"Never trust a man who answers the door wearing nothing more than a pair of low-cut jeans and a panty-melting smirk."
Okay, I'm pretty sure Kennedy Fox wrote that line specifically for moms sitting in their cars in the garage, pretending they didn't just hear their phone buzz with a text about someone needing more goldfish crackers. Because honestly? That opening had me.
The Perfect Nap-Time Escape
Look, I'm not going to pretend this book reinvented the romance wheel. It didn't. But here's the thing—sometimes you don't need the wheel reinvented. Sometimes you need a reliable wheel that gets you from point A (stressed mom brain) to point B (slightly giddy mom brain) without requiring a character wiki or a flowchart.
Make Me Forget delivers exactly what it promises: a romance novelist on a writing retreat gets her world turned upside down by the hot, frustrating neighbor. It's enemies-to-lovers with a side of forced proximity, and if you've read any romance ever, you know where this is going. But Kennedy Fox makes the journey fun. The banter is sharp, the tension builds nicely, and at just over six hours, I finished this in less than a week. High praise from someone whose "reading time" is carved out in 15-minute increments between snack requests.
The meta angle—a romance writer falling into her own trope—adds a layer of self-awareness that kept me smiling. There's something satisfying about a heroine who KNOWS she's falling for the exact type of guy she writes about and still can't help herself. (Relatable content for anyone who's ever said "I'm not buying any more books this month" while adding three to their cart.)
The Voice Situation (Let's Talk Volume)
CJ Bloom and Joe Arden have great chemistry. Like, genuinely good chemistry. Their voices complement each other, the banter lands, and when things heat up—and they definitely heat up—the dual narration makes it feel more immersive than a single narrator could.
BUT. And this is a real but.
CJ Bloom has some volume regulation issues that drove me slightly crazy. I'd be listening at a comfortable level during Joe Arden's parts, and then suddenly CJ would come in and I'd be scrambling to turn it down before Sophie woke up from her nap. It's not constant, but it's noticeable enough that if you're an earbuds-at-school-pickup listener like me, you might find yourself doing the frantic volume dance more than you'd like.
Is it a dealbreaker? Not for me. The emotional delivery and character work are solid enough that I powered through. But if you're someone who's particularly sensitive to audio inconsistencies, maybe do a sample first. Your eardrums will thank you.
Who's Going to Love This (And Who Should Skip)
This is car-time approved, 100%. It survived being paused approximately 47 times (conservative estimate) and I never lost the thread of what was happening. The plot isn't complex enough to require focus—it's comfort food romance that you can enjoy while also mentally planning what's for dinner and whether you remembered to sign the permission slip.
If you're looking for something deep and literary, keep scrolling—this isn't it. If you're looking for a fun, steamy escape with good narrator chemistry and a satisfying happy ending, you've found your book. My book club would love this—if any of us ever had time for book club again.
The spice level is definitely present (content warning for those listening around little ears), so maybe save certain chapters for when you're ACTUALLY alone in that car. Just saying.
Sipping Cold Coffee, Already Eyeing Book Two
Make Me Forget is exactly what the title promises—a few hours where you forget about the laundry pile, the meal planning, and the fact that someone definitely left yogurt somewhere it shouldn't be. It's not going to change your life, but it'll make your commute better. I Found You gave me that same reliable escape when I needed it. And sometimes that's exactly what you need.
The volume thing keeps me from calling it perfect, but I'm already eyeing the next book in the series. So. Take that for what it's worth.
