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The Protectors #1
Call Me Anytime
A virgin phone sex operator. A detective. And a murder. Love shows up at the oddest times in this funny, emotional, and suspenseful romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe.
Down and almost out in Nashville, Hannah May takes a job at what she thinks is a telemarketing company. To her shock, it’s a phone sex hotline. Unfortunately, the only role-playing Hannah can do with conviction is as a cash-strapped twenty-five-year-old virgin caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s. If only her callers were into that fantasy. Instead, one of them is looking for a killer.
Detective Dominic Dunn is investigating the murder of another hotline operator when Hannah’s endearing awkwardness, quirky charm, and fierce devotion to her mother crack his professional facade. Despite the circumstances, their connection is instant and electric. For the first time in years, Hannah finds herself living instead of just surviving—even if that means playing amateur sleuth between awkward attempts at phone seduction.
But as their relationship deepens and the investigation intensifies, Dominic’s protective instincts go into overdrive. With every call Hannah takes, she gets closer to both love and danger.
Because somewhere in Nashville, on the other end of her line, a killer is waiting.
Down and almost out in Nashville, Hannah May takes a job at what she thinks is a telemarketing company. To her shock, it’s a phone sex hotline. Unfortunately, the only role-playing Hannah can do with conviction is as a cash-strapped twenty-five-year-old virgin caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s. If only her callers were into that fantasy. Instead, one of them is looking for a killer.
Detective Dominic Dunn is investigating the murder of another hotline operator when Hannah’s endearing awkwardness, quirky charm, and fierce devotion to her mother crack his professional facade. Despite the circumstances, their connection is instant and electric. For the first time in years, Hannah finds herself living instead of just surviving—even if that means playing amateur sleuth between awkward attempts at phone seduction.
But as their relationship deepens and the investigation intensifies, Dominic’s protective instincts go into overdrive. With every call Hannah takes, she gets closer to both love and danger.
Because somewhere in Nashville, on the other end of her line, a killer is waiting.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2025
1317 people are currently reading
9743 people want to read
About the author
Max Monroe
70 books9,297 followersMany moons ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history...
Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of more than thirty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.
Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of more than thirty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 674 reviews
July 19, 2025
A phone sex worker gets wrapped up in a murder investigation with a hot detective. She is also horrible at phone sex. In a laughable way. Because she is a virgin.
Most of the time I find books about adult virgins to be immature or far fetched, but in this case the reason for her being a virgin still makes total sense.
I laughed out loud a lot especially in the beginning. I can’t remember the last book that made me do that. I really enjoyed this and think it was perfect. Action, murder, romance, humor- what more could you want?
I think this will be a HUGE hit and it motivates me to read more by this author.
There was a mini break up towards the end. I do understand the frustration she had with him although I never would have broken up with him and would have been happy. In the end, everything ends up perfect.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that if you like NCIS that you will probably love this book as it plays a huge role throughout the book.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Most of the time I find books about adult virgins to be immature or far fetched, but in this case the reason for her being a virgin still makes total sense.
I laughed out loud a lot especially in the beginning. I can’t remember the last book that made me do that. I really enjoyed this and think it was perfect. Action, murder, romance, humor- what more could you want?
I think this will be a HUGE hit and it motivates me to read more by this author.
There was a mini break up towards the end. I do understand the frustration she had with him although I never would have broken up with him and would have been happy. In the end, everything ends up perfect.
Also, it’s worth pointing out that if you like NCIS that you will probably love this book as it plays a huge role throughout the book.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2025
3.5 / 5 Stars
I loved the first two-thirds of this – it was unique, funny, and strange in a very fun way. The last third turned into your average, run of the mill romance and lost some steam for me. In “Call Me Anytime,” Hannah unknowingly interviews for a job at a phone sex line (when you see a newspaper ad for a hotline, maybe clarify what you’ll you be call people about), but the money is too good to pass up so even though she is a virgin with no experience, she takes the job. It’ll help her pay off her reverse mortgage (I had to google that one) and take care of her mom who has early onset Alzheimer’s. However, when the second girl who used to work Hannah’s line is murdered, Hannah meets Detective Dominic Dunn. Dom wants to solve this murder and in order to do so, he’ll have to listen to Hannah’s calls to see if anyone suspicious is calling. Hannah and Dom can’t deny their connection even though it crosses many lines and as the investigation intensifies, so does their relationship.
You will probably like this book if you like:
☎️ Romantic suspense
☎️ Sex phone operator FMC x Detective MMC
☎️ Virgin FMC
☎️ Age gap (25F / 35M)
I love a weirdo main character and Hannah was so delightfully weird in the first part of the book. To be clear, it is not weird that she is a virgin – the weirdness is her phone sex line approach. Now, could you potentially read her ridiculous conversations with the customers as cringy? Sure. BUT let me offer you another lens. She had no experience with phone sex and she could have gone online and looked up what a stereotypical man would like to hear. Did she? Absolutely not. Instead, she used horrible analogies, Dr. Seuss-esque rhymes, and just utter and complete nonsense with the customers. She told a man to go “deeper in my meeper” and I choose to view this as an act of microfeminism. Like when you email someone and always put the women’s names first or assume a CEO is a woman. Just pure microfeminism. Hannah basically trolled these men, knowingly or not, and I was delighted by it. Just tee-hee-hee’ing the whole time.
Hannah and Dom had some sweet moments together but when they actually got together, it turned sappy and cheesy. Dom’s acts of service were really great for Hannah, a woman who had not had anyone take care of her in a long time. Helping a hyper-independent woman who has had to be strong all the time is one of my favorite tropes. But when they got together, Hannah lost all of her weirdness and the two of them just didn’t have that je ne sais quoi anymore. And the rest of the third act just didn’t work for me either. The third act conflict could have been solved with a conversation and Hannah put her mom in a dangerous situation for truly no reason (it could have been avoided with a phone call).
I think one of the main issues for me was that Dom just wasn’t super interesting, especially when compared to Hannah. He was your average 35 year old man who happened to be a detective. He liked to do karaoke and came from coffee money (yes, that does feel like a random assortment of words) and when he wasn’t working on the murder case or wasn’t with Hannah, he just was a little boring.
Also, Hannah’s mom has early onset Alzheimer’s which was a big subplot for her. I have read a few reviews that say the portrayal is not very accurate, so if you are reading this book hoping to feel seen for that specific aspect, it might not be for you.
Overall, it had a very fun concept and was a quick read but sadly, I wish the last third matched the same weird energy of the first two-thirds.
Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: November 25, 2025
_________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: The plot sounds whacky AF (she's a phone sex operator who is also a virgin. He is a detective. There's a murder. And romance. Why not?) but I read the second chapter where he calls because the phone sex hotline number was at a crime scene and it is her first day and I tee-hee-hee'd REAL hard at her thinking it was a real call and him trying to be serious. Boy, oh boy, did I tee-hee-hee and that is all I can ask for at this point.
I loved the first two-thirds of this – it was unique, funny, and strange in a very fun way. The last third turned into your average, run of the mill romance and lost some steam for me. In “Call Me Anytime,” Hannah unknowingly interviews for a job at a phone sex line (when you see a newspaper ad for a hotline, maybe clarify what you’ll you be call people about), but the money is too good to pass up so even though she is a virgin with no experience, she takes the job. It’ll help her pay off her reverse mortgage (I had to google that one) and take care of her mom who has early onset Alzheimer’s. However, when the second girl who used to work Hannah’s line is murdered, Hannah meets Detective Dominic Dunn. Dom wants to solve this murder and in order to do so, he’ll have to listen to Hannah’s calls to see if anyone suspicious is calling. Hannah and Dom can’t deny their connection even though it crosses many lines and as the investigation intensifies, so does their relationship.
You will probably like this book if you like:
☎️ Romantic suspense
☎️ Sex phone operator FMC x Detective MMC
☎️ Virgin FMC
☎️ Age gap (25F / 35M)
I love a weirdo main character and Hannah was so delightfully weird in the first part of the book. To be clear, it is not weird that she is a virgin – the weirdness is her phone sex line approach. Now, could you potentially read her ridiculous conversations with the customers as cringy? Sure. BUT let me offer you another lens. She had no experience with phone sex and she could have gone online and looked up what a stereotypical man would like to hear. Did she? Absolutely not. Instead, she used horrible analogies, Dr. Seuss-esque rhymes, and just utter and complete nonsense with the customers. She told a man to go “deeper in my meeper” and I choose to view this as an act of microfeminism. Like when you email someone and always put the women’s names first or assume a CEO is a woman. Just pure microfeminism. Hannah basically trolled these men, knowingly or not, and I was delighted by it. Just tee-hee-hee’ing the whole time.
Hannah and Dom had some sweet moments together but when they actually got together, it turned sappy and cheesy. Dom’s acts of service were really great for Hannah, a woman who had not had anyone take care of her in a long time. Helping a hyper-independent woman who has had to be strong all the time is one of my favorite tropes. But when they got together, Hannah lost all of her weirdness and the two of them just didn’t have that je ne sais quoi anymore. And the rest of the third act just didn’t work for me either. The third act conflict could have been solved with a conversation and Hannah put her mom in a dangerous situation for truly no reason (it could have been avoided with a phone call).
I think one of the main issues for me was that Dom just wasn’t super interesting, especially when compared to Hannah. He was your average 35 year old man who happened to be a detective. He liked to do karaoke and came from coffee money (yes, that does feel like a random assortment of words) and when he wasn’t working on the murder case or wasn’t with Hannah, he just was a little boring.
Also, Hannah’s mom has early onset Alzheimer’s which was a big subplot for her. I have read a few reviews that say the portrayal is not very accurate, so if you are reading this book hoping to feel seen for that specific aspect, it might not be for you.
Overall, it had a very fun concept and was a quick read but sadly, I wish the last third matched the same weird energy of the first two-thirds.
Thank you Montlake and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: November 25, 2025
_________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: The plot sounds whacky AF (she's a phone sex operator who is also a virgin. He is a detective. There's a murder. And romance. Why not?) but I read the second chapter where he calls because the phone sex hotline number was at a crime scene and it is her first day and I tee-hee-hee'd REAL hard at her thinking it was a real call and him trying to be serious. Boy, oh boy, did I tee-hee-hee and that is all I can ask for at this point.
Read
November 25, 2025We had an illegal amount of fun writing this book. :) :) XOXO, Max & Monroe
Call Me Anytime is AVAILABLE NOW!
Grab it in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and audio!
📱Ebook/Kindle Unlimited: https://geni.us/CMA_Ebook
📖Paperback: https://geni.us/CMA_Paperback
🎧Audio: https://geni.us/CMA_Audio
☎️A virgin phone sex operator. A detective. And a murder. Love shows up at the oddest times in this funny, emotional, and suspenseful romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe.
TROPES:
✅Protective, grumpy detective
✅”He wants to protect her”
🤣Hilarious banter
🩷Opposites attract
😅Accidental job gone wrong (she’s a v!rgin working a phone s3x hotline 🤯😅)
😅Awkward (and hilarious) seduction attempts
🩷Caregiver heroine with a big heart
🤯Professional boundaries crossed
🤯”I shouldn't want you but I do”
🕵️Amateur sleuthing & killer on the line
😍Insta-chemistry + slow-burn payoff
👀He has to teach her how to “dirty talk”
📖Romantic suspense with laugh-out-loud comedy
Call Me Anytime is AVAILABLE NOW!
Grab it in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and audio!
📱Ebook/Kindle Unlimited: https://geni.us/CMA_Ebook
📖Paperback: https://geni.us/CMA_Paperback
🎧Audio: https://geni.us/CMA_Audio
☎️A virgin phone sex operator. A detective. And a murder. Love shows up at the oddest times in this funny, emotional, and suspenseful romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Max Monroe.
TROPES:
✅Protective, grumpy detective
✅”He wants to protect her”
🤣Hilarious banter
🩷Opposites attract
😅Accidental job gone wrong (she’s a v!rgin working a phone s3x hotline 🤯😅)
😅Awkward (and hilarious) seduction attempts
🩷Caregiver heroine with a big heart
🤯Professional boundaries crossed
🤯”I shouldn't want you but I do”
🕵️Amateur sleuthing & killer on the line
😍Insta-chemistry + slow-burn payoff
👀He has to teach her how to “dirty talk”
📖Romantic suspense with laugh-out-loud comedy
December 1, 2025
While the plot sounded reasonably interesting, I confess I chose this book because my curiosity got the better of me. 1) The detective’s name was Dominic Dunn. Were the authors clueless about the author, producer, and investigative journalist, Dominick Dunne, or was this an homage? 2) Would a corded phone as seen on the cover enter anywhere in the plot?
Answers to the burning questions above:
Nope (not one single reference even in the Acknowledgements) & Nope
The name thing really annoys me, and I’m not alone. From, “How to Write a Mystery” edited by Lee Child:
In these modern times, you should also Google the name to see whether anyone has the same name. If no one pops up, you are probably safe.
Even with those issues, I went in hopeful for 3.5 stars, but…
🙄The writing was bland. I skimmed between dialogues.
🙄The third act misunderstanding—OTT.
😩Third act drama was insane. And Dom thought Hannah was smart…
😡Hannah’s mother suffered from Alzheimer’s. While there was some lip service paid to caregivers, on the whole it was a disrespectful portrayal of how the disease affects people.
Answers to the burning questions above:
Nope (not one single reference even in the Acknowledgements) & Nope
The name thing really annoys me, and I’m not alone. From, “How to Write a Mystery” edited by Lee Child:
In these modern times, you should also Google the name to see whether anyone has the same name. If no one pops up, you are probably safe.
Even with those issues, I went in hopeful for 3.5 stars, but…
🙄The writing was bland. I skimmed between dialogues.
🙄The third act misunderstanding—OTT.
😩Third act drama was insane. And Dom thought Hannah was smart…
😡Hannah’s mother suffered from Alzheimer’s. While there was some lip service paid to caregivers, on the whole it was a disrespectful portrayal of how the disease affects people.
November 25, 2025
Read the blurb for this book.
I had a good freaking time.
At one point I was straight cackling and my husband was looking at me like I was insane.
If you love a rom com. Add this to your TBR.
And not only was it funny. But it had a murder mystery aspect. That was done really well.
Hannah: A virgin, phone sex operator.
Dominic: A detective. (I love a cop…)
25/35 age gap
But it also delves into a parent having advanced Alzheimer’s.
The NCIS aspect was solid.
Netgalley arc review ✨
I had a good freaking time.
At one point I was straight cackling and my husband was looking at me like I was insane.
If you love a rom com. Add this to your TBR.
And not only was it funny. But it had a murder mystery aspect. That was done really well.
Hannah: A virgin, phone sex operator.
Dominic: A detective. (I love a cop…)
25/35 age gap
But it also delves into a parent having advanced Alzheimer’s.
The NCIS aspect was solid.
Netgalley arc review ✨
November 27, 2025
Narrated by Lee Samuels & Summer Morton
✨ Initial Vibes
A quirky romantic suspense with a slightly chaotic heroine, a karaoke-loving detective MMC, and a phone-sex–hotline–turned–murder-investigation plot that is tonally uneven. The narration? Immaculate. The humor? Depends intimately on your tolerance for secondhand embarrassment.
📚 What It’s About
Hannah May is struggling in Nashville until she unknowingly takes a job at a phone sex hotline.. She’s a twenty-five-year-old virgin caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s, so her attempts at dirty talk are…let’s say unrefined.
But when one caller is suspected of killing her predecessor, Detective Dominic Dunn enters the picture, investigating the murder of another hotline operator. Sparks fly, danger lurks, and Hannah finds herself juggling amateur sleuthing, a budding romance, and painfully awkward phone calls.
💖 What I Loved
The narration is phenomenal.
Lee Samuels and Summer Morton elevate this novel so much—their comedic timing, emotional nuance, and character voices keep the story afloat even in its silliest moments.
Hannah’s relationship with her mom
The Alzheimer’s depiction is tender and heartbreaking. Her mom’s fixation on NCIS adds such a subtle emotional weight. It’s mundane, sad, and incredibly human.
Respect for the phone sex workers
They’re portrayed as smart, kind, and deeply human. Their deaths matter. Their friendships matter. Their work is treated with dignity.
Dom isn’t written like a stereotype
As someone who typically doesn’t love cop MMCs, he didn’t harm my enjoyment. He’s decent, grounded, and genuinely cares for Hannah. (Also the heir to a huge fortune because of course he is.)
🤷♀️ Vibe Check
This is where people will be divided.
Hannah being a virgin who knows nothing about sex, not even enough to google dirty talk?
For some readers, this will be adorable/hilarious.
For others (me), it stretches believability and makes her feel more helpless than charming.
Dominic’s cowboy-hat karaoke hobby
Not bad, just…a choice. It gave “character quirk generator” energy rather than something rooted in who he is.
The tonal shifts
Comedy → murder → awkward phone sex → family trauma → flirtation → danger.
Some will love the chaos. Others will feel unmoored.
📝 Final Thoughts
This is one of those books where personal taste will hugely determine enjoyment. If you like quirky romantic suspense with a slightly cartoonish heroine and don’t mind humor that leans broad and silly, this could be a hit. If you prefer sharper humor, more grounded characters, or more consistent tone, it might not land.
What kept me invested was the excellent narration, the kindness in the depiction of sex workers, and the emotional core around Hannah’s mother.
A mixed bag but one with heart.
📣 Recommend To
Fans of light, quirky suspense with romance
Audiobook lovers (truly worth it for the narrators)
Readers who enjoy awkward heroines & offbeat humor
Those who want a murder plot without heavy “on screen” violence
People who enjoy “found family at work” dynamics
✨ Initial Vibes
A quirky romantic suspense with a slightly chaotic heroine, a karaoke-loving detective MMC, and a phone-sex–hotline–turned–murder-investigation plot that is tonally uneven. The narration? Immaculate. The humor? Depends intimately on your tolerance for secondhand embarrassment.
📚 What It’s About
Hannah May is struggling in Nashville until she unknowingly takes a job at a phone sex hotline.. She’s a twenty-five-year-old virgin caring for a mother with Alzheimer’s, so her attempts at dirty talk are…let’s say unrefined.
But when one caller is suspected of killing her predecessor, Detective Dominic Dunn enters the picture, investigating the murder of another hotline operator. Sparks fly, danger lurks, and Hannah finds herself juggling amateur sleuthing, a budding romance, and painfully awkward phone calls.
💖 What I Loved
The narration is phenomenal.
Lee Samuels and Summer Morton elevate this novel so much—their comedic timing, emotional nuance, and character voices keep the story afloat even in its silliest moments.
Hannah’s relationship with her mom
The Alzheimer’s depiction is tender and heartbreaking. Her mom’s fixation on NCIS adds such a subtle emotional weight. It’s mundane, sad, and incredibly human.
Respect for the phone sex workers
They’re portrayed as smart, kind, and deeply human. Their deaths matter. Their friendships matter. Their work is treated with dignity.
Dom isn’t written like a stereotype
As someone who typically doesn’t love cop MMCs, he didn’t harm my enjoyment. He’s decent, grounded, and genuinely cares for Hannah. (Also the heir to a huge fortune because of course he is.)
🤷♀️ Vibe Check
This is where people will be divided.
Hannah being a virgin who knows nothing about sex, not even enough to google dirty talk?
For some readers, this will be adorable/hilarious.
For others (me), it stretches believability and makes her feel more helpless than charming.
Dominic’s cowboy-hat karaoke hobby
Not bad, just…a choice. It gave “character quirk generator” energy rather than something rooted in who he is.
The tonal shifts
Comedy → murder → awkward phone sex → family trauma → flirtation → danger.
Some will love the chaos. Others will feel unmoored.
📝 Final Thoughts
This is one of those books where personal taste will hugely determine enjoyment. If you like quirky romantic suspense with a slightly cartoonish heroine and don’t mind humor that leans broad and silly, this could be a hit. If you prefer sharper humor, more grounded characters, or more consistent tone, it might not land.
What kept me invested was the excellent narration, the kindness in the depiction of sex workers, and the emotional core around Hannah’s mother.
A mixed bag but one with heart.
📣 Recommend To
Fans of light, quirky suspense with romance
Audiobook lovers (truly worth it for the narrators)
Readers who enjoy awkward heroines & offbeat humor
Those who want a murder plot without heavy “on screen” violence
People who enjoy “found family at work” dynamics
November 21, 2025
Was lucky enough to receive the ALC of this and the audiobook was so good! This story was such a unique one. Such a good mix of being funny and sweet ♥️
November 6, 2025
Call Me Anytime was absolutely wonderful! I devoured it in one day because I could not stop listening. I was laughing out loud constantly the humor was spot-on, the romance was swoony, and the little thread of suspense kept me totally hooked.
A virgin taking a job as a phone sex operator? I was expecting funny, but not this funny. Her disastrous attempts at dirty talk had me in tears, and when the hot, grumpy detective got involved in a murder investigation tied to her new job? I was completely sold.
It’s the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and laugh-out-loud comedy, with just enough tension to keep your heart racing between giggles. Max Monroe has officially become an autobuy author for me this was such a fantastic, feel-good read with the perfect balance of spice, chaos, and charm.
Thank you to Max Monroe, and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC I absolutely loved every minute of it!
A virgin taking a job as a phone sex operator? I was expecting funny, but not this funny. Her disastrous attempts at dirty talk had me in tears, and when the hot, grumpy detective got involved in a murder investigation tied to her new job? I was completely sold.
It’s the perfect blend of romance, mystery, and laugh-out-loud comedy, with just enough tension to keep your heart racing between giggles. Max Monroe has officially become an autobuy author for me this was such a fantastic, feel-good read with the perfect balance of spice, chaos, and charm.
Thank you to Max Monroe, and Brilliance Publishing for the ALC I absolutely loved every minute of it!
September 3, 2025
1.5
this book had an interesting premise, then completely fumbled the execution. the most glaring issue is that it doesn't know what it wants to be—romantic suspense? a rom com? a mystery/thriller? it tried to be all of them without fully committing to something, so the end product was messy and didn't hit as hard as it could have
the writing was sooo repetitive at times. there's a scene where hannah just repeats everything dom says and, after the first two instances of it, i was tired. it felt like we were just trying to fill up space on the page.
the relationship was a whole mess. it was unprofessional and honestly irresponsible. i didn't really buy the chemistry and we were supposed to think shane was in the wrong for pointing out how big of a conflict of interest it was (that's your informant!!! why are you taking her to your FAMILY HOME to MEET YOUR FAMILY!!!)
the ending felt rushed. the motive was weak. it was just....not the greatest of times
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review
this book had an interesting premise, then completely fumbled the execution. the most glaring issue is that it doesn't know what it wants to be—romantic suspense? a rom com? a mystery/thriller? it tried to be all of them without fully committing to something, so the end product was messy and didn't hit as hard as it could have
the writing was sooo repetitive at times. there's a scene where hannah just repeats everything dom says and, after the first two instances of it, i was tired. it felt like we were just trying to fill up space on the page.
the relationship was a whole mess. it was unprofessional and honestly irresponsible. i didn't really buy the chemistry and we were supposed to think shane was in the wrong for pointing out how big of a conflict of interest it was (that's your informant!!! why are you taking her to your FAMILY HOME to MEET YOUR FAMILY!!!)
the ending felt rushed. the motive was weak. it was just....not the greatest of times
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review
July 17, 2025
I see I’m in the minority here 😅 In comparison I sound like such a mean girl 🥴 Welp - enjoy my thoughts lol
Tropes include: Virgin heroine, age gap, mystery-ish, “secret” billionaire, law enforcement (kinda)
This had the potential to be so good. I think it was fine, but nothing revolutionary. Honestly it was a little cringe-y, and that’s not even taking into account the phone sex calls. Hannah is laugh-out -loud ridiculous with her “dirty talk”. Add in two detectives listening to her crash and burn? Hilarious.
It was definitely an insightful, thought-provoking look into being a caretaker for someone with Alzheimer’s. The disease is the catalyst for Hannah’s troubles. It’s cost her not just money, but her freedom as an adult and her relationship with her mother. The progression into delusions pretty much steals her mom away completely, except for brief, rare lucid moments. This was a huge part of the story and such a serious topic is hard to handle - but even with a little levity,
I still found it respectful.
I was waiting - and waiting still - for Hannah and Dom to have some sort of chemistry. It’s clear they had growing crushes on one another, but it was giving friend more than romantic partner for a little too long. Even a little fatherly at times…?
44% in and she’s just now finding him hot? God, I love a slow burn but this wasn’t even a burn. I didn’t even see any smoke. ✨Then✨ I felt like I missed a chunk of their relationship. It just went from 0 to 60 real fast for me.
I’m not even going to comment on the “break up” or the reason 🙂↔️
It was fun, but I was disappointed. It has good bones, the chemistry between the MCs was just way off. That alone had me distracted and checking my progress more than usual. This one just wasn’t for me.
The Basics:
Homicide Detective🕵️♂️ // Phone Sex Operator ☎️
1st Person Dual POV
Standalone
HEA 🖤 + epilogue
CW: murder, violence
🌶️🌶️/5
⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley & Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🤍
Tropes include: Virgin heroine, age gap, mystery-ish, “secret” billionaire, law enforcement (kinda)
This had the potential to be so good. I think it was fine, but nothing revolutionary. Honestly it was a little cringe-y, and that’s not even taking into account the phone sex calls. Hannah is laugh-out -loud ridiculous with her “dirty talk”. Add in two detectives listening to her crash and burn? Hilarious.
It was definitely an insightful, thought-provoking look into being a caretaker for someone with Alzheimer’s. The disease is the catalyst for Hannah’s troubles. It’s cost her not just money, but her freedom as an adult and her relationship with her mother. The progression into delusions pretty much steals her mom away completely, except for brief, rare lucid moments. This was a huge part of the story and such a serious topic is hard to handle - but even with a little levity,
I still found it respectful.
I was waiting - and waiting still - for Hannah and Dom to have some sort of chemistry. It’s clear they had growing crushes on one another, but it was giving friend more than romantic partner for a little too long. Even a little fatherly at times…?
44% in and she’s just now finding him hot? God, I love a slow burn but this wasn’t even a burn. I didn’t even see any smoke. ✨Then✨ I felt like I missed a chunk of their relationship. It just went from 0 to 60 real fast for me.
I’m not even going to comment on the “break up” or the reason 🙂↔️
It was fun, but I was disappointed. It has good bones, the chemistry between the MCs was just way off. That alone had me distracted and checking my progress more than usual. This one just wasn’t for me.
The Basics:
Homicide Detective🕵️♂️ // Phone Sex Operator ☎️
1st Person Dual POV
Standalone
HEA 🖤 + epilogue
CW: murder, violence
🌶️🌶️/5
⭐️⭐️/5
Thank you to NetGalley & Montlake for the ARC in exchange for an honest review 🤍
November 25, 2025
This was so entertaining and hysterically funny! Call Me Anytime had me laughing out loud, cheering for Hannah and Dominic to get their happily ever after, and kept me guessing who the villain might be as the mystery played out. It moved at a good pace, I loved the dual POVs, and was excited every step of the way!
I thought Hannah and Dominic were wonderful. I loved how hard Hannah worked to take care of her mom and Dominic’s dedication to being a detective. I loved the predicament Hannah found herself in when job hunting and how she ended up at Call Me Anytime. How she and Dominic met was extremely entertaining, and their first exchange was hilarious. All the interactions with Hannah on the phone sex line had me cracking up. I thought these two had great chemistry, and I loved the development of their feelings and how they intertwined with the case. They had some minor ups and downs, but it was a fun ride. There was a sweet, slow burn happening, but when they finally got there, there was a nice amount of heat.
I liked the characters introduced, including Dominic’s friends and family, as well as the friends Hannah made at Call Me Anytime. I really liked how Dominic's family embraced Hannah's mom, it was heartwarming. I adored Hannah's mom and the levity she brought to some of the scenes. I think the authors did a wonderful job with her character.
I liked the mystery happening. It was pretty low-key, and I was guessing along the way, ready for it to pick up in the second half. I was thrilled when it did. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a really good job, helping to bring the story to life. This was a super fun read full of heart and just the right amount of mystery. I loved the characters, the building passion, and the emotion. Great read!
Complimentary copy received.
I thought Hannah and Dominic were wonderful. I loved how hard Hannah worked to take care of her mom and Dominic’s dedication to being a detective. I loved the predicament Hannah found herself in when job hunting and how she ended up at Call Me Anytime. How she and Dominic met was extremely entertaining, and their first exchange was hilarious. All the interactions with Hannah on the phone sex line had me cracking up. I thought these two had great chemistry, and I loved the development of their feelings and how they intertwined with the case. They had some minor ups and downs, but it was a fun ride. There was a sweet, slow burn happening, but when they finally got there, there was a nice amount of heat.
I liked the characters introduced, including Dominic’s friends and family, as well as the friends Hannah made at Call Me Anytime. I really liked how Dominic's family embraced Hannah's mom, it was heartwarming. I adored Hannah's mom and the levity she brought to some of the scenes. I think the authors did a wonderful job with her character.
I liked the mystery happening. It was pretty low-key, and I was guessing along the way, ready for it to pick up in the second half. I was thrilled when it did. I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a really good job, helping to bring the story to life. This was a super fun read full of heart and just the right amount of mystery. I loved the characters, the building passion, and the emotion. Great read!
Complimentary copy received.
November 25, 2025
I freaking LOVED this book. This was my first Max Monroe book and let me tell you it had spice, suspense, and will make you laugh out loud.
I had the privilege of getting an ALC, and it did not disappoint.
I listened to this while at work, and this had me laughing out loud so hard, that my coworkers looked at me like I had lost my mind.
The world needs more love, laughter and happiness, and THIS BOOK delivers it all.
I can't wait to read more by Max Monroe.
Thank you Max Monroe, Hambright, and Netgalley for this amazing opportunity!
I had the privilege of getting an ALC, and it did not disappoint.
I listened to this while at work, and this had me laughing out loud so hard, that my coworkers looked at me like I had lost my mind.
The world needs more love, laughter and happiness, and THIS BOOK delivers it all.
I can't wait to read more by Max Monroe.
Thank you Max Monroe, Hambright, and Netgalley for this amazing opportunity!
November 30, 2025
Holy hell I haven’t laughed this hard reading, or listening in this case, to a book where I have to explain to people around me what’s so funny because I’m cracking up. Told in dual narration, Hannah and Dom’s meet cute was freaking hilarious. Their spark, once they meet in person, was electric, steamy scenes are a plenty. Dom is a detective working a murder case that Hannah becomes unexpectedly involved with on her first day of working as a phone sex operator. Because she’s inexperienced, her phone calls range from awkward to cringy…making for some very funny dialog. My favorite:
“But it’s sooo juicy. Like a juice box. A Capri-Sun. If you keep sticking your straw in my hole, I’m going to squirt my juice everywhere!”
Hannah’s mom who has Alzheimer’s is obsessed with the tv show NCIS, believing she herself, Hannah and Dom are characters in the show solving crimes. These scenes are peppered throughout and helped move the mystery forward. These scenes mystery was definitely second to Dom and Hannah falling in love, but I enjoyed following along. Definitely a fun story I’d recommend to anyone in need of a laugh or two.
“But it’s sooo juicy. Like a juice box. A Capri-Sun. If you keep sticking your straw in my hole, I’m going to squirt my juice everywhere!”
Hannah’s mom who has Alzheimer’s is obsessed with the tv show NCIS, believing she herself, Hannah and Dom are characters in the show solving crimes. These scenes are peppered throughout and helped move the mystery forward. These scenes mystery was definitely second to Dom and Hannah falling in love, but I enjoyed following along. Definitely a fun story I’d recommend to anyone in need of a laugh or two.
November 27, 2025
Review: Loved It
Max Monroe has done it again, but this time they sprinkled in a little suspense, and honestly? It was chef’s kiss. Romantic-comedy-meets-romantic-suspense-lite, and it works beautifully.
First off: Lee Samuels and Summer Morton NAILED this narration. If you can listen instead of read, do it. Their delivery, especially during the intentionally awkward phone-sex scenes, had me wheezing. It’s comedy gold.
Dominic is such a fun MMC. He’s a coffee company heir (yes, please), but instead of living the trust-fund life, he’s a Nashville detective who loves his job, his lifelong friends, and his karaoke cowboy side gig. Also, man can ride a mechanical bull for a full 8 seconds...Do with that what you will.
Hannah has been struggling since she was 12, when her mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She dropped out of college, works at Call Me Anytime to make ends meet, and has zero social life. Her disastrous phone-sex attempts? Both tragic and hysterical. She’s strong and independent but so lost and drowning, I wanted to wrap her in a blanket and give her cocoa.
Their meet cute? I was blushing from secondhand embarrassment. The NCIS-loving mom subplot? Adorable, emotional, and perfectly balanced with the heavier themes.
And the suspense! It’s not dark-thriller vibes, but it keeps you invested, guessing which caller is causing trouble. I predicted it mostly, but the twist at the end was a delight.
This book is full of charm, humor, banter, heart, and the kind of found family (and blood family) that makes you warm and squishy inside. I’m thrilled this is the start of a series! I cannot WAIT to see where it goes next.
Max Monroe has done it again, but this time they sprinkled in a little suspense, and honestly? It was chef’s kiss. Romantic-comedy-meets-romantic-suspense-lite, and it works beautifully.
First off: Lee Samuels and Summer Morton NAILED this narration. If you can listen instead of read, do it. Their delivery, especially during the intentionally awkward phone-sex scenes, had me wheezing. It’s comedy gold.
Dominic is such a fun MMC. He’s a coffee company heir (yes, please), but instead of living the trust-fund life, he’s a Nashville detective who loves his job, his lifelong friends, and his karaoke cowboy side gig. Also, man can ride a mechanical bull for a full 8 seconds...Do with that what you will.
Hannah has been struggling since she was 12, when her mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. She dropped out of college, works at Call Me Anytime to make ends meet, and has zero social life. Her disastrous phone-sex attempts? Both tragic and hysterical. She’s strong and independent but so lost and drowning, I wanted to wrap her in a blanket and give her cocoa.
Their meet cute? I was blushing from secondhand embarrassment. The NCIS-loving mom subplot? Adorable, emotional, and perfectly balanced with the heavier themes.
And the suspense! It’s not dark-thriller vibes, but it keeps you invested, guessing which caller is causing trouble. I predicted it mostly, but the twist at the end was a delight.
This book is full of charm, humor, banter, heart, and the kind of found family (and blood family) that makes you warm and squishy inside. I’m thrilled this is the start of a series! I cannot WAIT to see where it goes next.
November 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley, Montlake and Max Monroe for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I didn’t read this description and automatically requested it because I really enjoyed the Meet me at Midnight book. That being said, if I would have read the description I probably wouldn’t have requested it. I really hate the naive virgin trope.
But here I was, so I kept reading and while I giggled at times I also rolled my eyes. Looks like I’m in the minority and most others who’ve read it loved everything about it.
First, she would have been fired immediately from the phone sex job. While some of it was funny, it was insane. While she’s never had sex, had she also never heard of it or anything else sexual?
There is a murder mystery that brings our handsome (rich) MMC into the picture. This was entertaining but felt wildly unrealistic to the point that I kept being pulled out of the story. Also, no homicide detective is going to call themselves a murder detective.
Hannah, the FMC, is 25 and taking care of her mother who has Alzheimer’s. This was very sad but endearing to see how much love there is in the family. Some comedic relief was built in with the NCIS references.
Now onto the story itself - I didn’t really understand how/when this strong connection was formed. Dom was just inviting her places and it seemed out of the blue and wildly inappropriate considering the case he was working.
Fast forward, the start of their relationship was very fast and while I appreciated the virginity thing not be a huge topic/focus that just felt like a big step after one hookup and zero conversations. Which resulted in miscommunication (also, not my fav trope).
I wanted to shake both of them during the 3rd act conflict. I really wanted to shake FMC during the hotel scene. Like seriously, you didn’t think to call Dominic? Then the conclusion was so abrupt it just wasn’t satisfying like it should be.
Overall, I couldn’t put this down but it wasn’t my favorite.
I didn’t read this description and automatically requested it because I really enjoyed the Meet me at Midnight book. That being said, if I would have read the description I probably wouldn’t have requested it. I really hate the naive virgin trope.
But here I was, so I kept reading and while I giggled at times I also rolled my eyes. Looks like I’m in the minority and most others who’ve read it loved everything about it.
First, she would have been fired immediately from the phone sex job. While some of it was funny, it was insane. While she’s never had sex, had she also never heard of it or anything else sexual?
There is a murder mystery that brings our handsome (rich) MMC into the picture. This was entertaining but felt wildly unrealistic to the point that I kept being pulled out of the story. Also, no homicide detective is going to call themselves a murder detective.
Hannah, the FMC, is 25 and taking care of her mother who has Alzheimer’s. This was very sad but endearing to see how much love there is in the family. Some comedic relief was built in with the NCIS references.
Now onto the story itself - I didn’t really understand how/when this strong connection was formed. Dom was just inviting her places and it seemed out of the blue and wildly inappropriate considering the case he was working.
Fast forward, the start of their relationship was very fast and while I appreciated the virginity thing not be a huge topic/focus that just felt like a big step after one hookup and zero conversations. Which resulted in miscommunication (also, not my fav trope).
I wanted to shake both of them during the 3rd act conflict. I really wanted to shake FMC during the hotel scene. Like seriously, you didn’t think to call Dominic? Then the conclusion was so abrupt it just wasn’t satisfying like it should be.
Overall, I couldn’t put this down but it wasn’t my favorite.
November 11, 2025
4.25/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
I’m an absolute sucker for a romcom with a side of murder mystery, and Max Monroe delivered exactly that with Call Me Anytime. This story had everything I love — humor, heart, and just enough suspense to keep me guessing.
Hannah May is down on her luck, juggling bills and caring for her mom with Alzheimer’s, when she accidentally lands a job at a phone sex hotline (oops). She’s awkward, sweet, and completely out of her element — which makes her all the more endearing. Then there’s Detective Dominic Dunn, investigating a murder tied to the hotline. Their connection sparks instantly, even under the strangest of circumstances.
Their meet-cute is absolutely bonkers — but so funny. Equal parts chaotic, awkward, and charming, it had me grinning through entire chapters. The mix of mystery, romance, and real emotion worked so well here. It’s laugh-out-loud funny one minute and surprisingly heartfelt the next. I especially loved how the story handled Hannah’s devotion to her mom — it added real depth to all the chaos and flirting.
Lee Samuels and Summer Morton were perfection together. Lee nails Dominic’s calm, steady detective vibe, and Summer brings all the warmth, awkward humor, and vulnerability that make Hannah so lovable. Their chemistry really shines in audio.
If you like your romcoms with heart, heat, and a dash of danger, Call Me Anytime is definitely worth picking up.
Thanks to the author for an advanced audio copy of this book!
1/5 🌶️
I’m an absolute sucker for a romcom with a side of murder mystery, and Max Monroe delivered exactly that with Call Me Anytime. This story had everything I love — humor, heart, and just enough suspense to keep me guessing.
Hannah May is down on her luck, juggling bills and caring for her mom with Alzheimer’s, when she accidentally lands a job at a phone sex hotline (oops). She’s awkward, sweet, and completely out of her element — which makes her all the more endearing. Then there’s Detective Dominic Dunn, investigating a murder tied to the hotline. Their connection sparks instantly, even under the strangest of circumstances.
Their meet-cute is absolutely bonkers — but so funny. Equal parts chaotic, awkward, and charming, it had me grinning through entire chapters. The mix of mystery, romance, and real emotion worked so well here. It’s laugh-out-loud funny one minute and surprisingly heartfelt the next. I especially loved how the story handled Hannah’s devotion to her mom — it added real depth to all the chaos and flirting.
Lee Samuels and Summer Morton were perfection together. Lee nails Dominic’s calm, steady detective vibe, and Summer brings all the warmth, awkward humor, and vulnerability that make Hannah so lovable. Their chemistry really shines in audio.
If you like your romcoms with heart, heat, and a dash of danger, Call Me Anytime is definitely worth picking up.
Thanks to the author for an advanced audio copy of this book!
November 22, 2025
Hannah + Dominic
Hannah needs a job asap. She needs to pay her mom's caregiver. Her family home is the only thing of value left but her mom's Alzheimer would get worse if she had to leave her beloved house.
So this new telemarketer job would be perfect. Even though Hannah is way too shy and nervous to talk to strangers on the phone.
But it gets even worse. It's not a normal telephone sales job - nope. It's a sex hotline! What?!
But she needs the money - so let's try it.
LOL!
Dominic is a cop. Detective Dunn of the famous coffee shop Dunns.
He doesn't need the money, but he loves his job and he couldn't imagine sitting behind a coffee empire desk all day long.
And now a dead lady in a hotel room leads him to our (not yet very talented) Hannah at the sex hotline.
Let the fun times begin...
═══════════════
That was adorable and soo hilarious!
I really loved reading this.
I think I found my favorite Max Monroe genre:
Super Hilarious Romantic Mystery Suspense!
I didn't love the age gap of ten years. But they're both so perfect for each other.
I loved the friends and family and the locations and Cowboy Dom and all the things.
I could've done without him calling her by her name in 98 % of his sentences, but pfft. It was okay - she needed it because her mom doesn't know her name anymore.
I wanted more moments of them falling in love, more about the crime, more about so many things. Maybe a bit less about NCIS and I didn't love the break-up/fight towards the end. Serious, girl? Ugh!
But still - this was such a sweet and funny and suspensy mysterious rom-com with some moving and heartbreaking moments thrown in.
I so want to see the movie!
And there are possibilities for more stories. The bestie & the sister! That's at least two or even only one book more!
Oh...side note about this clueless reader.
This book is called Call Me Anytime. The sex hotline company is called exactly that too: Call Me Anytime.
And guess who it took almost half the book to understand that whenever CMA was mentioned - it meant Call Me Anytime!? Yup. This idiot reader! LOL!
CALL ME ANYTIME was such a hilarious and sweet and just beautiful suspensy mystery rom-com! Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Dom Dunn - this one is so mine!
If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!
💜
💜
November 1, 2025
ARC Review
4.5 stars
Narration by Summer Morton & Lee Samuels was so good! I was literally laughing out loud at this one!
A virgin gets a job as a sex phone worker and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This was the perfect romcom/ murder mystery book and had me hooked early on. I absolutely loved it!! This was such a unique and fun story line & even had some added emotional aspects to it. If you love a good rom com with all the giggles & humor, plus a little added suspense & thriller vibes, you’re gonna love this one. I have really enjoyed books by these authors!! I’m extremely glad I had the opportunity to listen to this, because this was a fun one!
Thank you NetGalley, Max Monroe, and Brilliance Publishing for this early listing opportunity!!
4.5 stars
Narration by Summer Morton & Lee Samuels was so good! I was literally laughing out loud at this one!
A virgin gets a job as a sex phone worker and finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. This was the perfect romcom/ murder mystery book and had me hooked early on. I absolutely loved it!! This was such a unique and fun story line & even had some added emotional aspects to it. If you love a good rom com with all the giggles & humor, plus a little added suspense & thriller vibes, you’re gonna love this one. I have really enjoyed books by these authors!! I’m extremely glad I had the opportunity to listen to this, because this was a fun one!
Thank you NetGalley, Max Monroe, and Brilliance Publishing for this early listing opportunity!!
November 16, 2025
This book was such a fun read. I couldn’t help but laugh throughout the first half, that even my husband was curious about my reaction. I even shared some of the funny parts, especially her “dirty talk” with the clients. Hannah’s “enthusiastic” conversations and her random behavior was the highlight of to the story. Dominic is also a well developed character. What I particularly enjoyed was the blend of mystery and romcom elements.
I listened to this audiobook, and the narrators did an excellent job bringing the story to life.
Thank you Hambright PR and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for providing me with an advance listening copy (ALC) before the book’s release.
I listened to this audiobook, and the narrators did an excellent job bringing the story to life.
Thank you Hambright PR and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for providing me with an advance listening copy (ALC) before the book’s release.
December 11, 2025
I absolutely loved this book!! It's one of my favorite romance comedies for sure!! I love the characters and their love story. I especially loved and appreciated how the humor is balanced with sensitivity. How respectfully it handled Alzheimer's topic. It hit home.
July 11, 2025
When Hannah May takes a job she thinks it’s as a telemarketer but it ends up being something a little more risky….like a sm€x hotline…oops! To make matters worse, apparently someone is trying to 0ff the hotline workers and that’s where detective Dominic Dunn comes into play. To solve the crime he needs Hannah’s help. Can they catch the criminal before they strike again? Omg, but their first interaction had my jaw dropping and the giggles coming in strong! I knew from that moment this romcom/mystery was gonna be a fun read! I could not stop laughing and some of the phone call scenes…hilarious. Get your best sultry voice ready for this entertaining mystery. Told in first person and dual POV.
November 25, 2025
Max Monroe is such a hilarious duo! Call Me Anytime was no different; it kept me entertained the whole time.
Hannah is desperate for a job that'll help support not only her but also her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. So when she applies for a telemarketing job, she's shocked to find out it's actually a s3x hotline.
Dominic Dunn is investigating a crime related to the hotline. The chemistry and connection between them are fantastic! As their relationship grows, we get the opportunity to see Dominic's protectiveness, kindness, and understanding.
Hannah's mom thinks everyone around her is a character from NCIS, and who doesn't love NCIS!? Dominic takes it upon himself to binge-watch the show so he can understand and play the role. Talk about swoon-worthy! 🙌
If you're looking for a cute yet hilarious read with some awkwardness and spice, then this is definitely the book for you!
Hannah is desperate for a job that'll help support not only her but also her mother, who has Alzheimer’s. So when she applies for a telemarketing job, she's shocked to find out it's actually a s3x hotline.
Dominic Dunn is investigating a crime related to the hotline. The chemistry and connection between them are fantastic! As their relationship grows, we get the opportunity to see Dominic's protectiveness, kindness, and understanding.
Hannah's mom thinks everyone around her is a character from NCIS, and who doesn't love NCIS!? Dominic takes it upon himself to binge-watch the show so he can understand and play the role. Talk about swoon-worthy! 🙌
If you're looking for a cute yet hilarious read with some awkwardness and spice, then this is definitely the book for you!
November 26, 2025
This is a laugh out loud suspenseful rom-com. It had me giggling from the very beginning. I’m a sucker for awkward, yet funny situations. This meet cute was the best I’ve read! The characters were all great and I enjoyed all the NCIS references. The heavier topics were done gracefully. I listened to the audiobook and it was absolute perfection!
November 22, 2025
Thank you so much to Hambright PR & Max Monroe for the complimentary copy of the book & ALC!
This book will be out on November 24th.
Max Monroe books have quickly become my favorite over the last year and I don't see that changing anytime soon. This one in particular had me excited because this is different compared to other books I read from them. This combines both romance and mystery! So if you are a fan of these genres, I highly recommend giving this one a read.
One thing that the ladies do so well is HUMOR! They have a way of being so funny in their dialogue and banter. They can make these awkward situations even funnier. Our FMC Hannah needs a job - badly and stumbled upon a sex operator position but the bad thing is that she is not experience in sex at all. You can feel the cringe and how hard it is for Hannah when she is talking to these men. But that is what makes the dialogue so funny. The timing of the job could not be worse because the day she took on this call, a female was murder and the phone number that kept appearing on the dead woman's phone was Hannah's new call line. So naturally she gets questioned and roped up into this murder investigation.
Dom is the lead investigator on the case and takes a liking to Hannah right away. He never is accusatory and simply just wants to get to the bottom of the case. Him and his partner Shane started listening in on Hannah's calls to follow any trends in callers to see if they somehow would be connected. I know what its like when someone listens in on calls and even if you know its happening, it doesn't make the nervousness go away! And I can't imagine in the type of calls Hannah does if it is any easier. Dom ends up helping Hannah with her calls as she tended to jump off the deep end, scaring customers away.
There is a very sweet subplot centering around Hannah's mom Sherry. Sherry has Alzheimers and Hannah is her mom provider and Lovie is her mom's caretaker. Even though Hannah is only 25 years old, she has taken on the brunt of a responsibilities that someone her age would not normally have to handle. She does not want to take on this operator position but the flexibility in the schedule and the outrageous pay is what she needed at the time to be able to care for her mom. I love her mom's obsession with NCIS and how Dom became Gibbs to her while her daughter was Ziva. I never watched the show but I thought the authors did a well enough job to frame a concept of who they were and their roles on the show. And who knew Sherry's love of the show and solving mysteries would end up coming in clutch to save the day!
My only small, minor critique of this book would be that I wish the FMC was not a virgin. Only because it came off that she fell for the first guy that ever snagged her attention and made it seem like she only had feelings for him because of the proximity. I know we needed her to be that way to make the phone sex conversations funnier so I get it. OH and the end felt a tad rushed.
I paired my reading with the audio and the audio was done by Lee Samuels & Summer Morton. Lee Samuels appears to be a new narrator for me and I really liked the gruff in his voice and I believed he gave off this detective voice. It has been awhile but I have listened to Summer Morton's narration before. She had the young, naive tone that was needed to take on Hannah. I enjoyed listening to it a lot especially with the humor in the text, hearing it a loud made it funnier.
I do recommend this book if you are looking for a spicy, dual POV, funny book that also has a murder mystery plot! Also be aware that there is a character with Alzheimer's.
This book will be out on November 24th.
Max Monroe books have quickly become my favorite over the last year and I don't see that changing anytime soon. This one in particular had me excited because this is different compared to other books I read from them. This combines both romance and mystery! So if you are a fan of these genres, I highly recommend giving this one a read.
One thing that the ladies do so well is HUMOR! They have a way of being so funny in their dialogue and banter. They can make these awkward situations even funnier. Our FMC Hannah needs a job - badly and stumbled upon a sex operator position but the bad thing is that she is not experience in sex at all. You can feel the cringe and how hard it is for Hannah when she is talking to these men. But that is what makes the dialogue so funny. The timing of the job could not be worse because the day she took on this call, a female was murder and the phone number that kept appearing on the dead woman's phone was Hannah's new call line. So naturally she gets questioned and roped up into this murder investigation.
Dom is the lead investigator on the case and takes a liking to Hannah right away. He never is accusatory and simply just wants to get to the bottom of the case. Him and his partner Shane started listening in on Hannah's calls to follow any trends in callers to see if they somehow would be connected. I know what its like when someone listens in on calls and even if you know its happening, it doesn't make the nervousness go away! And I can't imagine in the type of calls Hannah does if it is any easier. Dom ends up helping Hannah with her calls as she tended to jump off the deep end, scaring customers away.
There is a very sweet subplot centering around Hannah's mom Sherry. Sherry has Alzheimers and Hannah is her mom provider and Lovie is her mom's caretaker. Even though Hannah is only 25 years old, she has taken on the brunt of a responsibilities that someone her age would not normally have to handle. She does not want to take on this operator position but the flexibility in the schedule and the outrageous pay is what she needed at the time to be able to care for her mom. I love her mom's obsession with NCIS and how Dom became Gibbs to her while her daughter was Ziva. I never watched the show but I thought the authors did a well enough job to frame a concept of who they were and their roles on the show. And who knew Sherry's love of the show and solving mysteries would end up coming in clutch to save the day!
My only small, minor critique of this book would be that I wish the FMC was not a virgin. Only because it came off that she fell for the first guy that ever snagged her attention and made it seem like she only had feelings for him because of the proximity. I know we needed her to be that way to make the phone sex conversations funnier so I get it. OH and the end felt a tad rushed.
I paired my reading with the audio and the audio was done by Lee Samuels & Summer Morton. Lee Samuels appears to be a new narrator for me and I really liked the gruff in his voice and I believed he gave off this detective voice. It has been awhile but I have listened to Summer Morton's narration before. She had the young, naive tone that was needed to take on Hannah. I enjoyed listening to it a lot especially with the humor in the text, hearing it a loud made it funnier.
I do recommend this book if you are looking for a spicy, dual POV, funny book that also has a murder mystery plot! Also be aware that there is a character with Alzheimer's.
November 2, 2025
Call Me Anytime was one of my most anticipated reads of this fall and thanks to NetGalley, I got a chance to listen to an advanced listener copy ("ALC") of it before its official publication date on November 25, 2025. Thankfully, this audiobook was really well-done and the story did not disappoint! The narrators did a fantastic job portraying the characters and I loved the way they narrated.
This book had me captivated from the beginning when I learnt it'd be a story about a 25-year-old virgin phone sex operator, Hannah, who was trying to navigate her life between dealing with financial burden due to her Alzheimer's mom and her personal non-existent love life, and a 35-year-old detective, Dom, who was solving a mystery case of a serial killer who had targeted the previous phone sex operators from the same company Hannah worked in. Honestly, I had no idea there was such an age gap between Dom and Hannah so sometimes he felt more like a father figure in the "relationship" they kinda had, which was a teeny tiny little bit off-putting for me.
Mercifully, among getting a glimpse into both Hannah's and Dom's lives as a phone sex operator and a detective, both of which I wasn't familiar with, and as a caretaker of an Alzheimer's, and on top of that, with the mysterious serial killer still on the run, all of which kept me intrigued throughout the entire book. Although the ending was a bit predictable, I found Hannah and Dom's story enjoyable to listen to and would definitely give it a read when I got my hands on a copy of the book.
The only reason this wasn't a solid five-star read (listen?) was because of Hannah's cringeworthy dirty talk in the phone calls AND the very last part of the epilogue. I knew Hannah's analogy was supposed to be hilarious and fun, but I just found it highly inappropriate and uncomfortable when picturing hearing it during what should be sexy moments or a foreplay.For example, she once depicted the sex as a juice box and a straw. (*please imagine by yourself*) And then that ending should've been perfect if it weren't for the very last surprising revelation, which made the whole story feel even more rushed and Hannah and Dom's relationship more underdeveloped.
That being said, Call Me Anytime was still a delightful audiobook to listen to and I'd still recommend it to everyone who enjoyed Max Monroe's writing or who was looking for a quick and light-hearted romance suspense. Better yet, I just learnt that this would be a series so I couldn't wait for the sequel!
***Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC opportunity!***
This book had me captivated from the beginning when I learnt it'd be a story about a 25-year-old virgin phone sex operator, Hannah, who was trying to navigate her life between dealing with financial burden due to her Alzheimer's mom and her personal non-existent love life, and a 35-year-old detective, Dom, who was solving a mystery case of a serial killer who had targeted the previous phone sex operators from the same company Hannah worked in. Honestly, I had no idea there was such an age gap between Dom and Hannah so sometimes he felt more like a father figure in the "relationship" they kinda had, which was a teeny tiny little bit off-putting for me.
Mercifully, among getting a glimpse into both Hannah's and Dom's lives as a phone sex operator and a detective, both of which I wasn't familiar with, and as a caretaker of an Alzheimer's, and on top of that, with the mysterious serial killer still on the run, all of which kept me intrigued throughout the entire book. Although the ending was a bit predictable, I found Hannah and Dom's story enjoyable to listen to and would definitely give it a read when I got my hands on a copy of the book.
The only reason this wasn't a solid five-star read (listen?) was because of Hannah's cringeworthy dirty talk in the phone calls AND the very last part of the epilogue. I knew Hannah's analogy was supposed to be hilarious and fun, but I just found it highly inappropriate and uncomfortable when picturing hearing it during what should be sexy moments or a foreplay.
That being said, Call Me Anytime was still a delightful audiobook to listen to and I'd still recommend it to everyone who enjoyed Max Monroe's writing or who was looking for a quick and light-hearted romance suspense. Better yet, I just learnt that this would be a series so I couldn't wait for the sequel!
***Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC opportunity!***
November 25, 2025
#Review: *Call Me Anytime* - Max Monroe - ALC [18+]
4.6/5✨
3/5🌶️
Hannay May was pretty desperate to find a new job. Her mom suffered from Alzheimer's and it wasn't that easy to take care of her. Hannah had to accept a job at 'Call Me Anytime', which was payed really well, where, to her shock, she needed to please the people from the other end of the line. Not uncomfortable at all!! Especially when she was a virgin😅. Imagine that!
What happens when your first caller was a detective who was investigating the murders of two girls? They seemed to be linked to the hotline Hannah where was working at. That's right, detective Dominic Dunn was the one on the other end of the line and the one who would be close to Hannah in the process of discovering the cold blooded murder. But what happens when along the way something else was blossoming between them? The more time they spent together, the more things shifted, but it also brought them closer into unraveling the mystery behind the lurking danger.
It was so much fun reading this book! Even from the start I could feel the discomfort Hannah felt when she found out about that odd job, but the need pushed her into accepting it. I hated her vulnerable situation, not being able to rely on anyone else but herself. The mystery behind those murders was so intriguing, being so curious about the person who was that insane for doing that. It had a good side to it, because otherwise, Hannah and Dominic would've never met. They had an insane chemistry even from the start, igniting a fire inside them which was hard to put off. The phonecalls parts were a bit weird, deeply sensing that discomfort Hannah felt while she forced herself to be sensual and without inhibitions. A pretty hard task for her😅.
This was my first encounter with a book by Max Monroe and I'm glad that I had a really great time reading this one. It had the perfect mix of romance, suspense, comedy and spice. Also, it was so easy to fall in love with these characters and to be captivated by the entire story. I had a great time listening to this book, the narrators giving me such nice vibes and making me feel like I was part of everything that happened in this story.
Many, many thanks goes to Hambright Pr for offering me this awesome opportunity, of listening to this book! Looved itt!🩷
✨Tropes
#StrangersToLovers
#MurderMystery
#ProtectiveMMC
#GrumpyDetective
#VirginHeroine
#OppositesAttract
#HilariousBanter
#SlowBurn
#InstaChemistry
#RomanticComendy
#RomanticSuspense
4.6/5✨
3/5🌶️
Hannay May was pretty desperate to find a new job. Her mom suffered from Alzheimer's and it wasn't that easy to take care of her. Hannah had to accept a job at 'Call Me Anytime', which was payed really well, where, to her shock, she needed to please the people from the other end of the line. Not uncomfortable at all!! Especially when she was a virgin😅. Imagine that!
What happens when your first caller was a detective who was investigating the murders of two girls? They seemed to be linked to the hotline Hannah where was working at. That's right, detective Dominic Dunn was the one on the other end of the line and the one who would be close to Hannah in the process of discovering the cold blooded murder. But what happens when along the way something else was blossoming between them? The more time they spent together, the more things shifted, but it also brought them closer into unraveling the mystery behind the lurking danger.
It was so much fun reading this book! Even from the start I could feel the discomfort Hannah felt when she found out about that odd job, but the need pushed her into accepting it. I hated her vulnerable situation, not being able to rely on anyone else but herself. The mystery behind those murders was so intriguing, being so curious about the person who was that insane for doing that. It had a good side to it, because otherwise, Hannah and Dominic would've never met. They had an insane chemistry even from the start, igniting a fire inside them which was hard to put off. The phonecalls parts were a bit weird, deeply sensing that discomfort Hannah felt while she forced herself to be sensual and without inhibitions. A pretty hard task for her😅.
This was my first encounter with a book by Max Monroe and I'm glad that I had a really great time reading this one. It had the perfect mix of romance, suspense, comedy and spice. Also, it was so easy to fall in love with these characters and to be captivated by the entire story. I had a great time listening to this book, the narrators giving me such nice vibes and making me feel like I was part of everything that happened in this story.
Many, many thanks goes to Hambright Pr for offering me this awesome opportunity, of listening to this book! Looved itt!🩷
✨Tropes
#StrangersToLovers
#MurderMystery
#ProtectiveMMC
#GrumpyDetective
#VirginHeroine
#OppositesAttract
#HilariousBanter
#SlowBurn
#InstaChemistry
#RomanticComendy
#RomanticSuspense
November 30, 2025
4.5 stars.
Max Monroe's "Call Me Anytime" is a hilarious, thrilling romance suspense novel. I cannot remember a time when I laughed this hard while reading a book! I mean huge guffaws, wall-shaking laughs. Hearing the FMC, Hannah, fumble and bumble her way through learning to be a phone s3x operator was one of the best moments in any book I've read in 2025. The way she included rhymes into her d1rty talk! AHAHAHAHAH, I am laughing just thinking about it. Hannah is such a strong main character. She takes the job to try and help continue to care for her mom, who has Alzheimer's. She doesn't want to do the job, but the pay is too good to pass up. When Hannah gets a call on her line from Dom, a police detective looking for information on an ongoing investigation, she thinks he is trying to r0le-play, and he has no idea what she's doing! Their chemistry with one another only gets better from there as their attraction for one another slowly grows. Dom is such a fool for Hannah. He is so dang sweet! And Hannah's self-sufficiency is admirable. Do they fall for one another a little too quickly? Yes, but honestly, that's all part of this book's charm. I loved the characters, the situations are zany, the mystery is compelling, and everything added up to one heck of a fun ride. I enjoyed the inclusion of NCIS as a plot point for Hannah's mother because it makes sense for Dom to be around all the time. It just feels like all of the pieces of the plot puzzle come together in an intriguing way. I had been in a bit of a book slump the last few weeks, but this totally took me out of it. What a breath of fresh air! Plus, Lee Samuels and Summer Morton give two spectacular voiceover performances here. I think this book is so much better via audiobook. They breathe life into these characters, alternating between serious and hilarious at the drop of a dime. Seriously, this book is SO good!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Max Monroe, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Max Monroe's "Call Me Anytime" is a hilarious, thrilling romance suspense novel. I cannot remember a time when I laughed this hard while reading a book! I mean huge guffaws, wall-shaking laughs. Hearing the FMC, Hannah, fumble and bumble her way through learning to be a phone s3x operator was one of the best moments in any book I've read in 2025. The way she included rhymes into her d1rty talk! AHAHAHAHAH, I am laughing just thinking about it. Hannah is such a strong main character. She takes the job to try and help continue to care for her mom, who has Alzheimer's. She doesn't want to do the job, but the pay is too good to pass up. When Hannah gets a call on her line from Dom, a police detective looking for information on an ongoing investigation, she thinks he is trying to r0le-play, and he has no idea what she's doing! Their chemistry with one another only gets better from there as their attraction for one another slowly grows. Dom is such a fool for Hannah. He is so dang sweet! And Hannah's self-sufficiency is admirable. Do they fall for one another a little too quickly? Yes, but honestly, that's all part of this book's charm. I loved the characters, the situations are zany, the mystery is compelling, and everything added up to one heck of a fun ride. I enjoyed the inclusion of NCIS as a plot point for Hannah's mother because it makes sense for Dom to be around all the time. It just feels like all of the pieces of the plot puzzle come together in an intriguing way. I had been in a bit of a book slump the last few weeks, but this totally took me out of it. What a breath of fresh air! Plus, Lee Samuels and Summer Morton give two spectacular voiceover performances here. I think this book is so much better via audiobook. They breathe life into these characters, alternating between serious and hilarious at the drop of a dime. Seriously, this book is SO good!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Max Monroe, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
November 24, 2025
4.25 stars
Wow — Call Me Anytime by Max Monroe had me laughing out loud, and I’m still grinning just thinking about it. This book is the perfect cocktail of romantic comedy, suspense, and heart.
The premise hooked me right away: Hannah is a 25-year-old virgin who, struggling with finances and caring for her mom with Alzheimer’s, takes a job she thinks is telemarketing — only to discover she’s working at a phone sex hotline. Enter Dominic “Dom,” a 35-year-old detective investigating a serial killer targeting previous operators. The dynamic between them is so much fun: awkward, tender, and full of banter.
Monroe does a great job balancing the humor (Hannah fumbling through her first phone calls is hysterical) with emotional weight — especially through Hannah’s relationship with her mom. The mystery aspect amps up the stakes just enough and keeps things interesting without taking over the rom-com feel.
My only small critique: the romance felt like it developed pretty quickly. Hannah seemed to dive in headfirst a little faster than I expected, but honestly? I couldn’t blame her. The chemistry is there, and I rooted for them the whole way.
If you love rom-coms that don’t shy away from silliness, but also throw in real emotion and a dash of thriller vibes, this is absolutely one to add to your TBR. 💖
Wow — Call Me Anytime by Max Monroe had me laughing out loud, and I’m still grinning just thinking about it. This book is the perfect cocktail of romantic comedy, suspense, and heart.
The premise hooked me right away: Hannah is a 25-year-old virgin who, struggling with finances and caring for her mom with Alzheimer’s, takes a job she thinks is telemarketing — only to discover she’s working at a phone sex hotline. Enter Dominic “Dom,” a 35-year-old detective investigating a serial killer targeting previous operators. The dynamic between them is so much fun: awkward, tender, and full of banter.
Monroe does a great job balancing the humor (Hannah fumbling through her first phone calls is hysterical) with emotional weight — especially through Hannah’s relationship with her mom. The mystery aspect amps up the stakes just enough and keeps things interesting without taking over the rom-com feel.
My only small critique: the romance felt like it developed pretty quickly. Hannah seemed to dive in headfirst a little faster than I expected, but honestly? I couldn’t blame her. The chemistry is there, and I rooted for them the whole way.
If you love rom-coms that don’t shy away from silliness, but also throw in real emotion and a dash of thriller vibes, this is absolutely one to add to your TBR. 💖
September 23, 2025
ARC Review: Call Me Anytime
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Call Me Anytime was such a fun surprise. I loved how it blended suspense, humor, and spice in such a unique way. Hannah had me hooked right from the start—awkward, quirky, and just trying to survive while taking care of her mom with Alzheimer’s. That part especially hit me hard since my grandmother had dementia, and it made Hannah’s character feel so real and relatable.
And then there’s Dominic… protective, steady, and somehow the perfect match for Hannah’s chaos. Their banter had me grinning, their chemistry was instant, and the slow burn into more had me rooting for them the whole way through. The suspense element kept things interesting without taking over, and the spice? Yep, definitely delivered.
Overall, this one gave me laughs, swoons, and a few edge-of-my-seat moments. If you want something funny, heartfelt, and a little bit steamy with that romantic suspense vibe, I’d totally recommend it!
Thank you to @authormaxmonroe for sending me an ARC to review!
✨Releases 11/25
#maxmonroebooks #callmeanytime #booksta #bookstagrammer #bookinfluencer #ilovebooks #bibliophile
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Call Me Anytime was such a fun surprise. I loved how it blended suspense, humor, and spice in such a unique way. Hannah had me hooked right from the start—awkward, quirky, and just trying to survive while taking care of her mom with Alzheimer’s. That part especially hit me hard since my grandmother had dementia, and it made Hannah’s character feel so real and relatable.
And then there’s Dominic… protective, steady, and somehow the perfect match for Hannah’s chaos. Their banter had me grinning, their chemistry was instant, and the slow burn into more had me rooting for them the whole way through. The suspense element kept things interesting without taking over, and the spice? Yep, definitely delivered.
Overall, this one gave me laughs, swoons, and a few edge-of-my-seat moments. If you want something funny, heartfelt, and a little bit steamy with that romantic suspense vibe, I’d totally recommend it!
Thank you to @authormaxmonroe for sending me an ARC to review!
✨Releases 11/25
#maxmonroebooks #callmeanytime #booksta #bookstagrammer #bookinfluencer #ilovebooks #bibliophile
November 2, 2025
You can’t convince me that this book was anything short of a 5⭐️ read! Honestly my favorite Max Monroe book to date!
It was a hilarious Romcom with some mystery aspects! Yes please! So many moments had me giggling 🤭
Hannah is trying to find a way to help her mom with bills and gets an offer to work at a call center, only it’s not just your average call center…. It’s a S⭐️X hotline (only she’s a virgin)! She takes the job because who can pass up $1500/week? But right away, she finds out the girls before her have ended up ☠️. Cue the sexy detective, Dom! They have to work together to catch this mystery person who’s behind the deaths of the other hotline workers!
✨Close Proximity
✨Protective MMC, detective
✨Hilarious Banter
✨Opposites attract
Spice: 🌶️
Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Authors: ♾️⭐️
Absolutely loved this!! Can’t wait to get a physical copy to put next to my other MM copies!
Thank you Max Monroe and NetGalley for this amazing ALC 💖
It was a hilarious Romcom with some mystery aspects! Yes please! So many moments had me giggling 🤭
Hannah is trying to find a way to help her mom with bills and gets an offer to work at a call center, only it’s not just your average call center…. It’s a S⭐️X hotline (only she’s a virgin)! She takes the job because who can pass up $1500/week? But right away, she finds out the girls before her have ended up ☠️. Cue the sexy detective, Dom! They have to work together to catch this mystery person who’s behind the deaths of the other hotline workers!
✨Close Proximity
✨Protective MMC, detective
✨Hilarious Banter
✨Opposites attract
Spice: 🌶️
Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audio: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Authors: ♾️⭐️
Absolutely loved this!! Can’t wait to get a physical copy to put next to my other MM copies!
Thank you Max Monroe and NetGalley for this amazing ALC 💖
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