In this solid single point-of-view audio romance from Smith (On Location), narrator Donnabella Mortel brings the secondhand embarrassment and slow-burn buildup to Naomi’s and Simon’s steamy relationship to life, all while doing a great job keeping various character voices distinct. Recommended as a read-alike for The Roommate by Rosie Danan.
Fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game will find that this delightful debut from #ownvoices author Smith has great potential, as long as they can overlook a few missteps.
Unexpectedly hard-edged, this engrossing story from first novelist Smith feels lived-in and real. In the end, what happens to both Jude and Cindy comes as a surprise, teaching us what we can and can’t escape and what it means to remake ourselves despite the past. [See Prepub Alert 1/23/19.]