Description
It doesn’t get more complicated than sleeping with your twin sister’s boyfriend…unless he doesn’t even realize he slept with the wrong sister. But that was 10 years ago and Rio Pascucci doesn’t do complicated – anymore. She’s as hard-working, straight-forward as they come. She put that mess behind her when she left her train-wreck of a twin sister back in Ohio. Now, independent Rio is unprepared for this twist. His name is Ian McCallister, and this is where it gets tricky.
Ian and Rio were best friends growing up. Complication number one: The friend zone.
Rio’s been in love with Ian for as long as she can remember. Complication number two: Unrequited love.
Ian was in love with Rio’s twin sister. Complication number three: Will he ever see her as anything but a replacement for his first love?
Oh, and then there’s that little secret Rio’s hiding. Complication number four: Deceit and lies.
Rio and Ian may have been born for each other but when the odds are stacked against you, are some things just too complicated to overcome?
Shan MC –
First off, the narration for the audio was great. The narrator fit the characters really well, and I even liked her guy voice. Solid, quality performance.
*May Contain Spoilers*
I was all set to give this 5 stars, but in the end, I just didn’t like Rio’s actions. The premise sounded a bit skeevy, but once I heard the particulars of what actually happened between Rio and Ian, I was totally on Rio’s side. I also was totally loving the connection between Ian and Rio, and I love how Ian knew right away that Rio was the one for him and he fought for it. I loved that they both knew the whole stupid friends with benefits thing wouldn’t work for them; that showed me that there was some intelligence in the characters. There was some great chemistry between them, and Ian is great. The romance has some really sweet moments too. There’s some passion; it is mostly fade to black type stuff, but the passion does come across. There’s some fun humor too. Originally, I loved Rio’s sassiness; it started to grate on me at times, but I still mostly liked her. Unfortunately, what made the story drop in stars for me was that Rio had no intention of ever telling Ian that she was the one he slept with; she went out of her way to hide the secret, and I couldn’t stand the way she “handled” her sister. Rio made very stupid decisions and I just didn’t want to root for her anymore. If she would’ve been honest or had at least an inkling of an intention to tell him the truth, I would’ve loved this book. It’s written well and I liked the ending; although, the ending would’ve been better with an epilogue. 3 stars is still a good rating and I’d say it’s on the high end of the 3 star rating. I just wish the author went a different route with Rio and had her not be so selfish. Overall, I liked it and the listening experience was really good, so I say give it a go. Rio may not bother you as much as she did me; I really wanted to like her! Sad about it. I’d still be interested to check out more from Biel.
Bette –
Rio💘Ian! Great Story & Audible Listen🎧
Paradise by the Dashboard Light
By: Kathryn R. Biel
Narrated by: Sarah Sampino
This is a great and enjoyable story. It is well written and well told with original storylines that immediately grab your attention and holds it from start to end. The characters are realistic and relatable, I loved the chemistry between the two leads, Rio and Ian. I also loved the dialogue between them. I adored Rio, she is independent, driven to succeed and smart to get out of her family’s toxic environment. I could understand her dilemma and feel her pain. Ian, an overall nice guy, it was nice to see him finally come to his senses. Goes to show you even the smart ones can be so dumb sometimes. Rio and Ian were meant to be, they finally get there but not before there was a lot of drama, angst and roadblocks by the name of Raine. There are some great laugh out loud moments in this story, as well as heartfelt and emotional ones. Kathryn R. Biel, thank you for this enjoyable book. I am looking forward to checking out more of your work. Love your book titles too.
I listened to the Audible edition, Sarah Sampino is wonderful narrator and voice performer. She brings the characters to life, gives each their own unique voice and personality. She does an amazing job projecting the characters emotions in her performance. There was some witty banter & dialogue between the characters and she switched roles back and forth flawlessly. She is an entertaining & versatile storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another great listen🎧
Patricia Reichardt –
When I saw the title of this book, I was completely intrigued. Had to get, and fell in love as I listened. This story is so complicated, yet so simplistic, a true love story. Rio has been in love with Ian since childhood. Best friends and never more, Ian fell for Rio’s wild twin sister Raine. Now as adults, the two meet up again, and their relationship is much different. But will the past come back to haunt them, and will Rio’s secret be too much? This is my first Kathryn R Biel book, and it will not be my last. Her writing is complex, witty, well developed and invests you in the outcome. Rio is a strong character, which I love. She is smart, removing herself from her toxic family relationship, and looking to make a better life. Ian is sweet, very close with his family and you can’t help but feel his warmth. But not only do these two make for a good listen, but I enjoyed the secondary characters. Each has a twin, and they both add so much to the story. From the crazy Raine to the innocent Evan, it adds another layer to the story and let’s see and feel how different families can be. I loved their story and will be looking for more by Biel.
Sarah Sampino brings this romance to life with her wonderful narration. She gives each character their own voice and personality. I love her ability to flawlessly switch between characters and she has a great male voice! She makes listening a pleasure.