Amazing Slow Burn Romance!

This was such a beautiful and delicious slow burn romance! I had already enjoyed Simmer when it was released on ebook, but listening to it on audio took it to a whole new level! Yes, this is an older woman/younger man romance, but it's also so much more. Sara is a complex character and the book focuses just as much on the romance as it does on Sara's journey of healing and moving on from her past. Drew was everything you hope a book boyfriend will be and could not have been more incredible. He was supportive, considerate, sexy, patient, loving, and just the right amount of alpha. The build up between Drew and Sara was so perfect thanks to their amazing chemistry. Even though Sara was introduced in the book Rewrite and some previous characters do appear, Simmer can be enjoyed as a standalone.

This was my first time listening to Ines del Castillo and Joseph Discher and overall I was impressed by both of their performances. Joseph Discher especially nailed it as the sexy and swoony Drew. He truly made me fall in love with Drew all over again! Ines del Castillo had a slightly more youthful voice than I imagined for Sara, but I felt like she captured the vulnerability of the character so well. I didn't find her character voices (male and female) as distinct as Joseph Discher's though, so there were a few times that it took me a second to figure out who was speaking (except for Victoria). I still enjoyed both narrators and look forward to listening to more of their work.

Truly a wonderful book that shows that it really is never too late to listen to your heart and change your future.

Overall 5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 5 stars

2 people found this helpful

Simmer

Stephanie Rose is just so real. I love the way she did Sara. Clearly, Sara didn't seem like a very nice person in the first book. But, yet all those churning and conflicted emotions she was going through came out in this book. And, it was so real. What I love the most is the way she processed and dealt with all those emotions Sara had. They are so real. And, we can all relate to not having the best thoughts or feelings about others or situations. But, how we respond to them or act is what really defines who we are. And, Sara was just so awesome and so real. Some people in difficult situations spiral down to ridiculous drama, and others choose to do what's best given the situation. And, Drew?! Love Drew. He was so awesome. Honestly, even the age issue. It may not be an issue at all for some, but is for others. And, it was handled so well. I love that she dealt realistically and fairly with such complex issues without turning into a shock and awe overly drama situation. This is my second book by this author and I am now securely in the fan spot.

The narration on this was really great. I don't think I've head either of these narrators. I was super impressed with Ines del Castillo. Both narrators did a great job.

1 person found this helpful

So cute!!

Simmer is a perfect name for this book! the slow burn that is Drew and Sara’s love story is an awesome listen! I loved Drew and Sara! Drew had a very hard shell to crack with Sara and he did it with complete ease and super swoon worthy sweet/alpha way! Sara went through so much growing up I didn’t think she would recover from it, and I am so glad she did.
This was my first time listening to Ines del Castillo and Joseph Discher and they did a fantastic job!

1 person found this helpful

Good Story Overall

So this story was overall enjoyable but it was a bit heavy for my normal taste.

Single mom with a rod of steel in her spine that she has a super hard time letting other people help “remove”. She’s also a Queens Girl which made her a little extra tough.

The daughter was written so well and was made to be the absolute opposite of her mother which was a fun contrast.

The male character was just as much a hard ass when it came to stating what he wanted and getting the female to “let go” of the steel rod.

They were an interesting dynamic.


This was narrated by Inés del Castillo and Joseph Discher. Both are new names to me and enjoyable.

loved it

I really enjoyed reading this author.  I look forward to reading more books by this author in the near future.

Sweet Romance

3.5 ✨
When I first met Sara, she was not on my list of favorite people. So it was nice getting to know her in this book. You finally get a deeper sense of the reasoning behind her actions and though it still was frustrating at times, you still sympathize with her. Stephanie Rose did a great job with her character development and growth. I loved seeing her open her heart and let her walls down. Drew was just a sweetheart. I loved the way he fought to get to know the real Sara hidden behind the armor. His bonding moments with Victoria warmed my heart. Simmer is a sweet and heartfelt love story.

25 Chapters Too Long

I had no choice but to jump from chapter 13 to chapter 40. This story was tedious at best and listening to Ines del Castillo’s lack luster performance bordered on painful. Even skipping all those chapters I still knew exactly what had gone on in the story. Joseph Discher, who I had never heard before was the only good part of this book. This was a story about a single mother getting her life together, but the characters were shallow and boring. It seemed like the story just went on and ON for no apparent reason. I guess Stephanie Rose was trying to give you your credits worth. Trust me, she did not.

good

the narrator has a good NY accent. I didn't care for Sara too much I thought her a downer in life who made her own hurdles . Drew was good for Sara

Loved it❤️

This is my first book by Stephanie Rose and I am hooked oh yes I am! Loved this story first of all her determination to rise even when her own family turn their back on her, the struggle to survive and with a child, but what I loved the most is that love is possible even when looks impossible, the fact that he’s younger that her is even better! With Drama enough and the characters that complement at perfection the whole story made this book fantastic!

Sara and Drew!!!!

I absolutely love this author and she blows me away every single time I read one of her books and this one is no exception! Rewrite is my favorite book of hers and am always a little worked about companion novels or duets not being as good as the first and this one is just as good. I do think you could read this one as a standalone but it'll hold so much more feeling and emotion for you if you read Rewrite first.

I loved reading Sara's story and falling for Drew right along with her! Victoria will pull at every mother's heartstrings and probably even a few who aren't yet. I also loved catching up with Josh and Brianna and still find Josh just as amazing in this novel as he was in Rewrite.

If you love a sweet romance with some spice and sizzle this is a great blend and will give you plenty of emotional ups and downs!

I loved having the two different points of view told by two different narrators, it makes it seem so much more real and these two did a fantastic job of bringing all the characters to life for me!