Coddiwomple

By: S.E. Harmon

Narrated by: Nick Hudson

Length: 10 hrs

Publisher's summary

As a wildlife photographer, Journey "JJ" Sutton never stays in one place too long. The world is his classroom, and he’s living his dream. His only regret is that he had to sacrifice the love of his life to do it. But as the saying goes, you can never go home again. That’s until there’s a family emergency, and he has to…well, go home again. His easy breezy lifestyle gets complicated fast. It certainly doesn’t help that his ex-fiancé has bought the house next door.

After an unstable childhood, Cameron Foster loves small-town life. He has everything he needs in his vet practice, his friends, and his animals. Despite what numerous exes seem to think, he’s not still in love with Journey. And so what if they add “benefits” to their friendship? As long as he keeps his heart out of the equation, everything should be fine.

Too bad Journey's not onboard with that plan. With summer ending, he has to convince Cameron that this is more than just a fling. This time around, he knows what he wants. He wants a second chance. He wants forever. Most of all, he wants Cameron’s heart.

Journey may have put away his passport, but things are just getting interesting.

©2021 S.E. Harmon (P)2021 S.E. Harmon

A delightful second chance

This was a sweet book with a realistic and interesting second chance romance. It was easy to get invested in these characters and their happiness. The book is full of humor and heart!

I really didn’t like the narrator, who had a weird inflection that took me out of the story several times. Thankfully, it wasn’t so bad that I needed to stop.

The foreword is not in the audiobook, but I did see this in the ebook - the author found the word “coddiwomple” on a list of odd words and was so captivated by it that they knew they wanted to write with it. I’m so tickled by that origin story!

Great story

I loved the book!! The audio wasn’t that great. The narrator really didn’t do the sarcasm well. So many good sarcastic moments in this book which totally got lost in translation. Not that the narrator is bad just not great for this book, IMO. I would highly recommended reading before listening.

Wonderful second chance romance

I was intrigued first by the title, then the fact that one MC was a wildlife photographer and the other a vet. Sounded like a perfect mix if they could ever get together. What made this book as a superb listen for me was the fact that the characters acted like real, adult men. They had been together when they were too young to make it work - each pursuing their dreams that led in different directions. Now, when Journey has to come home to the small town where Cameron has his practice, they reconnect and are older and wiser. They talk things out and show the maturity they've gained over the years and this time you are sure they will make it work. Nick Hudson's performance here is wonderful. He keeps these two totally grounded in reality and hits all the emotional notes perfectly, never going over the top.

Fantastic listen.

When I read this book for the first time, three years ago, it was my first S.E. Harmon book. I always had a fond memory of it, as second chances are very much my weakness. So when I had the opportunity for a re-read listening to the audio, I obviously jumped on it. Well, I did not remember this book being such a tear-jerker, or I guess I am just in a different mind frame, or maybe it was the audio that affected me so much? I don't know, but the book absolutely deserves the five stars I originally gave it. It's poignant, beautifully written and so moving!
Coddiwomple is a lovely second chances story. It’s very sweet but with a biting banter between Cam and Journey, hot as hell chemistry, and two men clearly made for each other, who take a roundabout way to find their place together again.
It’s also a story about healing past hurts, and, in a way, growing up (though Journey and Cameron are both almost 40).
There’s a bit of a dysfunctional family, a gossiping small town and some adorable pets.
Nick Hudson’s performance was great.

Wanderlust in small town

This had no right to be so good. The writing as always with this author was amazing. Funny in a conversation/thought pattern kind of way (which is addictive), and emotional at the right times. And just the right amount of angst to keep you going!

-second chance
-wanderlust
-animals
-angst
-small town vibes

Great couple, fun story!

I absolutely loved this book, as much as I have loved other books from this author. Great small-town meddling, gossiping, and all the banter, it was so funny!

JJ & Cam were both adorable, each in their own individual way, but both amazing people who had big hearts. I loved how they combined their differences and made their relationship work. And the chemistry was incredible!

*audio review* - 4 stars
The narrator was good, his voice is beautiful and he speaks clearly, but the voices were sometimes very similar and hard to differentiate from one MC to the other. There was also a particular accent and some pauses in the middle of the sentences, but that might be because he wanted the characters to sound like Florida natives, though I don't know how they sound in real life.

A well-done second chance romance!

An absolute gem of a second chance romance in a small town setting that's low-angst and dual POV, has S.E. Harmon's trademark witty banter, and includes many furry friends. I loved Journey (JJ) and Cameron (Cam, Foss, Fossie—what cute nicknames!) as individual characters as well as a couple, and the side characters were all a bunch of fun! Cameron in particular felt almost eerily relatable to me in his thoughts and actions (great minds think alike lol). This story hooked me from the start just like P.S. I Spook You.

I appreciate second chance romances where the MCs don't immediately fall into bed together and instead take the time to get to know each other again first, filling in the gaps of knowledge given their time apart. This was executed so well here, with each shift in their relationship coming about organically. Yes, The Big Misunderstanding could've been shorter, but the resolution has that lovely Cam-spin to it that ties back nicely with the progression of their relationship.

But while of course this story's an account of their "journey" back to each other once Journey's back in town after he'd left to pursue his dreams, it's also about family, grief/healing, and making amends. We gradually learn about Journey's history through artfully placed flashbacks, and the glimpses into how he, as the oldest sibling, was forced to grow up overnight after his mother’s passing to keep his family from falling apart hit me right in the heart.

I would've liked some family heart-to-hearts with the brothers (considering we only got a peek at brotherly relations on the slow mend through Cameron's POV) or some more concrete examples of them picking up the slack versus making Journey do everything. Give them a chance at redemption on page to quell my irritation! Captured how often we tend to take family for granted though.

All in all, I HIGHLY recommend that everyone check this one out! And sending all the cuddles to the best dog-wolf Kona!! <3

Such a beautiful story!

This book is so beautiful and could easily become a comfort read for me. I love a book full of feels and smut but sometimes, I really do want a character driven story that still gives all the feels and this book gives you that. I loved seeing Journey and Cam find their way back to each other over the course of the summer. I also enjoy a book about characters that are close in age to myself and seeing two people find love in their late 30s (and being honest about what that is like) was amazing to see. This is a new narrator for me but I really enjoyed them and will look for their work in the future.

A Heartwarming Second Chance❣Great Story & Listen!

This fabulous second chance romance not only captivated my attention the entire time, but it tugged at my heartstrings, too. S.E. Harmon is a gifted author with a wonderful writing style and way with words that brings you into her stories, placing you in the head of her characters, allowing you to experience everything they are, what they are seeing, feeling and thinking. The amount of heart she puts into her stories is incredible and you can feel the emotions pour off the pages straight into your own heart. Journey Sutton is a wildlife photographer and his profession takes him all over the world. It is a skill he is great at and a profession he loves, but it cost him the love of his life, his one and only love, Cameron Foster. When he gets the call from his family that their father had a medical emergency, he had to return home and it was Cameron who met him at the airport. I loved the complexity of the characters and all the layer to the story. I enjoyed learning more about these characters and it was great to watch Journey and Cameron dance around each other and then rekindle their friendship and navigate their new relationship. Journey wanted to take it further, but Cameron knows he was leaving again and he does not think he could handle another heartbreak. I loved how everything played out in this book, it is a beautiful story, one finding their way home with family and love. The story has the perfect balance of drama, a touch of angst, heartwarming charm, heartfelt emotions, and a wonderful romance. S.E. Harmon, thank you for another wonderful story and emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧 Nick Hudson did a fine job bringing these characters to life and understood who he was portraying. He set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. Hudson is an entertaining storyteller, however I felt he could do better with his pacing, but since this is an older book I am sure he has improved on his craft since then, and despite that it is definitely a worthy listen. 

Great Story

I was hooked from the beginning. Love the definition of coddiwomple and how this story is a telling of it. Loved the small-town aspect of this. And oh my, how many times can you spout out your frustration and have the person lingering behind your back! I struggled a little with Nick Hudson in the beginning but then settled in and enjoyed the story. I have a feeling I'll listen to this one again!