IF I NEVER MET YOU

This endearing love story demonstrates narrator Sarah Novak's flexibility with emotions. Laurie is in her prime, with everything going as planned until her partner of 18 years, Dan, abruptly leaves her. Novak helps listeners feel Laurie's shock and pain, as well as Dan's cowardice, by deftly adjusting her intensity. After Laurie gets stuck in an elevator with her law firm's flirt, Jamie, she hatches a plan of fake dating. She'll get her revenge on Dan, and Jamie just might get a promotion. But Laurie and Jamie start to see different sides of each other, growing their relationship into something more real. Listeners hear the developing attraction between Jamie and Laurie in Novak's expressive narration. While she struggles with consistent pacing, and audible breathing detracts the flow of her delivery, she handles accents well. S.K.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2020]