Another entertaining and funny rom-com by Robin Alexander
Robin Alexander is the author of more than thirty Sapphic novels which are gradually being released on audio mostly narrated by Lori Prince. Scaredy Cat was originally published in 2013.
Blake Taylor is a renowned author of horror books but is scared of almost everything. After a case of writer’s block, she leaves New York and rents a house in Cypress Glade, Louisiana. Quinn Scott is a local who is hired as a driver and tour guide of sorts by Blake’s agent. After getting off on the wrong foot, both women start to bond by conquering their own fears and soon they realise that there might be a growing attraction between them.
This is another entertaining and funny rom-com by Robin Alexander with her usual trademark of quirky characters, sweet romances and hilarious situations. Her settings are also typical, normally from her home state of Louisiana. Ms. Alexander is one of those authors who has a distinctive style and who always delivers in terms of entertainment. This one is no exception.
“What scares you?”
[…] “The usual…spiders, snakes, rats. I see those things a lot in my line of work, but they never fail to get a scream out of me.”
“But you still face them, so they’re not a crippling fear. What terrifies you?”
Quinn smiled. “The price of gas.”
I read this book years ago and had some recollections about Blake’s fears of many apparently ridiculous things (like broccoli) but what I hadn’t remembered is that Blake suffers from severe anxiety which stops her from almost ever leaving the house. Quinn tries to help her by pushing her to confront her fears and phobias head-on, in a kind of exposure therapy. There were parts in the plot that didn’t sound believable to me personally as I couldn’t help feeling that Blake’s anxiety and fears wouldn’t be so easy to overcome in real life. In some parts, I couldn’t suspend my disbelief but I get that this is a work of fiction and also a romantic comedy and everything has to be taken with a pinch of salt. I’m sure it will work for most readers.
The audiobook version is narrated by Lori Prince whose comedic timing is perfect for the story. I’m happy that most of Robin Alexander’s books are narrated by Ms. Prince as her performances make the stories even more entertaining. For me personally, the audiobook was more enjoyable than the written work. 4 stars
Length: 7 hours, 30 minutes