Off the Mark

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the ‘bad girl needs a makeover’ premise—until about 30 minutes in, when Lila Winters’ narration sold me on the protagonist’s defiant charm. She doesn’t just *play* a dirt bike racer; she *is* one, growling out lines like ‘I don’t do apologies’ with the weariness of someone who’s been fighting this battle for years. Wayne Mitchell’s performance as the uptight PR guy is the ideal foil, especially in their early scenes where his clipped, corporate tone clashes hilariously with her ‘I’ll cuss you out in front of a sponsor’ energy. The chemistry between them is electric, but what surprised me was how much I cared about the racing itself. Nolan’s descriptions of the tracks and the physicality of riding are so vivid, I found myself Googling dirt bike races mid-listen. That said, the pacing stumbles in the middle. The ‘will they/won’t they’ drags a bit too long, and a subplot involving a rival racer feels underdeveloped—like Nolan wasn’t sure whether to lean into the drama or keep it light. The humor also lands unevenly; some jokes (especially the protagonist’s one-liners) kill, while others fall flat with over-explanation. Still, the audiobook’s production saves even the weaker moments. The subtle use of ambient sound during race scenes adds immersion without gimmickry, and the narrators’ ability to switch between snark and vulnerability keeps the emotional beats honest. If you love rom-coms with teeth—where the leads actually challenge each other, not just the plot—this is a winner. Just be prepared to fast-forward through a few overly long internal monologues about ‘selling out.’