Review of Next Time by Robin Alexander, Audiobook narrated by Lori Prince
I’m happy to see that Robin Alexander is releasing her back catalogue in audio and even happier that she has chosen Lori Prince as the narrator. I’ve read this book years ago and even though it’s not one of my favourites, it’s worth a listen.
Payton Foret meets Ryan Seely when both of them were acting as wing women for their best friends on their first date. She’s instantly captivated with her but Ryan is in a long-term relationship. Ryan hasn’t been happy with her love life for a while and throwing away her eight-year-old relationship seems too drastic. But life suddenly gets too complicated; what will happen when Payton and Ryan cross paths next time?
I like the premise of this book because it’s unusual for lesfic but so much more common in real life: a relationship in trouble makes space for a new bond with someone else. My guess is that it’s unusual in romance because it’s hard to pull off without risking the readers’ sympathy for the situation.
The beginning reminded me of the movie When Harry Met Sally, Payton and Ryan are already in an established relationship and tell their story to an interviewer. So, with the certainty of a happy ending, the reader is ready to discover their journey to happiness.
This wouldn’t be a Robin Alexander book without her typical quirky characters, such as Ryan’s sister Shelley, funny old ladies, like Payton’s neighbour Grace, and hilarious situations. Without that healthy dose of humour, this book would have had the potential to be overly dramatic but, as usual, Ms. Alexander finds a perfect balance between serious and fun.
Lori Prince is the perfect choice for this story because her comedy timing is one of the best in lesfic. But, as the author does, she also finds a perfect balance between fun and emotional and makes the story much more enjoyable. Her performance of Shelley and Grace is fantastic and super entertaining and she’s also convincing in the more emotional parts. I’ll always give a chance to an audiobook that has the names Alexander and Prince on the cover. 4.5 stars.
Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
