On the Rebound

I’ll admit it: I rolled my eyes at the ‘childhood sweethearts reunited’ premise. Then Rachel Woods uttered Calliope’s first line—*‘I didn’t come back for you’*—and I was hooked. *On the Rebound* works because it refuses to romanticize the past. The audiobook’s strength lies in its narration: Woods nails Calliope’s brittle confidence, the kind that cracks only when she’s alone in her car (where her voice softens into something devastatingly vulnerable). DiCosimo, meanwhile, gives the male lead a rare depth; his performance isn’t just smoldering—it’s *exhausted*, like a man who’s been running from his own guilt for a decade. The pacing stumbles slightly in the middle—too many training montages that drag when we’re itching for the emotional showdown—but the payoff is worth it. Cotton’s dialogue sings in audio format, especially the flashbacks (where Woods and DiCosimo adopt younger, breathier tones that make the betrayal hit harder). My one critique? The side characters occasionally blur into generic ‘supportive friend’ roles, their voices lacking the distinctiveness of the leads. But the production shines where it counts: the final act’s confrontation is *electric*, with Woods’ voice trembling as Calliope’s armor finally shatters. If you love enemies-to-lovers with teeth, or sports romances where the game is just metaphor for the real battle, this is your jam. Just keep tissues handy—some rebounds leave bruises.