A Very Friendly Valentine’s Day by Kayley Loring

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cancel your dinky little roomette on the train. I’m booking us two of the big bedroom suites.

I’ll cancel it AFTER you’ve booked the other sleeper rooms. And reimburse you.

Don’t worry about it. Just cancel your tickets. I got this. Round trip. I’m on the Amtrak website right now.

You don’t have to leave NYC when I do! You’ll hardly be able to spend any time with your Instagram girlfriend that you’ve never met!

It’s fine. She’ll be fine with it. Cancel your tickets.

You aren’t going to stop texting me until I’ve canceled them, are you?

Damn right I’m not. Just do it. You can thank me later.

***

Um. Did you cancel your tickets?

Yes, Edward. I canceled them.

Okay, because it turns out they only had one Family Bedroom from LA to Chicago. But the good news is I booked it for us. It’s the biggest room they had. The bad news is I booked it for us. And it’s the only sleeper room they have left now.

In related news, there was also only one room left from Chicago to New York.

Hands up if you’re excited! *man raising hand emoji*

I am so mad at you right now.

A Very Friendly Valentines Day

Sleeper Car Sparks: Birdie & Eddie’s Cross‑Country Chemistry

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋🙂🤨🤣🥰
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual/Duet Narration

🛡️ Audiobook Review: A Very Friendly Valentine’s Day (Very Holiday, #2)

Author: Kayley Loring
Genre: Holiday Romance
Narrators: Connor Crais, Mackenzie Cartwright, Dane Anderson

🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine Spotlight: Birdie

Birdie has always been the quintessential nerd — the kind who finds joy in archives, obscure history books, and early bedtimes. Her steady, bookish life at the Getty Center contrasts sharply with the glittering chaos of Eddie’s Hollywood world. Yet beneath her quiet exterior lies a woman who longs for connection and secretly harbors a spark of attraction toward her best friend. She’s convinced Eddie is out of her league, but her loyalty, intelligence, and understated charm make her far more compelling than she realizes. Birdie’s journey is about discovering that sometimes the safest choices aren’t the ones that bring the most joy.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero Spotlight: Eddie

Eddie is the classic CW heartthrob — abs first, acting chops second. He’s tired of being typecast as the pretty boy, and his dating life reflects the same superficiality. His current “relationship” with an Instagram model is more digital fantasy than reality, and his brother Declan sees right through it. Eddie’s teasing suspicion that Birdie might be the one he truly cares about adds delicious tension. What makes Eddie interesting is that beneath the glossy exterior, he’s vulnerable, restless, and yearning for something real — something Birdie just might offer.

📃 Plot Pulse

Valentine’s Day sets the stage for a cross-country adventure. Birdie plans a solo trip to New York for museums and a TEDx Talk, while Eddie heads east to finally meet his online girlfriend. When Birdie’s fear of flying pushes her toward the train, Eddie seizes the chance to join her. What begins as a practical arrangement — two friends sharing a journey — quickly morphs into forced proximity, late-night conversations, and undeniable chemistry. The single family sleeper car becomes a crucible where attraction simmers, testing the boundaries of friendship and hinting at something deeper.

💘 What Hit Home

• The characters feel authentic, with Birdie’s quiet resilience and Eddie’s restless charm balancing each other beautifully.
• The train setting is a stroke of genius: confined space, quirky fellow passengers, and the romance of watching America roll by outside the window.
• Eddie’s Instagram-famous girlfriend is a clever plot device, embodying the shallow allure of social media and setting up a sharp contrast to Birdie’s grounded authenticity.

🧐 What Fell Flat

• Birdie’s nerdiness occasionally veers into caricature. Her rigid routines — early bedtimes, dry academic reading — risk making her feel too one-note. Thankfully, Eddie’s presence helps draw out her warmth and spontaneity.

🎧 Narration Notes

The dual narration elevates the story. Connor Crais’s deep, velvety delivery gives Eddie gravitas, while Mackenzie Cartwright’s expressive voice captures Birdie’s vulnerability and quiet strength. Their duet sections sparkle with chemistry, making the listener feel like they’re eavesdropping on intimate conversations. Dane Anderson’s cameo adds texture, rounding out a cast that feels perfectly matched to the material.

📝 Final Takeaway

This audiobook blends the charm of a friends-to-lovers romance with the intimacy of a train journey, creating a story that feels both cozy and electric. Birdie and Eddie’s dynamic proves that sometimes love sneaks up on you in the most unexpected places — even in a cramped sleeper car rattling across the country.

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