Every once in a while, a new author appears (seemingly) out of nowhere and I fall in love with their books. This year’s book crush is Milena McKay. Last year’s was Haley Cass. Her debut novel, Those Who Wait, blew me away, I had no idea what I was getting into when I selected it from the books to review Gaby asked me to take a look at for her website LezReviewBooks. I liked the cover, I said I’d review it for her.
That was it. Those Who Wait will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s the first born, the one which made Haley Cass an author to look out for, but When You Least Expect It is just as good. This is how I concluded my review of the book: “When a debut novel is as good as Those Who Wait is, there’s always this pressure on the author and this worry in me that it could be a one-hit-wonder. With When You Least Expect It, Haley Cass puts this fear to bed with panache.” I completely stand by what I wrote then, and listening to the audiobook only reinforces my certainty that Haley Cass has a very real gift.
As usual when I review the audio version of a book I’ve already written about, I will link to the original review and focus on the narration. Each narrator has their own strengths. I’m not sure exactly how to explain what makes Lori Prince the perfect choice for Haley Cass’s books, but there’s no doubt in my mind that she is. Her voices are not the most distinctive (especially men’s voices or, as in this book, children’s) but her tone, her intonations, her acting couldn’t fit better. It’s especially true when it comes to highlighting the chemistry between the two main characters, you can hear all that longing in both Caroline’s and Hannah’s voices. And if you thought that scene during the weekend away with Caroline’s friends was hot when you read it, wait until you hear Lori Prince’s take on it!
I loved this audiobook so much that it left me in a (mercifully short) funk, I was sad it was over. I have infinite respect for authors who can make me feel so much.
Read my review of When You Least Expect It, the book.
Jude in the Stars 