The Messy Life of Jane Tanner by Brenda Novak @Brenda_Novak @amymcnarrator @HarlequinBooks #CoyoteCanyon

the setup…
Jane Tanner owns and operates a vintage thrift shop in Coyote Canyon, Montana while caring for her grandfather who has early onset dementia. Her two best friends, Talulah and Ellen, are now in committed relationships and she feels like life is passing her by. One night while she was at the pub with her friend Kurt Elway and had maybe one or two drinks too many, she asked him if he’d consider being her sperm donor. Prospects for a relationship look dim and Jane wants a baby before she gets too old to have one. Kurt has wanted to move out of the friend zone for a long time and sees this as an opportunity to get a step closer. Did I mention that Kurt is her sister’s ex-boyfriend and his brother is married to Jane’s best friend?

the heart of the story…
Jane’s life was complicated before she made that offer to Kurt and after? Messy is an understatement, especially as she opts to keep Kurt’s involvement a secret from everyone, including her best friends and sister. They don’t even know about her decision to try to have a child. Then her sister breaks off her engagement and starts giving Kurt a second look. And, Kurt wants to impregnate Jane the “old fashioned way.” Every decision Jane makes seems to exacerbate the mess.

the narration…
McFadden has narrated the entire series and does an admirable job of making Jane sound normal. Her storytelling skills are wonderful.

the bottom line…
I like family drama and this was beyond the pale. Jane’s original decision to hide her plans from everyone just snowballed into a soggy mess that even I couldn’t figure a way out. Kurt was such a good guy and hung in there when I thought he should just run. I was glued to the story, needing to see how this played out. It wasn’t a perfect ending but pretty realistic. It was a good time, despite and because of Jane’s terrible choices. And, I could see one more book…

Book Info

• Release Date: February 20, 2024
• Series: Coyote Canyon #3
• Narrator: Amy McFadden
• Audio Length: 11 hours, 8 minutes
• Publisher: Harlequin Audio

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