Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday

I’ll admit: I approached *Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday* skeptical that a reality TV star could deliver genuine insight. But Nick Viall’s narration won me over within minutes—not because he’s a polished performer (he’s not), but because he *sounds* like he’s figuring this out alongside you. His pacing is natural, punctuated by eye-rolls and laugh-track-worthy asides (like his rant about “emotional gold diggers” who drain your energy). The production is clean, though I wished for slightly tighter editing in the anecdote-heavy sections—some stories, while entertaining, meander. Where the audiobook shines is in its refusal to sugarcoat. Viall dismantles toxic dating tropes (e.g., “if they wanted to, they would”) with personal examples, like the time he strung someone along because *he* was afraid of being alone. His critique of social media’s role in relationships—how we curate “highlight reels” to avoid real vulnerability—hit hard. That said, his advice occasionally skews heteronormative, and some listeners might bristle at his “tough love” approach (e.g., “stop making excuses for bad behavior”). Still, the audiobook’s strength lies in its specificity: Viall doesn’t just tell you *what* to do; he explains *why* you’re resistant to doing it. For anyone tired of vague dating mantras, this is a refreshing, if occasionally bruising, listen.