I Want It That Way

Carolina Classics, Book 3

By: Karen Grey

Narrated by: Alastair Haynesbridge, Amy McFadden

Fake relationship? As if.

I don't need a man to complete me, but to get my tubes tied before I turn 30, I do need a husband. So when former child TV star Lukas Keith's 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 '90s TV shows like Seinfeld and Ally McBeal have you jonesing for a time when email and cell phones were strange new things and an app was something you ate before dinner? Then this steamy, slow-burn fake-relationship entertainment-biz romantic comedy is just what the doctor ordered.

©2023 Karen Grey (P)2023 Home Cooked Books

Great story and narration

Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge gave a wonderful performance! They gave the t emotion, voice and personality to these characters. I love how narrators give the reader/listener a whole new experience with a book through audio. This is my new favorite Karen Grey book! Dany and Lukas are an amazing pair that take us on an adventure of big life decision, taking chances and ultimately an amazing love story. Dany is a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants. She’s on a journey to find a doctor to help her get what she needs. Lukas is embarking on a new adventure but some baggage is holding him back from being all that he wants to be. Dany and Lukas have known each other casually over the years but begin a deeper friendship, learn to trust one another with their life stories and realize how much they can help one another. What starts out as a casual agreement turns into an amazing love story filled with laughs, fears and a lot of patience.

Another captivating Carolina Classic

Heads up! Yes, you should read every single book Karen Grey has written or will ever write, but trust me on this: if you can get your hands – and ears – on an audio copy DO IT, DO IT NOW! These books are meant to be listened to. Always amazing narrators. Perfect pacing and tone. And the stories just sparkle when read to you. The humor, the corny sayings and quotes, the heat, the angst . . . listening is heaven.

Now on to the story, and what is there to say except that super-talented author Karen Grey has done it yet again: brought back all our favorites elements from her previous books and series, brought us up to speed on everybody we met and loved in the past, and then pointed her expert writerly laser focus on another member of the Carolina Classics gang? We met Violet, Sully, Ford, Whitney and Dani in 1991, when we were getting a delicious little peek at our favorite characters from Grey’s fabulous Boston Classics series. What a way to segue.

Book One in this Carolina Classics series, You Get What You Give, brought Violet and Nate hilariously and sweetly together. Book Two, Hold On To Me, saw Sully, recovering from a serious accident, surprisingly and perfectly paired with Helen. Whitney, tired of years of competition between Sully and Ford for her affections abruptly married someone more suited to her parents’ liking and faded into the background. Ford and Sully patched things up, so the gang is still mostly intact, just expanded a little.

Which brings us to this book, I Want It That Way, the third in the series. Dani’s turn to be in the spotlight. It’s the late 1990s and Wallington, North Carolina is still going strong as the Hollywood of the East Coast, and everybody is more or less involved in some aspect of movie and TV production. Dani still bartends, but now also drives for the actors, executives and crews working on the movies and TV shows being filmed locally. If anybody hasn’t changed over the years, it’s Dani. She’s not against (very, very short) relationships and men, but isn’t looking for anything long-term, marriage is a maybe-someday-but-not-on-my-current-to-do-list thing, and she is adamant that she does not want, and will never want, to bear children. Growing up saddled with much of the responsibility for her siblings by a mother who liked having babies but raising them not so much, and surrounded by extended family always with a hand held out for her time or money has convinced her that motherhood is not for her and never will be.

All Dani wants is a tubal ligation. Now. Not when she’s thirty, not when she’s married, not when she’s had time to “think it through.” No, not then. Now. But no doctor will agree to do it. So what’s the problem? Well, there are several problems: It’s the 90s, it’s North Carolina, it’s the culture, it’s just one giant roadblock after another. Come back when you’re 30 and maybe we’ll think about it. Come back when you’re married and you can prove to us you have your husband’s permission. Come back – wait, what’s wrong with you? What woman doesn’t want children? When (not if) you change your mind you won’t be able to reverse it. Dani is a clever, independent, self-supporting single woman but obviously she’s not “normal” if she doesn’t want to be a mother.

Enter Lukas Keith. Child star-turned-TV producer. Dani has driven him before. Not rude, but not a talker. Adorable as a child; more than adorable as a man, steamy thoughts whenever he floats into her mind (hey, she just doesn’t want a serious relationship – she’s not dead!). And when he gives her that thank you gift of sticky notes: well, wow, whoa. If Dani had a dream man Lukas would be it. And now he’s b-a-a-a-c-k. And of course there’s a lot more under the surface than she thought. So through a series of hilarious, sometimes sweet, sometimes sexy encounters while she’s driving him they come up with the perfect fair exchange: she’ll teach him to drive, he'll be her fake husband so she can finally get a doctor to perform the surgery. What could possibly go wrong with such a sound scheme? Well, it’s Karen Grey, it’s a Carolina Classic, and it's an outrageous premise, so I guess we’ll have to read on and see.

I Want It That Way is an amazing story. Author Grey takes a difficult, controversial topic and tackles it head on. Thoughtful. No flinching. Dani is a woman who knows her mind and Grey makes your mind step back and think about this. Amidst the always well-written, well-plotted humor, heat, romance and difficulties to be dealt with by well-formed, likeable, loveable characters, Grey inserts a very serious subject and deals with it very seriously. Excellent job with a little cliffhanger to make you eager for the next book. Narrators Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge make Dani and Lukas real. I was sent a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this honest review; all opinions are my own. I recommend it and the other Carolina Classics and the Boston Classics without hesitation. Note: A bonus epilogue is available from the author’s website and is a fun little addition to Dani & Lukas’ story.

Carolina Classics, Book Three

Carolina Classics, Book Three

Danielle Goodwin is sure about one thing in her life and that is that she does not want children. However, not a single doctor will allow her to have the surgery necessary to ensure this outcome. In steps Lukas Keith, former Hollywood star and her client. Luke is struggling with his own past and when Dani offers a trade, he is up for the challenge. They agree that if Luke goes with Dani to her doctor's appointments as her husband, she will teach him how to drive.

If you're looking for a nostalgic romance about two people struggling with everyday issues, this is the book for you!

Audio Review:
Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge work very well together. I was never pulled out of the story even when the narrators switched. Amy gave a slight southern accent appropriate for the Carolinas, but it wasn't overpowering.

Another favorite in this series!

I Want It That Way is book #3 in the Carolina Classics series. I'm completely in love with all of the author's retro stories and this one doesn't disappoint. Dani is a driver (among other jobs) for her childhood celebrity crush (Luke). When the two need each other to get their end goals, a fake relationship seems the best way to go. But things start getting too cozy and lines get blurry. I loved this story. The author is always able to address social issues so smoothly into her stories keeping her women independent while still reaching that HEA!

The narration was just phenomenal! Alistair Haynesbridge was brilliant and gave us a vulnerable, yet sexy Luke. Amy McFadden did an amazing job as Dani! 5 shining stars for this duo!

I love Dani & Lukas!

I Want It That Way is book 3 in Karen Grey’s Carolina Classics series. I was enamored with Dani and Luke’s story from page one. So you can imagine my excitement over getting to enjoy this touching love story again in audiobook format.

Amy McFadden is a favorite of mine. She was wonderfully suited to portray Dani’s strong-willed, bighearted, and sometimes snarky character. Her tenacity and sass made her one of my favorite Karen Grey heroines to date; Amy brought her to life perfectly! Alastair Haynesbridge was a new-to-me narrator and I’m excited to listen to more of his work. His performance was incredible as he embodied Lukas’ affable, damaged, and charismatic personality. Amy and Alastair were a terrific narration duo; they brought Karen’s workplace, marriage of convenience, retro romcom off the page with well-matched storytelling, lovely pacing, and marvelous characterization.

Carolina Classic #3 may be my favorite…

“How about we practice acceptance, empathy, and love instead?”

This third installment of Grey’s Carolina Classic series might just be my favorite so far. The handling of the tropes and themes pulled me in from the start and I continuously felt like shouting AMEN as the story played out. I love that Grey doesn’t treat women or womanhood as a monolith; we don’t all have the same needs, wants, desires, or experiences. To have that play out in conjunction with the theme of choice was just *chef’s kiss*.

As usual, Grey makes realistic struggles part of her characters’ lives, taking mental and bodily health seriously, while also still providing the moments of humor and romance that a well-written rom-com should. And the overarching core of the Carolina friend group is still here and never feels forced for the sake of maintaing a series thread, but serves Dani’s particular story.

The theme of choice is skillfully developed throughout - being able to choose for yourself, whether in matters of career (for our H) or in matters of body (for our h). What makes this book so refreshingly different is that both MCs are already sure of their choices, they know what they want and the conflict is not about them questioning or second-guessing themselves; rather, the friction is more that there are others around them pushing, thinking they know better what Dani and Luke need. I love that both characters know that those voices are bs; and keep to their guns despite the opposition. We don’t all have to make the same choices to live a fulfilling life, and the world would be a better place if more people practiced that kind of empathy.

Having a partner who respects your choices and accepts you as capable of knowing your own mind is the romance we all deserve. Someone who understands the true gift of not only being heard, but being heeded. In a conversation with his mother Luke asks, “Can you please try and hear me?” And I think both he and Dani have been looking for that and ultimately find it in each other. Following along on their journey makes for a great read.

My only complaints here are minimal. First, the book could have used another pass by the copy editor, as there are minor but frustrating grammar errors present throughout. And second, as with my feelings regarding Hold on to Me, the explanation of some of the on-the-job stuff for Luke was similarly clunky. Especially with first person p.o.v, it just seems really odd when a character explains their own job in their head. Still, these are minor quibbles and the execution of the themes (choice, autonomy) and tropes (marriage of convenience, sex bargain) with two enjoyable MCs taking the lead make this well worth reading. Can’t wait for the audio version!

May 2023: I received an advance reader copy via the author. All opinions are my own.

Audiobook Addendum

This was another well-cast audiobook on Grey’s part, with solid performances from Amy McFadden and Alastair Haynesbridge. McFadden is a narrator who can be hit or miss for m, however her work here was enjoyable - effective character differentiations and she added to my admiration for Dani as a character. I enjoyed Haynesbridge’s performance slightly more than McFadden’s. It’s been a while since I’ve encountered one of his performances (I think my last was ‘Fake Fiancé by Ilsa Madden-Mills), but his skill has remained consistent, and that skill adds to the pile of positives that makes this audio a great listen. (As does the bonus epilogue from Luke’s pov - pure joy!)

Overall, I definitely recommend this one. Grey continues to audio production A-game to the Carolina Classics series.

August 2023: I received an ALC copy of the audiobook via Home Cooked Books. All opinions are my own.

Love the premise and performance

This is my first Karen Grey story so I obviously didn’t read the previous books in this series. That didn’t make any sort of impact on my listening experience. This is true standalone and still enjoyable by itself without having that feeling of regret I sometimes have reading an interconnected series out of order. This story, for me, was an important one and the author did a good job in capturing real struggles women face with body autonomy and life decisions. The subject matter was handled so well and I appreciate the steadfastness of these characters when faced with the push back from everyone around them.

Dani has to be one of the most fiercely independent FMCs ever and the fact that this book is set on the 90’s ratchets up my respect for her character. Amy McFadden’s performance was great. I will admit it took a couple chapters for me to fully commit to the accent but once I did I loved it. Lukas is also a wonderful MMC and Alastair Haynesbridge is my dark horse as far as male narrators go. I’m always pleased when I see his name attached to a book and have never had a single complaint when listen to him.

One of my favorites in this series!

Loving this one! One of my favorites from this author! She does a great job of making this fun, cute and builds wonderful characters. The flow is good and it easily kept me engaged with the different personalities. I loved the female MC’s job and attitude. She has a tough task that she is trying to accomplish. Makes me wonder if it was that tough to acquire back then. The connection between these two was felt coming off the pages. I loved all the different ideas that Mr Keith came up with to assist her.

I listened to this on audio. Amy McFadden and Alistair Haynesbridge are the two narrators. They both did a wonderful job portraying these characters. I enjoyed listening to them and look forward to more from them and in this series

Great retro romance with lots of heart

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.

Fun, sweet and zigazig-ahmazing

After finishing this story, I want to load up the 5 CD changer and take a road trip to the beach. “I Want It That Way” is a fun, sweet and a zigazig-ahmazing 90’s retro story that brings all the feels in the best possible ways.

Dani is an independent contractor who works on the set of Lawson’s Creek doing a little of everything and that includes being a driver to former child star, Lukas Keith. Luke is in town working with the show as a producer and asks Dani for a favor. But in return, Dani has her own favor. Fake marry her so she can get her tubes tied.

I loved the connection and genuine friendship Dani and Luke had. It felt so real and I loved how their relationship grew. Dani is so great and my favorite things about her was her independence and determination. Dani one hundred percent knew she wanted her tubes tied and was determined to make it happen. But thanks to the backwards thinking that still around today, doctors wanted her to be married or thirty. Luke is so sweet and such a good guy that you can’t help falling for him along with Dani. These two are so relatable in the individual struggles they have and the struggles they have as a fake couple. I felt like I was reading about a real life couple who I could easily be friends with.

Alastair Haynesbridge and Amy McFadden were great as Luke and Dani. Both brought so much to their narration and I was captivated listening to them bring this 90s throwback story to life.