Review of ‘Those who wait’ by Haley Cass, Audiobook narrated by Lori Prince

Two months ago, a couple of co-reviewers recommended me this debut lesbian romance book but I was a bit put off by its length (570 pages). I decided to wait for the audiobook which is narrated by Lori Prince. I’m so happy that I did because it’s going straight to my year’s favourites.

Charlotte Thomson is a candidate for Congress who comes from a family of politicians, starting with her grandmother who was the first US female president. She’s a lesbian who stays in the closet and always keeps her relationships casual. Sutton Spencer is a graduate student looking for love but casual isn’t her thing. When they meet through a dating app, Charlotte and Sutton forge an unlikely friendship that challenges their apparent incompatibility at love…

Wow, I’m seriously impressed by this book, more so considering it’s a debut. Politics and lesbian romance are my cup of tea so I’ve been kicking myself for not having read it before. This book was created as a ‘Game of Thrones’ fanfic first, even if it’s hard to imagine because of the different content, but it has the fanfic feel due to its length and the way the chapters are structured as little stories within a bigger one. Even though it’s a lengthy book, it doesn’t feel like it as it keeps the same pace and the reader’s interest all along. It is detailed, as you can imagine, but it works well for the universe the author created.

There is a good amount of angst in this story and even though I’m not a fan, it works really well here. Both characters are perfectly fleshed out, and the reader gets to be in their headspace a lot and get to know them well, so their strengths and shortcomings – and the angst that comes with it – make absolute sense.

Charlotte and Sutton are so human and likable that it’s easy to root for them. I’m glad that Ms. Cass wasn’t tempted to write Charlotte as an ice queen, even though she’s against relationships, she has her justifiable reasons, and beyond that, she’s a warm person. And Sutton is a sweetheart, her pureness, honesty, and her naivete are a breath of fresh air. But I loved that there was more than meet the eye to these characters, they had a depth to be discovered as the story progresses that talks about Ms. Cass’s skill in writing them.

This is such a strong character-driven book that the mains’ compatibility plays a fundamental role in the story. The chemistry was off the charts hot and I’m not talking just about the sex scenes that are in themselves varied and sizzling. No, I’m talking about their overall chemistry even before they meet in person. It’s so strong that comes across even when they were still on text communication.

The audiobook was narrated by Lori Prince, who was an ideal choice. This is exactly the type of book where she thrives: flawed but lovable characters, banter, emotional moments, and hot scenes. She nailed every single second of the 21+ hours of the audiobook which, by the way, it’s great value for money. My only small criticism is that I wish she did a different voice for Charlotte, I would have loved her Thayer’s voice from the Curtis and Reynolds series by Carolyn Elizabeth. Anyway, it’s just my preference and I can assure you that it won’t affect your enjoyment. 5 stars.

Available with a Scribd subscription.

Length: 21 hours, 6 minutes.