What Matters

By: Garrett Leigh

Narrated by: Chloe De Burgh

“It’s a good fear, Sam. I’d miss it if it wasn’t there...”

Musical prodigy Eddie Dean gets everything she wants. The best violin, the best boyfriend, and a place at the best music school in London are hers until her father goes bankrupt. Once the financial façade comes tumbling down, Eddie’s broke and her boyfriend couldn’t care less.

The doorstep of Jimmy’s Café is the last place she expects to wash up.

Scrubbing dishes and serving fried breakfasts to pay her rent is as hellish as she imagined, and her new life is made worse by the disdain of her boss’ sneering grandson. Sam Nowak is arrogant, rude, and gorgeous, and if Eddie never sees him again, it will be too soon. Shame she can’t stop thinking about him. Dreaming about him. Craving him.

And then there’s his best friend Dylan.

Dylan is as light as Sam is dark, and Eddie wants him too. She can have him too—according to Sam—but when Sam reveals a vulnerability that could cost him his life, it’s time for Eddie to face the music. Does she still need to get everything she wants, or should she choose what matters?

©2017 Garrett Leigh (P)2022 Garrett Leigh

A bit different for this author but I loved it.

My husband and I enjoyed listening to this audiobook while we were on a road trip. I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Garrett Leigh, including one other M/F book. Eddie’s (Edwina) secure life at university blows up when her father goes bankrupt. She gets a job doing the last thing she ever thought she’d do – working in a café where she meets the owner’s grandson, Sam.

I like that the story showed Eddie’s growth from a spoiled rich girl to someone who becomes proud of earning her own way. Sam is a bit of a jerk but he and Eddie seem to communicate best when they are snarking with each other and I can relate to that. 😊

Sam is a Type-I diabetic and that was probably some of the reason for his being a jerk at times. Many people may not realize how much blood sugar levels can affect a diabetic’s personality. Sam’s management of his diabetes was an integral part of the story and I felt that it was portrayed very realistically.

There’s an interesting (and HOT) scene with Eddie, Sam and Sam’s BFF, Dylan, that didn’t exactly fit into the story line but that was OK with me because I like 🔥🔥🔥. 😊

A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request and my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.

A fantastic listen to a great romance.

What I can always count on with this author when I begin one of their books is I am going to get complicated characters. Characters that are going to make mistakes, put themselves in harm's way and sometimes even do things that make me want to give them a mother’s tap on the back of their heads. But they are real characters, not just ink on a page, they live and breathe and are human. That's what makes me adore this author's work and what ultimately sets it aside from the rest.

While this is a sub-genre departure from the usual Garrett Leigh, it's not so far removed that the essence of what makes a Garrett Leigh book is absent. Sure, we have a woman lead in this book but Eddie still fits the complicated and complex role that she fits right in with all the others in the Leigh Universe.

Now speaking of Eddie. I like that the book begins with us being thrown straight into her drama and turmoil. She's a young woman, a university student who plays violin and who depends on her father for financial assistance. The book opens with Eddie's dad going bankrupt and Eddie falling down a hole of WTF am I supposed to do now? It's not unheard of that young people rely on their parents for financial support going through school and that many of them (my step son included) didn't have to do anything for money until they were absolutely forced to. So reading that Eddie was a novice at working didn't faze me. But now that she knows she needs to fend for herself, Eddie grasps at the reins of an opportunity that presents itself when she ends up in Jimmy's Cafe after a night of bad sex and not knowing what comes next.

Let's just take a moment to acknowledge the food in this book. Again, a signature of the authors work is food and how hungry their work can make you while reading. The life of anyone in the food industry is always a welcome and real aspect of their books and I always look forward to it. Also on a personal note, whenever a character states they don't eat meat, I get a happy grin.

Back to Eddie. Eddie who needs money. Eddie who has a boyfriend who is awful in bed.
***Side bar: Ugh. Ian. I have to mention him because he is Eddie's boyfriend when we begin but he was just so not...not anything really. I feel bad saying that but yeah. Ian was not.***

Anyway, Eddie who is 22 and lost. I liked Eddie. She is flawed but think back to the decisions you made at 22, go ahead I’ll wait for the cringe to fall from your face. Yeah. 22 was fun, eh? But she’s doing her best and when we meet the handsome man with the bedroom eyes that she is now working for aka Sam. Things start to heat up and I’m not just the temperature in the kitchen.

Sam, my man. You gruff dude with a slight chip on your shoulder. You my dear had me spinning from the jump. You’re a jerk and yet you do things like take care of your grandparents. You kiss like your life depends on it but you also tell the woman you’re with she annoys you but you’d sleep with her anyway. You’re competent, confident and crass and I craved to read your name on the page. When I found out your medical history, all your moods sort of made sense. Sort of. What am I saying, I’d probably forgive you for a lot.

I don’t like you.”
Eddie smiled. “I don’t like you either.”
“So why am I here?”
“You tell me.”

Goodness, even the early push and pull between Sam and Eddie was delicious. I love that he shows vulnerability right away and that Eddie sees more than his grumpy side.


Dylan. Where oh where did you come from and are we going to get more of you? (I just realized we DO get more of you in your own mm novel). Not saying we didn’t get *ahem* a lot of you in this book but you dear sir deserve more on page time. I loved your friendship with Sam and how easily you fell in step with Eddie. And then stepped in WITH Eddie and Sam. What can I say, the three of you were hot and Eddie I’m jealous. I really should have stopped at that scene and not listened at work because a fair skinned ginger without a poker face is kind of a dead giveaway but there was no way I was going to stop after Eddie gave the green light.

Goodness am I rambling? It’s been a long time since I’ve done that. Guess that means the book was good, eh? It was good.

The narration was perfect! Chloe De Burgh delivered this story with the detailed professionalism that made this an easy listen. There are times when listening to romance with on page sex that can make me feel like a preteen watching something I shouldn’t; you know – shame and embarrassment, but De Burgh delivered this flawlessly and every word was simply part of the story.

What Matters is an aptly titled romance between two characters who really find out what matters most to them when they are thrust together and life and in love. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the romance of Sam and Eddie.

Raw and Gritty

Everything Garrett Leigh writes is gold! This story, to me, was no different! It’s raw, gritty, and I like how the MCs have such a disdain for each other at the beginning but yet by the end they love and care for each other so much. They each learn valuable things from each other about judgement and life.

Eddie and Sam’s story was filled with miscommunication and the pair of them misjudging each other. They both have to learn to put their pride aside for the sake of the other at times and when they are getting along, the chemistry between them is fire.

Garrett is mainly an M/M author but I will read literally anything she writes and this story was no exception. I really enjoyed it.

I’m not the biggest fan of female narrators but Chloe De Burgh nailed this. The narration was fantastic in my opinion and I loved her voice. It wasn’t whiny or weird which is something I have issues with listening to other female narration and I would 100 percent listen to more books narrated by her! Her male voices weren’t off putting and I enjoyed the entire audio.

This book comes 100 percent recommended by me.