Ridiculously funny and incredibly cute

This is my second book (audiobook, actually) by Kiki Archer, and it was as delightful as the first one (But She Is My Student).

Connie Parker’s life revolves around her three-year-old son Noah, a fact her boyfriend Karl fails to understand. Yet, while she loves her son more than anything, she’s sometimes bored with her daily life, and so decides to take writing as a hobby. She doesn’t believe in love (how could she, trying to make a family with a man she only dated for a couple of months before she got pregnant?), but Bonnie, her alter ego, does. Then Connie meets the beautiful and mysterious Maria, another mother at play group, and finds out life isn’t as straightforward as she thought.

Too Late… I Love You is ridiculously funny (sometimes in a very bitchy way, which gives it a guilty pleasure feel) and incredibly cute at the same time. The pedal-cart / scooter chase in Brighton had me trying not to laugh out loud in the street. There’s a hilarious gallery of secondary characters, most notably Connie’s best friend Ryan. He’s both the best and worst friend. While he and Connie were shopping, I was screaming in my head (I was on the tram by then) to Connie, “don’t listen to him, you’ve got fingers, sweetie!” As for the main characters, the interaction between Connie and Maria is wonderful from the start, and the chemistry is obvious.

The audiobook is exquisitely narrated by Ella Lynch, whose narration of A.E. Radley’s The Road Ahead I’d also enjoyed very much (plus, I’m always impressed by a narrator who manages to make children voices sound real), and I have the feeling Kiki Archer’s books work really well in audio, what with the quirky characters and entertaining dialogue. I hope I’ll get a chance to listen to another one soon.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

1 person found this helpful

Keep with it, it's really good

Well, the story is pretty straight forward until the end, I felt like the ending was kind of abrupt but everything else was really fun and well done. There's no real deep drama, it's just a telling of how a straight woman and a lesbian woman come together and are connected in the most unconventional way. Seriously, did not see that little twist. Anyway, what really made this was the narrator. Wow I mean she did little giggles, she sung a bit, she does every little sound effect and really puts herself into her characters, it's great! I personally think that she did Ryan perfectly, he just wouldn't be the same without her flair, it really brought the character to life, well done! If you want a easy fun little romance, please pick this little gem up you won't regret it.

Great Liaten

Kiki Archer is an amazing story teller and Ella Lynch does a fantastic job bringing voice to Connie and Maria’s story. Full of fun and laughs, this is one you don’t want to miss out on!!

Boring!!!

I listened to half of it, it was the most boring book I have listen to in the last year probably. Narration was horrible. After 4 hours of this bore I am going to see if I can exchange it.
This was a waste of a credit.

Very funny moments!

First book I have purchased by Kiki archer and loved how much I laughed through out the story. I will definitely look into more of her books after listening to this one.

A good listen

i have a hard time with getting words out of my brain and describing what i like about things so i'll just say this was a fun listen with a great ending and the narrator was excellent.

beautiful story of love, friendship, and family

Archer will make you believe in fate and Love in this charming, funny, and sweet romance.
This story is beautifully written and impressively so as Archer writes a story within a story. Connie's stories both the one she is living and the one she is writing weave together perfectly.
I Love Connie and Maria so much. They have such exquisite chemistry both as friends and as more. I loved all of their interactions and dialogue, the cute flirty banter between them, and the genuine emotional connection as well.
All of the characters were wonderfully authentic and cleverly written.
I was greatly and pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end, I truly couldn’t ask for a better story.
This sweet and sensational romance is perfect.
Ella lynch flawlessly brings this story and these characters to life in her beautiful narration of Too Late… I Love You. Her voice is amazing and a perfect fit for Archer's wonderful story.

Great story and Audiobook!

I liked both Connie & Maria and the way the story was laid out. There is an immediate connection between the two main characters and the story goes from there. Nothing threw out the story seems rushed and It’s definitely a slow burn romance that goes threw its passes. Though I will say, I was not prepared for the twist towards the end of the book.
As for the narrator... I will say, I can’t imagine it’s easy to do voices for small children let alone adults. I thought Ella did well with both. Definitely give it a listen!

Ok

This book took forever to end. I even had the speed on 1.25. What sucks is that the interesting plot twist literally came at the end - 2nd to last chapter I believe & then left you wondering if everyone was aware of that play twist. The main character seemed too needy and lacking of a true backbone and self confidence as well.

Jigsaw puzzles

The first half of the book was awesome. I like the slice-of-life approach to the book. Connie goes to a play group with her son and watches all the other moms with their kids. Connie and her best friend Ryan give them all nicknames (Top Dog, Earth Mother, Tits, etc) because they can't remember their names. They recognize the awkwardness of interacting with random strangers without trying to make it awkward. There's even a scene where Connie uses the heated seats just to indulge in the luxury car that she's never experienced before. There are also some fun scenes like when Connie and Maria take their trip together. The main character has low self esteem which I can totally relate to. The first half of the book focuses on the two girls becoming close friends. I love the romance stories that start with characters bonding over friendship instead of starting from lust. If the book kept going like this, it could be one of my favourites this year.

The ending is where I had a problem. We have a lot of coincidences where people just end up knowing each other all the time. The whole deal with karl was..ugh. Maria walking out for ridiculous reasons was just contrived conflict. Change the story so it's pure fluff and I'd love to read it!

The narrator doesn't try to deepen her voice for the male characters. Instead, she speaks differently in a way you can tell who the character is. Oh yeah, she definitely voices the whiny kids.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.