completely clueless yet the most accepting and friendly person I’ve ever met. Who’s giving and generous. Who’s befriended me and wants me to be happy.

I’m supposed to help him stop his friends from falling for him. The last thing I need is to fall for him myself.

REVIEW: 

Greg Boudreaux is one of the best MM romance narrators around.  However, it’s been a while since I’ve listened to one of his titles, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to hear him again on the audiobook of  Louisa Masters’ delightful Mr. Romance, the third book in the multi-author Franklin U series. Boudreaux doesn’t disappoint. In fact, he’s even better than I remembered – next-level amazing.  He absolutely blew me away with his barnstormer of performance of Masters’ subtle, sweet, absolutely adorable, jock/nerd romance. His acting ability is incomparable; he delivers vocal theater at its finest.  

In Mr. Romance, Masters tells a wonderful, extremely funny romance with the improbable pairing of Charlie and Liam. Masters does so many unexpected things with what I expected to be a trite rendition of oft-used tropes. Based on the title and the mentions in the other stories (not necessary to read them but if you have, you’ll recognize the “Mr. Romance” references) of the guy who creates dream dates for people, I thought this would just be another telling of the secret matchmaker/date guru trope – that Liam would be the romance guy that nobody knows but whose identity is revealed later in the story causing a rift in his developing relationship with Charlie.  But that’s not how this story goes at all, and I was thrilled with the refreshing turn of events.  

Liam is Mr. Romance.  It’s not a secret – it’s a business and one he takes seriously. In fact, his business actually thrives on word of mouth. Yet despite his love of romance, he never is on the receiving end of it, much as he’d like to be. Masters also doesn’t lean too heavily on the Mr. Romance aspect, shifting into a larger storyline that pulls in the relationships between Liam, Charlie, and their friends Matt and Ian.  The interactions between these four provide some of the funniest moments in the book.

Masters also flips the nerd/jock trope on its head. Charlie’s got the jock persona – a man about town, never met a stranger, everyone loves him … maybe too much, which is what forms the hysterical premise of this story. But while Charlie looks and acts like a jock, he isn’t one at all, admitting he’s not good at competitive sports – but he does it in true Charlie fashion, always with a sunshiney attitude:

“[I]’m no good when [sports] gets competitive.  Life should be more about fun and less about winning.”

Charlie is like a golden retriever puppy – big, clumsy, clueless, and absolutely endearing. He just wants to make people happy. He always sees the best in people and wants to be the best person he can be for others. He’s filthy rich, but he’s down to earth – his father made his fortune by selling an invention he patented – and Charlie just wants to give back. 

Liam the “nerd” is a super smart physics major who geeks out on romance novels and movies. He’s good-looking, but in a not-classically-handsome way, with short stature and angular lines. But the ironic twist is that Liam is a gymnast and has the physicality to show for it.  His body is ripped and a huge draw for Charlie. Liam’s actually the “jock” here.  Charlie’s wonder over Liam’s intelligence and physical prowess is as amusing as it is adorable.

Masters gives Boudreaux such terrific source material to work with, and he capitalizes on it, throwing himself into his vocal performance and lending even more depth to this story in the way he embodies the characters. One of the things I love most about Boudreaux’s narration is the way he makes it sound so easy.  He knows how to tell a story, and he does so with an accessible smoothness and fluidity that makes his voice oh so easy on the ears.  His fundamentals are perfection: pacing, choice of timbres for the characters, and clear, consistent distinction between them. His intonation work is exquisite.  You will feel like you are in real life in a conversation with these characters.  It sounds real, feels real, and most notably, sounds like a full cast of characters, not Greg Boudreaux’s one-man show.

Mr. Romance is an unassuming story that checks all the boxes and then is knocked out of the park through Boudreaux’s performance.  I loved everything about this story.  Mr. Romance is hands-down one of the best audiobooks of the year. It’s an absolute treat.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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