Look, I need to talk about the fact that Jenna Jameson co-wrote a romance novel and somehow I ended up listening to it in my minivan while eating leftover goldfish crackers at 2pm on a Tuesday. This is where life has taken me. And honestly? I'm not even mad about it.
But I do have a bone to pick first. The book's marketing leans HARD into the "former porn star writes steamy book" angle - like, we get it. The description literally compares it to How to Make Love Like a Porn Star. And yeah, Jenna Jameson is one of the authors. But the thing is, this book is trying to be more than that, and the constant wink-wink-nudge-nudge framing kind of undersells what's actually happening in the story.
A Former Porn Star Walks Into Manhattan...
Sugar - the main character, not a nickname I'm giving her - is running from her past in LA and trying to disappear into New York City. Which, relatable energy even if your past is just a regrettable bob haircut and not an adult film career. There's something genuinely interesting about a woman who's been hyper-visible trying to become invisible, and the book gets that tension right. The paparazzi element, the way strangers think they know her because they've literally seen everything - that's specific and it works.
Then she meets this investment CEO who's also a returned war hero (because of course he is, this is romance, we're stacking our tropes like pancakes). He's described as "deliciously kinky" which - I mean, he's got some moves, yes, but it reads more like enthusiastic vanilla-plus than anything that would shock you. If you're expecting Fifty Shades territory, dial it back about 60%. The steam is there but it's more slow simmer than rolling boil.
What surprised me is how much page time goes to Sugar actually processing her past and figuring out who she wants to be now. There's a whole thread about her reclaiming agency over her own body and her own story that felt more thoughtful than I expected from something marketed as a "rollicking must-listen." Hope Tarr clearly brought her romance-writing chops here - the emotional beats land where they need to. That same kind of emotionally grounded romance writing shows up in More Than Crave You, which also manages to make a woman reclaiming her own life feel earned rather than rushed.
Cami Darian and the Voice That Almost Worked
Here's the thing about Cami Darian's narration: it's fine. It's... fine. She reads clearly, the pacing is steady, nothing made me physically cringe. But there's a flatness to certain emotional scenes that kept pulling me out. When Sugar is supposed to be spiraling about being recognized on the street, Darian delivers it with roughly the same energy as ordering coffee. And during the steamier scenes - which, let's be honest, are a significant selling point of this particular book - the delivery felt weirdly clinical. Like she was reading the ingredients on a shampoo bottle but the ingredients were sex acts.
I can see why some listeners said they wished they'd read this instead. There were moments where I thought the words on a page would've hit harder than hearing them read in this particular tone. It's not BAD narration, but it's the audiobook equivalent of store-brand cereal - does the job, but you notice what's missing.
At 8 hours and 44 minutes, the length is actually perfect for my schedule. I knocked this out in about a week of drop-offs, one blessed Sophie nap, and three car-sitting sessions. Survived 47 pauses and still made sense, which matters when you're constantly being interrupted by a five-year-old asking why birds don't wear shoes.
Who's Going to Love This (And Who Should Swipe Left)
If you're into second-chance-at-life romances with a protagonist who has an unusual backstory, and you don't mind your steam scenes served with a side of emotional processing, this is a solid pick. It's comfort food with a slightly spicier seasoning than usual. The HEA is satisfying if predictable - exactly what I needed after a week where someone put a crayon in the dryer. Other Side of the Pillow scratched a similar itch for me - same comfort-food energy, same guaranteed happy ending, and honestly a comparable heat level if you're building a rotation.
Skip it if you need your narrator to bring real heat to the hot scenes, because Darian doesn't quite get there. Also skip if you're expecting literary fiction dressed up as romance - this knows what it is and doesn't pretend otherwise.
The Garage Door Can Wait Another Minute
Not groundbreaking, but sometimes you don't need groundbreaking. You need a book that respects your time, gives you a woman worth rooting for, and ends with the kind of happiness that feels earned even when you saw it coming from chapter three. I finished this during nap time. High praise. My book club will love this - if I ever have time for book club again. Just maybe recommend the print version alongside the audio, because this story deserves a voice performance that matches its ambition.
