Adorkable

I’ll admit it: I side-eyed *Adorkable* at first. Another YA romance with a quirky girl and a brooding love interest? But five minutes into Andrea Emmes’ narration, I was hooked—not just by the story, but by how *alive* she made it feel. Emmes doesn’t just read Sally Spitz; she *is* Sally, from the eye-rolls you can *hear* in her tone to the way her voice cracks when Sally’s trying (and failing) to play it cool. The production is clean, but the real magic is in the performance: Emmes leans into the humor without overdoing it, and she gives even minor characters distinct personalities, like the smug richness of Sally’s nemesis or the warm, rumbling timbre of the love interest. The story itself is a masterclass in balancing fluff with heart. O’Gorman writes dialogue that *pops*—think rapid-fire jokes and callbacks that reward attention—and the plot avoids the pitfalls of insta-love by letting Sally and her love interest circle each other in a dance of misunderstandings and grudging respect. That said, the middle act drags slightly with a subplot involving Sally’s ex that feels more like filler than development. And while the ending delivers on emotional payoff, the conflict resolution wraps up a touch *too* neatly, like a bow on a gift that’s already been shaken vigorously. Still, for an audiobook that’s equal parts comfort listen and laugh-out-loud fun, *Adorkable* overdelivers. Just maybe don’t listen in public unless you’re prepared to snort-laugh in the grocery line.