Fly with Me by Andie Burke, narrated by Chelsea Stephens

Olive’s afraid of flying, but she needs to get to Disneyworld in order to check an item off her brother’s bucket list. As fate would have it, on her very first flight, a medical emergency requires her to intervene. An ER nurse with ten years of experience, she efficiently cares for the passenger in need of help, filmed by several phones. In the process, she catches the eye of Stella, one of the pilots. And of the world, as the video goes viral. A few days later, Olive and Stella being the adorable useless sapphics that they are, they agree to act as fake girlfriends to their mutual benefit.

Olive, who benefits from the author’s knowledge as a nurse herself, is passionate, driven, but her panic attacks and a nasty ex make her question her worth. Add to that an inextricably difficult family situation and it’s no wonder her heart isn’t into dating. She’s aware fake dating a woman she has a crush on is probably stupid but she’s also trying to get out of her comfort zone. Stella, on the other hand, seems to know exactly who she is and what she wants: an excellent pilot who keeps being overlooked for promotion because she’s a woman, and a Latina. On the personal front, said woman is bad at relationships and keeping to friendships or a bit of fun is safer. Yeah, right.

Yes, it’s another fake romance. Once again, it’s sweet and funny, with characters I couldn’t resist. Despite some very heavy themes, Burke keeps the tone mostly light, which allows her to explore topics such as grief or the weight of expectations, the one others impose upon us as well as those we hold ourselves to, while maintaining a sense of hope throughout. I enjoyed the banter and the tenderness, the badass scenes, Olive’s best friend, Stella’s dad…

I also loved the narration. Chelsea Stephens’ name rang a bell but not her voice(s). It turns out that I’ve listened to her narrate The Heart of the Banshee by Carolyn Elizabeth, but it’s such a different genre that I didn’t recognize her. I always find that kind of versatility amazing. I was unsure about Stella’s voice at the beginning but it really suits her personality. I don’t think it’s stated at any point, but I wondered several times whether she had ADHD. She has that unstoppable tornado energy. Olive seems to settle her, just as being with her makes Olive forget about her anxiety. My wife and I have the same kind of dynamics, so of course I enjoyed it!

My friend Carrie recommended this book to me a few months ago and it took me some time to finally listen to it, but I had a really good time with it.

Bookshop.org (paperback)

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