Augusta "Gus" Simpson, a cooking channel diva, is turning 50 and is in danger of losing her television show. She has to cope with professional struggles, like the beauty queen turned chef appearing on her program, and personal ones, like her daughters' complicated love lives. Barbara Rosenblat gives a flawless performance, creating voices for Gus and each of the characters. Rosenblat performs Jacobs’s hilarious scenes perfectly, capturing all the intended humor. Her skill as a narrator is highlighted by her ability to switch characters seamlessly, as demonstrated by her shifts from Spanish beauty queen Carmen to New Jersey next-door neighbor Hannah. A delicious performance from soup to nuts.
Pub Date: May 6, 2008
Duration: 11 hrs
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A model and a mogul get married in Vegas on a bet, and Diana Luke narrates their story with élan. While it would be easy to portray Leila Darling as a scheming caricature or Carter Bain as a ruthless businessman, Luke never crosses that line. Her portrayal of Leila is generous and encompasses the full range of her character--from the formidable professional at the top of her game to the vulnerable woman who is unsure if she can trust a man with her heart. Likewise, Luke's portrayal of Carter showcases both his business acumen and his emotional vulnerability as he opens himself up to Leila. While loosely connected to the previous Unconventional Brides volumes, this can easily stand alone.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501968471
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
After her divorce, Roberta Jewett, with her three daughters, returns to Camden, Maine, to start a new life. Such an independent move in 1916 brings difficulties with her mother, her in-laws and the townspeople. Dukes's performance, while skillful, sometimes suffer in scenes of emotional content. His pace slows, and his reading acquires the peculiar emphasis of someone trying to get instructions across to a non-English-speaking person. The effect is disturbingly laughable. When he resumes his normal pace, the story revives and personalities emerge again, but the awkwardness remains as an odd interruption to Spencer's drama of pain and love, dispelling Dukes's carefully constructed characterizations.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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