She’s looking for the perfect match. He shrugs off commitment. Will these best friends figure out they’ve got love in the bag?
Recently named a “40 under 40” by a prominent fashion magazine, Southern charmer and Harvard-educated Caroline Johnson spends her days building a successful handbag business and nights lamenting her nonexistent love life. Her intelligence and professional acumen are … professional acumen are often disregarded because of her good looks, thick accent, and overly accommodating style. When Caroline’s Aunt Mimi points out that the “under 40” part won’t last forever, Caroline recognizes it’s time to start designing her personal life.
Mike (aka Michael Frederick Barnsworth III) was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and can trace his lineage to the founders of America’s first bank. Much to his family’s dismay, he refuses a corner office at the Barnsworth Brokerage Firm, instead using his Harvard education to open a bar. Irreverent and flirtatious, Mike seems content to engage in one-night stands while listening to Caroline’s dating woes.
Much like the right accessory, Caroline knows her partner needs to be perfectly matched, so she endures a series of disastrous relationships she compares to styles of handbags: the “Hobo” or starving artist; the “Diaper Bag” or single dad; the “Briefcase” or intense businessman, etc. while searching for the “Clutch.” And Mike starts to wonder if having a different woman hanging off his arm every weekend is really a fulfilling lifestyle.
Will Caroline heed her Aunt Mimi’s advice to “find something you love and hold onto it” and will Mike recognize he’s worthy of being clutched?
Low on angst and high on humor, Clutch will have readers rooting for Caroline to find someone to hold onto. If you love friends-to-lovers romances, laugh-inducing dating disasters, sizzling chemistry, and happily ever afters, scroll up now to buy or read for free with Kindle Unlimited.
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Caroline Johnson has always been obsessed with handbags. So she pursued her dream and went to college at Harvard School of Business where she met Mike.
Mike Barnsworth III is a rich kid who doesn’t want to take over the family business. He wants to own his own bar. When he meets Caroline he immediately befriends her.
Mike has no trouble with the ladies. His rule is no more than three dates. Caroline on the other hand has nothing but trouble. All she wants is to find someone she can hold onto, her “Clutch”. Caroline’s only constant relationship is her best friend Mike. So when Mike says he is moving to LA to start his dream of owning a bar, Caroline follows. Friends till the end right?!
This story was hilarious. A Friends to Lover romance. These two characters were so enjoyable. Mike with his smart banter and Caroline with her “handbags”, dates. Each guy in the book is labeled a handbag. I think my favorite was fanny pack. Mike really did not like him. The dude was creepy. Doctor Bag was a class a jerk. I could go on and on, but lets not spoil the fun.
Mike was an amazing and fun character. He was sexy and smart. Mike and Caroline’s friendship was strong and he always had her back no matter what. Their witty banter will have you laughing out loud. Almost like Will and Grace, except Mike is not gay.
Overall this book was so much fun to read. A steady read that not only had humor, but had heart melting moments and many tears. It was a unique style in the friends to lovers romance category. I loved how the author created a handbag for each man Caroline dated. A very short but easy read. So is you are looking for a good time then this book is right up your ally.
This book is so cute with all the men’s names being referred to as some kind of bag. I really love how the banter between both of the main characters are played out. These two people are definitely people I would like to know in person! Such a great book and the narration is great as well.
Audio Review:
This is the first time experiencing a story from Lisa Becker and I thought Clutch was a super cute story with extremely loveable characters. This funny, witty and sweet story is of two best friends Caroline and Mike, both not getting what they want or need out of the relationships or lack there if in their lives. Little does Caroline know that the whole time she is going through men like she switches purses her bestie is waiting for her to realize it’s him she should be with. I truly enjoyed the story and even when it felt a little repetitive considering all the different ways a date or relationship can fail I kept reading knowing that Mike would win the girl in the end.
The narration by Suzanne Barnett’s was wonderful also and she definitely brought love and humour to Caroline’s character. A must read/listen book!!!
I really needed a light, an uncompromising story to ease my reading hangover.
Clutch brings a funny love story with protagonists that make us connect with them from the very beginning and not want to drop more.
They have been friends since college time and one supports the other and gives strength to conquer everything they need.
I loved everything, the plot, the characters, the cover and when it was over I was sad because I wanted more of the couple together.
I completely enjoyed this read and was physically unable to put it down until I finished it. I read this book in a day and a half and let me tell you, my sleep was not too happy with me as I did not get much of it. Lisa Becker hooked me from the first sentence of this novel. It was a great ride and I was sad to see it end.
Caroline Johnson owns her own designer bag company in LA. She’s sweet, has a few good friends, including her best friend Mike who teases her unrelentlessly. The one thing she can’t seem to get right is her love life. She dates man after man that seems perfect but ends up being anything but. Her dating disasters are hilarious and a little bit sad too. Through it all she seems to keep a positive attitude and keeps her heart open to the one she’s been waiting for.
Three words:Must read, laugh out loud hilarious and unput downable. Add it to your tbr today!
Favorite Quotes:
She was like a walking Chico’s advertisement, if you added forty years, forty pounds, and a Virginia Slims cigarette.
It had never mattered if Caroline was asking Mimi’s advice about a friend, lover, or career. The advice was always the same: ‘Find something you love and hold onto it.’
Dinner with the Barnsworths was like a scene out of a movie, thought Caroline – a snooty English period drama where the rich couple sat on opposite ends of an impossibly-long mahogany dining table while silent, uniformed servants catered to their dining needs.
My Review:
Clutch is one of the most amusing and clever stories I have read in ages. I am enchanted with this author and want to read everything she has ever written. The protagonist in this story, Caroline, is an intelligent yet unassertive purse/handbag designer – hence the title Clutch, cute right? However, Ms. Becker took her cunning wit a step further and titled her chapters after the handbag styles that perfectly summed up the personality or trait of the man Caroline was dating; such as hobo for the moocher, demi for a short man, etc. – ingenious! I adored everything about this book – the plot, characters, humor, and witty banter. The writing style was crisp, engaging, highly enjoyable, consistently entertaining, and lushly descriptive. I think I have a girl crush…
**4.5 Stars***
Clutch is the first book I have read by Lisa Becker and I am sure it won’t be my last. It was a fast and fun story.
Caroline discovered her passion for handbags at the young age of seven thanks to her amazing Aunt Mimi which who was also her biggest cheerleader. She encouraged her to go to L.A for fashion school then onto Harvard Business so she would know the best way to develop her handbag line. And on her first day at Harvard she met her very best friend, Mike.
Mike was from a very long line of successful businessmen in the investment and banking world but that wasn’t his passion. He wanted to open a bar and with the degree he would know exactly how to make it a success, that along with lots of research. His biggest supporter is Caroline and when she decided to go back to Southern California with him after Graduation he knew she always would be.
Now, two years later and two successful businesses between them, they were loving their lives but Caroline was ready to find a man to share her life with while Mike was still living the wam bam thank you ma’am kind of life…
Throughout the book you will read about Caroline’s different types. She has a variety over the course of only 140 pages and Mike is right there with her every step of the way. He tells her how he see them because he knows she only deserves the best and she needs help standing up for herself. But, she definitely knows how to talk back to Mike, their banter is hilarious.
Will Caroline find the man of her dreams? Will Mike find more than a one night stand?
I thought Caroline was awesome, she is smart, sassy and learning to stand up for herself and what she wants. At times, I wanted to slap her but I more wanted to hang out with her. And Mike…oh Mike, he is hilarious, smart and not afraid to be himself.
Quotes:
“So, tell me more about your date last night? Did you stay out late or cut it short?” he asked, with a completely straight face. Caroline knew all too well what he was doing and chose not to engage in such childish talk.
“I don’t need to drive you crazy. You’re close enough where you can walk there all on your own,” he said, shaking his head. Caroline laughed.
“I like a girl who’s clean. And maybe a little dirty,” he said, cocking his head to the side and flashing her a panty-dropping smile.
Caroline is a sweet southern girl who is worried about hurting peoples feeling when things go wrong. But when it comes to her best friend ,MIKe, she has no.problem telling him off! They’ve been friends since both attending Harvard Business school. She keeps him in the friend zone . They tell each other about their sexacapedes. it’s hard for Caroline to find the right person and getting hurt after each breakup. Mike is always there for her. This is a delightful , fun story with a HEA. I was gifted this audio and enjoyed listening to it.
“Find something you love and hold on to it”, that’s what my Aunt Mimi always says. That is what this story is about. It took Caroline a handbag designer and several botched, a few disastrous dates to figure out till see finally see’s that the person she should be holding on to was there in front of her all along.
Thank you Lisa for gifting me this gem, I loved it.
Suzanne in her narration helped make this story fun and enjoyable.
This book is written differently as what I usually read, making it really fun to do so, each chapter is a bag. Caroline and Mike story was hilarious, the audiobook made this book so enjoyable, the narration by Suzanne Barbetta was perfect.
3.5 Sweet & Funny Stars!
Clutch is a clever, sweet, and Funny romance. Caroline is a smart, creative, and funny southern bell who moves to LA with her best friend from college, Mike, to start her own line of handbags. She has enjoyed success with her business but not so much in the dating world. She meets and dates different men, some nice, and some not so nice, but all authentic and hilarious in their own way. I love how each man’s personality is creatively compared to a style of handbag as she searches for the one true love she can ‘clutch’ and hold onto. Mike enjoys his own success with his popular bar and his womanizing ways. But he is always there and looking out for Caroline. They had a one time thing back in college and joke about it often. Now they have a close, loyal relationship, supporting each other unconditionally and their banter is so clever and hilarious. Suzanne Barbetta does an amazing job developing Caroline and Mike’s relationship and bringing this hilarious, slow burn romance to life. Her different accents and dynamic voices were easy to follow, and her comedic timing is spot on. She made this quirky, clever, heartfelt romance even more enjoyable.
This is a good fun story. We see Caroline go on numerous and I mean numerous dates. But one guy is there for her all the time. Her good friend Mike. I kept waiting and waiting for them to get together. They both are endlessly dating. We hear about Caroline’s but Mikes are just briefly mentioned so we know he isn’t celibate.
I liked different things about the story. We get the dates as well as regular life stuff for each of the MC’s. The title chapters were cute and after a while i kept trying to figure out the guy before his chapter was done. I did love the bantering and back and forth these two have. It was easy to see how in sync these two are…words, thoughts and actions. Also that nerf gun episode was one of my favorite things.
This is my first book by this author. Again I liked the story and chuckled a couple times. Some of those dates Caroline went on are really fun and let’s just say she has bad luck. I did listen to this on audio and Suzanne Barbetta is a first time narrator for me as well. She did a good job articulating and the flow was nice.
Clutch is a cute, quirky story all about finding Prince Charming. We get to enjoy dates & potential relationships gone wrong with Carolina along with her HOT best friend, Mike. All of Caroline’s dates are likened to different handbags. Mike’s end up being waitresses that work for him . When will these two learn they are right for each other?
The only thing I really didn’t like about this book, is that it is told the third person. It was a little hard to follow along sometimes
This is the first time I have listened to Suzanne Barbetta’s narration and I have to say I loved the way she presented this book. Such great emotion throughout and I really enjoyed all the different characters.
The story made me chuckle several times, poor, poor Caroline and her long line of unsuitable suitors. She really meets some doozies along the way, lol. I liked the idea behind the story and the way each man is compared to a bag, interesting. I enjoyed watching all the relationships as they grew and changed and worked or didn’t. It kept my attention right to the end.
Audiobook Review:
Clutch narrates the blunders of the dating life of a single purse designer. Buffoonery, perky, and sauceyness weaving throughout the narrative. I thought the chapters beginning with names with bags associated with the chapters design was a clever idea. Aunt Mimi was a favourite of mine. With a epilogue that is a satiating hea.
Suzanne Barbetta performance was clear and concise. A bit ecentric with a splash of amusement in the naration creates a entertaining listen.
Audiobook Obsession
Minor Spoilers Alert!!!
What I enjoyed about this chick lit novel:
College best friends-turned-lovers / Realistic / Easy-to-read (listen to) / Entertaining / Wonderful characters / Original / Page-turner / Lengthy timeframe covered / Romantic / HEA
¸¸.•*¨*•Unabridged Audiobook Info•*¨*•.¸¸
Narrated by: Suzanne Barbetta
Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
Release Date: 05-30-18
Publisher: Lisa Willet Becker
Cover gush: I love this cover because it’s quite simply eye-catching and fresh. The color design and the prominent clutch were excellent style choices.
Writing style: 3rd Person POV
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Audible Title: A very enjoyable ‘Adventures In Dating’ story!
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Overall rating:
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Suzanne Barbetta’s Performance rating:
This actor is new-to-me, but I thoroughly enjoyed her acting style. She was fantastic at doing both female and male voices in an authentic way that wasn’t jarring at all. I’m definitely looking forward to listening to more audiobooks narrated by her.
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Story rating: 4.5 stars
This novel was a giveaway selection in honor of the audiobook Facebook group Aural Fixation’s 75,000 members status. I’d never heard of this author, but the synopsis and the audiobook sample intrigued me enough to enter the giveaway. And to my surprise, I won a free gift credit to claim this gem on Audible.com.
Now normally, I don’t read books classified as ‘Chit Lit’ because my impression of them is they do not always guarantee a happy ending for the main characters. I read for adventure but also to see that adventure end in a confirmed happy after ever status. I also don’t enjoy having a lot of details about the main characters with other lovers.
This novel fell into both categories, but to my great surprise I truly enjoyed the dating in the 21st century journey Caroline went on after having a one-night stand with her then college bestie Mike. I loved that they eventually lived in the same city post-college and how much their lives intertwined as they both dated other people. I also appreciated the timing of their physical reunion and how they came to understand they should give the couple thing together a real try.
Hopefully, author Lisa Becker and narrator Suzanne Barbetta will team up again for future book projects. I’m now a new fan of both.
Funny, endearing, a fabulous mixture of witty observation and pure entertainment! Clutch has the wonderful conceit of comparing men to different styles of bag…so accurately and with great wit! Caroline is an absolute darling and successfully kisses a few frogs before finding her perfect ‘Clutch’ .
Suzanne Barbetta is an outstanding narrator! She brings every character to life, speaks clearly and at a great pace for the listener. I will be searching for more of her work. Anyone who can tell me a story so well is a treasure!
This book was the first I have read by this author, I love the cover and was really excited to read it. The book was entertaining and the heroine had some rather funny dates. Good god that poor woman and those crazies, lol. I loved her relationship with her Mimi, her best friend Milk and the banter in the story.
An interesting but also quirky read!!
What fun!
Gives trying out a handbag a whole new meaning
This was such a refreshing and heartwarming read!
We follow Caroline’s journey as she searches for love and romance while at the same time discovering her inner strength. She has always had trouble saying “No”, more worried about how it would affect someone else than how it is affecting her.
Michael has been her friend and her protector since “forever”. Together they have both accomplished their business dreams – now they are looking for that special spark that will ignite the fire within them.
Maybe they should both look a little closer to home?
This is a fairly clean Chick Lit – the characters are bold, the plot line flows smoothly and the story is entertaining
I greatly enjoyed the wonderfully comical analogies of the men and the handbags
I also found the way each new experience was authentic and detailed made the read that much more.
This is one of those feel good – “you know the ending but still smile” kind of reads
I loved the idea behind this story, and since I loved the other book I read by this author, Links, I signed up to review the audiobook of this. I am a bit of a purse lover, so I looked forward to that part of the story. I loved how the author used the different types of purses to describe each of the men in the main character, Caroline’s life. The book started out a little bit slow and hard for me to read. I didn’t connect with Caroline at first, as she just seemed so naive. Now, with the first guy, an artist, we got some of the story kind of from his point of view. However, for the rest of the story, we didn’t get that from the other guys, we only got to see Caroline’s side. I think that hurt my view of her to start the story, because not only was it obvious what a douchebag that guy was, we got to actually see him being that way even when she wasn’t around.
With the next guy though, my connection to Caroline filled in, and I was hooked. It seemed Mike might have been destined to just be her best friend, but I knew from the about a quarter of the way in that he and Caroline were meant to be together. Even if neither of them saw it, while everyone around them seemed to. Included Caroline’s aunt Mimi, who created her love of handbags to start with. If only Caroline had taken Mimi’s thoughts to heart sooner, maybe she could have saved herself some of the heartbreak of her parade of guys throughout the story. Although, not sure Mike was really ready for her yet, even if towards the end we find out just how long he might have felt more about her.
As we got to follow Caroline through her relationships, I did connect with her feelings a lot of the time. Like feeling guilty because she didn’t really see the nice guy as anything more than a friend. Then of course was the guy who had gone all religious, so much that he got upset at Caroline for using the Lord’s name in vain when they were getting hot and heavy. The fact that he reconciled premarital sex as being okay even with his holy roller attitude was just such a guy thing. Been there, seen those guys! Another place I’ve been, is going back to try to give a guy a second chance, only to find it too late, and that they’ve already moved on. I cried quite a bit at that part, was totally feeling all that Caroline was.
I mentioned how I loved that the author used different types of purses to describe each guy. It worked perfectly. And then there was the chapter where we had the chef, but it was a make-up bag. I was so confused about that, at first, couldn’t figure out where that was going. Until I did. And then, wow, I did not see that one going! And it really made me think about what I would do in that case!
I highly recommend listening to this one. Give it the first guy to get through and you will be pleased! The happily ever after is one that was well earned, if you’re like me, you’ll be rooting for Mike at the end. I also love how the author made sure we knew just how things were going to go for them after the HEA. Also great was that we started out with the first guy’s point of view, we also end up with the “clutch” guy’s point of view at the end. Made a perfect bookend for the story.