I Want It That Way cover art

I Want It That Way

Carolina Classics, Book 3

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I Want It That Way

By: Karen Grey
Narrated by: Alastair Haynesbridge, Amy McFadden
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About this listen

Fake relationship? As if.

I don’t need a man to complete me, but to get my tubes tied before I turn thirty, I do need a husband.

When former child TV star turned producing director Lukas Keith comes to me desperate for a favor, the exchange of my services for his seems like a great idea.

I help him relearn how to drive a car, and he acts as my fiancé for a few doctor’s visits.

What could go wrong?

Bingeing 90’s TV shows like Seinfeld and Friends have you jonesing for a time when email and cell phones were strange new things, and an app was something you ate before the first course? Then this slow burn, fake relationship, entertainment biz romantic comedy is just what the doctor ordered. Perfect for fans of Meghan Quinn and Lucy Score seeking all the feels in a sweet and sexy romance.

©2023 Karen Grey (P)2025 Home Cooked Books Contemporary Romantic Comedy Romance
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Listener received this title free

There is something about Karen Grey's writing when it comes to the Carolina Classics. I raised my kids in the 90's and it's a nostalgic feel as I go back in time with these books! This fake relationship, childhood star crush had me from the very start. As a childhood star, Luke was on the cover of all the teenage magazines. Between his curly locks and catch phrase he was the one to love. But now, he has come to Wallington to produce the television series, Lawson's Reach. It is in need of a fresh view and he is hoping to bring it. Dani was his driver, and he has a fondness when it comes to her. When she is in need of actor to help her with a problem, he is right there willing to do it! But things never go as planned, and the two end up deeper into the problem than either anticipated. But feelings come into play. Will the two find their way together? Will Dani keep her independent streak and let her childhood crush go? Will Luke give up on his feelings? This is a fun, slow burn story packed with emotions and relevant issues. I fell for these two as they navigate through life. It's messy and scary and wonderful, and Grey pulls it all out with a plethora of emotions. I loved it and as always look forward to hearing more from her.

Grey's pick of Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge could not have been more spot on! I think she heard their voices as she was writing this one. McFadden is that independent, stubborn yet vulnerable under it all woman. Each breath has the right feel and I could totally relate to Dani as she created her. Haynesbridge has a smooth sound, a bit insecure as Luke navigates his new profession. I love how he works through his problems and gives Luke the confidence he gains as time goes on. This team is perfectly cast and a pleasure to listen to.

This series does it for me!

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Listener received this title free

I liked that it was a fake relationship/celebrity/90s style book. I thought I would just start with a couple chapters, but I ended up using the rain outside to justify reading the entire book in one day (it's raining, so why not?). I had previously read the other books in the series and I like the additional character development that happens over the course of a series vs. meeting characters in just one book. I'm already looking forward to Whit's story. I've read all of the Carolina Classics books, and while I Want It That Way could be read as a stand alone, it's part of a series of interconnected characters that appear in each of the stories.

Update - I listened to the audiobook narrated by Amy McFadden and new-to-me Alastair Haynesbridge. The narrators did a fantastic job. They added another dimension to the story to make it feel new again even though I had previously read the book.

I received a copy of the book at my request, and the opinions here are my own.

Stand alone with interconnected characters, great narration

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Listener received this title free

Book 3 standalone. I have not listened to any other books in this series and I still enjoyed this one. I didn’t want to stop listening. Fake relationships and understandable fears are the situations in this book. I liked all the characters, everyone seems down to earth. The narration was great. I definitely want to listen to the other books in this series.

Book 3 standalone

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Listener received this title free

This is the third book in the Carolina Classic series. I love this series! Luke and Dani's fake relationship is beautifully written, sweet, and engaging. I liked the humor in the story. I loved to follow them in their slow burn journey to love. Looking forward to listening to the next book in the series. Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge did an outstanding job bringing this story to life. I enjoyed it. I highly recommend this series.

I love this series!

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Listener received this title free

Karen Grey gave Dani and Lukas a great romance!

I Want It That Way is a book about missed connections, growing and overcoming loss and grief, and getting what you want when everyone else is trying to convince you that you don't know your own mind. It's packaged as a retro-90's romance, but it's really so much more than a trope and a genre.

This is a truly emotional and heart-tugging marriage of convenience romance. Dani knows what she wants and what she doesn't want, and she has to fight the patriarchy and to get it. Lukas has his own trauma that he needs to work through. They were a missed connecting years ago, but now they can reconnect and help each other.

I loved how organic their relationship felt as it played out through the book. We really got to experience Dani and Lukas grown to care for each other, confide in each other, trust each other, and ultimately love each other.

The narration, by Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge, was a perfect pairing. Amy truly captured Dani's heart and spirit and made you want to root for her. Alastair really made you feel Lukas' vulnerability and caring and deep sense of loyalty. They made this slow-burn romance truly fly by, and they did Karen Grey's wonderful material justice.

Karen Grey gave Dani and Lucas a great romance!

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Listener received this title free

This book was humorous, but also thought-provoking with its subject matter. The author deals with the subject matter of a woman's right to have control over her own body, and to be able to make the decision of sterilisation against the backdrop of an entertaining romance novel about fake-dating.

Unique take on the marriage-of-convenience trope!

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Listener received this title free

This fabulous series keeps giving and giving, and I couldn’t be happier. This time, the main trope is fake marriage, but neither the circumstances surrounding the arrangement, nor the actual terms of the arrangement, are common. Trust this author to keep you on your toes.

Dani has a huge and highly demanding family, so she decided some time ago not to have kids of her own. When the fear of getting pregnant keeps her from having a healthy sexual life, she chooses to get the most effective type of birth control: sterilization. But she’s young and isn’t in a steady relationship–and most doctors she sees have a backward-looking mindset. And that’s when the fake marriage comes in handy. But who’s the lucky groom?

Lukas was in Wallington two years before when he was still an actor. Since then, the former child star has quit his acting job for a behind the scenes role. He has good memories of Dani’s work as his driver, so he requests her once more. But he needs to get back into driving a car, and who’s more perfect than a professional driver? Maybe they can strike a deal. A very secret deal.

See? Unusual arrangement: driving lessons for a fake marriage until Dany can get the surgery she wants. The unusual terms come later, when their attraction for each other lead to some very special exposure therapy.

I loved everything about the premise. With the chemistry between Dani and Luke, I was guaranteed some sexy shenanigans and funny situations, and I got them. Personal fave: I loved how they discover things in the bedroom together, and how that makes Luke reflect on his past experiences with lucidity and humility.

Actually, Luke was cast in the same mold as the author’s other male characters–a mold I hope she never breaks. Nothing alpha about him, he’s confident and vulnerable and nice but not naive. He makes mistakes, but he has a good heart, though he sometimes thinks with the wrong head. He’s… just a man. And that makes him super sexy in my opinion. Dani is also a stronger female characters than most. She has flaws, but she knows what she wants.

The author makes a bold move by introducing tubal ligation in her story, and to make it clear that love won’t change the very personal decision Dani made. And I admire her for it. Happily ever afters with a bunch of kids are nice, but I enjoy something different once in a while.

Aaaaand she did it again. The author casts the most perfect narrators for her characters every time. The female narrator expresses Dani's strength of character pretty well, and knows when to show her insecurities too. The male narrator's voice was very pleasant, and he did great with Luke's somewhat naivety. The narration really enhanced the story, well done.

This fabulous series keeps giving and giving

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Listener received this title free


Dani and Luke’s story is emotional, unconventional and with a touch of fun. It’s a story of discovery and re-discovery that touches tricky subjects and welcomes mentality changes, specially for the time.

Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge narrate these two incredible characters, nailing their many personality traits.

Luke & Dani

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