A glittering, golden-hour escape, deftly performed.
This sunny rom-com comes alive against a vibrant Southern California backdrop, thanks to Jeena Yi’s bright and relaxed narration. Cassia Park, nearing 40 and single, runs her family’s matchmaking service, One & Only. Like the other Park women, Cassia is gifted with the ability to glimpse her clients’ soulmates. Though Cassia has known of her own “fated” match, Daniel, he has eluded her. Destiny intervenes through a steamy detour with charming 28-year-old Ellis, who works for Daniel. Yi delivers a range of LA accents and subtle gender shifts, and demonstrates impeccable comedic and emotional timing. Her portrayals of Cassie’s grandmother Halmoni and great aunt Emori are especially memorable. While Daniel’s British accent sometimes wavers, and Cassia’s bestie Marcella can feel overdone, the narration toggles between comedy, romance, and introspection with enjoyable ease.
A glittering, golden-hour escape, deftly performed.Pub Date: Feb. 3, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217338115
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
