Blind Date Collection

I’ll admit, I approached this collection with skepticism—six novellas in under 10 hours? That’s a tall order for depth. But Lyon proves me wrong. The contemporary stories are the standouts, particularly *The Match Game*, where a dating app gone wrong leads to a meet-cute that’s both hilarious and achingly real. Klanac’s narration sells the humor here, her voice dripping with sarcastic affection as the protagonist navigates a disastrous first date that somehow turns into the love story she didn’t know she needed. The historical entries, while charming, lean a bit harder on tropes (the rakish cowboy, the stubborn heroine), and one—*A Scoundrel’s Redemption*—felt a tad too neat, as if Lyon rushed to tie up loose ends. Still, even the weaker entries sparkle thanks to Klanac’s performance, which gives each character a distinct, lived-in quality. Production is clean, with no distracting audio artifacts, and the chapter breaks are well-timed, making it easy to dip in and out. My biggest critique? The audiobook’s runtime could’ve benefited from one fewer story—*The View from Here* felt slightly padded, its message heavy-handed compared to the others. But when the chemistry works, as it does in *The Match Game* and *The Perfect Fit* (a historical piece with a delightful enemies-to-lovers twist), it’s like overhearing a conversation that’s too good not to listen in on. If you’re craving romance that’s sharp, concise, and narrated with a skill that makes the stories feel like they’re unfolding in real time, this is a collection worth your ears.