THIS TIME NEXT YEAR

Narrator Hannah Arterton's vocal range enhances every emotion in this clever rom-com--even the deep groan that punctuates the strained conversation as two women talk through birthing pains. Quinn and Mini are born minutes apart, but only Quinn has the distinction of being the first baby born in London in 1990. Mini grows up hating Quinn, but the two don't meet until a chance encounter at a New Year's party 30 years later. As the two continue to cross paths, Mini finds her resentment fading. Arterton's nuanced delivery of dialogue keeps listeners engaged: A chef barking insults at an underling, speech becoming slurred as a character pre-games before a Tinder date, and an ecstatic friend shouting to others are just a few examples. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2021]