Penelope Ward Follow

Audio review from May 2020

This story was bittersweet but ended on a high note.

This story was a little slow to start, was a little hard to get into for me. I did enjoy the last three hours totally.

This is narrated by Shane East and Andi Ardnt.

I love their voices ❤️

Audio review from September 2020

This story is super cute! I had so much fun listening to their journey to love!


Sebastian York has a great voice and really fit Mateo perfectly!

Andi Ardnt is great also. She embodies every character she plays.

NOT PRETENDING ANYMORE by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, romance story line focusing on twenty-eight year old, advertising executive Declan Tate, and obstetrics nurse Molly Corrigan.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Molly and Declan) NOT PRETENDING ANYMORE follows the building romance and relationship between twenty-eight year old, advertising executive Declan Tate, and obstetrics nurse Molly Corrigan. Molly Corrigan needed a roommate and having rejected all prior applicants Molly knew that Declan Tate was both the right and wrong choice. Both were apparently attracted to other people but Declan’s suggestion to make their potential significant others jealous meant getting up close and personal with one another but as their relationships begin to take shape, their hearts want something or someone else. What ensues is the building relationship between Declan and Molly, as both reconsider the who and what of their current choices, and Declan’s time in Chicago comes to a close.

Declan Tate is only in Chicago for a six month assignment but his assignment finds him working with the woman that supposedly calls to his heart. Meeting Molly Corrigan gave Declan Tate thoughts for something different but Declan had a secret that threatened all future relationships including the one with the woman with whom he was falling in love. Molly Corrigan thought she knew what she wanted, and her current obsession was the hot obstetrics doctor where she worked but living with Declan Tate meant Molly was rethinking her future, a future that may or may not include our story line hero.

The relationship between Molly and Declan begins as roommates that quickly turns into something more but for an intents and purposes NOT PRETENDING ANYMORE is a story of two love triangles, love triangles where most if not everyone is going to get hurt. The slow building, sexual attraction is palpable; the lone $ex scene is passionate.

We are introduced to Molly’s love interest Dr. Will Daniels, her co-workers Emma and Daisy, and her father Dr. Robert Corrigan, and his wife Kayla; Declan’s co-worker Julia, as well as his sister-Sister Catherine; and bartender Belinda.

NOT PRETENDING ANYMORE is a story of attraction, relationships, obsession and love; a story of family, friendships, decisions, and acceptance. The premise is captivating with great back and forth flirting and camaraderie between our leading couple; the romance is wonderful yet frustrating knowing neither one was willing to admit their attraction to one another; the characters are charismatic and fun.

Molly and Declan's story is a slow burn of roommates to lovers romance, it was a sweet, fun, light, and entertaining book. I always love the banter this author duo have on their stories. The trope plotline is a bit overdone, but they inserted some interesting elements into the story that makes it worth reading, the anxiety, and depression elements are part of real life and I really like how it was part of this story and characters. I think the audiobook will be fantastic when they have it available, they do know how to pick the narrators.