If You Ask Me

By: Libby Hubscher

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

When an advice columnist’s picture-perfect life implodes, she opts to go rogue in this hilarious, heartwarming romance from the author of Meet Me in Paradise.

Violet Covington pens "Dear Sweetie", the most popular advice column in the state of North Carolina. She has an answer for how to politely handle any difficult situation...until she discovers her husband, Sam, has been cheating on her. Furious and out of sensible solutions, Violet leaves her filter at the door and turns to her column to air her own frustrations. The new, brutally honest Dear Sweetie goes viral, sending more shock waves through Violet’s life. When she burns Sam’s belongings in a front-yard late-night bonfire, a smoking-hot firefighter named Dez shows up to douse the flames, and an unexpected fling quickly shows potential to become something longer lasting.

A lot of people want to see the old polished Violet return - including her boss, who finds her unpredictability hard to manage, and Sam, who’s begging for another chance. But Dez appreciates Violet just the way she is - in fact, he can’t get enough of her. The right answers don’t come easily when Violet finds herself at her own personal crossroads. But maybe, by getting real, Violet can write her own happy ending.

©2022 Libby Hubscher (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“I gasped, I ground my teeth, and I cheered along with Violet as she gathered the smashed pieces of her life and used them to build something better than before.” (Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties)

"Full of southern charm and self-discovery. Libby Hubscher brings a light touch to heavy emotions in this witty novel about starting over in life and in love." (Virginia Kantra, author of Beth & Amy)

“A funny, feminist, feel-good novel about making mistakes, asking for advice, and writing your own happy ending. I laughed and I cried - this novel is an absolute joy!” (Freya Sampson, author of The Last Chance Library)

firefighter to the rescue, literally

Sometimes life can put you in the darkest situations, and sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is a bonfire you lit yourself. Firefighters, finding yourself, and a career going viral ends with a happy ending.

Great narrator, so-so story

I wanted to love this book, but it didn’t really get there for me. The premise and the beginning were fun, but then in the middle, I think there were just too many things going on. And while I appreciate that southern culture is more focused on appearance, it was tough to stomach how it dictated Violet’s decisions until the end.

A lot of emotions

This one really runs the gamit of emotions. It deals with a lot of heavy topics in a good and interesting way. It starts off a little slow and I do wish there was a little more interaction with the ex but overall I think it was pretty relatable, the emotions at least and I liked how it dealt with a variety of different relationships. I do think it got a little muddled in the middle with maybe a few too many issues it was trying to tackle at once and took away from the basic storyline. Narration was done well.

A must read

If I could give more stars I would. The narrative was real and authentic. I Loved it.

Enjoyable imperfection …

You feel like you know these characters and their prefect or not so perfect lives. It could be any of us at the brink of bad news or falling apart. Funny and relatable, I enjoyed the read.

Nice beach read

I liked this book. While it was a bit predictable (but most are), it felt like a story line that many could relate. I especially liked her prologue warning listeners about certain topics that may have felt uncomfortable to them. It was a nice touch. The only knock I would have on it and it's really just a little tap is the narrator. I just couldn't warm up to her although it's a job that I sure can't imagine doingt. It's a daunting task when so many characters are involved and I don't want to belittle her at all. I know that she has received a lot of acknowledgment for her work. I'll listen to her again and maybe change my mind.