Dirty

April 18, 2016
Scott's contemporary romance series, set in present-day Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, aims to show a naughtier kind of hero, but crosses over into crude and brutish. Lydia Green is just about ready to walk down the aisle at her wedding when an anonymous person sends her a cell phone video of her fiancé and his best man having passionate sex. She responds by fleeing the venue, hopping a fence, breaking into a stranger's house, and hiding in his shower to cry. Naturally, when said stranger, who happens to be a gorgeous tough guy named Vaughan Hewson, comes home and wants a shower, he's in for a bit of a surprise. Vaughan takes Lydia in, giving her a place to stay while she recovers from the emotional fallout of her narrow escape. The two fall in lust, and things get complicated as she tries to settles down while he prepares to hit the road. The first sentence in the book is "Fuck," which gives readers a good idea of what to expect: lots of swearing, fighting, and sex, with minimal nuance. Any fat-positive points earned by having a heavy heroine are canceled out by her endless self-deprecating inner monologues. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

When Lydia Green's wedding day becomes her fianc�'s coming-out announcement, guitarist-on-hiatus Vaughan Hewson's comforting presence soon becomes much more. Narrator Andi Arndt highlights Lydia's deadpan humor, traversing her changing feelings with elegant proficiency. Vaughan and Lydia's conversations and sexual encounters feature distinct voices that match their genders and personalities. Lydia's voicing is lower, with pure, sweet undertones, while Vaughan's maintains a rough edge. Arndt conveys Vaughan's uncertainty about his shaky music career and his awkward attempts to chart a new course. Her perfect sense of timing, with each thought delivered at the right speed with the right inflection, transforms a predictable story with inane dialogue into an enticing listen. While listeners may question this unlikely rebound romance, they won't doubt Arndt's talent. C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2017 Audies Winner � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine