Kristin's Bookshelf

📖 Better Luck Next Time
✍️ Cara Bastone
🎙️ Mae Whitman & Colin Woodell
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cara Bastone is legit the QUEEN of banter. This is only my second book by her, but I absolutely love her character dynamics, dialogue, and especially the female sass. Honestly, I think I enjoy those things even more than the actual storylines.

Mona and Duncan were so much fun because they both know exactly who they are and what they want… until it comes to each other. Then suddenly they’re both bending over backward trying to give the other person what they think will make them happy, without actually stopping to ask what the other person wants. Communication, people! 😂

And that’s where the different realities get really interesting. In one, Duncan gives up the stable career he wants to make music with Mona. In another, Mona never tells Duncan how she really feels, potentially depriving him of a great love. Seeing how different choices ripple through their lives really drives home that sometimes sacrificing what you want isn’t actually the loving thing to do.

Of course, I loved watching everything come together in the end.

And most importantly… THE PUPPY HAS A SAFE HOME. 🐶❤️ Priorities.

🎧 Narration Appreciation: Mae Whitman and Colin Woodell made this feel less like an audiobook and more like listening in on real conversations. The sarcasm, singing, banter, and sound effects brought so much personality to the story and made an already fun book even more entertaining!

If you love alternate realities, enemies-to-lovers energy, forced proximity, family chaos, and top-tier banter, this one is absolutely worth a listen!