One of the reasons I like duet narration is because the way many men voice women grates on my nerves. In duet narration, that’s not an issue. This very much increased my enjoyment of The Scoring Secret.
In general, I like Ainsley Booth/Zoe York’s books. They are very readable, and satisfying. The first book in the series, The Playing Game, is one of her best books. The Scoring Secret is a good read, not quite as good as its predecessor, but still good. The narrators, Stella Hunter and Rob Hatchet, do a great job with their characters and the story. It’s a steamy romance, and sometimes I have a moment were I realize people are narrating sex scenes in my ear and I start thinking about that instead of the story. But I didn’t have that issue here. Stella Hunter gives Kiley a slightly world weary snap, and Rob’s Ty is deep voiced and too perceptive to be a himbo.
In The Scoring Secret, Ty is traded suddenly from Miami to Hamilton Ontario and he doesn’t handle it gracefully. Kiley, having left her cheating boyfriend, is taking some time to figure out what’s next in her life. She’s planning on having a year of being slutty, and I love that for her. Though they clash in real life, the two connect on a dating-ish app and build a virtual friendship that occasionally includes orgasms. Eventually Ty realizes that the antagonistic woman he’s attracted to in real life is his online friend with benefits. She does not immediately fall into his arms.
I go back and forth on whether The Scoring Secret needs tightening up, or if it is delightfully meandering. It takes its time, and for the most part, that works for the characters. Neither is looking for a committed relationship, so they each have to work their way to that point.
Side note: I am very pleased to see that Ainsley Booth has switched the fanfic that Kiley reads to Stucky. The author who likes to use her money to harm people doesn’t need attention, even from fanfic. I appreciate that Booth reconsidered that choice. It was a tiny part of the book, but in 2026, it would have said a lot about the author.
I received this as an advance listener copy. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.
