Fun and engaging

I have read and listened to many books by Joanna Chambers, but I think this is my first contemporary outing from her, and I greatly enjoyed it. It's a perfect mix of sweet-sour, grumpy-sunshine characters, ridiculous retreats, and poignant episodes. I thought it was hilarious how most of the "guests" snuck in food while they were supposed to be fasting. I loved Aaron and his sweetness, but I was glad the authors gave him the self-confidence and worth to stand up for himself with Lewis (or at least try to.) Lewis was harder to like. He really came off as a selfish, entitled a$$ at first, although it is eventually revealed why he's like that. It's sooo obvious that he and Aaron are in love, but they don't see it. The story is fun and engaging, frequently funny, but also a little sad and angsty. I loved the ending, although the "a-ha" moment felt a bit fast, and I really, really loved seeing Charlie get his comeuppance.

The narrator was new to me, and I really enjoyed the heart and emotion he infused into the characters. Each individual had a unique and distinct voice that easy to recognize and distinguish. I hope to see more audiobooks from him in the future.

I received a free copy of this audiobook and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.

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1 person found this helpful

Great slow burn, boss/employee romance

Lewis is a hard person to like at the beginning of this. He takes advantage of Aaron, even if he doesn't actively acknowledge that he's doing it (or why). But persevere, because watching Lewis' realisation about his feelings (both for Aaron and his show) and addressing some serious guilt from his childhood both glorious and heartbreaking.
Loved how Charlie, the pretentious TV executive, is suitably dispatched and dealt with.

The narrator is a new one to me and I think he did a great job (especially with Charlie) with distinctive voices for all and plenty of emotion.

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New to me authors and narrator

New to me authors, Wow

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC audio copy of this book, which brought me two new wonderful authors. I look forward to exploring their other books.

The storytelling was so well balanced between the fight between the two main characters and the background story that goes on around them. Every part kept me emotionally involved at every step. The two main characters, Lewis and Aaron, had good character depth, and there were some great side characters, even Charlie, who was a complete ARS*.

Simon Goldhill, a new to me narrator, did a brilliant job. Very clear and easy to listen to. However, like usual, I did speed up the audio to 1.30 on audible.

Total Creative Control
Creative Types, Book 1
By: Joanna Chambers, Sally Malcolm
Narrated by: Simon Goldhill
Series: Creative Types, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins

❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.30 speed on Audible

I received this audiobook for free from GRR at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review - neither the author nor GRR influenced my opinion.

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Fanfic and Romance

Total Creative Control is the first book in the Creative Type series, a contemporary romance series. This book was so good. I was not expecting it to be so addictive and I suffered the next day at work because I stayed up way too late (almost 2am!) listening to this audiobook. I didn’t want it to end.

The characters are phenomenal. Aaron is such a sweetheart, but he’s no push over. Competent, feisty, and caring, he’s the perfect person for Lewis…if only Lewis could see past his own stubbornness. Lewis was an ornery screenwriter with a sharp tongue that would cut anyone to the quick. Hidden behind this hard shell is an inner romantic, and oh my, the pay off is so good when Aaron and Lewis finally get their happy ending. The plot was predictable, but the characters and romance were so good that a predictable plot did not detract from the book.

The audiobook was narrated by Simon Goldhill who did a fantastic job with the book. I loved how he voiced all the characters – it was a fantastic performance that transported me directly into the action with the characters. The audiobook production was also well done.

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New narrator to me...

🎧🎧🎧 Audio Review 🎧🎧🎧

Loved the story when it came out a couple of years ago, as I've loved most of both Joanna's and Sally's previous work. The narrator, Simon Goldhill, is new to me and while his voice was pleasant enough, I thought he lacked the passion of Hamish McKinlay in Joanna's Enlightened series...yes, totally different works I get it but Hamish completely aced that series by bringing all the characters audibly to life. 4 stars for the narration.

***Book Review 2021***

All the stars for this one, it pushed ALL of my buttons!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.

I was so chuffed when I read that Joanna and Sally were collaborating on a story, and it totally surpassed my expectations 🥳🥳🥳. All I can say is LOVED Aaron and Lewis, thought Charlie and Mils [🤬🤬🤬] were an entitled pair of complete and utter morons [thoroughly deserving of one another], and well done Geoff for doing what you did. I can only hope Tag gets his own HEA further down the line.

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fantastic story - fantastic narrator

Absolutely loved this. Simon Goldhill is brilliant and the story is too. Wonderful ending that had me blinking back tears.

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Wonderfully Entertaining! Great Story & Listen🎧

This book drew me in right from the start, grabbing my attention and captivating it the entire time. I was not familiar with these authors and I enjoyed their writing style, I enjoyed the characters and storylines they created, which are interesting and original. This wonderful opposites attract, workplace, slow burn romance features Lewis Hunter, the grumpy boss and Aaron Page, his personal assistant with a sunny disposition. Lewis is the creator of Leeches, a popular television show, he is not the easiest of guys to work for and his personal assistants never last, that was until Aaron. Aaron loves Leeches, so much so that he writes fanfic about it, when he applied for the job as the assistant to the creator, it was supposed to be temporary, but he was still there three years later and the longest lasting P.A. to Lewis Hunter, but he became so much more than a P.A. his love and knowledge of the show and his creative ideas made him even more of an asset. Lewis does not do commitments or long-term relationships and from the moment he met Aaron he made it known it was only a work relationship and nothing more could come of it. This was to protect himself, because he liked what he saw as much as it was to protect Aaron. These two worked well together, and they both harbored deeper feelings for each other. Though nothing would ever happen between them, it was strictly a work relationship, an arrangement that worked out well for the past three years. Then a work event came up, and they got to spend time together outside of work and then one thing led to another and before you know it, they gave in to their hidden desires. Lewis’ issues get the best of him and when he finds out what Aaron does in his spare time, he loses it. I loved how everything played out in this wonderfully plotted story, it has the perfect balance of drama, angst, witty dialogue, heartfelt emotions and a slow burn romance. Joanna Chambers and Sally Malcolm, thank you for this wonderfully entertaining story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧 And for the fabulous narration, this is my first time listening to Simon Goldhill, and he did a great job bringing the characters to life, humanizing them, giving each their own distinct voice and personality, making it easy to follow along and tell who is who. He had a complete understanding of the characters he portrayed, captured all the characters’ emotions, and projected them into his performance. Goldhill is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the terrific listen.

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Wonderful

A great start to a promising series by Joanna Chambers & Sally Malcolm. Aaron and Lewis are fantastic to get to know and follow. Simon Goldhill did a super job with the narration.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

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Loved it

I wasn’t certain what to expect with this book. Illustrated covers used to strictly be the domain of rom-coms, but that’s changed in recent years. Alas, I needn’t have worried – this book was a rom com. With, perhaps, some serious stuff thrown in.

OMG, I have to say how much I loved Aaron. He’s a writer (of fan fic) and I’m in awe of anyone who puts pen to paper and spits out anything worthy of being read. I also empathized with his struggle – the boss from hell who also turns out to be not so bad. From the opening scene – where Lewis proves himself incompetent at tech and a bit of an ass – we jump ahead three years. For just a moment, I found that disorienting. But, in fact, it worked. Aaron and Lewis needed time to get to know each other. And, truly, they’ve formed an amazing partnership. Aaron isn’t really just Lewis’s assistant anymore. He’s part of the show. He gives creative input. His ideas often make it onto the screen.

So when they’re facing a watered down version hitting American audiences, Aaron, in particular, has concerns.

To work through all the issues, Lewis’s boss orders the team to a retreat. Lewis, totally panicked, drags Aaron along. Okay, these are some of the funniest scenes in the book – especially to those of us who’ve done corporate retreats before.

Things get heated between the men, but that eventually leads to what appears to be a permanent rift. But I had faith – and I suspected what the grand gesture would be – and I was thrilled to be proven right.

This is a great book and I honestly can’t wait for the next one – I hope it comes to audio soon.

Simon Goldhill was a new-to-me narrator and I thought he was perfect for this and I’ll happily pick up more books narrated by him in the future.

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4.5 Stars

Boss / Employee
Grumpy / Sunshine
Forced proximity
Passive Jealousy

Only really picked this up because I’ve got an ARC of the 2nd book. I’m SO SO SO glad I grabbed this one too.

So much tingly goodness, so much tension. I love a slow smoulder.

53% - they KISS!!! And immediately 💥 and then immediately stop talking. I love a character that is in love and doesn't even know it.

Exceptional narration. Literally listened to it straight through since I had a free day.

Love letter to fanfic in its own way. Could have got real soapboxy like many books get, but it was balanced and restrained in a way I can’t manage when I explain to my husband why romance isn’t rubbish.

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