You Deserve Each Other

January 6, 2020
With a narrator readers will either love or hate, Hogle’s over-the-top debut takes the progression of lovers-to-enemies (and back to lovers) to an unbelievable extreme. Almost two years after Naomi Westfield and Nicholas Rose’s first date, the picture perfect couple is engaged and Nick’s overbearing mother, Deborah, is planning their wedding. Naomi despises Deborah and Nick can’t stand Naomi’s artsy work friends. And Nick and Naomi have grown to loath one another as well, but have kept that a secret since neither can break the engagement without incurring massive bills and embarrassment. Instead, they embark on an all-out prank war as each tries to get the other to end things first. Though the couple’s shenanigans are written as humorous fun that help them rediscover the joy of their relationship and slowly bring them back together, the pranks themselves frequently verge on gaslighting and actual cruelty: Naomi sabotages Nick’s business and breaks his phone, Nick berates Naomi and dangles the potential of him having an affair in her face. Hogle has a gift for detail and narrative flow, but many readers will grow frustrated by Naomi’s voice, which alternates between snarkiness and whininess. This rom-com is not for the faint of heart. Agent: Jennifer Grimaldi, Chalberg & Sussman.

Taylor Meskimen skillfully narrates this lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance between 20-somethings Naomi and Nicholas. Meskimen crafts nuanced character portraits of the pair as their relationship evolves from infatuation to a possible breakup and, finally, to a supportive and loving partnership. Meskimen expresses the longing for intimacy that underpins Naomi's vibrant but unsettled persona and Nicholas's thoughtful, unassertive demeanor. There is a sweetness that develops in this story, including in the few erotic scenes, that rewards the patient listener. Nonetheless, the couple's road to happily-ever-after has more than a few bumps, including a series of misguided pranks and, especially, the presence of Nicholas's intrusive mother, Deborah. Meskimen's dismissive and haughty tone perfectly captures her attitude, and her comeuppance will amuse listeners. M.J. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine