better luck next time – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 4.5 hour audiobook
Author: Cara Bastone
Publisher: Audible Originals
Release Date: May 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two frenemies find a surprising second chance in this timeslip rom-com, starring Mae Whitman ( Parenthood ), Colin Woodell ( The Flight Attendant ), and a full cast.

Mona and Duncan used to be best friends. Now they can’t stand each other. Too bad that’s not a good enough excuse to miss their two families’ annual trip to the cabin. But things get really complicated when they accidentally drive through a wormhole together on the way. Look what playing nice and carpooling gets you.

Now they’re stranded indoors by an epic storm and stuck in an alternate timeline where things are just slightly … off. Duncan and his dad aren’t speaking for reasons no one knows, Mona’s mom doesn’t like her hair or her career choices, and their siblings are meddlesome as ever.

Oh, yeah, and apparently they’re going through a divorce. Which means that in this universe they are married. To each other.

All they can really do is play along until they figure out how to get back to the real timeline. How hard can it be—they already hate each other, don’t they? But figuring out how exactly Mona and Duncan managed to fall epically in love with one another—and then break each other’s hearts—is easier said than done. Navigating all these big feelings is leading to new ones, but are they destined to hurt each other in any universe? And what happens to this new relationship when they’re back to their old lives?

YEAH, NO.

This was one of those short romances where I am convinced that there is no way the couple made it past the epilogue. You can not make me think otherwise.

The magical realism/sci-fi-ish element didn’t bug me. It’s a quirk to the story that was fine. I thought that helped both of the leads have some growth and acknowledgement of feelings. There were some banter moments that were cute.

But, the love scenes were super cringey and I honestly thought that Mona and Duncan hated each other. And not in the cute enemies to lovers way. Unfortunately not my favorite Bastone book.

Overall audience notes: