My name is Calliope and “I bone for a living.” Kidding. I am studying to be a paleontologist though. It’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted to be, and I have finally landed the perfect museum internship to make all of my dino-loving dreams come true. Trouble is, everyone wants me to be a gentle, loving sort of creature, but I’m more of the T-Rex type by nature – the kind who is determined to stomp … determined to stomp and tear her way through any obstacle in order to get what she wants.
But when a sexy, rumbly-voiced astronomer plummets into my orbit and threatens to break open my hard little heart, my career and my whole way of looking at the world is suddenly on the line.
The dinosaurs didn’t see their asteroid coming.
And I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for mine.
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I’ve been anxious to get my hands on a copy of “Flirtasaurus” by Erin Mallon ever since I first read the synopsis because it sounded so funny, plus I love books that feature women in the sciences. I’m happy to report that it was even better than I had hoped it would be. As soon as I finished the first chapter, I could tell that I was going to adore this book, and my love only grew from there. The story grabbed my attention and kept me laughing from the very first page. I ended up reading the whole thing in a single afternoon because I just couldn’t put it down!
Main characters Calliope and Ralph were quirky, funny, snarky, and endearingly awkward, and their back-and-forth banter was absolutely hysterical. I loved each and every one of their conversations, but I think the one about methane emissions from dinosaurs and cows was my favorite because it was just so random. The two of them were obviously made for each other, and I found it very easy to cheer them on to their HEA. The book’s secondary characters were also a tremendous amount of fun and added a lot of depth and humor to the narrative, especially Calliope’s co-worker Mabel (aka The Bug Lady), elderly museum patron Otto, and Calliope’s best friend Sasha.
Overall, I can’t recommend “Flirtasaurus” highly enough for anyone who enjoys lighthearted contemporary romance and/or romantic comedy. I’m certain that “Flirtasaurus” will find a place on my “favorite books of 2020” list, and I can’t wait to see what Erin Mallon writes next.
*ARC provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
Laugh-out-loud, hilarious romance featuring a dreamy hero and a genius, geeky, foul-mouthed heroine!
“You keep me guessing. And you have a real way with words. Anyone ever tell you that?”
Calliope Fitzgerald is so excited to get a coveted internship at the Natural History museum in Philly. She lives, breathes and sleeps paleontology. Unfortunately, she’s much better with dead things rather than living people, and her filterless, awkward (often profanity-littered) ramblings tend to either offend otheres or embarrass herself. However, Ralph Anderson seems to understand her so well and finds her extremely charming.
“Ralph Anderson has game. But here’s the thing. He doesn’t actually play games.”
Ralph is pretty charming himself. I adored his earnest, relaxed manner. I loved how he took everything that Calliope threw at him in his stride. I thought they were so adorable together. Calliope is driven to succeed and stay focused on her childhood dreams. She thinks herself misunderstood by her family. Ralph is also ambitious but is also really thoughtful of others.
“I know I’ve only known you a few weeks, but that’s long enough for me to know that losing you has got to be pretty devastating.”
I just loved the connection between them and how Ralph showed Calliope that there was more to life than fossils, and that she could have love as well as a career. Considering how funny this story was, I was taking by the surprise by the emotional conclusion. This was a fantastic, smart debut, and I totally adored it!
An enjoyable debut from this author. The characters take ya on an entertaining journey and the storyline is easy to read. I am excited to see what else this author has in store for us.
What an amazing debut by author Erin Mallon! Flirtasaurus is hilarious, entertaining and romantic. The story is full of quick banter, science jokes and puns, unforgettable characters and completely unputdownable.
Calliope is focused and determined to excel as a paleontologist her dream since she was a little girl. She is single minded in her drive to succeed, which creates just as many blunders as it does opportunities. She is a very realistic character in that she is not a perfect human. She is flawed, she makes mistakes and she frequently responds inappropriately to situations. I was able to relate to her so much!
In regards to our hero Ralph, He is so good to Calliope from the very beginning, bantering with her, pushing buttons, and pulling her out of herself. He is so dreamy and the hero all us awkward boss babes want in our corner.
Possibly my favorite characters of the whole book are Calliope’s parents. I was cracking up laughing (my family was looking at me like a crazy person I was laughing so hard).
As a result of listening to dozens of books narrated by Erin Mallon I could hear her voice in my head while reading this book. I think this will translate wonderfully to audio, and I plan on listening to the audiobook in the future. One thing that was a little challenging with this read, was that some of the back and forth dialogue went so quickly without character descriptors or pronouns that I lost track of who was speaking and had to go back to follow the banter again. I don’t foresee that being an issue with narration and truth be told it was only a minor hiccup in the reading. It did not impact my enjoyment of the book at all.
Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon is the funniest book I have read in a long time. I have a feeling everyone is going to love it as much as I did.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.
Erin Mallon is one of my favorite narrators. She is also an accomplished play writer and author of the recently released audio play, These Walls Can Talk. Flirtasaurus is her first novel, and it is absolutely a 2020 favorite. I don’t often mention other authors, but I have to say that Flirtasaurus is like Jana Aston, Tara Sivec and Penny Reid wrote together, which is one of the hugest compliments I can give.
With what is happening in the world right now we all need to laugh more, and Flirtasaurus had me literally laughing out loud so many times! One thing I have to say though is that being a playwriter and a narrator, I think Erin’s writing translates better to audio. There is a lot of dialogue, and I love it in audio, but I noticed that it was a little harder to follow in print, even though reading it after listening had me giggling like a loon again. Just the way she emphasized some things was funny in print too!
What I’m saying is I have my proverbial sh*t together. Clearly.
“GET ME OUT OF HERE OR IMMA LOSE MY SH*T!”
Calliope is a paleontologist who just landed her dream internship at a museum, only she gets stuck in the elevator on her first morning. Luckily, some “sexy-voiced mystery dude” outside the doors kept her calm until she was rescued.
Calliope just blurts out whatever is on her mind. She is very flawed and very funny, but she is smart and she loves her dinosaurs. Ralph, on the other hand, is a nice guy. He’s an astronomer at the same museum who is hot and nerdy but likes Callie just how she is. Their banter is hysterical!
“You, Calliope FitzGerald, are an absolute lunatic.”
Likes:
•Laughed out loud through the whole book.
•It was smart.
•Calliopes ‘trip’! LOL
•Calliope is real and flawed (very) but still so funny.
•I love Ralph! And Erin’s voice made him so sexy, even with the unfortunate name.
•How Calliope just says whatever she is thinking.
•Her true and real love and excitement for Paleontology and dinosaurs.
•I loved the smart kids!
•Dr. Knowles was a great character.
•A rare Jewish hero.
•Who knew there were so many prehistoric names for sex!
Dislikes:
•Calliope was kind of a selfish, judgmental bitch sometimes. Somehow she was still funny and likable but was much more likable in audio.
•A few small plot points that never really developed.
•Print book only: A lot of dialogue without saying who is speaking can get confusing and exhausting.
The Narration:
Flirtasaurus was written for audio (whether she meant to or not), and you can tell Erin heard it in her head as she wrote it. This is one book where I think the audio really gave this book a huge advantage because there was so much dialogue. It was hysterical to listen to but got a little exhausting to read.
The Down & Dirty:
Flirtasuarus was absolutely hilarious. It is very rare that I giggle out loud like that, but I snort-laughed! I had such an awesome time listening to Flirtasaurus that I couldn’t give it less than 5 stars. It’s rare that I do that with books that aren’t perfect, but I just loved it so much. While writing this review, the more I analyzed and picked it apart, the more little things I found that I could get annoyed over, but that is because I basically read the print version while writing this review (and I was laughing again!) but I think I still found it funnier because I heard Erin in my head making it funny. While the audiobook is 5 stars, had I only read it, I think it would have been more like a 3.5-4 because all the dialogue lent itself better to audio. I am so, so excited for Lovebug, the next in the series, about Mabel!
Audiobook Rating: 5 Stars, 3 Heat, 5++ Narration
Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon is the First book in The Natural History Series. This is the story of Ralph and Calliope. Ralph was a dream leading man for sure. Calliope was a nerdy, funny and a joy as our leading lady. I loved the parents who were just as funny. This was a really good romance that kept me turning pages and laughing. I do recommend this book and this author. I will be looking for more of her book for sure.
I have always loved listening to Ms. Mallon bring books we love to life with her amazing voice. So when I saw that she had written her own fun story I just had to dive in. I was lucky to receive an early copy of this gem and it did not disappoint. This story was exactly what I needed right now. It was such a fun read. I can not wait to read more from Erin Mallon.
When I first saw that Erin Mallon had written a romcom, I was all in. She always does a phenomenal job of narrating those types of stories, so I was definitely excited to see what she would bring to the rom-com genre. This book had a lot of potential from the get go. The book is set in a museum that houses dinosaurs, planetarium, animals, etc. A natural history museum. We start out with Calliope stuck in an elevator on her first day of work. A nice man by the name of Ralph keeps her occupied by talking to her through the door to keep her mind off of what is happening. These characters already give us a taste of some crazy that we are in store for. It was obviously going to be fun and outlandish.
While I thought the story had great potential and the characters definitely stayed true to themselves throughout, the way in which this story was written wasn’t for me. I feel as if the book would be better as an audiobook. I could literally hear Erin Mallon narrating as I was reading it and that made it more enjoyable. What didn’t make it enjoyable was the fact that I would very easily get lost at who was speaking. The flow wasn’t there. And I couldn’t “see” the scenes. There was SO MUCH DIALOGUE. Like an over abundance of it. That was basically the book. I suppose it was written more like a play and didn’t give you the feel of your space and the surroundings. It was all about the characters. Which is fine, but didn’t help with the flow of the story.
I think as a debut author, Ms Mallon has a lot of potential, but I would’ve enjoyed the book a lot more if the characters were fleshed out and it wasn’t filled with all the dialogue. You have to write as a writer and not as a narrator. We need to see what is around us and feel it. For that reason, I didn’t really connect with the relationship of Ralph and Calliope. Sure, Calliope was a bit crazy and way over-the-top in how she spoke, but that’s all I got. How did these two connect besides working at the museum?
Overall, I feel this story has great potential, but would be better suited as an audiobook so we could understand who is speaking when. It’s way over the top in the humor (which I am more than ok with), but I think if we got to know what made these characters who they are and how they fell for one another, the story would’ve succeeded better for me. I’ll be curious to see what the next book looks like since she already said there is more in the series.
This is Erin Mallon’s debut book but it doesn’t read like it. It’s funny and sweet and a delight to read/ listen to. A must read/ listen for rom-com fans. The characters are fleshed out and likeable. I loved Ralph so much, he was such a sweet hero, who always put others first and helped Calliope in ways I don’t think she even realised, by allowing her to see things in a different way. She was so laser-focused that so much passed her by. She was such a fun heroine, though, I loved that she was smart and not looking for love, but at the same time, couldn’t dismiss the Ralph-effect and could admit when she was wrong. Their interactions are funny and sweet, the banter is perfection. If you’ve read any of my reviews before you’ll know I’m a huge banter fan and this book has it in spades. I loved Calliope’s family, they were a riot, and I could understand Calliope’s responses to them but also loved that part of the story and seeing them connect. The museum setting was refreshing and gave a different spin on a workplace romance, and I enjoyed that aspect to it.
This is going on my perfect summer read/ listen list because it’s such a delightful story and filled with humour and swooning moments. If heat level is important to you, this is on the low end but don’t let that deter you from a wonderful story. Sometimes you read or listen to a book and it just fills you with happiness, that’s what this book does. It was such a joy to listen to. I laughed out loud on more than a handful of occasions, I’m sure my colleague thought I’d lost it. It is incredibly funny. Just what you need during these difficult times. It definitely made my nightshift go fast, that’s for sure. It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to devour a book in a day, but that’s exactly what I did with the audio of Flirtasaurus, once I started it, I couldn’t stop. SO much, that I owe it in all versions, eBook, audio, and paperback. I love the cover, it encompasses everything to love about this story.
I’m not a huge fan of authors narrating their own books, but this is one occasion where I not only loved it but doubted anyone else could have done it the justice it deserved. Erin was these characters, she voiced them in a way that just made them come alive – I read the first 20% of the book before going back to the beginning and listening, so I can comment from both perspectives—as a reader and listener. I’ll say I’m super glad I didn’t have to say all those dinosaur names, and that was a definite bonus to listening lol. The production was well done and there were no issues of note. I did have a little chuckle at the word museum just because I didn’t realise that is one of those words that is pronounced differently in the US to the UK—that’s not a criticism, but something that I’ve never noticed before.
I just loved reading Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon. It was a fun, delightful and captivating read. For her debut novel, this was a fun read, with characters and story I loved. Calliope was fun, quirky and passionate about what she wants to do to a fault. Ralph was sweet, caring and a good guy. I loved the witty banter they shared and their interactions. I really needed a book like Flirtasaurus by Erin Mallon right now. I laughed and just lost myself in the story.
Read and reviewed for Sultry Sirens Book blog.
Happy reading!
This is my first book from the author and it’s her first romantic comedy novel! And I like very much, it was funny, with a sassy heroine, a different environment as almost the whole book goes in a museum. But what won me over was Ralph the hero and almost all of the side characters: Mabel, Otto and alllll the kids in the Dino Diggers. You should read the book at least for them.
Ralph is freakin’ amazing, seriously! He is smart, well articulate, sweet, very good looking, he protects all the people he loves even though he has some family trouble and works at the museum as astronomer, he is super cute although he doesn’t like to be called that! And man, he deserves the world!
I started the book really digging Calliope, she is studying to be a paleontologist and landed her dream job in the museum as an intern. I thought she was truly amazing in a world dominated by man. She was honest, smart and spoke her mind every time. The first couple chapters I laugh out loud with her, the elevator trap and how she met Ralph.
However, as the book progressed My mind changed about her 180. She was obviously good with the bones and dinosaur things, with humans? She was the worst! She was at times rude and most disrespectful towards anyone who dared look at her 1 second more than she thought was enough, specially with she was feeling nervous or anxious.
And her reactions at the job? Seriously in any other place she would be fired in the first hour of the first day. Callie was luck that her boss was there and gave her some much needed words and tips on how to interact with human beings. After that she had a little improvement until the plot twist.
Holy hell… I’ll tell you what… she was lucky that Ralph was such an amazing person, but I liked that he said his piece to her. You know… who is taking care of him? I want to wrap him in a bubble.
I was really surprised by the ending, their HEA and Callie sure had a new way of life. BUT let me tell you in super excited for the next book in the series… it’s going to be about Mabel, the bug lady! And she is awesome.
4.5 stars
Flirtasaurus is the authors first book and I have to say that I thought it was an incredibly fun read where I laughed alot!! So much quirkyness and entertaining banter that was right up my alley!
It was incredibly easy to read and enjoyable as well! I really enjoyed the characters and the way Calliope just said everything that came to mind was entertaining!
It was a refreshing story that had some outlandish but hilarious moments and I just thought it was a fantastic read!!
If you are after a story a little outside of the box, then this is just what you need!
A lighthearted, kinda ridiculous but with a lighthearted and witty storyline!!
Great work on your first book Ms Mallon! Cant wait for more!
Flirtasaurus is Erin Mallon’s debut novel and it is out for this world.
Have I told you before that I love me a nerdy hero? How about a nerdy heroine? Because Flirtasaurus brings you both.
Cally-lope cracked me up from the first page. She is awkward, outspoken and nerdy all bundled up in one hilarious heroine. She and Ralph have the best relationship full of banter and puns, some that make you facepalm but all laugh-out-loud worthy. Trust me, I got some weird looks while reading this book for laughing out loud.
Ralph, is not as awkward. He is still nerdy and accepts Callie for who she is, strangeness, and all. He responds to her jokes instantly and with so much grace you’d think he had time to think of his response before answering but no. It is so normal for them that you can’t help but fall in love with them. He is such a sweet, tender, loving man and would love to have more of him.
Overall, wonderful debut for the Queen, Erin Mallon and I can’t wait to see what else comes out of her brilliant mind!
I laugh so much with this book, it was the light read I needed, the meet-cute with the strong heroine and sassy hot hero. I love Erin Mallon, this is her debut novel and it was a good read. It was light, funny, and simply interesting and refreshing characters. How could you not love a paleontologist? Calliope and Ralph will steal your heart. If you ever need a good laugh and a sweet romance all in one, grab this book, better yet get the audiobook as well you do not want to miss on any.
I’m absolutely in love with Erin & her writing! Calliope & Ralph were absolutely adorable. I loved their meet-cute and the whole story just kept me in my seat until I finished it. Calliope was such a strong & smart heroine. I loved seeing her work so hard (& sometimes awkwardly) to achieve her dream!
I also absolutely loved the writing! It was amazing and I am shocked that this is Erin’s first book! I can’t wait to see what she creates next.
4.5 Epic Stars!!
Erin Mallon’s debut is absolutely outstanding!!
The story is masterfully written, hilarious, entertaining, fun, romantic, and original. The characters are all likeable, believable and funny. I got hooked right from the start and couldn’t stop until I turned the last page.
I love seen strong heroines on my books, and Calliope (Callie) was not only that, but she’s passionate about her work, and along with Ralph, they’ll keep you entertaining and laughing a lot throughtout the story. This two are memorable!!
All in all, this was an amazing read that I highly recommend, especially during this awful times.
Erin Mallon has this deep well of talent. She’s been one of my favorite narrators for the past couple years. This book was so good that i had to preorder the audiobook…. being able to listen to her perform her own work is going to be really fab!! Who is better to know what feelings or emotions her characters are going to have than the author?
I had just finished reading another book and it was such a deep and serious novel that this break is just what I need. The lightness of it was fun and quick-witted! I couldn’t get over how effortlessly it flowed… the puns were seriously the BEST!! The characters were just the sweetest and I just couldn’t get enough of them!!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
This book is LITERALLY laugh out loud funny. I LOVE Calliope – she’s SO funny! She seems like someone you’d want to be friends with – although methinks she might be a little exhausting at times!
Calliope and Ralph first meet at the museum where they both are interning, Calliope is a paleontologist and Ralph is an astronomer. They are both absolutely brilliant – and quirky; obviously perfect for each other. Their relationship blossoms pretty naturally, and after getting over a speed-bump caused by a mistake on Calliope’s part, the happy ending they get is perfect for them.
I love how Calliope’s brain NEVER slows down, but Ralph has absolutely no problem keeping up with her. The supporting characters in this book are super entertaining. Calliope’s family is devoutly Catholic,( her mom is a creationist who believes the universe is only 10,000 years old), so when Calliope the paleontologist brings her boyfriend the astronomer to dinner, things end up getting a little tense. But it all gets worked out in the end, and both Ralph and Calliope take big steps to improve communication with their families after the showdown that ensues.
Flirtasaurus was a joy to read, and the banter between Ralph and Calliope is smart and fast and funny. There weren’t any steamy bits to be found though, which might be the only thing missing! But if you want a fast, easy and hilarious read, I would put Flirtasaurus at the top of your list!
Calliope is in love with dinosaurs and is so excited that she just landed the dream internship at the Natural History Museum working on the Trix and Monty project with hopes of landing a spot on her idols field team. Her first day of work does not start off perfectly when she gets stuck in the elevator but a sexy talking man keeps her company until he is forced to be evacuated from the museum. After thinking that he stood her up when they agreed to meet during the fire alarm she confronts him in the planetarium. Calliope did not expect an asteroid in the form of an astronomer to crash into her world and heart.
Flirtasaurus is a workplace romantic comedy and the first novel by Erin Mallon. Flirtasaurus is chaotic and funny. Calliope was a little too insecure and chaotic for me to truly like her. I did have spots of the book where I laughed out loud, the dinosaur premise hooked me because of my son’s obsession with them and I could imagine them as the Dino Diggers. I am on the fence with Erin Mallon as a writer but I do really enjoy her as a narrator. I think the reason I could not get into the book completely is that I have learned I am not a fan of first-person, single character point of view stories.
*ARC was generously provided in exchange for my honest review*
Flirtasaurus gives you so many laughs! I giggled a lot through Calliope’s many mishaps. I loved watching Calliope feel her way through normal social situations, which is something she seemed to struggle with. I’ll admit it took me a bit to warm up to Calliope, I felt she was entirely too bitchy. She did calm down a bit and I understood why she acted the way she did.
I loved Ralph and how he just kind of went with the flow with Calliope. I loved them together. They have a very weird and funny relationship, but definitely a cute one!
Flirtasaurus is a great debut and I’m looking forward to more from Erin Mallon!