Audiobook Review: The Dating Proposal

Sigh-worthy and swoon-worthy, that’s “The Dating Proposal” in a nutshell. Others have named it the new hot romance. I call it my favorite romance! This book touched me on so many levels, I just don’t know where to begin.

McKenna Bell and Chris McCormick are wary of love. McKenna was left at the altar just a year ago while Chris was burnt by an ex not so long ago. McKenna was ready to date again but Chris was still ambivalent about it.

But they share one thing in common – they want to increase their respective demographics. For her fashion blog “Fashion Hound,” McKenna wants to reach more men. Chris’ “Geeking Out,” a TV show on Webflix needs to reach more women.

The solution – cross promotion, which means they must work together as partners. Dating a coworker is a hard limit for Chris. For, McKenna, it’s too close for comfort. Going from point A (friends and coworkers) to point B (lovers) is going to be a challenge. Will they take the gauntlet?

Narrated by Andi Arndt and Sebastian York, listening to “The Dating Proposal” is just perfection. Arndt and York work very well together. I love the voice that Andi Ardnt gave to Ms. Pacman. And though there were 5 women characters plus a tween girl, Arndt gave them very distinct voices. Her range is truly incredible.

Sebastian York is flawless as always. It was fun listening to him shift accents between a New Yorker and a Californian. I was having so much fun I almost wished that Lauren Blakely wrote in a character from New Jersey so that I can hear York say, “Tell me about it!” in that distinctive Jersey accent.

Lauren Blakely is one of my favorite authors. I have read and listened to so many of her books that I stopped counting how many a long time ago. With “The Dating Proposal,” I believe I have found my all-time favorite. The two lead characters are ME split up as a man and a woman!

Sounds weird? Let me explain.

McKenna runs a fashion blog. I’m a fashion editor. Like McKenna, I write fashion advice, which I call “styling.” But, unlike McKenna, I don’t star in fashion videos. I work behind the scenes as creative director during shoots.

Like Chris, I’m as geeky as they come. I have a degree in Engineering. I wrote software for a living in another lifetime. It was just a twist of fate that I landed in fashion.

And like McKenna and Chris, I was an avid gamer until a few years ago. But, I’m into RPG so except for Super Mario and Pacman, I have not heard the other games mentioned. Then again, my favorite game, “Final Fantasy” (the whole series) was never mentioned.

Listening the banter between Chris and McKenna was like talking to myself! Again, it sounds weird, but I cannot thank Lauren Blakely enough for creating these two characters. For me, it’s proof that fashionistas and geeks can coexist and love it. Another thanks for choosing two of my favorite narrators – Sebastian York and Andi Arndt – to read this book. For me, it elevated “The Dating Proposal” to a super duper listen.

“The Dating Proposal” is Rated M for Mature due to sexual content.