A Fashionable Disaster

Okay, let’s be real: *A Fashionable Disaster* is the audiobook equivalent of mainlining espresso while binge-watching *Parks and Rec* meets *What We Do in the Shadows*. I went in expecting a standard paranormal rom-com and left cackling at 2 a.m. over a scene where the heroine threatens a centuries-old vampire with a bedazzled stapler. Robyn Peterman’s writing is *relentlessly* funny, but what sells it is Jessica Almasy’s narration—she doesn’t just read the lines, she *embodies* the chaos. Her voice for the protagonist is a masterclass in ‘I’m two seconds from snapping but also need to pick up my dry cleaning,’ and the way she handles the vampire aristocrats’ snooty dialogue had me picturing a cross between Thurston Howell III and a petulant toddler. That said, this isn’t a flawless listen. The plot occasionally meanders into subplots that feel like excuses for more snark (not that I’m complaining *too* much), and the romance takes a backseat to the tax-evasion shenanigans for longer than some listeners might prefer. Also, while Almasy’s comedic chops are stellar, her male voices can blur together in group scenes—though honestly, the sheer absurdity of the dialogue distracts from it. The pacing is brisk, almost breathless, which works for the humor but might leave fans of slower-burn romance wanting. Still, if you’re here for a paranormal audiobook that’s more *Legally Blonde* than *Twilight*, with a narrator who sounds like she’s having the time of her life? Buckle up. Just maybe don’t listen while driving—laughing at ‘bloodsucker audit’ jokes is a public safety hazard.