Showmancing the Bone

A Warmington Players Novella

By: Erin Mallon

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Wendy Finegan is a lifelong, self-professed theater nerd. When an unexpected opportunity arises to stage manage a truly awful show featuring a sexy soup maker she has secretly crushed on for years, how can she say no? But there are two rules Wendy absolutely must follow, or else the whole show could fall apart: 1. Never ever set foot onstage, and 2. Do not, under any circumstances, give in to a showmance with this sexy soup man. Rule number one certainly won’t be an issue, but rule number two? Rule number two is going to be a big problem.

©2022 Erin Mallon (P)2022 Oh Yes She Did Productions

Wendy & Duncan

I loved this book! It was so fun and wacky. Wendy and Duncan were such a cute couple! Wendy loves theater and decides to be a stage manager and reconnects with a man she used to know that she had a crush on. Now they are working on the same play together and Wendy needs to follow her number one rule which is not to have a romance during the show. But Duncan makes this super difficult.

I loved their story it was funny and wacky and heartfelt and such a great story! Loved it!

Erin as always is a pleasure to listen to! Her voice is so soothing and I will forever say she does the best male voices. Love everything she narrates!

Fun romantic comedy

I loved this cute, witty romantic comedy, that follows a theater geek, Wendie and a soup chef, Duncan. These characters are both single parents of older children and have found each other years after they originally met. There are plenty of laugh out loud moments including the fun names for the food dishes featured throughout this story. Erin Mallon not only wrote a fun story but she also narrates it and she does a wonderful job of bringing these cast of quirky characters to life.

Adorable!

I loved reading the short story in Smartasses, so I just had to get the audio. I adore Erin and her brilliant writing and narrating. This is a cute, sweet, and funny quick listen that is sure to brighten your day!

A delightfully witty listen

I just finished listening to this new novella written and narrated by Erin Mallon. It was short and sweet and just ridiculous enough to make a really sweet romcom. This story is about two empty-nesters (Wendy Finnegan and the sexy soup-man,) who both became parents very young. They each find themselves redefining themselves at the age of 36 and 41, really making an attempt at romance for the first time in their lives. Add in an absurd play about soup, a theater company full of wacky characters, and a performance in a Soup-Only restaurant called Slurping the Bone, and it is a recipe for a delightfully witty listen. As always, Erin Mallon delivers a entertaining performance as the novella’s narrator. I am finding that her audiobooks keep me coming back for more! I am voluntarily submitting this review after listening to an advanced complementary copy.

I always loved Erin's work

📚 I've read this book as a part of the Smartasses anthology rom-com, and now I had the absolute pleasure of also listening to the audiobook, and I HAD SO MUCH FUN!

💜 Loving Erin's narration isn't just "loving her narration"; it's admiring the hell out of it!
Because listening to her narrating all of those diverse characters was a delight!

❤️ Reading those characters wasn't the same as listening to Erin voicing each of them and giving the right edge and tone I imagined they had.
But one of my favorite things was listening to Erin narrating Laurel. It made me laugh so hard that I literally went back a few times just to hear her at the first rehearsal saying (singing) her lines!

This story was so funny and sweet and made me want to eat soup all day. I loved the colorful characters and the sweet love story (not just between Wendy and Duncan, AKA sexy soup man. And I loved that Erin thought of every little comic stuff as much as the big funny moments.

🤭 And after laughing with laurel and Maud and with every genius character in this story, Erin's narration in the last scene (of the Souper) gave me actual chills and teary eyes.
I mean, it's a really funny and fun romcom but something in that scene - and the way Erin delivered it - tugged at my heart. 💕

💜 I always loved Erin's work as an author and as a narrator, and I think with each book she's writing and performing her work, she's becoming one of my favorite authors and female narrators!

Love This Author/Narrator

If you know this author’s work, you know that you’re in for a good time. If this is your first book in the world of Erin Mallon, then you may be pleasantly surprised. She made me hungry; she made me laugh, and she made me want to find the restaurant that became the backdrop for our characters.

With the holiday season upon us, time starts to creep up on, but we still want to get in our reading. This is a story that will be over in a matter of a couple hours. You choose to listen so that you can read and get your work done at the same time. Maybe you want to get off your feet so you can get the written version of her story. Whichever version you have you’ll come away having had a great time.

The author wears many hats and juggles all her roles with ease. I always find it difficult, or near impossible, to not laugh out loud in her presence. She works with some great narrators but in this instance, she shines all on her own. You will notice my review is more about our author than the story itself. It’s easier to talk about an author/narrator you love than to talk about their book without giving anything away – no spoiler alerts here.

I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Punny

Once again Erin Mallon has written a love story to theatre. It's a fun-filled story chalked full of witty banter and laugh out loud puns; the soup names are so clever.

Erin's storytelling is fantastic and her joy is evident in her narration. I highly recommend listening for a pun time.

Super Cute Love Letter to the Theatre World

This is the love story for the "we've already raised kids" generation. Both the characters had their kids early in life so they're both on the young side of middle age. Life has brought them back together after a few years removed from a situational acquaintance with some heavy unrequited lusting (because they never really talked to each other).

Wendy, lover of theatre, is getting the opportunity to stage manage a dinner theatre production of a community theatre show staged in a restaurant that only serves soup (but does a darn good job of it).

Duncan (aka Sexy Soup Man) is the owner/chef specializing in soup, the leading man of the show and very attracted to Wendy.

But, showmances are for the actors, not for those behind the curtain... or are they?

The only thing I want to change... is I want more of this story and these characters. The sassy older playwrite and actress who bicker in such an amusing way, the young director bringing big show ideas to this out of the box production, the quirky restaurants! I loved this one so much that I want more of it.

This quickie audio is solo narrated by author Erin Mallon and it's so much fun. The various side characters, the quirky nature of their surroundings, the emotional range and growth for this empty nesting single mom... it's a delight. And the tender moments! gah... Duncan is swoony with his romantic gesture.

I requested and was generously provided with an advance copy of the audiobook. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Sweet, witty, and laugh out loud novella!!

Showmancing the Bone by Erin Mallon was a sweet, witty, and laugh-out-loud novella that definitely made soup sexy, and put a huge grin on my face! I had the opportunity to read this novella when it was first featured in the Smartasses Anthology. However, hearing Erin bring all these hilarious and clever characters to life was quite an entertaining listening experience for my ears!

Erin’s performance of Wendy, a thirty-six-year-old single mom looking to find a new start after her daughter goes off to college, is one crazy romp of a good time. Along with fantastic writing, Erin also showcases her talented narration skills by voicing sexy soup maker Duncan, along with several other humorous side characters that will have you chuckling throughout the entire audio. Maude and Laurel were both an absolute hoot! (Well done, Erin!)

Overall, I LOVED this novella in audio! If you are a fan of an amusing romcom with a hot soupy hero, a bold sassy stage director, dates in your pajamas, entertaining cereal “killer” menu items, hilarious banter, the theater, a super dramatic actress, late-night phone conversations, snack time, second chances, taking center stage, and a HEA that never tasted sweeter, then you will love Wendy and Duncan’s story. I always look forward to more from Erin Mallon!

super fun!

I had so much fun listening to this short and sweet novella by Erin Mallon. Lots of colorful characters, some awful theater, and a heroine that charmed my socks off. Wendy is unsure what her next step should be now that her daughter is off to school. An opportunity to stage manage a small production opens up doors she never knew she needed. Grab some soup and prepare for a fun ride.
As always Ms. Mallon gives an amazing performance in her narration. The comedic timing is flawless and all of the different character voices are amazing.