Reviewed by Kristin
As a former actor and an audiobook narrator, Sewanee Chester
has hit her stride. She began in romance as many narrators do, using the
pseudonym Sarah Westholme. She moved into mainstream fiction under her own name
and built a solid career. She is even in the running for a few awards. It may
not have been her original aspiration, but it’s a good job and Sewanee has
connections throughout the industry.
The flexibility of recording her work on her own schedule
allows Sewanee to spend time with her precious grandmother “Blah Blah”. Even
the employees at Blah’s assisted living facility call her by the name long ago
bestowed upon her by her granddaughter. Blah is living the high life with other
former movie stars and hopefuls. Sewanee loves being able to drop in for happy
hour and cherishes every moment she can spend with her beloved Blah in such a
supportive atmosphere.
When Sewanee meets a charming Irishman in a bar just as her
longtime bestie Adaku is called away for a high stakes Hollywood meeting, she
decides to live a little. Never mind the happily ever afters promised by those
long ago romance novels she once narrated; one drink, one meal, one night is
enough.
Sewanee finds herself drawn back into the world of romance
novel narration when famed romance author June French passes away and leaves a
challenge for Sewanee (or Sarah Westholme, that is) and Brock McNight to dually
narrate her last book. Sarah and Brock can do their own chapters in the
solitude of their respective studios, never meeting or even knowing each
other’s real names. Brock has the deep sexy voice to really rev the engines of
all his female readers, and he keeps his true identity a secret. How could
Sewanee resist?
The somewhat predictable romantic tension between
Sewanee/Sarah and Brock is there—but done well—as they begin to get to know one
other via emails and then texts and then voice messages.
I listen to many audiobooks while driving, and I have to say
that listening to a novel about narrating audiobooks was a lot of fun. Julia
Whelan is actually an award-winning narrator of over 500 titles, and
(obviously) she reads her own works as well. She has much insight into the
world of publishing audiobooks and that makes this particular book very
enjoyable.
Sewanee is such a likeable character, as well as many others
in her world. Blah Blah is an absolute delight, as well as having the potential
to break a reader’s heart as she begins to have trouble with her memory failing.
I can still hear her calling out, “Dollface!” as Sewanee walks in the door (on
good days, at least.)
Whelan has written one other novel so far: My Oxford Year.
It’s available on Tennessee READS and also from other libraries in our consortium.
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