Headliners

December 23, 2019
The real action is behind the scenes in Parker’s cute fifth London Celebrities show business romance (after The Austen Playbook). When footage of TV newscaster Nick Davenport bad-mouthing his boss goes viral, he loses his prime time slot and is forced to cohost a floundering morning show with his rival, razor-tongued Sabrina Carlton. Sabrina is still reeling from Nick breaking the story of a humiliating Carlton family scandal, but her hatred of him must take a backseat to her career goals. Both determined to rehabilitate their images, they paste on TV smiles and play nice, leading them to discover that they actually like each other. When a series of unexplained mishaps occur on set, Nick and Sabrina realize that someone is sabotaging them, and a drunken hookup at an industry wedding leads to public speculation about their relationship and paparazzi tailing their every move. Nick and Sabrina support each other through accidents and scandal that range from hilarious to dangerous. The couple’s transition from contention to contentment as they learn to love each other is smooth and believable. Romance fans will root for this sweet, saucy relationship. Agent: Elaine Spencer, The Knight Agency.

Billie Fulford-Brown narrates a surprisingly low-key enemies-to-lovers romance that is, above all, an ode to skilled professionals doing their jobs amazingly well. Sabrina Carlton and Nick Davenport must turn their years-long rivalry into a functioning partnership--it's either that or be fired. Fulford-Brown perfectly captures the way Sabrina and Nick's relationship evolves. Each step along their path to love is noticeable upon reflection but never obvious at the time. Sabrina's tone with Nick evolves from frostily polite to warily friendly to ardently enamored, and Fulford-Brown manages the transitions seamlessly. Similarly, her portrayal of Nick's interactions with Sabrina shifts from coolly indifferent to cautiously amicable to passionately devoted. A deeply satisfying romance between two equals, performed exquisitely. K.M.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine