My Favorite Half-Night Stand

Starred review from October 8, 2018
Lauren’s delicious newest standalone rom-com (after Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating) captures some of the perils of online dating by focusing on the alternating points of view of Millie Morris and Reid Campbell, two members of a small, insular group of friends who work at UC Santa Barbara. After the two of them enjoy the titular sexual encounter, Millie, using a half-obscured profile picture and her middle name, matches with Reid on a dating app. The two friends wind up entangled in an unexpected sexual and romantic relationship in the digital realm that threatens to destroy their offline friendship. The majority of the novel is told in prose, but text messages, group chats, and emails sent through the dating app solidify the world that Millie and her friends live in and shows the steady deepening of the romance between Reid and Millie’s alter ego. This is a messy and sexy look at digital dating that feels fresh and exciting. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary.

Narrators Shayna Thibodeaux and Deacon Lee make this audiobook shimmer with sexual sparks. Listeners will also laugh out loud at the story's corny jokes. Five modern-day college professors are about to try dating apps, but it may be too late for Millie and Reid. Thibodeaux portrays Millie, the smart, sarcastic sole female in the group, in a throaty voice and a tone that is precise and intelligent yet tinged with insecurity. Lee brands the insightful and honorable Reid with a dark-as-sin voice full of emotion. These two BFFs think they're just friends with benefits. But Cupid has other plans. This is a funny yet romantic listen. A.M.G. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine