Review – P.S. It’s Always Been You Parts 1-3 by Lauren Blakely

Posted February 21, 2020 by Carole in 2020 Audiobook Challenge, 2020 New Release Challenge, Audiobook, Book Reviews / 11 Comments

PS. It’s Always Been You: Part 1 by Lauren Blakely
Narrated by Andi Arndt and Scott Eastwood
Publisher: Audible Original
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Date Read: February 3, 2020
Length:  2 hours 53 minutes
Source: Publisher
★★★★☆

Narrated by Scott Eastwood and Andi Arndt, this engaging second chance romance by New York Times best-selling author Lauren Blakely combines mystery, passion, and humor.

“Past loves should stay in the past.

After the way my first love took off for the ends of the earth, the last thing I want is to see him on billboards and bookstore bestseller shelves. Now my boss just handed me the project that could make my career. All I have to do is partner up with the man, the myth, the legend—adventurer Hunter Armstrong.

That’s easier said than done, because when we reconnect, I learn Hunter has his own agenda on this project. And it’s not to find a treasure in art and antiques. It’s me. But what we discover shocks both of us, and we have no choice but to follow the clues.”

P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 1 is the first installment in the P.S. It’s Always Been You serial novel. Presley and Hunter’s story continues in P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 2.

All installments are available for unlimited listening in Audible Escape!

Available now at Audible
My Review

This story got off to a great start!  This installment opens with Presley and Hunter ten years ago.  It was so nice to see them together and so obviously in love.  Unfortunately, opportunities pulled them apart and they have lived separate lives for the past decade.  Hunter is a famous adventure star while Presley has written a book with limited success and works for an auction house.

As soon as these two meet up again, it is obvious that the chemistry between them was alive and well.  I couldn’t wait to see what would happen between them.  I liked the characters quite a bit and thought that this first part of the story set things up really well.  Of course,  things started to get interesting as this chapter drew to an end.

I love Andi Arndt’s narration and she did a phenomenal job with this audiobook.  This is the first time that I have listened to Scott Eastwood’s work and I loved his voice.  There were times that I did wish he was a little more expressive in his reading though.  Overall, the narration was very well done.

Of course, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen in the second part of the story.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Audible Studios.

PS. It’s Always Been You: Part 2 by Lauren Blakely
Narrated by Andi Arndt, Saskia Maarleveld, Zachary Weber, and Scott Eastwood
Publisher: Audible Original
Publication Date: February 4, 2020
Date Read: February 7, 2020
Length:  2 hours 32 minutes
Source: Publisher
★★★★☆

Indulge yourself in the second installment of #1 best-selling author Lauren Blakely’s sexy, funny story of a rekindled love.

“I was pretty good at living without regrets until a way too close call during a skydive. Instead of my life flashing before my eyes, I saw one face, one regret that’s been gnawing at me ever since—Presley. And now I know I have to win her back at any cost.

Fate steps in when we discover hidden stories from the past. And they’re an opportunity I can’t pass up. The just might be the path back to the woman I let get away while we chase down a love story a hundred years in the making.”

P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 1 is the second installment in the P.S. It’s Always Been You serial novel and should be enjoyed following P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 1. Presley and Hunter’s story concludes in P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 3.

All installments are available for unlimited listening in Audible Escape!

Available now at Audible
My Review

This was really the guts of the story.  Everything was set up in the first installment and now the fun can really begin.  Presley and Hunter stumble upon a scavenger hunt and they feel compelled to follow the clues.  It was fun to see them work together to find each piece of the puzzle.  The scavenger hunt tells the story of the history of a couple in the past that had quite an exciting life.

Things heat up a little, or really a lot, in this installment.  It is so obvious that Hunter and Presley are falling hard for each other all over again.  This is if they ever really got each other out of their mind.  Their chemistry is intense and I really did like seeing them together.

Andi Arndt and Scott Eastwood continue to do a great job with this story.  I do still wish that Scott Eastwood showed a little more emotion in his reading but I do love his voice.  This installment adds two more narrators to the mix with Zachary Weber and Saskia Maarleveld who are giving voice to the letters in the story.

I couldn’t wait to see how things would wrap up!

I received a copy of this audiobook from Audible Studios.

PS. It’s Always Been You: Part 3 by Lauren Blakely
Narrated by Andi Arndt, Saskia Maarleveld, Zachary Weber, and Scott Eastwood
Publisher: Audible Original
Publication Date: February 11, 2020
Date Read: February 11, 2020
Length:  2 hours 34 minutes
Source: Publisher
★★★☆☆

Two lovers give romance one last shot in this final installment of Lauren Blakely’s torrid yet funny tale—narrated by Scott Eastwood and Andi Arndt.

“Hunter Armstrong sauntered back into my life unexpectedly, all lopsided grin, mischievous eyes and rugged determination. Not to mention a huge heart. He’s nearly impossible to resist, but that’s what I have to do as we follow the clues in a trail of love letters from a century ago.

But with every new twist in the story, this treasure hunter seems to set his sights more firmly on reclaiming my heart.

I desperately want to believe him, but the trouble is I don’t know if I’m simply getting swept up in the past, or if we can truly try again for a brand new present.”

P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 1 is the third installment in the P.S. It’s Always Been You serial novel and should be enjoyed following P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 1 and P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 3.

All installments are available for unlimited listening in Audible Escape!

Available now at Audible
My Review

The story lost a little steam for me in this installment.  I think part of the problem was that I listened to these installments as they were released so I had to wait a week after the second installment to get this one.  They are all available at this point so readers have the option of listening to each installment immediately after each other. 

This did wrap the story up nicely.  It was nice to learn the history of the couple who wrote the letters and to find out what was really going on with the hunt to find the letters.  Hunter and Presley are able to figure things out and I was satisfied with how everything ended.

I thought that all four narrators did a great job with this story.  I really like that four narrators were used for this story and I think that each voice really suited the characters that they represented.  I do think that I liked this story more because I was able to listen to the audio version.

I would recommend this series to anyone that enjoys contemporary romance.  I don’t feel like it was necessary to split the book up into three installments and actually feel like it was a mistake.   Overall, it was a satisfying romance.

I received a copy of this audiobook from Audible Studios.

About the Author

A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 95 times, and she’s sold more than 2.5 million books. In June she’ll release PART-TIME LOVER, a sexy new standalone romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter!

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter 

11 responses to “Review – P.S. It’s Always Been You Parts 1-3 by Lauren Blakely

  1. Audible sent me a widget for this one but I decided against it (can’t even remember why now). Now I’m kind of wishing I’d taken it because it does sound good… even if it did fall off there a bit at the end.

  2. Anonymous

    I love the sounds of this series!!! I definitely think it would be a good one for me!

  3. I have a bunch of Lauren Blakely stuff but I haven't read much of it yet. I LOVE Andi Arndt so I should listen to this while I have AE for another month. Fabulous review!

    Anne – Books of My Heart

  4. Well, it was sad to see the lowest rated part was the last. I am all about strong endings. I was impressed to see Eastwood and Arndt narrating. I am not familiar with the other two (though I may have heard them on something) Glad you enjoyed it overall.

  5. Bea

    That's disappointing that it lost steam at the end. I'm not sure I'd read this as I mostly avoid installment reading these days. I'm glad that it worked for you overall.

  6. Wow, you really flew through these. It sounds like the first one did a great job of setting everything up, and the second one was so good because the heat and thick of the story was there. And things go some emotions underway as well. Sorry that the ending lacked a bit of energy for you though :/