Help Wanted

Assignment: Romance, Book 2

By: Barbara Valentin

Narrated by: Wendy Rich Stetson

Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

When Claire Nelson decided that her happily-ever-after lay not in marriage but in a spot on the New York Times best seller list, she vowed never to tie the knot. But that was before she met Paul Mendez, handsome and charming enough to have her breaking said vow and marrying him shortly after college.

Almost 15 years and four sons later, Claire is now a burned out breadwinner ready to ditch her quest for happily-ever-after, and Paul has traded his dream of chairing corporate board meetings for volunteering at PTA meetings as a stay-at-home dad. Feeling trapped in a demanding job, Claire's repeated attempts to get Paul to return to work fall flat. Contemplating divorce, she drafts a letter to the Plate Spinner, a popular advice columnist, asking for help.

But when the reply contains an offer that may just put her best-selling author dreams back on track, Claire's only question is: will Paul be on board? Or does her charming husband make a surprise move of his own?

©2015 Barbara Valentin (P)2017 Barbara Valentin

Sweet story of finding each other again!

Really enjoyed a story about the real life struggles in a long term relationship! Sure there was some pettiness and miscommunication, but that can happen when you've been having the same fight for 4 years! Loved the little quotes at the beginning of some of the chapters!
Overall refreshing to read a clean yet interesting and mature story! Hope the rest of the series comes to Audible soon!

worth the read...

Interesting role reversal. had it's laughable moments! married couple living their lives somewhat separately to make ends meet. the struggle is real!!! great story all around.

Very relatable

This is a book that anyone in a long-term relationship can find things to relate to. It's about how the day to day effects relationships and the strains and stresses. It was very relatable in many ways. Though, I can't say I understood Paul. There was a role reversal that was really interesting, and that part I could relate to. But, the lack of understanding or ability to see the burdens being placed on your partner, and then expecting them to prove they loved you before you showed them you understood was something I didn't understand. It wasn't a question of love, it was a question of trying to survive the day to day without the support of the one person who should be supporting you. There were also elements of keeping things from each other that just seemed trivial to me. It just seemed like lack of simple communication for some purpose that I didn't understand.

However, there was a lot to love and enjoy about this story. I totally got Claire in so many ways. Like her, I was never a girly girl, dreaming of white dresses, weddings, and princes. I never wanted to get married or have kids. I had to many things to do and see. Then, I met this guy that changed every idea I thought I had about what I wanted. And, I'm so happy he did. When I got to the obit assignment, I was laughing so hard, I had to stop it. I re-wound it and played it back for my guy, and we were both cracking up. (You have to listen or read it to understand.) But, this story is about the juggling of the day to day, and trying to find balance between the needs and wants of your family and your own. And, I think most people with a family can relate to that.

And, of course, Wendy Rich Stetson did her usual amazing job narrating. She captured those little nuances that had me either laughing out loud or really feeling the pain of the characters. It's by far not a heavy read, but one with some substance and relatability.

I loved the messiness of life in this book!

In this book, Claire and Paul have a messy life, just like the rest of us. They have four boys, dirty clothes all over the place, a million places to be and bills that have to be paid. And one of them doesn't have a paying job--Paul. He's a stay-at-home dad while Claire is supporting the family with a job she hates. She dropped her dreams of a real writing job that will give her joy long ago. She is STUCK.And she is really MAD.
All of a sudden life is changing. Changing for both Paul and Claire, but the changes are kept secret from each other. Could the secrets finish off the marriage that is already rocky, or will the marriage turn into the joy Claire has been searching for?
This story by Barbara Valentin was so enjoyable and the narration by Wendy Rich Stetson was superb. I loved all the voices she used for all the women, men and children. An all around excellent experience!

Book 2

Any additional comments?

Help Wanted is book 2 in the an Assignment romance novels. There are many of the same characters as False Start book 1 .
Claire has been forced to be the sole breadwinner of the family because her husband Paul just gave up.I really didn't like Paul. He redeems himself by the end but he was such a selfish prick in the beginning of the book I really had a hard time warming up to him.

Very Well Done - Loved this story

This story provided an interesting take on how to fix what's wrong in your marriage. It's imaginative and very well done.

I love both Paul and Claire, who love each other, but have drifted apart and can't seem to get back to what they once had.

This story highlights the importance of following your dreams, allowing those you love to follow their dreams, and not forgetting along the journey the things (and people) who matter the most.

A beautiful and inspirational story.

I listened to the audio version, and narrator, Wendy Rich Stetson, did a really good job.

My Musings

I recently read/listened to Fresh Start by Barbara Valentin and thoroughly enjoyed it. Wendy Rich Stetson asked if I would be interested in listening to this book, and since I loved the first book in this series, I eagerly accepted. Help Wanted is another great example of romantic comedy!

Claire Mendez is stuck in a dead-end job, but since she’s the bread-winner ever since her husband lost his job and decided to be a stay-at-home dad to their four boys. She’s grown resentful toward her husband and is questioning her commitment to their marriage.

When she receives her pink slip, she sees this as a chance to shake up her life in more than one way. While browsing the want ads, she stumbles across and advertisement for a writer of an advice column in a magazine. Unable to resist, she answers the ad and receives an offer to interview. Part of the process, the editor sent her a few letters from people needing advice, and she needs to write her responses.

The editor loves her answers and immediately offers her the part-time position. She accepts it, and fortunately, an old friend in her old career offers her a temporary position, one which will still give her the opportunity to write the column. Unsure of her husband’s reaction, she does not tell him about the column.

When Paul realizes his marriage is on the line and that Claire is close to calling it quits, he finds a temporary position as an accountant. He does not tell his wife since he can work from home and still handle their boys.

Can these secrets each is keeping from one another work in their favor and ultimately save their marriage?

Help Wanted is a hilarious romantic comedy with plenty of heart. The couple’s boys add a lot of flavor to the story. The pacing is fast and makes this book an easy read/listen. Although it has its serious moments, they are dealt with in a light- hearted manner that does not take away from the seriousness of the couple’s issues.

Claire is a great character. I fell in love with her from the first page to the last. I could understand her resentment toward her husband and her disappointment in having to give up her dreams because her husband has given up on his. She deals with her problems with humor and does not allow her difficulties affect her boys.

Paul lost his corporate job through no fault of his own, but nonetheless, it destroyed his confidence, rather than risk failure again, he has thrown himself into being a great dad. I completely understood why he made the decisions he did, but I was glad he could recognize he needed to change.


If you enjoy great characters, in an interesting plot and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, then you will love Help Wanted. Wendy Rich Stetson does another fantastic job bring the characters to life. Her narration is so good, I will go out of my comfort zone and listen to books I normally would not consider. I highly recommend Help Wanted, you’ll love it as much as I did. Happy reading!

Great Book!

Any additional comments?

This is a great book; this is the second book in the Assignment: Romance series written by Barbara Valentin and narrated by Wendy Rich Stetson. When Claire Nelson decided that her happily-ever-after lay not in marriage but in a spot on the New York Times best seller list, she vowed never to tie the knot. But that was before she met Paul Mendez, handsome and charming enough to have her breaking said vow and marrying him shortly after college.
Almost 15 years and four sons later, Claire is now a burned out breadwinner ready to ditch her quest for happily-ever-after, and Paul has traded his dream of chairing corporate board meetings for volunteering at PTA meetings as a stay-at-home dad. Feeling trapped in a demanding job, Claire's repeated attempts to get Paul to return to work fall flat. Contemplating divorce, she drafts a letter to the Plate Spinner, a popular advice columnist, asking for help.This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. The narrator did a wonderful job with this book. She did a great job with the different voices of each character in this book. It was very easy to listen to and I didn’t want to stop listening until the end. If you are looking for a great book with well-developed characters then you need to listen to this book. I am looking forward to listening to the next book by this author and narrator. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Help Wanted

This is such a realistic story it's hard to not find someone in your life that you can relate this too. Their are points in the beginning that you wonder why Clair is even sticking to her marriage and want to just scream get out!!!! But then the story moves along and you realize that she really does still loved her husband and wonder how long is to long to coddle a spouse with no interest in helping out. I love that the characters were brought in and out of the story from book one that is always a nice touch in my opinion!

I loved this book!

This is the first book by Barbara Valentin that I have listened to. I loved it so much that I bought the first book in this series (False Start) in Audible. Wendy Rich Stetson performs both. She added so much to this book with her expressions and emotions. I loved the humor in this book and how it was delivered. This book is part of a series, yet it is a standalone listen. I highly recommend this book. I found this book to be low on steam but that isn't needed in all books. This is a refreshing, realistic, and humorous listen that focuses on a married couple (10+ years and 4 boys) that re-evaluates what they want out of life. I was voluntarily provided with this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, narrator and or publisher.