9780062205773
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On the Rocks audiobook

  • By: Erin Duffy
  • Narrator: Cyndi Shope
  • Category: Fiction, Literary
  • Length: 10 hours 19 minutes
  • Publisher: HarperAudio
  • Publish date: April 22, 2014
  • Language: English
  • (1875 ratings)
(1875 ratings)
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On the Rocks Audiobook Summary

A funny, bittersweet, yet heartwarming novel about friendship, family, and finding love in the Facebook age–not to mention the perils, pitfalls, and dubious pleasures of life as a modern young single woman–from Erin Duffy, the author of the acclaimed Bond Girl

Ever since she was a little girl, Abby Wilkes dreamed of her wedding, the day when she’d wear a pretty white dress and look like a princess. . . .

But that was before her life fell apart for the entire world to see. Her longtime boyfriend-turned-fiance, Ben, unceremoniously dumped her–changing his status to single on Facebook–while she was trying on the most gorgeous Vera Wang dress for the big day.

Six months and twenty pounds later, the usual remedies–cupcakes, a freezer stocked with pints of Ben and Jerry’s, sweatpants, and a comfy couch–haven’t worked their magic. Worried about her best friend, Grace devises the perfect plan to get Abby back on her game. The two of them are going to escape sweltering Boston and its reminders of Ben and head to Newport for the summer. In a quaint rented cottage by the sea, the girls will enjoy cool breezes, cocktails, and crowds of gorgeous men.

But no matter which way they turn, Abby and Grace discover that in this era of social media–when seemingly everyone is preserving every last detail of their lives online and prying eyes are everywhere–there is no real escape. Truth to tell, dating has never been easy. But now that the rules have changed and the boundaries are blurred beyond recognition, will they ever find true love? And if they do, how can romance stand a chance when a girl’s every word and move can go viral with a single click?

As the summer winds down to Labor Day, Abby will make some surprising discoveries–about love, men, friendship . . . and, most important, herself.

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On the Rocks Audiobook Narrator

Cyndi Shope is the narrator of On the Rocks audiobook that was written by Erin Duffy

Erin Duffy graduated from Georgetown University with a B.A. in English and worked on Wall Street, a career that inspired her first novel, Bond Girl. She lives in New York City with her husband (whom she met the old-fashioned way–in a bar).

About the Author(s) of On the Rocks

Erin Duffy is the author of On the Rocks

More From the Same

On the Rocks Full Details

Narrator Cyndi Shope
Length 10 hours 19 minutes
Author Erin Duffy
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date April 22, 2014
ISBN 9780062205773

Subjects

The publisher of the On the Rocks is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Fiction, Literary

Additional info

The publisher of the On the Rocks is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062205773.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Holly

August 23, 2014

Really enjoyable. I found the characters relatable, loved the relationships between everyone--especially Bobby and Abby. I found moments to be humorous and found myself quite often saying how happy I am that I don't have to experience dating in this day and age! What a nightmare it seems to be!! I also think that the author did a good job of making me feel like I was right there experiencing everything in the story. I felt like I was enjoying the rest of my summer with the gang in Rhode Island and it wasn't a bad place to be.

Diane

April 24, 2014

Erin Dufy's debut novel, Bond Girl, dropped the reader into the crazy Wall Street world of financial analysts. Through the eyes of her protagonist, fresh out of business school and working her first big job, we saw the insane hours, the misogynist attitudes of some of her colleagues and clients, and the crazy things that people did to blow off steam. It made my list as one of the Most Compelling Books of 2012.Her new novel, On The Rocks, tells the story of Abby, a Boston Catholic school kindergarten teacher who finds out from a posting on Facebook that her fiancee has dumped her- while she was trying on wedding gowns. Abby falls completely apart, humiliated in front of her family and friends. She refuses to leave her apartment, and fills her refrigerator with pints of ice cream.Abby's best friend Grace has a line on a summer rental in Newport, Rhode Island and sees this as a way for Abby to escape from Boston and get her life back on track. Grace will be there on the weekends, so she encourages Abby to look for a job and get back into the dating world.Bobby is an unemployed lawyer who knows Grace, and along with his friend, Wolf, a German working on his English skills and trying to meet girls, they all hang out together. Bobby is a smart ass, but he is willing to be Abby's wingman, help her meet guys, and school her in the new ways of social media dating.And boy does she need help. Grace is furious to discover that Abby's ex-fiance, who moved away and compared Abby to "a really, really comfortable sock that you've had forever and love, so you keep it, even though you know it's time to replace it," is texting Abby and Abby is answering him back.Grace has her own problem; she is involved with a married lawyer at her firm who swears he is leaving his wife for her. Abby would like Grace to see other men, but it is not worth fighting over with Grace.They get into a vicious fight one night in front of Bobby and he is shocked over the awful things they say to each other. (I was kind of shocked too.)The characters here, as in Duffy's first book, are so well drawn, you feel like you know them. As I was reading On The Rocks, I felt like I was one of the group, hanging out with Abby, Grace, Bobby and Wolf on the beach, going to bars, eating seafood on the deck. Duffy has an uncanny ability to put the reader right there with them.Bobby and Grace tell Abby that she is being too picky, and then to prove their point, Abby reels off a list of deal breakers."Well, I mean I don't think I could date a guy who chews with his mouth open. I have no patience for guys with bad table manners. I won't be able to handle anyone who eats like a Neanderthal. Oh, and he can't be a Jets fan. God, I could never date a Jets fan...And he needs to have good teeth. This day and age, there is no excuse for an overbite." I didn't care if Grace thought this was hypercritical. I like a nice smile. Sue me.Duffy puts humor in this tale that made me laugh out loud. When Abby tried to restore some order to her life by organizing her apartment, going so far as to alphabetize her spice rack "so she could locate the cinnamon right next to the cloves should some sort of spontaneous bake-off erupt in my apartment", I chortled.Abby's mom reminded me of the mother character in Carrie Fisher's novel, Postcards From The Edge, played memorably in the movie by Shirley McLaine. Her mother is devastated that the wedding has been called off because she couldn't wait for everyone to see how good she looked. She ends up wearing a bridal gown to her younger daughter's wedding, as if it was her own wedding. She is a piece of work.Bobby is my favorite character in the novel. He seems to like Abby more than he lets on, but he does his best to set her up with other guys. He is funny, charming, a freeloader (always coming over for beer, food and cigarettes), but he seems to be a genuine good guy. Watching Abby and Bobby's budding friendship is one of the highlights of the novel.On The Rocks is the perfect book to drop in your bag as you head for spring break or look forward to summers on the beach. I'd love to run into Abby, Bobby and the gang again in a future novel.

Ash

November 30, 2017

Loved this book. The main character is so relatable and I loved the ending.

Sara

January 01, 2014

After her fiance Ben very publicly dumps her on Facebook Abby retreats from both her social life and social networking, barely emerging from the comfort of her apartment, ice cream, and television binges. When her best friend Grace insists that she spend the summer with her in a rented cottage in Newport, Abby reluctantly agrees, if for no other reason than to placate Grace. With the help of Grace, an old classmate, and two new guy friends who remind Abby that good guys do exist, she takes steps to reclaim her life. Abby considers herself an old fashioned girl, but she quickly learns that, with social networking and internet stalking, the rules of the dating game have grown complicated... and utterly ridiculous. But Abby refuses to let social media and google searches rule her life. ON THE ROCKS is for every woman who's found herself on the wrong side of social media, in the aftermath of a bad breakup, or elbow deep in Ben & Jerry's when things fall apart and is determined to put things back together.Though I've never been broken up with via social media of any type (thankfully!) I found it easy to relate to Abby and her disgust with how intertwined technology and relationships & dating have become. Though Abby's engagement ended with her ex's change of relationship status and his sudden move out-of-state, she still has a hard time separating herself from him. First, she finds herself Facebook stalking him, and, after deleting her account, she's still plagued by texts and emails he sporadically sends. Even though she knows she should be strong enough to ignore his attempts at contact, she's unable to simply delete the messages and is repeatedly pulled back in, even as he dates and moves on with his life. Then, when she finally breaks back into the dating scene, she finds she still can't escape the effects of constant communication and social media. Even if she's not using social media, a simple Google search reveals all sorts of personal information(and embarrassing photos of fashion mistakes past) and not having a Facebook page has a negative connotation of its own. It's pretty safe to say that most anyone can relate to Abby's struggles in one way or another.I really liked Abby's relationship with the two guys she befriends while living in Newport. While both have flaws, they are, at heart, good guys that restore Abby's faith in men. Both are straight shooters and tell it like it, even when the truth doesn't cast them in the best light. Abby's snark, the beach setting, and the honesty and humor of ON THE ROCKS makes it a perfect beach read.

Amanda

November 20, 2015

So many "beach read" books tend to be shallow, fluffy, predictable and dumbed-down, however this book surprised me by being so much more than the average "beach read." This book was written intelligently, geared toward an older crowd (Abby is in her 30s, not straight out of college, which makes her more 3-dimensional with a career and having lived life as an adult for a while), and not bubble-gum sweet, based nicely in realistic believability. Abby, a 31-year-old Kindergarten teacher, is trying on wedding dresses when she finds out via her best friend Grace, who finds out via Facebook that her boyfriend of 10 years has changed his relationship status to Single. This is the least believable part of the book, by the way. Luckily, in the face of a humiliating break-up, Grace has a great opportunity to rent a beach house in Newport Beach for the summer and invites Abby to share it with her. Abby meets Grace's quirky ladies-man friend Bobby and his roommate from Germany, Wolf, and they quickly become a tight summer group who bar-hops and watches each others' backs. Although Bobby annoys Abby to no end, she eventually realizes what a loyal friend he is and sees him in a different light. The summer sees Abby go from a kicked puppy with little confidence to a strong single woman ready to face the dating world again. I never once rolled my eyes while reading this book, which says a lot for this genre. I truly enjoyed this grown-up version of a break-up beach read story and would recommend it to any of my girlfriends.

Meg - A Bookish Affair

April 26, 2014

3.5 stars. When Abby is unceremoniously dumped by her seemingly perfect fiance on Facebook, she is pretty sure that her life is over and that she is never going to get over this rejection. Her friend Grace gets her to break out of her shell and spend the summer at the shore, where some old friends and some new ones too show her that she can stand on her own and that there are good guys out there that still exist. This is a fun read about picking yourself off the ground and letting you be the one that saves yourself.This is the second book by Erin Duffy. I read the first one, "Bond Girl" and really enjoyed it. And a lot of the reasons that I enjoyed "Bond Girl" are present again in this book. The writing is nicely paced and the way that the characters are written is really realistic and definitely pulled me into the book.Abby is definitely a character that grew on me as the book went on and I'm glad that I gave her a chance. At first, I didn't like that she was very woe-is-me and seemed to care more about what people thought of her break-up than the fact that she was broken up. At first she seemed more sad about not having all of the things that go along with a wedding than not having her fiance. As the book goes on and Abby gets stronger and more secure in herself, she also grows and changes a lot. Once she realizes that it is up to her to save herself, she becomes a character that you will enjoy.Overall, I enjoyed this book. It would be a perfect light read for the upcoming beach season!

Amber

May 17, 2014

So imagine you're engaged. You're trying on wedding dresses and then you find out you've been dumped.Via Facebook.This is what happens to Abby. Her fiance Ben, changes his status to "single" on Facebook before letting her know in person that it's over. Humiliated, Abby decides to go to the beach for the summer with her best friend Grace to help heal. There she meets new people: Wolf, a fun German who messes up American Idioms and Bobby, a skinny unemployed lawyer. She also goes on several (disastrous) dates. Will she find love again? Or will she give up on men? I liked the book, but I wasn't a fan of Abby's friend Grace, who is dating a married man. Grace doesn't seem to realize that she's doing a bad thing, and Abby makes excuses for her, even saying crap like, "love isn't rational, and sometimes you can't choose it. It chooses you." Maybe this makes me a bad friend, but I couldn't tolerate a friend who went for a married dude, and I certainly wouldn't be spewing excuses. So no, I really couldn't sympathize with Grace, even when her married boyfriend's wife confronts her.I did root for Abby, hoping that she'd finally get over Ben. And Ben, by the way, continues to text her, despite dumping her in a horrible manner. This is a fantastic book to read on the beach and bonus, it takes place on the beach!

Shonda

August 11, 2016

Abby is planning her future with Ben when she learns he called off their engagement... via Facebook. Abby spirals down a dark hole until her best friend Grace rescues her. Grace's solution: spend the summer in Newport, Rhode Island. Initially Abby resists, but soon realizes a change of scenery may be what she needs.On the Rocks deals with the pain and self-discovery one faces after the breakup of a serious relationship. Told in Abby's voice, the reader will find it easy to connect with her. She's a flawed character, she admits this, and is determined to find love again. Duffy's second novel should not be overlooked.

LibraryReads

March 10, 2014

“After her fiance dumps her on Facebook, Abby retreats to her apartment until her best friend invites her to spend the summer in Newport. This book is for every woman who’s been determined to put things back together after finding herself on the wrong side of social media, in the aftermath of a bad breakup, or elbow deep in Ben & Jerry’s when things fall apart.”Sara Grochowski, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Alpena, MI

Lauren

April 29, 2014

If you are looking for a fun beach read, check this book out!

Shalimar

February 02, 2017

Light beach reads are always my favorite!

Suzanne

September 12, 2022

3.5-3.75 stars

Leni

February 07, 2022

** spoiler alert ** This book is an excellent read for the beach, a lazy day off, or after a break up. Abby Wilkes thinks she is on her way to becoming a wife who lives happily ever after. But in the middle of trying on wedding dresses and planning her future, she learns that her fiancé has informed the whole world via Facebook that the wedding is off. What follows is the emotional roller coaster of Abby nursing her broken heart, wallowing in self-pity, forcing herself against her will to put her life back together, and with the support of friends and a summer at the beach, becoming a new and better person that she didn’t know she had the strength to be. While the plot is fairly predictable, with her ex fiancé begging her to take him back just as she’s starting to get over him, Abby’s response wasn’t as predictable. At the point in the book where he begged her forgiveness, I wasn’t sure if she would fold and take him back immediately, tell him she needed to think about it, or tell him he is a loser that she never cares to see again. I did assume that Abby would end up meeting someone new at the beach who would be her perfect match and the moral of the story would be that if you have a broken heart, reluctantly nurse it during a summer at the beach where you’ll unexpectedly meet the real man of your dreams and ride off into the sunset together. But if Abby fell in love with anyone at the beach, it was herself. She grew into a stronger and more confident young woman who had no fear of facing the world alone and on her own terms. For anyone who knows the frustrations of failed relationships, the pressure to get married by a certain age, and the feelings of self doubt and fear that happen when you are that age and still single, this is a relatable and entertaining read.

Margie

June 12, 2021

I needed a palate cleanser, and this book fit the bill. Attorney Grace and kindergarten teacher Abby are longtime friends who live in Boston and decide to rent a house in the beach town of Newport, Rhode Island for the summer (Grace will spend her weekends there). Both are dealing with difficult issues. Abby has been trying to recover for months from a brutal breakup with her longtime boyfriend and fiance, and Grace is having an affair with a married man at her law firm. Abby has a lot of awful dates but makes some new male friends, while Grace agonizes over whether her man will ever leave his wife, and whether she can deal with the repercussions if he does. I enjoyed this undemanding read.

Michelle

December 05, 2018

This book doesn’t have a lot of good reviews however I took a chance and gave it a listen. I gave it 4 stars bc I’m not sure how to give 1/2 stars...it’s more like 3.5 stars. The story line was a bit different than most romance type books which was a positive. The main character was a bit annoying at times but overall relatable and not typical. I have listened to a lot of books that were worse and I don’t regret the time it took to listen to this one but it was not life changing or inspiring...just a quick read to take ur mind to the beach.

Suzanne Pixley

January 19, 2020

Escape to NewportGreat book about thirty old women who have lost the main man in their lives. A fast read with all of the hilarious scenes and commentary as they recognize their personal strengths and move on with their lives. It's definitely not an icky romance, but instead leans on the strengths of friends. I found myself laughing as I recognized scenes that myself and more than one of my friends have gone through--funny now but tough at the time. Highly recommend for women past middle age.

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