C. J.'s Fate

Hooper's 1984 romance has been reissued in print and is available for the first time on audio. Traci Svendsgaard weaves the story of five lifelong friends who are in Aspen for a wedding. One of the members of the quintet, who is single, is so desperate not to be "fixed up" by well-meaning friends that she enlists the help of a handsome stranger to pretend to be interested in her. Svendsgaard's narration creates a good-natured romp for listeners. Librarian C.J. Adams and the stranger, Fate Weston, are clearly voiced, but the performance fuses C.J.'s busybody cohorts into one voice. In addition, all too frequent references to Fate's ethnicity tend to rankle. Still, this short offering is a guilty pleasure that will appeal to romance aficionados and Hooper's fans. G.O. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine