Getting Schooled by Emma Chase

Narrated by Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber

Whether she’s writing about office romances or royal families, Emma Chase never disappoints. In Getting Schooled, Ms. Chase brings us back to high school, young love and second chances; and once again though a new setting, Ms. Chase finds a way to weave a compelling, entertaining, humorous, and heart-warming romance. But if the tale of a former student love turned teacher love is not enough to get you to listen, then the splendid narration by duo Zachary Webber and Andi Arndt will surely seal the deal. Moreover, as Getting Schooled was first released by Audible as an audio-format exclusive, if you prefer to read this story, you will not have the opportunity to do so until late June when the e-book and paperback version will finally be released.

Garrett Daniels (the star quarterback) and Callie Carpenter were the perfect couple in high school. But that was years ago, and they now lead completely different lives. After he blew his knee in college and as a result his chances to be an NFL football star, Garrett returned home to his small New Jersey town and became the coach of the football team at his former high school. Callie, in turn, moved away to California and realized her dreams of having a career in drama. Most recently she was offered a promotion to be the director of the theater she works at.

And then everything changes when Callie gets a phone call that her aging parents have been in a car accident (and each has broken a leg). With both parents needing extended care until they can heal from their injuries, Callie is left with no choice but to request a leave of absence for several months in order to come back home and help them. Life is expensive though, and she decides she will help defray the costs by taking a temporary job teaching drama at her old high school. That’s when she bumps into none other than Garrett who extends an offer to help get her up to speed with what it’s like to teach at the high school.

What happened all those years ago? Can true love be denied? Even if Garrett and Callie decide to explore their feelings again, can there possibly be a second chance at romance in the cards when they both lead such different lives and on two different coasts?

Zachary Webber and Andi Arndt narrate Getting Schooled in the typical contemporary romance dual narration fashion, where Mr. Webber narrates the chapters from Garrett’s perspective and Ms. Arndt the ones from Callie’s. This style works well as it gives you a clear demarcation between the point of view being shared.

I enjoy both Mr. Webber’s and Ms. Arndt’s styles of narration. Both are great at imbuing their renditions with feeling and emotion, making you feel like you are really listening to a scene playing out in front of you. Additionally, both narrators do a good job with providing distinguishable voices so that you know which character is speaking in the dialogues.

All in all, Getting Schooled was a fun, entertaining romance that provides a glimpse at what it would be like to turn back the clock. Sometimes we can get so carried away with life and its demands, including our careers–Getting Schooled provides a good underlying message that it can be beneficial every once in a while to take a step back and really assess what we want and need out of life.