THE ARC

Narrator Mary Elizabeth Kelly's range is superb in this thought-provoking rom-com about finding one's soulmate. Thirty-five-year-old Brooklynite Ursula is tired of dating apps. As a representative at a creative branding agency who is willing to try all the new-age self-care methods, she's open to the idea of relationship architecture, the expensive bespoke service The Arc offers. Ursula is matched with 42-year-old lawyer Rafael; right away their relationship is both easy and electric. But when the couple's path takes an unexpected turn, they question whether love can truly be optimized. Kelly excels at vocalizing both broad character traits, such as the blunt tone and Eastern European accent of a massage therapist, and more subtle traits, such as the hesitant pace and flattened tone of Ursula as she senses the beginnings of her first disagreement with Rafael. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]