
Let's Pretend This Will Work
A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $37.71
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Helen Laser
-
Written by:
-
Maddie Dawson
About this listen
The search for happiness turns a woman’s life upside down in a warm, quirky, and bighearted novel about the joys and chaos of finding love by the bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners.
After too many dates, thirtysomething Mimi Perkins is still single, unmoored, and longing for love. So when Ren Yardley—a handsome, divorced fellow drama teacher and single father—falls in love with her and proposes, she’s sure this is at last the good news her psychic predicted.
Soon after proposing, Ren receives the devastating news that his ex-wife has been in a debilitating car accident, prompting him to temporarily move back into his former home to care for her and his daughters. The unfailingly loyal Ren also wants to keep Mimi close, so she packs up her life in New York City and follows him to New Haven, Connecticut. There, she finds a job and unexpected community at a quirky local daycare. But as time goes by, it begins to seem that Ren and his estranged family might be slowly reuniting, and Mimi has to figure out what she’s willing to fight for and what she needs to let go of.
One thing is for sure: she would have never guessed that her psychic was right after all. Life’s twists, turns, and disasters just might lead her to unexpected happiness.
©2024 Maddie Dawson (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.You may also enjoy...
-
A Reason to See You Again
- A Novel
- Written by: Jami Attenberg
- Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The women of the Cohen family are in crisis. Triggered by the death of their patriarch, Rudy, the glue that held them all together, everyone’s lives soon take a dramatic turn. Shelly, the younger of the two Cohen sisters, runs off to the West Coast to immerse herself in the emerging (and lucrative) world of technology. Her sister, Nancy, gets married at the age of twenty-one to a traveling salesman with a shadowy lifestyle, while their mother, Frieda, hurls herself into a boozy, troubled existence in Miami, trying to forget the past even as it haunts her.
-
-
Well written but not to my taste
- By Budb on 2025-02-13
Written by: Jami Attenberg
-
Zetas Till We Die
- Written by: Amber Brown, Danielle Brown
- Narrated by: Inés del Castillo, Ariel Blake
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been ten years since Priscilla and her Zeta Phi Zeta sorority sisters graduated college. Ten years since they were all in the same room together. Ten years since one of them died. And now Lupé’s killer has been released from prison on a technicality, days before their ten-year reunion. Priscilla decides that the party must go on; Lupé would have wanted it to. And besides, an epic reunion bash might be the perfect distraction. Back together, the Zetas party like it’s 2012, and it’s wild, just the way it used to be. Maybe too wild.
Written by: Amber Brown, and others
-
Tropic Angel
- Archangel Aviation Thrillers, Book 1
- Written by: Nate Van Coops
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Former Blackhawk pilot Luke Angel wants nothing more than to enjoy the easy life he’s found in coastal Florida. He’s got a seaplane business, a well-trained dog, and a loyal and lovable crew to throw back margaritas with. But when a plane belonging to a friend goes missing from Luke’s airport, local detectives are understandably baffled. Clues are scattered from the Keys to the far side of the Gulf of Mexico, and Luke may be the only one with the connections to piece the puzzle back together.
-
-
Great listen
- By Shannon on 2025-01-18
Written by: Nate Van Coops
-
The Match
- It Happened in Charleston, Book 1
- Written by: Sarah Adams
- Narrated by: Rusty Mewha, Leanne Woodward
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evie Jones has dedicated her life and very limited funds working for Southern Service Paws, the company that matched her with the love of her life: Charlie, a service dog trained to assist with her epilepsy. But it’s no secret that the company has been struggling to make ends meet. It’s up to her and her longtime mentor and boss to throw the fundraiser of the century to keep the doors open.
-
-
Recommend
- By Solange Keller on 2024-12-21
Written by: Sarah Adams
-
How to Plot a Payback
- Written by: Melissa Ferguson
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood's highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn't even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life.
-
-
Fantastic, lovely, book
- By Asim on 2024-05-28
Written by: Melissa Ferguson
-
Remember, You Are a Wiley
- Written by: Maya Wiley
- Narrated by: Maya Wiley
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in a country that has repeatedly traumatized her and her loved ones, Maya Wiley grew up in a household that prioritized activism, hope, and resilience above all else. This attitude landed her father on President Nixon’s enemies list as her mother organized third-party political platforms. Still, they modeled hope for their children. In the decades since, she has borne witness as presidents and political figures used racism and fascism to gain power, and as cities have again and again elected white men, effectively shutting out people of color and women from having a political voice.
Written by: Maya Wiley
-
A Reason to See You Again
- A Novel
- Written by: Jami Attenberg
- Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The women of the Cohen family are in crisis. Triggered by the death of their patriarch, Rudy, the glue that held them all together, everyone’s lives soon take a dramatic turn. Shelly, the younger of the two Cohen sisters, runs off to the West Coast to immerse herself in the emerging (and lucrative) world of technology. Her sister, Nancy, gets married at the age of twenty-one to a traveling salesman with a shadowy lifestyle, while their mother, Frieda, hurls herself into a boozy, troubled existence in Miami, trying to forget the past even as it haunts her.
-
-
Well written but not to my taste
- By Budb on 2025-02-13
Written by: Jami Attenberg
-
Zetas Till We Die
- Written by: Amber Brown, Danielle Brown
- Narrated by: Inés del Castillo, Ariel Blake
- Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s been ten years since Priscilla and her Zeta Phi Zeta sorority sisters graduated college. Ten years since they were all in the same room together. Ten years since one of them died. And now Lupé’s killer has been released from prison on a technicality, days before their ten-year reunion. Priscilla decides that the party must go on; Lupé would have wanted it to. And besides, an epic reunion bash might be the perfect distraction. Back together, the Zetas party like it’s 2012, and it’s wild, just the way it used to be. Maybe too wild.
Written by: Amber Brown, and others
-
Tropic Angel
- Archangel Aviation Thrillers, Book 1
- Written by: Nate Van Coops
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 7 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Former Blackhawk pilot Luke Angel wants nothing more than to enjoy the easy life he’s found in coastal Florida. He’s got a seaplane business, a well-trained dog, and a loyal and lovable crew to throw back margaritas with. But when a plane belonging to a friend goes missing from Luke’s airport, local detectives are understandably baffled. Clues are scattered from the Keys to the far side of the Gulf of Mexico, and Luke may be the only one with the connections to piece the puzzle back together.
-
-
Great listen
- By Shannon on 2025-01-18
Written by: Nate Van Coops
-
The Match
- It Happened in Charleston, Book 1
- Written by: Sarah Adams
- Narrated by: Rusty Mewha, Leanne Woodward
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evie Jones has dedicated her life and very limited funds working for Southern Service Paws, the company that matched her with the love of her life: Charlie, a service dog trained to assist with her epilepsy. But it’s no secret that the company has been struggling to make ends meet. It’s up to her and her longtime mentor and boss to throw the fundraiser of the century to keep the doors open.
-
-
Recommend
- By Solange Keller on 2024-12-21
Written by: Sarah Adams
-
How to Plot a Payback
- Written by: Melissa Ferguson
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Successful screenwriter Finn Masters just landed his dream job writing for Neighbors, one of Hollywood's highest-rated, longest-running sitcoms. The only downside? It will put him back in proximity of the show’s universally adored, optimistic, altruistic star, Lavender Rhodes, who has been inadvertently ruining his life since they were school chums in England. But she doesn't even know she destroyed his acting career and wrecked his relationship with the love of his life.
-
-
Fantastic, lovely, book
- By Asim on 2024-05-28
Written by: Melissa Ferguson
-
Remember, You Are a Wiley
- Written by: Maya Wiley
- Narrated by: Maya Wiley
- Length: 10 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born in a country that has repeatedly traumatized her and her loved ones, Maya Wiley grew up in a household that prioritized activism, hope, and resilience above all else. This attitude landed her father on President Nixon’s enemies list as her mother organized third-party political platforms. Still, they modeled hope for their children. In the decades since, she has borne witness as presidents and political figures used racism and fascism to gain power, and as cities have again and again elected white men, effectively shutting out people of color and women from having a political voice.
Written by: Maya Wiley
-
You Belong with Me
- A Novel
- Written by: Mhairi McFarlane
- Narrated by: Olivia Vinall
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
She found The One. But when everyone wants him, can she keep him? Edie found true love. And on Christmas day, he’s knocking at her door. Elliot Owen is handsome, charming and basically Hollywood royalty. And, he insists, madly in love with Edie Thompson: an ordinary citizen with tomato soup stains on her coat. It’s going to be complicated. Edie will have to learn how to live in the limelight, but they’re just too good together not to try.
Written by: Mhairi McFarlane
-
Meet Me in the Margins
- Written by: Melissa Ferguson
- Narrated by: Talon David
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Savannah Cade's dreams are coming true. The Claire Donovan, editor-in-chief of the most successful romance publishing company in the country, has requested to see the manuscript Savannah's been secretly writing. The only problem: she's an editor for a different company, and their philosophy is only highbrow works are worth printing and romance should be reserved for the lowest level of Dante's inferno.
-
-
Good Read
- By Laura L on 2023-07-31
Written by: Melissa Ferguson
-
The Horse
- A Novel
- Written by: Willy Vlautin
- Narrated by: Willy Vlautin
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Al Ward lives on an isolated mining claim in the high desert of central Nevada fifty miles from the nearest town. A grizzled man in his sixties, he survives on canned soup, instant coffee, and memories of his ex-wife, friends and family he’s lost, and his life as a touring musician. Hampered by insomnia, bouts of anxiety, and a chronic lethargy that keeps him from moving back to town, Al finds himself teetering on the edge of madness and running out of reasons to go on—until a horse arrives on his doorstep: nameless, blind, and utterly helpless.
Written by: Willy Vlautin
-
The Vacancy in Room 10
- Written by: Seraphina Nova Glass
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley, Stacey Glemboski
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Anna Hartley’s husband, Henry, calls her with a terrible, guilty confession, she can’t believe what she hears. It has to be a bad joke—the mild, predictable artist she married would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. But her confusion turns to horror when police find his body washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande.
-
-
I really enjoyed it.
- By Karen Melanson on 2024-12-03
Written by: Seraphina Nova Glass
-
Friends with Secrets
- A Novel
- Written by: Christine Gunderson
- Narrated by: Sarah Naughton, Andi Arndt
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What you see isn’t always what you get. Take Ainsley. The gorgeous mother of two lives a picture-perfect life with her husband, Ben—aspiring politician and heir to a candy fortune—in suburban Washington, DC. But in reality, Ainsley has no idea what she’s doing and is terrified someone will figure out who she really is and where she came from.
-
-
Enjoyable But Missed Potential
- By Average Person on 2024-12-20
Written by: Christine Gunderson
-
The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
- A Novel
- Written by: Anna Johnston
- Narrated by: Tim Carroll
- Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up.
-
-
Choose Joy
- By Sharron Mair on 2024-11-12
Written by: Anna Johnston
-
You Are Here
- A Novel
- Written by: David Nicholls
- Narrated by: Lee Ingleby, Lydia Leonard
- Length: 8 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Michael is coming undone. Adrift after his wife's departure, he has begun taking himself on long, solitary walks across the English countryside. Becoming ever more reclusive, he’ll do anything to avoid his empty house. Marnie, on the other hand, is stuck. Hiding alone in her London flat, she avoids old friends and any reminders of her rotten, selfish ex-husband. Curled up with a good book, she’s battling the long afternoons of a life that feels like it’s passing her by.
-
-
Just what I was looking for
- By Angela on 2025-01-12
Written by: David Nicholls
-
A Rivalry of Hearts
- Fae Flings and Corset Strings, Book 1
- Written by: Tessonja Odette
- Narrated by: Rusty Mewha, Dani Cochrane
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract. The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience.
-
-
Cozy and endlessly positive
- By Emma on 2025-02-14
Written by: Tessonja Odette
-
A Lovely Lie
- Written by: Jaime Lynn Hendricks
- Narrated by: Hillary Huber
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Then Pepper left town and Scarlett never heard from her again.
-
-
Keeps you invested
- By Kelly D on 2025-01-16
Written by: Jaime Lynn Hendricks
-
The Act of Disappearing
- A Novel
- Written by: Nathan Gower
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Ashley Klanac
- Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julia White is struggling: her bartending job isn’t cutting it, and her first book has sold hardly any copies. She’s broke, barely able to make ends meet while drowning in her late mother’s medical bills and reeling after a one-night stand with her ex-boyfriend, who’s now completely ghosted her. Enter Johnathan Aster, world-renowned photographer, with a proposal: he has a never-before-seen photograph of a woman falling from a train bridge, clutching what appears to be a baby. And he wants Julia to research the story.
-
-
Such a beautiful story...
- By Amazon Customer on 2025-02-03
Written by: Nathan Gower
-
Canadian Boyfriend
- Written by: Jenny Holiday
- Narrated by: Joshua Jackson, Emily Ellet
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Once upon a time teenage Aurora Evans met a hockey player at the Mall of America. He was from Canada. And soon, he was the perfect fake boyfriend, a get-out-of-jail-free card for all kinds of sticky situations. I can't go to prom. I'm going to be visiting my boyfriend in Canada. He was just what she needed to cover her social awkwardness. He never had to know. It wasn't like she was ever going to see him again... Years later, Aurora is teaching kids’ dance classes and battling panic and eating disorders when pro hockey player Mike Martin walks in with his daughter.
-
-
Beautiful story
- By Jovanna on 2024-03-14
Written by: Jenny Holiday
-
The Rose Arbor
- A Novel
- Written by: Rhys Bowen
- Narrated by: Nicola Barber
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl’s disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it’s her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: Her best friend Marisa is a police officer who is assigned to the case. Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.
-
-
A very cleverly woven mystery
- By Kate Greenaway on 2024-12-27
Written by: Rhys Bowen
What the critics say
“Readers looking for a story that captures their full attention and doesn’t let go will enjoy every page of this book.”—Booklist
“An utterly delightful read, proving that sometimes fate isn’t written in the stars but within the walls of one’s own bruised heart. I absolutely adored this feel-good novel!”—Laura Barrow, author of Call the Canaries Home
“I challenge you to read the first page of Let’s Pretend This Will Work and not shut off your camera during Zoom meetings, cancel dinner plans, and stay up late into the night to finish it. It’s that good. If you’re not reading Maddie Dawson, you’re not laughing, sighing, or living right.”—Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author of There’s No Coming Back from This
What listeners say about Let's Pretend This Will Work
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Heba
- 2025-01-30
Absolutely love this
Oh my God this book I really felt a lot of feelings and it was just so good. The narration and her voice is just amazing that it works really well.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!