A Not So Fictional Fall

About This Audiobook

*A Not So Fictional Fall* flips the script on the classic meet-cute by dropping its bookish heroine into a whirlwind of literary deception—and unexpected chemistry. Savannah Scott crafts a romance that’s as much about the thrill of fandom as it is about the messy, heart-fluttering reality of human connection. Here, the fantasy isn’t just in the pages of Amelie De Pierre’s novels; it’s in the electric tension when our protagonist realizes her beloved author is *not* the French woman she imagined, but a gruff, guarded man whose voice (both on and off the page) unravels her.

The dual narration by Amanda Friday and Tyler Hyrchuk is a masterclass in contrast—Friday’s bright, effervescent delivery clashes deliciously with Hyrchuk’s gravelly, reserved tone, mirroring the push-pull dynamic of the story. What sets this apart from typical rom-com audiobooks is its meta-layer: the protagonist’s internal monologue about tropes and HEAs feels like a wink to listeners who’ve ever dog-eared a book or reread a favorite scene. The humor lands because it’s *specific*—think rants about misleading author photos and the existential dread of meeting your idols—not just generic banter."

"review": "I’ll admit, I side-eyed the premise at first—another ‘fake identity’ romance? But *A Not So Fictional Fall* won me over by leaning *hard* into its bookish DNA. The heroine’s fangirl energy isn’t just a quirk; it’s the lens through which the entire story unfolds, from her overanalyzing Pierre’s ‘author voice’ to her panic when reality doesn’t match her mental casting. Amanda Friday nails this role, her performance oscillating between giddy squeals and vulnerable confessions with the kind of authenticity that makes you forget you’re listening to a script. Tyler Hyrchuk, meanwhile, turns Pierre into more than a brooding love interest—his delivery carries the weight of a man who’s spent years hiding behind a pseudonym, and you *hear* the hesitation when he’s forced to drop the act.

The pacing stumbles slightly in the middle, where a subplot about a rival author feels tacked on (and the narration shifts to a less compelling secondary character). But the core dynamic—two people who *write* love stories but are terrible at living one—keeps the momentum. The production quality is crisp, though I docked half a star for a few awkward edits where the narrators’ volumes didn’t quite match. Still, the chemistry between Friday and Hyrchuk sells the slow burn, especially in scenes where they’re arguing about *writing* while clearly falling for each other. If you’ve ever shipped a fictional couple harder than your own love life, this one’s for you—just be prepared to cringe-laugh at how painfully relatable the protagonist’s spiral is."

"tags": [
"bookish romance audiobooks