6 TIMES WE ALMOST KISSED (AND ONE TIME WE DID)

Lifelong friends become reluctant lovers in this sweet performance by Tess Sharpe. Penny and Tate are opposites: Tate is a coolheaded swimmer who wants to get out of her hometown, while Penny is an upstanding yet wild overachiever who wants to stay. When their mothers agree to bring their families to Sacramento for a medical procedure, Penny needs to learn to let go of her overbearing nature, and Tate needs to be grateful for what she has. Sharpe delivers a flexible performance. She narrates both perspectives and adapts different voices for both characters, including their impressions of each other. The relationship between Penny and Tate feels natural, and the story expresses a varied palette of emotions. G.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2023]