Under the Stars

Cottonwood Cove Series, Book 2

By: Laura Pavlov

Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Tor Thom

My new assistant is all smiles and sunshine—and she’s about to set fire to my cold, grumpy heart.

I've moved to this god-forsaken small town to run the family business. I need to hire a new PA, and the pickings are slim. Some say my irrational expectations are the reason I've gone through assistants quicker than most people refill their coffee. Incompetence is my pet peeve. If that makes me irrational, so be it.

Then, Georgia Reynolds walks into my office. Blonde hair. Sapphire eyes. And a smart mouth that irritates me as much as it turns me on.

On top of being a rock star at her job, she is a ray of freaking sunshine on steroids. I have no patience for it. Nor for the way she flutters around the office like a modern-day Tinkerbell.

She has ridiculous taste in music. Drives an unreasonable form of transportation. And did I mention that I caught her dancing in my closet when I sent her on a simple errand?

My new assistant has somehow become my kryptonite. But I am her boss, and I am not going to be a pathetic cliché. It doesn’t matter that my cold, jaded heart has started beating again. In my world, a beating heart makes you weak. And I do not tolerate weaknesses.

©2023 Laura Pavlov (P)2023 Laura Pavlov

fun listen

i really liked this one. georgia is fun and i like their relationship and dynamic.

Dirty talking grumpy sunshine

🎧 Audiobook Review🎧

Under the Stars by Laura Pavlov is the second book in the Cottonwood Cove Series.

Narrated by Andi Arndt and Tor Thom

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

Dual POV
Office romance
Small town
Grumpy/sunshine

I fell in love with this book and the the whole Reynolds family. Andi and Tor brought both Georgia and Maddox to life they filled the grumpy sunshine so well. From the growly possessive bossman to the caring compassionate positive tink.

I enjoyed the characters growth and working through past traumas. I didn’t expect the emotional impact that would hit but Laura made me fall for them both! They had explosive chemistry, banter, dirty talk, and spice, this is a book you will not put down and I highly recommend!

“I’m always looking at you. Even with all the stars out at night, I don’t want to look anywhere else. Because I have everything I need. Everything I want. It’s right in front of me.”

I was provided an audio copy of Under the Stars and this is my honest review.

Waiting for the shoe to drop ….

Maddox and Georgia (her brother is Hugh in the last book
Not a huge fan of the male narrator 😬
But the story is cute
Some lol moments, love this girls honesty and how open her family is
Spice isn’t major 🤷🏼‍♀️ (mild spice like dirty talking

Almost waiting for the shoe to drop and something to happen

I love how he took charge of what he wanted and made it happen so they could date and he told her he loved her first

Accident on the ice:
He saved her life was there for her every min and then when she woke from her coma he was gone. He was scared to care that much and possibly loose someone.
He came back to her and it was a HEA but I was disappointed on how fast the coma and her waking up and all that happen. It was quick.

Great story and narration!!!

This is the ultimate grumpy sunshine workplace romance. Georgia is such a ray of sunshine, even taking the theft of her car with a semi-smile. In an attempt to make enough money to rectify her car and living situation (can’t stay with brother forever) she’s off to interview as a personal assistant. Maddox is the ultra broody CEO of a publishing company and is seemingly mad at the world after a childhood trauma changed his outlook on family and life in general. These two are made for each other and it’s clear from the start. The banter between the two is super entertaining, especially as I listened to this on audio. The dual narration is great and I can honestly say, my heart skipped a beat every time Tor Thom popped in my ear introducing his chapter. Andi Arndt is one of my all-time favorite female narrators and she was on point here. This book was so good and I loved the angsty feel. They’re just the right touch of drama at the end, just when it felt like things were wrapping up, which was a pleasant surprise and added lots of depth to the story and their relationship.

Loooooove

4.5 swoooony stars! I finished this one so fast and loved it so much!! I knew I was in as soon as I saw the tropes for this one!

Loved

The audio version is so good. They captured all the right emotions in this. Ugh had me crying while listening to it.

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it.
I felt so much for Maddox, no one should have had to go through what he went through. I’m glad he finally started therapy and started to open up about his trauma. I love how his jealousy came out when he wanted to keep it casual. I can’t wait for book three

Grumpy Boss + Sunshine Assistant Romance 💋

Maddox comes across as your stereotypical, sexy as sin, billionaire who is a grouchy workaholic and never lets anyone in . Maddox is in need of a new assistant who has the skills to keep up with him + the quick-wittedness to not quit after a week . Desperate for a new assistant after the last interviewee showed up stoned, Georgia is just the person to take on this job + succeed .

Georgia Reynolds is a walking ray of sunshine + real life Disney princess all wrapped up into one perfect quirky bow . Desperate for a new job and a fresh start after breaking up with her boyfriend for cheating on her with her best friend/roommate + stealing her car and holding it for ransom until she takes him back, Georgia will accept any job to get her back on her feet and not let her family know of the humiliation that is her love life .

Maddox + Georgia are so explosive with their chemistry that I couldn’t put this book down ! From their very first meeting the sparks between them were burning hot but neither of them wanted to jump on the feelings because of the boss/employee relationship + both not knowing what exactly it is they wanted . Finally when the desire is to strong for either of them to ignore anymore they start the game of sneaking around and it is HOT HOT HOT !

Maddox has a very dirty mouth + absolutely loved it . Georgia was a breath of fresh air to read because she never changed anything about herself to make Maddox fall in love with her - she stayed true to herself + that made me an immediate fan . I too have a love for 70’s music + I have never been one to turn down a dance party !

This is the second book in the Cottonwood Cove Series but it can be read as a stand-alone . This series is so so so good that I can not wait to read what happens next with sassy Brinkley + the rest of the Cottonwood Cove crew . I am completely hooked !

This book was given to me for honest review by Valentine PR + Literary Management .

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Boys got it bad. I loved their relationship. Their banter. It was almost a little too insta lovey for me. But all other pacing was great! And I loved Maddox’s character development. Very well done.

A wholesome romance with lots of heart!

Listen, there are a few tropes, that when mentioned in a review/blurb, will INSTANTLY hook me.

And it just so happens that Under the Stars by @laurapavlov has quite a few!
⭐️ Small town
⭐️ A bit of an age gap
⭐️ Grumpy/Sunshine

We also get billionaire and work place romance, too!!

It turns out that Georgia, the youngest of the Reynolds family in Cottonwood cove, is in need of a job now that she has graduated from college and has broken up with her thief of a boyfriend. It’s a good thing that grumpy billionaire publishing CEO Maddox Lancaster is in need of an assistant. Absolute cuteness, sass, and banter ensues!

Here’s what I loved:
✨ The sibling bond between all of the Reynolds is MY FAVORITE! I love how they’re always in each others’ business and their group chat convos are GOLD.
🧚 I love a “let’s just keep this a fling” delusional couple!! There’s just something about watching them accidentally fall in love that pulls me into all my feels!
✨ The ratio of grump (Maddox) to sunshine (Georgia) is perfection! And the nicknames they have for each other?! THE CUTEST.
🧚 Momma Reynolds shines in this book! You can really see how she’s the glue that keeps her family laughing, hoping, and loving!

I’ve listened to books one and two of this series so far and let me tell you, the narrators selected to embody the characters are cast perfectly! In this book we get dual narration from Andover Arndt and Tor Thom (holy deep voice!). I loved listening to both POVs! And I really appreciate the level of emotion both narrators evoked!

If you’re looking for a wholesome romance filled with heart and just a bit of angst, give Under the Stars a listen!

The First One That Really Worked!

Under the Stars is a true grumpy/sunshine story, and I loved it! It’s also the first Laura Pavlov book that worked well for me! The heroine was a bit much, but the story and the romance was really good. I loved the world, the characters, and even the third act conflict made a lot of sense.