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Natural History #1
Flirtasaurus
My name is Calliope and "I bone for a living." Kidding. I am studying to be a paleontologist though. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to be, and I have finally landed the perfect museum internship to make all of my dino-loving dreams come true.
Trouble is, everyone wants me to be a gentle, loving sort of creature, but I'm more of the T-Rex type by nature - the kind who is determined to stomp and tear her way through any obstacle in order to get what she wants.
But when a sexy, rumbly-voiced astronomer plummets into my orbit and threatens to break open my hard little heart, my career and my whole way of looking at the world is suddenly on the line.
The dinosaurs didn't see their asteroid coming.
And I sure as hell wasn't prepared for mine.
Trouble is, everyone wants me to be a gentle, loving sort of creature, but I'm more of the T-Rex type by nature - the kind who is determined to stomp and tear her way through any obstacle in order to get what she wants.
But when a sexy, rumbly-voiced astronomer plummets into my orbit and threatens to break open my hard little heart, my career and my whole way of looking at the world is suddenly on the line.
The dinosaurs didn't see their asteroid coming.
And I sure as hell wasn't prepared for mine.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 15, 2020
About the author
Erin Mallon
461 books654 followersErin Mallon's debut romantic comedy novel, Flirtasaurus releases in July 2020. She is an award-winning narrator of over 450 books and an accomplished playwright and producer in New York City. She has written over 40 plays, which have been produced Off-Broadway and all over the country, including These Walls Can Talk, a raucous theatrical love letter to the romance audiobook community. She lives in a little yellow house on the outskirts of NYC with her husband and Three J's.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 320 reviews
August 13, 2020
***2 stars***
I am so disappointed by this book.. 😒
Erin Mallon is probably my favorite female audiobook narrator and I was super excited when I heard she wrote a book. While I definitely see potential in her writing style, I think she might not be quite there yet. The story is cute and there's a lot of humor in it, but at some point it was TOO MUCH for me - up to the point where it felt forced and I ended up cringing most of the times.
Calliope, a paleontology intern at a museum of natural history, is as quirky and nerdy as they get. One day she gets stuck in the elevator at work and so she "meets" a charming stranger, the astrologist (astronomer?) Ralph. He's kind enough to talk to her through the door to keep her mind off of what is happening. They later befriend each other and have this sort of cute banter, so it was enjoyable enough to see how they quickly become more than friends.
But I have two major issues with this book.
1. There was too. much. dialogue. And I listened to the audiobook, I don't even wanna think about how this reading experience would have been for me had I read a physical copy/eBook. There are basically no dialogue tags, so it's difficult to follow who is speaking and what is going on. Too much talking and no showing, which makes it hard to "see" the space and the surroundings. It was just all about the characters, which is fine, I guess... but it ruined the flow of the story for me.
2. Calliope is awkward, outspoken and nerdy. These are traits that I normally love in a heroine, but here those made her feel preachy and self-centered. She thinks that she is above other people and I was often annoyed by her.
Another quick thing I want to mention is that I liked all the Friends references :D As soon as I heard about this book, I thought of Ross and it's one of the reasons why I desperately wanted to read it.
But on the other hand, there's a moment when Calliope is criticizing the sitcom and I was NOT ok with that. I am sick of people trying to nitpick Friends and finding negative stuff to say about it... just STOP. It's a TV show from over 25 years ago, so yes, it's not always 100% politically correct, but fuckkkk iiiiiiit! I'm going to say this again IT'S FROM OVER 25 YEARS AGO! Stop judging it with your 2020 mind frame!!! There are no major issues with it, it has representation from EVERYWHERE and it's the best TV show PERIOD. Don't @ me.
I am so disappointed by this book.. 😒
Erin Mallon is probably my favorite female audiobook narrator and I was super excited when I heard she wrote a book. While I definitely see potential in her writing style, I think she might not be quite there yet. The story is cute and there's a lot of humor in it, but at some point it was TOO MUCH for me - up to the point where it felt forced and I ended up cringing most of the times.
Calliope, a paleontology intern at a museum of natural history, is as quirky and nerdy as they get. One day she gets stuck in the elevator at work and so she "meets" a charming stranger, the astrologist (astronomer?) Ralph. He's kind enough to talk to her through the door to keep her mind off of what is happening. They later befriend each other and have this sort of cute banter, so it was enjoyable enough to see how they quickly become more than friends.
But I have two major issues with this book.
1. There was too. much. dialogue. And I listened to the audiobook, I don't even wanna think about how this reading experience would have been for me had I read a physical copy/eBook. There are basically no dialogue tags, so it's difficult to follow who is speaking and what is going on. Too much talking and no showing, which makes it hard to "see" the space and the surroundings. It was just all about the characters, which is fine, I guess... but it ruined the flow of the story for me.
2. Calliope is awkward, outspoken and nerdy. These are traits that I normally love in a heroine, but here those made her feel preachy and self-centered. She thinks that she is above other people and I was often annoyed by her.
Another quick thing I want to mention is that I liked all the Friends references :D As soon as I heard about this book, I thought of Ross and it's one of the reasons why I desperately wanted to read it.
But on the other hand, there's a moment when Calliope is criticizing the sitcom and I was NOT ok with that. I am sick of people trying to nitpick Friends and finding negative stuff to say about it... just STOP. It's a TV show from over 25 years ago, so yes, it's not always 100% politically correct, but fuckkkk iiiiiiit! I'm going to say this again IT'S FROM OVER 25 YEARS AGO! Stop judging it with your 2020 mind frame!!! There are no major issues with it, it has representation from EVERYWHERE and it's the best TV show PERIOD. Don't @ me.
August 22, 2020
2 STARS ★★✩✩✩
⤐ Overall.
I had all the vibes going when my book buddy told me about Flirtasaurus, with nerdy dinosaur giggles and romance-infused gushes being at the forefront. And then the book revealed itself as the absolute fail I'll forever remember it for. This book unnerved me so much and provided so tittle entertainment I can't even remember the names of any of the characters.
⤐ trying too hard.
Within the first 30 pages of the book, I had it all figured out: this read would provide many moments for me to proof my restraint and immense self-control. Erin wants her book to be funny and is trying so hard it becomes a challenge to force yourself through from the very beginning. The pain was unreal. I love cringy situations, they make me smile and gasp out loud. But this was too much. I'm impressed I even finished it and didn't throw it out the window after about an hour of agony.
⤐ feminism wasn't intersectional.
You all know me, I'm the first to acknowledge and appreciate narratives that challenge the patriarchy. What I don't like is white people with double standards (myself included). You can't insist on equality and justice and then appropriate the concept 'spirit animal' without batting an eye. This is the 21st century, use the word Patronus, damn it.
Seriously, do not read this book.
_____________________
2 STARS. Definitely a disappointment. It might not even have been worth to finish for a variety of reasons.
This book is for you if… you are 100% sure that trying too hard, an overload of dialogue and double standards do not put you off or maybe even immensly turn you on.
⤐ Overall.
disappointment(n.) a book that, due to its title and synopsis, gets your hopes up when you hear about it for the first time and crushes your excitement in multiple ways once you get into it, uncovering itself as the epitome of boredom. Ex.: Flirtasauruas by Erin Mallon.
I had all the vibes going when my book buddy told me about Flirtasaurus, with nerdy dinosaur giggles and romance-infused gushes being at the forefront. And then the book revealed itself as the absolute fail I'll forever remember it for. This book unnerved me so much and provided so tittle entertainment I can't even remember the names of any of the characters.
⤐ trying too hard.
Within the first 30 pages of the book, I had it all figured out: this read would provide many moments for me to proof my restraint and immense self-control. Erin wants her book to be funny and is trying so hard it becomes a challenge to force yourself through from the very beginning. The pain was unreal. I love cringy situations, they make me smile and gasp out loud. But this was too much. I'm impressed I even finished it and didn't throw it out the window after about an hour of agony.
⤐ feminism wasn't intersectional.
You all know me, I'm the first to acknowledge and appreciate narratives that challenge the patriarchy. What I don't like is white people with double standards (myself included). You can't insist on equality and justice and then appropriate the concept 'spirit animal' without batting an eye. This is the 21st century, use the word Patronus, damn it.
Seriously, do not read this book.
_____________________
2 STARS. Definitely a disappointment. It might not even have been worth to finish for a variety of reasons.
July 30, 2020
I have a very low tolerance for humiliation humor. At least this wasn't slapstick (the usual manifestation), but still, Callie forever stepping on her own tongue got old in the first half of the book. I had a double-cringe because it was all about her being super-strident in work situations where she gets all feisty with a super-short trigger with very personal rants. I can see the temptation because she's voicing popular feminist criticisms of male-dominant careers but even though I agree with what she said in a general sense, it was incredibly unprofessional in place and time and particulars. Bless Ralph for his patience and honest good heart.
I finally lost interest in the story when a final humiliation was about to play out and I could see how it was going to devastate everything good and it was such a manipulation by the author for it to a) happen and b) be recorded and c) played back in a public, professional setting. Just ugh.
I'm giving an extra star because the leads are fantastic and I loved their interactions and a really great start to a relationship. For the rest, I'm really glad I don't work with Callie, but I'm a little sad I can't work with Ralph...
I finally lost interest in the story when a final humiliation was about to play out and I could see how it was going to devastate everything good and it was such a manipulation by the author for it to a) happen and b) be recorded and c) played back in a public, professional setting. Just ugh.
I'm giving an extra star because the leads are fantastic and I loved their interactions and a really great start to a relationship. For the rest, I'm really glad I don't work with Callie, but I'm a little sad I can't work with Ralph...
February 23, 2023
When reading this description of Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon, I was really pumped about reading this rom-com. Who heard of a rom-com in a Natural History Museum setting and dinosaurs? Sign me up. But this turns out to be my least favorite contemporary rom-com I have ever read.
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫
First off, there was way too much dialogue. Not a lot of thought or emotions are conveyed to the reader. Just lots of dialogue between characters in the book. It wasn’t enjoyable, a lot of conversation and not a lot of emotional build-ups or chemistry between the characters.
In Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon, we have our main character Calliope who is a 22-year-old intern in the pathology department that is so immature and unprofessional. When she uses the words “f*ck duck” to her superiors and the museum's loyal patrons, I constantly wonder how in the world she still has that job. She uses curse words like she just learned them in middle school. She has these personal rants to her colleagues and people that are visiting the museums that are left field.
Even when she met Ralph for the first time. The love interest in this story. She had an argument with him because, in his lectures about an asteroid hitting the planet, Calliope was upset that it killed her precious dinosaurs. She ripped him a new one for no good apparent reason. What, are we still in kindergarten? The banter did not make sense. Meet cute? Nope.
I found it interesting that she went on a rant about objectifying women to a male college, but it was okay to smack Ralph’s butt without his consent when they recently just met. I felt like the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs would happen all over again if the gender roles were reversed. How is that okay?
The ending had my eyes bulging because it was the first time in a rom-com I was okay if the characters did not get together in the end. Calliope totally threw Ralph under the bus in a very unprofessional way that even I would imagine would have a hard time recovering from. Ralph, you deserve better.
But then at the Museum's Gala, Calliope professed her love to Ralph so all her stupid actions are totally WIPED away. Literally, all her mistakes. The mistakes that eventually got them fired.
Of course, in her speech she used “But when you’re a mother f*cking T-Rex…” in her speech in front of, again, colleagues and museum patrons, I am wondering how in the world did she even land this job in the first place as an adult? She started talking about having sex with Ralph on security footage and that she should have been watching the kids, how T-Rex is her Spirit animal, and talked how she was high on shrooms while watching a museum sleepover full of kids. She also said, “I’m a f*cking T-Rex going after what I want like a sonofab*tch.” She basically acts like she is still in a fraternity house fresh from leaving high school.
I get it, you don’t always have to filter your language and personality, but there is a point that I feel it can get unprofessional and childish, especially in a setting where you need to be a bit more professional than 22-year Calliope was. This character didn’t do it for me and this rom-com is by far my least favorite.
BLOG ⟫ INSTAGRAM ⟫
First off, there was way too much dialogue. Not a lot of thought or emotions are conveyed to the reader. Just lots of dialogue between characters in the book. It wasn’t enjoyable, a lot of conversation and not a lot of emotional build-ups or chemistry between the characters.
In Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon, we have our main character Calliope who is a 22-year-old intern in the pathology department that is so immature and unprofessional. When she uses the words “f*ck duck” to her superiors and the museum's loyal patrons, I constantly wonder how in the world she still has that job. She uses curse words like she just learned them in middle school. She has these personal rants to her colleagues and people that are visiting the museums that are left field.
Even when she met Ralph for the first time. The love interest in this story. She had an argument with him because, in his lectures about an asteroid hitting the planet, Calliope was upset that it killed her precious dinosaurs. She ripped him a new one for no good apparent reason. What, are we still in kindergarten? The banter did not make sense. Meet cute? Nope.
I found it interesting that she went on a rant about objectifying women to a male college, but it was okay to smack Ralph’s butt without his consent when they recently just met. I felt like the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs would happen all over again if the gender roles were reversed. How is that okay?
The ending had my eyes bulging because it was the first time in a rom-com I was okay if the characters did not get together in the end. Calliope totally threw Ralph under the bus in a very unprofessional way that even I would imagine would have a hard time recovering from. Ralph, you deserve better.
But then at the Museum's Gala, Calliope professed her love to Ralph so all her stupid actions are totally WIPED away. Literally, all her mistakes. The mistakes that eventually got them fired.
Of course, in her speech she used “But when you’re a mother f*cking T-Rex…” in her speech in front of, again, colleagues and museum patrons, I am wondering how in the world did she even land this job in the first place as an adult? She started talking about having sex with Ralph on security footage and that she should have been watching the kids, how T-Rex is her Spirit animal, and talked how she was high on shrooms while watching a museum sleepover full of kids. She also said, “I’m a f*cking T-Rex going after what I want like a sonofab*tch.” She basically acts like she is still in a fraternity house fresh from leaving high school.
I get it, you don’t always have to filter your language and personality, but there is a point that I feel it can get unprofessional and childish, especially in a setting where you need to be a bit more professional than 22-year Calliope was. This character didn’t do it for me and this rom-com is by far my least favorite.
December 30, 2020
Reviewing books you LOVED is hard; you don’t want to be too gushy that people think you’re over doing it. But you want to be gushy enough to show just how much you loved the book.
I loved this book no joke I was laughing to the point of tears and I can honestly say that has only happened a handful of times.
What it did have was awesome and relatable characters. Romance genre is my jam and this book had all the things I love –memorable meet cute, awkward get to know you, unforgettable characters, great supporting characters, funny one liners, passion, relatability, and the HEA.
I can’t wait for this book to release for other to listen to and enjoy it’s a fun filled make your heart happy kind of book which I feel like we need right now.
Erin’s narration is perfect as always. I especially liked that each character has their own quirks and voices it just really added to the audio. Give it that extra dimension, I can’t wait for Mabel’s story!
I loved this book no joke I was laughing to the point of tears and I can honestly say that has only happened a handful of times.
What it did have was awesome and relatable characters. Romance genre is my jam and this book had all the things I love –memorable meet cute, awkward get to know you, unforgettable characters, great supporting characters, funny one liners, passion, relatability, and the HEA.
I can’t wait for this book to release for other to listen to and enjoy it’s a fun filled make your heart happy kind of book which I feel like we need right now.
Erin’s narration is perfect as always. I especially liked that each character has their own quirks and voices it just really added to the audio. Give it that extra dimension, I can’t wait for Mabel’s story!
December 16, 2020
An adorable romcom about a paleontologist! Can you tell from the cover? Super cute cover, sorry Calliope I used the word cute, shit.
Calliope is a no nonsense scientist who is on track for her dream job. Pursuing a career in a male driven field she's not apologetic or at least working on it with her word choice and language. She finds herself in awkward situation after awkward situation but handles it with grace. I find her so refreshing, zany and inspiring as a romantic lead character. I felt like I've had deja vu with the tmi conversations. I know I had those conversations with my husband when we started dating. I guess we are lucky we found guys that liked us lol.
She finds herself in a non typical meet cute on the first day of her internship at a natural history museum in Philadelphia. Enter Ralph "Alf" an astronomer also working at the museum who have instant snarky chemistry. Listening to an author chat with Erin Mallon I like that she chose a regular name for the lead. The name Ralph has a pretty unfortunate slang use. And she originally didn't want to give him descriptors so that you could fill in the blank with your perfect guy but that got thrown out in editing but love that idea. It's interesting like choose your own hero lol.
During the course of her internship, prepping a huge unveiling of a new dinosaur discovery, planning a gala, starting a relationship, accidentally doing shrooms (we've all done it!), having awkward sex jokes made by your parents, meeting new friends Mabel and Otto we get to experience Calliope in all her glory.
Will she get the position after the internship and the guy or will she ef it up?
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Love Bug releasing November 2020 which is the story of Mabel who befriends Calliope and the kids lovingly named her the Bug Lady. Can't wait to read her story and get in her head.
Calliope is a no nonsense scientist who is on track for her dream job. Pursuing a career in a male driven field she's not apologetic or at least working on it with her word choice and language. She finds herself in awkward situation after awkward situation but handles it with grace. I find her so refreshing, zany and inspiring as a romantic lead character. I felt like I've had deja vu with the tmi conversations. I know I had those conversations with my husband when we started dating. I guess we are lucky we found guys that liked us lol.
She finds herself in a non typical meet cute on the first day of her internship at a natural history museum in Philadelphia. Enter Ralph "Alf" an astronomer also working at the museum who have instant snarky chemistry. Listening to an author chat with Erin Mallon I like that she chose a regular name for the lead. The name Ralph has a pretty unfortunate slang use. And she originally didn't want to give him descriptors so that you could fill in the blank with your perfect guy but that got thrown out in editing but love that idea. It's interesting like choose your own hero lol.
During the course of her internship, prepping a huge unveiling of a new dinosaur discovery, planning a gala, starting a relationship, accidentally doing shrooms (we've all done it!), having awkward sex jokes made by your parents, meeting new friends Mabel and Otto we get to experience Calliope in all her glory.
Will she get the position after the internship and the guy or will she ef it up?
⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
Love Bug releasing November 2020 which is the story of Mabel who befriends Calliope and the kids lovingly named her the Bug Lady. Can't wait to read her story and get in her head.
July 27, 2020
What happens when a successful audiobook narrator becomes an author? You get a hilarious rom-com narrated by said author brimming with loud out loud moments.
Calliope meets Ralph on the first day of her new internship job, when she gets stuck in an elevator. His smooth, sexy voice keeps her calm until she is set free. If only she knew what he looked like?
Calliope and Ralph do eventually meet. He works in the planetarium and she is studying to be a paleontologist, both working in the same museum. Calliope is unlike any girl that Ralph has met before, she has no verbal filter and spending time with her often leads to unexpected things
The connection that Callie felt that first day is even stronger when they spend more time together. There is a simmering attraction building and when she has a close encounter with ‘shrooms’ she decides to take matters (Ralph’s man bits) into her own bare hands.
Honestly, I loved Callie’s out there personality, it was refreshing because I never knew what she was going to do or say next. I loved her parents, seriously funny! This was a fantastic beginning to The Natural History series and I can’t wait for more from Erin.
Calliope meets Ralph on the first day of her new internship job, when she gets stuck in an elevator. His smooth, sexy voice keeps her calm until she is set free. If only she knew what he looked like?
Calliope and Ralph do eventually meet. He works in the planetarium and she is studying to be a paleontologist, both working in the same museum. Calliope is unlike any girl that Ralph has met before, she has no verbal filter and spending time with her often leads to unexpected things
The connection that Callie felt that first day is even stronger when they spend more time together. There is a simmering attraction building and when she has a close encounter with ‘shrooms’ she decides to take matters (Ralph’s man bits) into her own bare hands.
Honestly, I loved Callie’s out there personality, it was refreshing because I never knew what she was going to do or say next. I loved her parents, seriously funny! This was a fantastic beginning to The Natural History series and I can’t wait for more from Erin.
July 27, 2020
Flirtisaurus is a rom-com written by audio book narrator, Erin Mallon. It's actually quite good. There are a few flaws, but you can see that Erin has picked up the flavor of what works in these sorts of stories, and she pretty much hits her mark in this, her debut (I think) novel. Before I get to the story I'll comment on the narration which was fabulous. The best thing about narrators narrating their own stories is that they absolutely capture the right tone for the story, This was cute and laugh out loud funny in places, and much of that can be attributed as much to the narration as it is the actual writing. The absolute best thing about this narration for me, though, is a weird thing ... I learned the correct way to pronounce Calliope. Maybe the rest of the world already knew this, but it is pronounced Ca-LIE-o-pee, not CAL-ee-ope like I have always pronounced it. I fell in love with this name. If I had any more kids to name in my future I would totally consider naming one of them this ... except for the fact that 99.9% of the world would probably pronounce her name CAL-ee-ope. Oh well.
As for the story, it had a super strong start that fizzled a bit in the end. Calliope is a paleontologist intern who gets stuck in an elevator on her first day on the job. She "meets" Ralph through the closed doors, and a sweet friendship forms (eventually). Ralph is an astronomer, and there is a cute bit in the story about how Calliope can't be friends with Ralph because his space objects were responsible for killing her dinosaur friends. I really did love Calliope and Ralph as main characters. Their banter was lovely.
For the most part this story was pretty light and surface level. There wasn't much to it. It was just two people clicking together and eventually falling in love. I think I would have been perfectly happy if that was all that this story was about, but like most of these books there is always something thrown into the story to create tension. At first I thought it was going to be about Callie's quick dismissal of her lovely family. They were lovely. So lovely. I adored her parents. I was with Ralph on this one ... why did she have such a strained relationship with them? They were awesome. But that was just a blip. The real conflict that occurs actually starts out as something pretty horrifyingly funny. It was mortifying, but hilarious at the same time. But then it gets sad. Callie makes a decision that I could totally understand. I didn't agree with what she did, but I could see myself in a similar situation making that wrong decision in the heat of the moment. She was selfish. So selfish. I did get why she did (or didn't do) what she did. But looking at it objectively it is hard not to see that it was horribly selfish and devastating to sweet Ralph. Poor Ralph! What REALLY took me out of the story and made me angry at Calliope was that she couldn't see immediately that she had made a cowardly choice. She couldn't see how hurt Ralph was. She REALLY needed to grovel. Yeah. There's a "make-up" scene, but it was super weak and not good enough after what she did. It was mortifying in a not funny way. The whole thing took what was heading close to being a five star story and knocked it down a notch. It was still a great listening experience, but it just wasn't all that epic.
But let me just say that Erin Mallon's narration was spot on, and this debut novel shows some promise for her writing future. I did really like it. Four stars.
Side note ... There's a fun little conversation between Erin and Andi Ardnt at the end of this audible book that was fun to hear. It gives a little peek into the lives of these two popular audio book narrators. Loved it.
As for the story, it had a super strong start that fizzled a bit in the end. Calliope is a paleontologist intern who gets stuck in an elevator on her first day on the job. She "meets" Ralph through the closed doors, and a sweet friendship forms (eventually). Ralph is an astronomer, and there is a cute bit in the story about how Calliope can't be friends with Ralph because his space objects were responsible for killing her dinosaur friends. I really did love Calliope and Ralph as main characters. Their banter was lovely.
For the most part this story was pretty light and surface level. There wasn't much to it. It was just two people clicking together and eventually falling in love. I think I would have been perfectly happy if that was all that this story was about, but like most of these books there is always something thrown into the story to create tension. At first I thought it was going to be about Callie's quick dismissal of her lovely family. They were lovely. So lovely. I adored her parents. I was with Ralph on this one ... why did she have such a strained relationship with them? They were awesome. But that was just a blip. The real conflict that occurs actually starts out as something pretty horrifyingly funny. It was mortifying, but hilarious at the same time. But then it gets sad. Callie makes a decision that I could totally understand. I didn't agree with what she did, but I could see myself in a similar situation making that wrong decision in the heat of the moment. She was selfish. So selfish. I did get why she did (or didn't do) what she did. But looking at it objectively it is hard not to see that it was horribly selfish and devastating to sweet Ralph. Poor Ralph! What REALLY took me out of the story and made me angry at Calliope was that she couldn't see immediately that she had made a cowardly choice. She couldn't see how hurt Ralph was. She REALLY needed to grovel. Yeah. There's a "make-up" scene, but it was super weak and not good enough after what she did. It was mortifying in a not funny way. The whole thing took what was heading close to being a five star story and knocked it down a notch. It was still a great listening experience, but it just wasn't all that epic.
But let me just say that Erin Mallon's narration was spot on, and this debut novel shows some promise for her writing future. I did really like it. Four stars.
Side note ... There's a fun little conversation between Erin and Andi Ardnt at the end of this audible book that was fun to hear. It gives a little peek into the lives of these two popular audio book narrators. Loved it.
July 13, 2020
I want to start out by saying I liked this book. I really don't know how to rate it, but I'm going to do my best. I'd say it falls somewhere around 3 1/2 stars, but that doesn't seem like enough to really praise the meat of this story. At the same time, there were a few issues just keeping me from giving it anything higher.
We start the book with Calliope trapped in an elevator on the first day of her paleontology internship at the Philadelphia Museum of Natural History. We learn right away, that Calliope is a force to be reckoned with, an a funny one at that. She's ranting to herself like a lunatic (wouldn't we all?) until she's joined by an "crumbly croissant of a voice" outside the elevator who keeps her company until the Fire Dept arrives to get her out. From there, the story only grows, and Calliope only gets funnier. Calliope and Ralph have excellent banter and clear admiration for each other, and that becomes more prominent as the story goes on. Ralph (I still can't believe Mallon named him Ralph, I'm dying as I type this) just started at the museum as an astronomer, so there are plenty of work interactions to help them launch into their relationship, and he's the perfect counter to Calliope.
Now, here's the thing with Calliope. She's going to be a tough pill to swallow for a lot of readers, and I think it's because she's not a perfect heroine. She's flawed, ridiculously so and to the point of cringe every so often. She even gets a little preachy, which wasn't my favorite thing in the world, and she could be incredibly selfish. But what I did love, was that she was focused, determined, and knew when she was wrong. She had no problem owning up to her mistakes, and I found that beyond admirable, no matter how many times she presumed to know best and lectured a male coworker. A lot of people might find Calliope to be kind of a b*tch too, but she even admits she gets mean when she gets nervous, and if that's not the most relatable thing I've ever heard I don't know what is. Honestly, Ralph probably deserved better, but the fact that he loved Calliope, flaws and all, just goes to prove that there's someone out there for all of us. And I really liked that.
Now, my biggest issue with this book, was that it was clearly written for audio. The dialogue was INTENSE in that it could go for pages without a real clarifier regarding who was speaking. I got tripped up a couple times, and upon realizing that Mallon comes from a narration background, understood where that was coming from. So if you're not an audio book person (like me) it's gonna be a bit difficult at some points, and you're going to have to backtrack to follow who is who especially if you're not 100% focused.
All this to say, this was a fun debut, I did enjoy the bulk of it, and even though I kept getting lost in the dialogue, it wasn't enough to stop me from liking the book. And Ralph definitely helped.
We start the book with Calliope trapped in an elevator on the first day of her paleontology internship at the Philadelphia Museum of Natural History. We learn right away, that Calliope is a force to be reckoned with, an a funny one at that. She's ranting to herself like a lunatic (wouldn't we all?) until she's joined by an "crumbly croissant of a voice" outside the elevator who keeps her company until the Fire Dept arrives to get her out. From there, the story only grows, and Calliope only gets funnier. Calliope and Ralph have excellent banter and clear admiration for each other, and that becomes more prominent as the story goes on. Ralph (I still can't believe Mallon named him Ralph, I'm dying as I type this) just started at the museum as an astronomer, so there are plenty of work interactions to help them launch into their relationship, and he's the perfect counter to Calliope.
Now, here's the thing with Calliope. She's going to be a tough pill to swallow for a lot of readers, and I think it's because she's not a perfect heroine. She's flawed, ridiculously so and to the point of cringe every so often. She even gets a little preachy, which wasn't my favorite thing in the world, and she could be incredibly selfish. But what I did love, was that she was focused, determined, and knew when she was wrong. She had no problem owning up to her mistakes, and I found that beyond admirable, no matter how many times she presumed to know best and lectured a male coworker. A lot of people might find Calliope to be kind of a b*tch too, but she even admits she gets mean when she gets nervous, and if that's not the most relatable thing I've ever heard I don't know what is. Honestly, Ralph probably deserved better, but the fact that he loved Calliope, flaws and all, just goes to prove that there's someone out there for all of us. And I really liked that.
Now, my biggest issue with this book, was that it was clearly written for audio. The dialogue was INTENSE in that it could go for pages without a real clarifier regarding who was speaking. I got tripped up a couple times, and upon realizing that Mallon comes from a narration background, understood where that was coming from. So if you're not an audio book person (like me) it's gonna be a bit difficult at some points, and you're going to have to backtrack to follow who is who especially if you're not 100% focused.
All this to say, this was a fun debut, I did enjoy the bulk of it, and even though I kept getting lost in the dialogue, it wasn't enough to stop me from liking the book. And Ralph definitely helped.
July 26, 2020
I tried so hard to like this one, especially since I was super duperly excited for it. The adorable cover, the lead characters, the attention grabbing blurb, it all seemed so perfect.
Almost immediately I felt my attention waining. The dialogue and inner musings of our heroine were just a little over the top for me. It was trying to hard to be comical and quirky, endearing and offbeat but instead it came across as forced and farcical with stilted dialogue that just didn't flow as seamlessly as the scenes warranted.
The fact that I just could not connect with our female protagonist threw me way off balance too. I think I had certain expectations about her personality going in and rather than being pleasantly surprised by her I was left feeling a whole lot of indifference. I loathe not lovin' my Heroine. When you feel a certain disconnect to any of the main players it definitely has an adverse effect on your overall enjoyment of the plot and story. Which is precisely what happened here.
The hero was super cute and his sweet and thoughtful side probably saved a little of the storyline for me but not enough to rate it above three stars. I know other readers will go gaga for this romance, particularly if you love over-the-top rom-coms with not-exactly-cookie-cutter type heroines. But it left me feeling out of sorts and a bit deflated that I didn't like it more.
Almost immediately I felt my attention waining. The dialogue and inner musings of our heroine were just a little over the top for me. It was trying to hard to be comical and quirky, endearing and offbeat but instead it came across as forced and farcical with stilted dialogue that just didn't flow as seamlessly as the scenes warranted.
The fact that I just could not connect with our female protagonist threw me way off balance too. I think I had certain expectations about her personality going in and rather than being pleasantly surprised by her I was left feeling a whole lot of indifference. I loathe not lovin' my Heroine. When you feel a certain disconnect to any of the main players it definitely has an adverse effect on your overall enjoyment of the plot and story. Which is precisely what happened here.
The hero was super cute and his sweet and thoughtful side probably saved a little of the storyline for me but not enough to rate it above three stars. I know other readers will go gaga for this romance, particularly if you love over-the-top rom-coms with not-exactly-cookie-cutter type heroines. But it left me feeling out of sorts and a bit deflated that I didn't like it more.
July 12, 2021
Update. In honor of the 1 year anniversary, I got the audio & listened. Oh man, this is such a fun and quirky audio. Erin does all the voices. So much fun.
********
So much fun. Very original. I love Erin's narrations & just had to get and read this book. Ironic, that I could not wait for the audio. (Erin narrates it!)
I love Calliope, but oh my god, she has NO filter. None. I love their meet cute.
I love Ralph. He's beyond patient. He lets "Callie" slide quite a few times.
There were some hilarious moments. I "omg" a million times. At least a million.
I did like that there were so many quirky characters (almost as quirky as Calliope).
Calliope's family is wacky. I do see where Calliope gets her zany personality. It's ironic, that she thinks that THEY are weird & she tries to warn Ralph.
Museums have a reputation of being stuffy. Well, just read this and you will never think that again.
I want to read more about the supporting characters. I did cringe a little in the middle, but the last third pulled me right back.
I liked the unpredictable ending. A little 1-2 double crosses kept me guessing.
Great job Erin!
********
So much fun. Very original. I love Erin's narrations & just had to get and read this book. Ironic, that I could not wait for the audio. (Erin narrates it!)
I love Calliope, but oh my god, she has NO filter. None. I love their meet cute.
I love Ralph. He's beyond patient. He lets "Callie" slide quite a few times.
There were some hilarious moments. I "omg" a million times. At least a million.
I did like that there were so many quirky characters (almost as quirky as Calliope).
Calliope's family is wacky. I do see where Calliope gets her zany personality. It's ironic, that she thinks that THEY are weird & she tries to warn Ralph.
Museums have a reputation of being stuffy. Well, just read this and you will never think that again.
I want to read more about the supporting characters. I did cringe a little in the middle, but the last third pulled me right back.
I liked the unpredictable ending. A little 1-2 double crosses kept me guessing.
Great job Erin!
August 10, 2020
What a refreshing and intelligent new voice in contemporary romance! Smart, achingly funny and winsomely deep, I enjoyed the immediate sense of place and the unique spirit and spark of this book!
Definitely an author to watch!
Definitely an author to watch!
July 18, 2020
Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon
Narrated by Erin Mallon
Standalone Romantic Comedy. First in a Related series.
Erin Mallon is one of my favorite narrators. She is also an accomplished play writer and author of the recently released audio play, These Walls Can Talk. Flirtasaurus is her first novel, and it is absolutely a 2020 favorite. I don’t often mention other authors, but I have to say that Flirtasaurus is like Jana Aston, Tara Sivec and Penny Reid wrote together, which is one of the hugest compliments I can give.
With what is happening in the world right now we all need to laugh more, and Flirtasaurus had me literally laughing out loud so many times! One thing I have to say though is that being a playwriter and a narrator, I think Erin’s writing translates better to audio. There is a lot of dialogue, and I love it in audio, but I noticed that it was a little harder to follow in print, even though reading it after listening had me giggling like a loon again. Just the way she emphasized some things was funny in print too!
What I’m saying is I have my proverbial shit together. Clearly.
“GET ME OUT OF HERE OR IMMA LOSE MY SHIT!”
Calliope is a paleontologist who just landed her dream internship at a museum, only she gets stuck in the elevator on her first morning. Luckily, some “sexy-voiced mystery dude” outside the doors kept her calm until she was rescued.
Calliope just blurts out whatever is on her mind. She is very flawed and very funny, but she is smart and she loves her dinosaurs. Ralph, on the other hand, is a nice guy. He’s an astronomer at the same museum who is hot and nerdy but likes Callie just how she is. Their banter is hysterical!
“You, Calliope FitzGerald, are an absolute lunatic.”
Likes:
•Laughed out loud through the whole book.
•It was smart.
•Calliopes ‘trip’! LOL
•Calliope is real and flawed (very) but still so funny.
•I love Ralph! And Erin’s voice made him so sexy, even with the unfortunate name.
•How Calliope just says whatever she is thinking.
•Her true and real love and excitement for Paleontology and dinosaurs.
•I loved the smart kids!
•Dr. Knowles was a great character.
•A rare Jewish hero.
•Who knew there were so many prehistoric names for sex!
Dislikes:
•Calliope was kind of a selfish, judgmental bitch sometimes. Somehow she was still funny and likable but was much more likable in audio.
•A few small plot points that never really developed.
•Print book only: A lot of dialogue without saying who is speaking can get confusing and exhausting.
The Narration:
Flirtasaurus was written for audio (whether she meant to or not), and you can tell Erin heard it in her head as she wrote it. This is one book where I think the audio really gave this book a huge advantage because there was so much dialogue. It was hysterical to listen to but got a little exhausting to read.
The Down & Dirty:
Flirtasuarus was absolutely hilarious. It is very rare that I giggle out loud like that, but I snort-laughed! I had such an awesome time listening to Flirtasaurus that I couldn’t give it less than 5 stars. It’s rare that I do that with books that aren’t perfect, but I just loved it so much. While writing this review, the more I analyzed and picked it apart, the more little things I found that I could get annoyed over, but that is because I basically read the print version while writing this review (and I was laughing again!) but I think I still found it funnier because I heard Erin in my head making it funny. While the audiobook is 5 stars, had I only read it, I think it would have been more like a 3.5-4 because all the dialogue lent itself better to audio. I am so, so excited for Lovebug, the next in the series, about Mabel!
Audiobook Rating: 5 Stars, 3 Heat, 5++ Narration
Purchase Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon
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April 17, 2022
This book was a hoot from start to finish, with a big chunk of heart right in the middle. What a romcom should always be.
If you like quirky characters, you’ll love Calliope. Ambitious and determined, but insecure and somewhat socially inadequate, she has trouble connecting with her family, her co-workers, or even her love interest. Through trial and error, she spends the book adjusting her goals and point of view, growing up to be deserving of Ralph’s love.
Ah, Ralph. Perfect example of “the boy you want to introduce to your parents”, nice–he’d kill me if he knew I called him nice–, supportive, a bit romantic, respectful… you name it. But he also knows his self-worth and isn’t a pushover at all. He just values Calliope’s opinion and consent. Just an all around lovable guy. Though Calliope is at the center of the story, Ralph has his own growth arc, just less life changing than Calliope’s.
Their love story is sweet and soft. They’re slowly learn about each other, going from friends with some attraction, to lovers, at their own pace. Every little step is delightful. Until the Big Bang–pun intended. Intimate scenes are fade to black, and that one more detailed scene is anything but sexy, more of a silly moment. Also, euphemisms, not exactly the sexiest.
My main complaint would be the amount of dialogues. There are full pages of conversations. They’re always fun and, sure, offer a glimpse at the characters’ life and psyche, but they all seem to talk a lot and act so little. Probably a result of the author being a playwright at core. But really, it doesn’t deter from enjoying the story.
Calliope’s mind is an interesting place to visit. Take a look for yourself.
Quickie
- Series: The natural history #1 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #romcom #friends to lovers #scientists
- Triggers: N/A
- Main couple: Calliope FitzGerald & Ralph Anderson
- Hotness: 1/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + it was hilarious
- – too many dialogues maybe
If you like quirky characters, you’ll love Calliope. Ambitious and determined, but insecure and somewhat socially inadequate, she has trouble connecting with her family, her co-workers, or even her love interest. Through trial and error, she spends the book adjusting her goals and point of view, growing up to be deserving of Ralph’s love.
Ah, Ralph. Perfect example of “the boy you want to introduce to your parents”, nice–he’d kill me if he knew I called him nice–, supportive, a bit romantic, respectful… you name it. But he also knows his self-worth and isn’t a pushover at all. He just values Calliope’s opinion and consent. Just an all around lovable guy. Though Calliope is at the center of the story, Ralph has his own growth arc, just less life changing than Calliope’s.
Their love story is sweet and soft. They’re slowly learn about each other, going from friends with some attraction, to lovers, at their own pace. Every little step is delightful. Until the Big Bang–pun intended. Intimate scenes are fade to black, and that one more detailed scene is anything but sexy, more of a silly moment. Also, euphemisms, not exactly the sexiest.
My main complaint would be the amount of dialogues. There are full pages of conversations. They’re always fun and, sure, offer a glimpse at the characters’ life and psyche, but they all seem to talk a lot and act so little. Probably a result of the author being a playwright at core. But really, it doesn’t deter from enjoying the story.
Calliope’s mind is an interesting place to visit. Take a look for yourself.
Quickie
- Series: The natural history #1 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #romcom #friends to lovers #scientists
- Triggers: N/A
- Main couple: Calliope FitzGerald & Ralph Anderson
- Hotness: 1/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + it was hilarious
- – too many dialogues maybe
July 16, 2020
What an amazing debut by author Erin Mallon! Flirtasaurus is hilarious, entertaining and romantic. The story is full of quick banter, science jokes and puns, unforgettable characters and completely unputdownable.
Calliope is focused and determined to excel as a paleontologist her dream since she was a little girl. She is single minded in her drive to succeed, which creates just as many blunders as it does opportunities. She is a very realistic character in that she is not a perfect human. She is flawed, she makes mistakes and she frequently responds inappropriately to situations. I was able to relate to her so much!
In regards to our hero Ralph, He is so good to Calliope from the very beginning, bantering with her, pushing buttons, and pulling her out of herself. He is so dreamy and the hero all us awkward boss babes want in our corner.
Possibly my favorite characters of the whole book are Calliope's parents. I was cracking up laughing (my family was looking at me like a crazy person I was laughing so hard).
As a result of listening to dozens of books narrated by Erin Mallon I could hear her voice in my head while reading this book. I think this will translate wonderfully to audio, and I plan on listening to the audiobook in the future. One thing that was a little challenging with this read, was that some of the back and forth dialogue went so quickly without character descriptors or pronouns that I lost track of who was speaking and had to go back to follow the banter again. I don't foresee that being an issue with narration and truth be told it was only a minor hiccup in the reading. It did not impact my enjoyment of the book at all.
Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon is the funniest book I have read in a long time. I have a feeling everyone is going to love it as much as I did.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.
Calliope is focused and determined to excel as a paleontologist her dream since she was a little girl. She is single minded in her drive to succeed, which creates just as many blunders as it does opportunities. She is a very realistic character in that she is not a perfect human. She is flawed, she makes mistakes and she frequently responds inappropriately to situations. I was able to relate to her so much!
In regards to our hero Ralph, He is so good to Calliope from the very beginning, bantering with her, pushing buttons, and pulling her out of herself. He is so dreamy and the hero all us awkward boss babes want in our corner.
Possibly my favorite characters of the whole book are Calliope's parents. I was cracking up laughing (my family was looking at me like a crazy person I was laughing so hard).
As a result of listening to dozens of books narrated by Erin Mallon I could hear her voice in my head while reading this book. I think this will translate wonderfully to audio, and I plan on listening to the audiobook in the future. One thing that was a little challenging with this read, was that some of the back and forth dialogue went so quickly without character descriptors or pronouns that I lost track of who was speaking and had to go back to follow the banter again. I don't foresee that being an issue with narration and truth be told it was only a minor hiccup in the reading. It did not impact my enjoyment of the book at all.
Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon is the funniest book I have read in a long time. I have a feeling everyone is going to love it as much as I did.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.
July 12, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book as I expected a couple of laughs as the blurb and taglines sounded funny. What I didn't expect was to find myself hilariously laughing right through the whole book and reading out loud on more than one occasion to my partner - snippets from the book. I loved this book so much as the main characters were both a bit geeky, nerdy and awkward - a bit like myself and the book setting of a museum was amazing as one of my dream jobs is to work in a museum environment - a bit like Te Papa in Wellington would be amazing. Our main characters even have quirky names as our female lead is Calliope and the male lead is Ralph whom for the first part of the book Calliope thinks his name is Alf. Flirtasaurus is not only about Calliope trying to land her dream job, but also we read as she tries to navigate through her life with new and old friends and family.
I am looking forward to continuing with this series especially if the future books also turn out to be just as hilarious. Erin Mallon's book reminded me of the same LOL humor that we had in Tara Sivec's The Holidays series and the nerdiness from Penny Reid's Knitting in the City series as Janie could give Calliope a run for her money into who is more nerdy, quirky and awkward. If you love LOL books and Geek Chic Lit, then you will love Erin Mallon's series "The Natural History".
June 11, 2020
What a debut!! Funny, filled with very memorable characters and a very quirky and smart heroine... Flirtasaurus is the summer escape we all need! Calliope is such a character! Her mouth basically has no filter, and we benefit from it. The way she is so passionate about her work and all of the possibilities of now working in such an important project is completely endearing. Many people will relate to her for sure! The meet-cute in this story is quite funny because the way it's written you can clearly see the array of emotions between the characters. The secondary characters allow for Calliope to expand her point of view as well as connect with them on a more deeper level. She is so caught up in her goals that she might miss the good things that she has in her life if she doesn't realize that there is more to life than work. This story will resonate with many people for sure. It's enjoyable and a great escape. The world needs more rom-coms, in my opinion, and this story delivers! Now... Looking forward to more stories from this cast of characters.
June 26, 2020
So much fun and snarky humor!
I love that there is so much to learn about all the dinosaurs that Calliope studies. The descriptions of the various sections of the museum are very vivid.
Callie is a goof. She speaks her mind. Sometimes she is too quick to tell what she thinks.
There are so many funny scenes! I like the sleep over at the museum. Callie learns not to drink from someone else’s bottle of "tea". Otto told her not to, but she did not listen. Much comes from the evening. Ralph finds not everyone is as honest as he is.
I like the various children in Callie's summer class. They are eager to learn.
Dr. Knowles is quite intimidating, but Callie is honored to be her intern. Callie is able to learn many lessons from her mentor. Sometimes being quiet is the best way to find the truth.-
There is a lot to enjoy from this fun book. I hope you like this book too.
REVIEW BY LAURA
I love that there is so much to learn about all the dinosaurs that Calliope studies. The descriptions of the various sections of the museum are very vivid.
Callie is a goof. She speaks her mind. Sometimes she is too quick to tell what she thinks.
There are so many funny scenes! I like the sleep over at the museum. Callie learns not to drink from someone else’s bottle of "tea". Otto told her not to, but she did not listen. Much comes from the evening. Ralph finds not everyone is as honest as he is.
I like the various children in Callie's summer class. They are eager to learn.
Dr. Knowles is quite intimidating, but Callie is honored to be her intern. Callie is able to learn many lessons from her mentor. Sometimes being quiet is the best way to find the truth.-
There is a lot to enjoy from this fun book. I hope you like this book too.
REVIEW BY LAURA
June 24, 2020
I really don’t know how to rate this book... feels like 3 stars isn’t enough for the story and then in the other hand it’s too much for the quality of writing.
I know that this is the author’s debut as a writer so this is more like constructive criticism for her next book.
The book had way too much dialogue. It was non stop. You really never need that much dialogue. It was like 4 pages of it. Took away all the fun in reading the book. And the book was hilarious if you could get passed the excessive convos.
The story was really good, the characters were funny so there was a lot of potential to this story.
I might just try this author again when she publishes her next book. Hopefully someone other than me gave her the same advice. Cut the convo!!
I know that this is the author’s debut as a writer so this is more like constructive criticism for her next book.
The book had way too much dialogue. It was non stop. You really never need that much dialogue. It was like 4 pages of it. Took away all the fun in reading the book. And the book was hilarious if you could get passed the excessive convos.
The story was really good, the characters were funny so there was a lot of potential to this story.
I might just try this author again when she publishes her next book. Hopefully someone other than me gave her the same advice. Cut the convo!!
June 7, 2020
They say that almost everyone makes a good first impression, but only few people make a lasting one. Erin Mallon is definitely the later with her debut novel, Flirtasaurus.
Not only does she deliver an epically adorable and hilarious meet-cute, an extremely likable and strong heroine, a deliciously witty hero, and story that is unputdownable, it’s also so well written and freaking smart! Both in its humor and characters. I swear, this was so much fun to read that groaned out loud when adulting got in the way of reading it.
This story is not to be missed. Like, for real, TBR it immediately!
Not only does she deliver an epically adorable and hilarious meet-cute, an extremely likable and strong heroine, a deliciously witty hero, and story that is unputdownable, it’s also so well written and freaking smart! Both in its humor and characters. I swear, this was so much fun to read that groaned out loud when adulting got in the way of reading it.
This story is not to be missed. Like, for real, TBR it immediately!
July 22, 2020
This is Erin Mallon’s debut book but it doesn’t read like it. It's funny and sweet and a delight to read/ listen to. A must read/ listen for rom-com fans. The characters are fleshed out and likeable. I loved Ralph so much, he was such a sweet hero, who always put others first and helped Calliope in ways I don't think she even realised, by allowing her to see things in a different way. She was so laser-focused that so much passed her by. She was such a fun heroine, though, I loved that she was smart and not looking for love, but at the same time, couldn't dismiss the Ralph-effect and could admit when she was wrong. Their interactions are funny and sweet, the banter is perfection. If you've read any of my reviews before you'll know I'm a huge banter fan and this book has it in spades. I loved Calliope's family, they were a riot, and I could understand Calliope's responses to them but also loved that part of the story and seeing them connect. The museum setting was refreshing and gave a different spin on a workplace romance, and I enjoyed that aspect to it.
This is going on my perfect summer read/ listen list because it's such a delightful story and filled with humour and swooning moments. If heat level is important to you, this is on the low end but don't let that deter you from a wonderful story. Sometimes you read or listen to a book and it just fills you with happiness, that's what this book does. It was such a joy to listen to. I laughed out loud on more than a handful of occasions, I'm sure my colleague thought I'd lost it. It is incredibly funny. Just what you need during these difficult times. It definitely made my nightshift go fast, that's for sure. It's been a while since I've had the time to devour a book in a day, but that's exactly what I did with the audio of Flirtasaurus, once I started it, I couldn't stop. SO much, that I owe it in all versions, eBook, audio, and paperback. I love the cover, it encompasses everything to love about this story.
I'm not a huge fan of authors narrating their own books, but this is one occasion where I not only loved it but doubted anyone else could have done it the justice it deserved. Erin was these characters, she voiced them in a way that just made them come alive - I read the first 20% of the book before going back to the beginning and listening, so I can comment from both perspectives—as a reader and listener. I'll say I'm super glad I didn't have to say all those dinosaur names, and that was a definite bonus to listening lol. The production was well done and there were no issues of note. I did have a little chuckle at the word museum just because I didn't realise that is one of those words that is pronounced differently in the US to the UK—that's not a criticism, but something that I've never noticed before.
This is going on my perfect summer read/ listen list because it's such a delightful story and filled with humour and swooning moments. If heat level is important to you, this is on the low end but don't let that deter you from a wonderful story. Sometimes you read or listen to a book and it just fills you with happiness, that's what this book does. It was such a joy to listen to. I laughed out loud on more than a handful of occasions, I'm sure my colleague thought I'd lost it. It is incredibly funny. Just what you need during these difficult times. It definitely made my nightshift go fast, that's for sure. It's been a while since I've had the time to devour a book in a day, but that's exactly what I did with the audio of Flirtasaurus, once I started it, I couldn't stop. SO much, that I owe it in all versions, eBook, audio, and paperback. I love the cover, it encompasses everything to love about this story.
I'm not a huge fan of authors narrating their own books, but this is one occasion where I not only loved it but doubted anyone else could have done it the justice it deserved. Erin was these characters, she voiced them in a way that just made them come alive - I read the first 20% of the book before going back to the beginning and listening, so I can comment from both perspectives—as a reader and listener. I'll say I'm super glad I didn't have to say all those dinosaur names, and that was a definite bonus to listening lol. The production was well done and there were no issues of note. I did have a little chuckle at the word museum just because I didn't realise that is one of those words that is pronounced differently in the US to the UK—that's not a criticism, but something that I've never noticed before.
June 28, 2020
4.5 Stars
YOU GUYS. This is a book you need to pre-order like.. Now.
Calliope is the weirdest, nerdiest, person ever and it totally works. Her awkward flirting was cracking me up! Like literally dying laughing. Ralph took all her awkwardness with grace, that man is a trooper.
Oh Ralph. I love that man. Such a brilliant mind and a tender heart.
I don't want to give much away, but one of my favorite scenes, there may have been some shrooms involved and a very drugged out Calliope trying to put the moves on Ralph in a totally unconventional way. And she might have been hallucinating that the dinosaurs were cheering her on. Intrigued? GO ORDER.
This book was so freaking hilarious yet sexy at the same time. I would say this is more closed door steam, but their flirtations and witty banter were GOLD.
Huge thank you to @pr_butterfly for the ARC. I tried to hold off reading until closer to pub day but I was too darn excited. This title Releases July 15th!! Bravo, @erinmallon for an amazing debut!
YOU GUYS. This is a book you need to pre-order like.. Now.
Calliope is the weirdest, nerdiest, person ever and it totally works. Her awkward flirting was cracking me up! Like literally dying laughing. Ralph took all her awkwardness with grace, that man is a trooper.
Oh Ralph. I love that man. Such a brilliant mind and a tender heart.
I don't want to give much away, but one of my favorite scenes, there may have been some shrooms involved and a very drugged out Calliope trying to put the moves on Ralph in a totally unconventional way. And she might have been hallucinating that the dinosaurs were cheering her on. Intrigued? GO ORDER.
This book was so freaking hilarious yet sexy at the same time. I would say this is more closed door steam, but their flirtations and witty banter were GOLD.
Huge thank you to @pr_butterfly for the ARC. I tried to hold off reading until closer to pub day but I was too darn excited. This title Releases July 15th!! Bravo, @erinmallon for an amazing debut!
July 10, 2020
4.5 Stars for Flirtasaurus
I was intrigued to read a book written by one of my favourite narrator’s and once I realised Erin Mallon’s debut rom-com I was excited to get my hands on Flirtasaurus and I wasn’t disappointed, this book is well written, it has characters that are easy to like and it has plenty of witty banter, what more could you want in a romantic comedy.
Calliope is determined to make her dream of becoming a palaeontologist come true, it’s all she has ever wanted to do since childhood, she will do what ever is necessary to make her dream a reality, unfortunately that leads to as many blunders as opportunities.
Ralph is the swoon worthy hero who joins Calliope on her journey and that’s when the fun and games begin, but we also get to see the caring side of Ralph in his determination to support Calliope in everything she wants to do.
Quirky characters with a few flaws made this book so special, I laughed at the banter and I swooned at the kindness and the love and I’m looking forward to what’s next from this very talented narrator turned author. Great job Ms Mallon.
I was intrigued to read a book written by one of my favourite narrator’s and once I realised Erin Mallon’s debut rom-com I was excited to get my hands on Flirtasaurus and I wasn’t disappointed, this book is well written, it has characters that are easy to like and it has plenty of witty banter, what more could you want in a romantic comedy.
Calliope is determined to make her dream of becoming a palaeontologist come true, it’s all she has ever wanted to do since childhood, she will do what ever is necessary to make her dream a reality, unfortunately that leads to as many blunders as opportunities.
Ralph is the swoon worthy hero who joins Calliope on her journey and that’s when the fun and games begin, but we also get to see the caring side of Ralph in his determination to support Calliope in everything she wants to do.
Quirky characters with a few flaws made this book so special, I laughed at the banter and I swooned at the kindness and the love and I’m looking forward to what’s next from this very talented narrator turned author. Great job Ms Mallon.
July 21, 2020
The debut book by one of my favorite audio narrators, Erin Mallon, is funny, witty, and sweetly romantic. It started a little slow for me, but quickly built up to rip-roaring laughter and snark. Calliope and Ralph were the perfect couple, total geeks, and science nerds. Calliope’s vocabulary was so out there, I honestly don’t know how Erin was able to read this and make it sound easy. Calliope came off rather unlikeable in the early part of the book, a woman with absolutely no filter, but Ralph brought out her good side.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, humorous romance to take your mind off all the heavy stuff! I listened to this on Audible and the narration was wonderful. I gave it four fun stars!
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, humorous romance to take your mind off all the heavy stuff! I listened to this on Audible and the narration was wonderful. I gave it four fun stars!
July 26, 2020
The dialogue was not for me. I liked the premise but it was a lot, even as fabulous a narrator as Erin Mallon is, it just didnt work for me. I also found Calliope to be overly aggressive in her everyday interactions and it was just a no from me.
I will give her another go if she writes anything else but this was just not for me.
I will give her another go if she writes anything else but this was just not for me.
March 2, 2022
I really liked this book awhile lot! The wittiness of the characters had me laughing out loud. The quirky sex scene and the sex euphemisms…all has me giggling and pulled me right into the storyline.8 felt like I was right there in the story! Super cute, fresh, and fun
July 18, 2020
Honestly, when I started writing this review, I had no idea how deep my feelings run for it. The first 50% of the book gets 4 stars, and the second half of the book is worthy of only one star. The average is 2.5 and I am rounding it up for Amazon and Goodreads because this is the author's debut novel.
When I pick a book with the name " Flirtasaurus" I expect it to have clever and quirky humor and not the average crude humor some contemporary books have. I got the quirky part right but the comedic part felt cruder than anything else. After a certain point, this book became an eternal source of cringe for me. The book could have gotten a favorable rating from me but the shroom stuff came up and after that, it was a disaster.
Which brings me to problem number #2. Consent. Ralph of Calliope's first time happened after she drunk from a thermos full of liquid from magic shrooms and it made me worry about the kind of person Ralph is if he was willing to sleep with someone for the first time while she was under the influence of drugs. I mean she thought a dinosaur winked at her, I am still not sure about her state of mind. Did I mention that they did it in the museum where both of them work?
Aaand speaking about the museum and their work, I got tired of the wannabe "support women" trend in this book. Calliope was out of place so many times that if she were a person in real life, she would have been fired at least twice. Then there was the supervisor who considered it fair to fire a man because he broke the rules, but she didn't fire the woman because there are not many women on their field. There was no turning back for me after that.
There is one final thing that bugged me and if it wasn't for Ralph mentioning it, I wouldn't have realized it. Calliope is too self-centered and thinks that she is above other people. He doesn't say it like that exactly, but that's the general meaning of it.
Will I read the second book in the series? Yes. Mabel will be the heroine and I really loved her in this one, so I have high hopes for her. Also, this is the author's debut novel and a second chance is a must.
When I pick a book with the name " Flirtasaurus" I expect it to have clever and quirky humor and not the average crude humor some contemporary books have. I got the quirky part right but the comedic part felt cruder than anything else. After a certain point, this book became an eternal source of cringe for me. The book could have gotten a favorable rating from me but the shroom stuff came up and after that, it was a disaster.
Which brings me to problem number #2. Consent. Ralph of Calliope's first time happened after she drunk from a thermos full of liquid from magic shrooms and it made me worry about the kind of person Ralph is if he was willing to sleep with someone for the first time while she was under the influence of drugs. I mean she thought a dinosaur winked at her, I am still not sure about her state of mind. Did I mention that they did it in the museum where both of them work?
Aaand speaking about the museum and their work, I got tired of the wannabe "support women" trend in this book. Calliope was out of place so many times that if she were a person in real life, she would have been fired at least twice. Then there was the supervisor who considered it fair to fire a man because he broke the rules, but she didn't fire the woman because there are not many women on their field. There was no turning back for me after that.
There is one final thing that bugged me and if it wasn't for Ralph mentioning it, I wouldn't have realized it. Calliope is too self-centered and thinks that she is above other people. He doesn't say it like that exactly, but that's the general meaning of it.
Will I read the second book in the series? Yes. Mabel will be the heroine and I really loved her in this one, so I have high hopes for her. Also, this is the author's debut novel and a second chance is a must.
July 18, 2020
3.5 stars
Thanks to Social Butterfly PR for the complimentary digital copy of this book.
Flirtasaurus is a debut novel by one of my favorite narrators, Erin Mallon. The book revolves around paleontologist Calliope, an intern at a Natural History museum, and Ralph, an astronomer who works for the planetarium.
I loved that the book centered around a museum and dinosaurs. It was fun getting to know the museum and the various staff members and inner workings of the museum.
Another strength for me it that the book is full of all kinds of fun and interesting characters. Calliope is a force to be reckoned with and she has no filter. Ralph is quite the dreamboat who is polite, funny, and obsessed with space. The book also has a lot of great supporting characters.
So what didn't work for me is that there is just a lot of exuberant dialogue. A lot of it is absolutely hilarious. There is just a lot of it. I would have liked to have seen a little more story development and a little less chatter.
So I recommend this book for people who are fans of funny, conversational books. Also if you love museums or dinosaurs, this book has a lot to offer. I think it also would probably appeal to a younger audience just getting their feet wet in their profession. For people who prefer things more on the serious side of the spectrum, this book may be a bit much.
Thanks to Social Butterfly PR for the complimentary digital copy of this book.
Flirtasaurus is a debut novel by one of my favorite narrators, Erin Mallon. The book revolves around paleontologist Calliope, an intern at a Natural History museum, and Ralph, an astronomer who works for the planetarium.
I loved that the book centered around a museum and dinosaurs. It was fun getting to know the museum and the various staff members and inner workings of the museum.
Another strength for me it that the book is full of all kinds of fun and interesting characters. Calliope is a force to be reckoned with and she has no filter. Ralph is quite the dreamboat who is polite, funny, and obsessed with space. The book also has a lot of great supporting characters.
So what didn't work for me is that there is just a lot of exuberant dialogue. A lot of it is absolutely hilarious. There is just a lot of it. I would have liked to have seen a little more story development and a little less chatter.
So I recommend this book for people who are fans of funny, conversational books. Also if you love museums or dinosaurs, this book has a lot to offer. I think it also would probably appeal to a younger audience just getting their feet wet in their profession. For people who prefer things more on the serious side of the spectrum, this book may be a bit much.
May 17, 2021
I really wish I had read more reviews before starting this book. I had such high hopes. I wanted to love this but was ultimately disappointed on all levels.
This book had so much promise: a workplace love story between a paleontologist and an astronomer at the Natural History Museum? YES, PLEASE!
Unfortunately, I simply couldn’t connect with the heroine. She was incredibly selfish and immature. And, unfortunately, she didn’t grow much from start to finish. She makes every situation awkward, but not an endearing kind of awkward. I honestly wasn’t sure why her boss kept giving her opportunities, and it seemed like Ralph would have been better off without her. He certainly deserved better.
I had a bit of trouble reading this one because the characters monologue regularly. Conversations aren’t attributed, so it’s easy to lose track of who is speaking.
It also really troubled me that the adults get high when they’re chaperoning the lock-in at the museum. They’re high for their first sex scene, which makes for questionable consent.
There was a lot going on in this book. I should have put it down and walked away after the first chapter, but I was so hopeful it would improve.
Ultimately, this one gets a star for being a grammatically accurate, quick read and another for having a Happily Ever After.
This book had so much promise: a workplace love story between a paleontologist and an astronomer at the Natural History Museum? YES, PLEASE!
Unfortunately, I simply couldn’t connect with the heroine. She was incredibly selfish and immature. And, unfortunately, she didn’t grow much from start to finish. She makes every situation awkward, but not an endearing kind of awkward. I honestly wasn’t sure why her boss kept giving her opportunities, and it seemed like Ralph would have been better off without her. He certainly deserved better.
I had a bit of trouble reading this one because the characters monologue regularly. Conversations aren’t attributed, so it’s easy to lose track of who is speaking.
It also really troubled me that the adults get high when they’re chaperoning the lock-in at the museum. They’re high for their first sex scene, which makes for questionable consent.
There was a lot going on in this book. I should have put it down and walked away after the first chapter, but I was so hopeful it would improve.
Ultimately, this one gets a star for being a grammatically accurate, quick read and another for having a Happily Ever After.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2023
Was there any part about this book that I liked? No. Am I still giving it 2 stars out of pity — I guess? If this is now a 1 star review than I changed my mind about how much I hated this experience.
I have so many issues with this story that it does it no justice to write it out. Most of this can only be expressed in verbal ranting. But I will give writing it a shot.
I thought this would be a cute dinosaur romance, but it’s more so predatory instead? Calliope really just isn’t the main character for me. Her turns of phrase and sudden assaults on people (mmmm like smacking Ralph’s ass at work?! Oh. Excuse me. His “nugget.” She refers to his butt as a “nugget.” :| How was that allowed?!) really made me dislike her. Ralph was just kind of there? He didn’t have much of a personality. The coolest thing about him was that his name is confused for ALF. Don’t get me started on Calliope’s super religious parents who don’t believe in dinosaurs who openly discuss their sex life with their children.
I could rant for days, but at the end of this experience I feel like I lost brain cells.
I have so many issues with this story that it does it no justice to write it out. Most of this can only be expressed in verbal ranting. But I will give writing it a shot.
I thought this would be a cute dinosaur romance, but it’s more so predatory instead? Calliope really just isn’t the main character for me. Her turns of phrase and sudden assaults on people (mmmm like smacking Ralph’s ass at work?! Oh. Excuse me. His “nugget.” She refers to his butt as a “nugget.” :| How was that allowed?!) really made me dislike her. Ralph was just kind of there? He didn’t have much of a personality. The coolest thing about him was that his name is confused for ALF. Don’t get me started on Calliope’s super religious parents who don’t believe in dinosaurs who openly discuss their sex life with their children.
I could rant for days, but at the end of this experience I feel like I lost brain cells.
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