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Libby (Audie Nominee)

Author: Katherine Center

Narrator: Patti Murin (and Katherine Center)

Emma Wheeler’s dream of being a screenwriter may finally come true. She had been studying, honing her craft, but she’s also been the sole caretaker for her father. When her friend offers her the opportunity of a lifetime – help Charlie Yates, Oscar winning screenwriter and her idol – she jumps at the chance. 

Charlie Yates doesn’t need any help, let alone from some “failed, nobody screenwriter”. He’s only writing this rom com so that he’s actual project gets green lit. Plus, he does NOT believe in romance. 

They say you should never meet your idols, and Emma is in for a world of disappointment. Or maybe not…

Although this book is almost entirely told through Emma’s POV, I truly believe it would have benefitted by duet narration. I had a hard time liking either one of the characters and having another narrator voice Charlie might have helped a bit. 

There are a few points that annoyed me in this one: the “I am saving you from a life with me you don’t deserve”  is one that bugs me immensely.  Also, don’t throw an illness as a plot point and then come with a “Deus Ex Machina” solution for the situation. Nope.

Patti Murin narrates this solo and I must confess I wasn’t a fan of her style. There is a staccato quality to her reading that becomes a little too much in a long audiobook. The book drags a bit too, which doesn’t help her. She also pronounces the same word in two different ways IN THE SAME SENTENCE. That is the kind of stuff that throws me off. The author also narrates one bonus scene through Charlie’s POV (I don’t get the reasoning behind this…) and her author’s note and acknowledgments.

The story is … fine. I get that she wanted to pay homage to rom coms but I wasn’t impressed. Hit me up for recommendations of audiobooks that do the same in spectacular ways. 

Content notes: mentions of death of a parent, caretaking for a disabled parent, mentions of cancer diagnosis