Queerly Beloved

About This Audiobook

*Queerly Beloved* isn’t just another rom-com—it’s a love letter to the women who’ve spent their lives folding themselves into smaller, neater shapes to fit in. Susie Dumond’s debut drops us into the chaotic, flour-dusted world of Amy, a baker whose side hustle as a professional bridesmaid is both her escape and her prison. The premise alone—wedding-adjacent chaos meets queer self-discovery—feels fresh, but Dumond’s real magic lies in how she balances humor with the quiet ache of a protagonist who’s spent years performing happiness for others.

Kimberly M. Wetherell’s narration is the audiobook’s secret weapon: her delivery swings effortlessly between Amy’s self-deprecating wit and her raw, unguarded moments, making the emotional whiplash feel earned. The production leans into the coziness of the bakery scenes (you’ll *hear* the sugar cookies crumble) while never softening the sharper edges of Amy’s journey. This isn’t a story about grand gestures; it’s about the messy, incremental work of learning to occupy space—romantically, professionally, and within your own skin. Perfect for listeners who crave romance with emotional teeth, not just sugar."

"review": "I’ll admit: I rolled my eyes at the ‘bridesmaid-for-hire’ premise at first. But *Queerly Beloved* disarmed me within chapters, mostly because Amy isn’t some plucky heroine waiting for love to fix her—she’s a hot mess of good intentions, baked goods, and repressed queer panic, and Wetherell’s narration sells every cringe and revelation. Her performance is *particularly* sharp in the wedding scenes, where she toggles between Amy’s polished ‘professional bridesmaid’ voice and her internal spiral with comedic precision. The romance with Charley, the no-nonsense wedding planner, simmers nicely, but the real heat comes from Amy’s slow-burn realization that her worth isn’t tied to how well she performs for others.

That said, the pacing stumbles slightly in the middle, where Amy’s avoidance of conflict starts to feel repetitive (yes, we *get* it—she’s afraid of disappointing people). And while the side characters are vivid, a few feel underutilized, like Amy’s bakery coworkers, who fade into the background when the plot tightens. But the audiobook’s production elevates even the weaker moments: Wetherell’s timing turns Amy’s awkward silences into something palpable, and the ambient sounds in the bakery scenes (subtle, never distracting) add texture. By the end, I was fully invested—not just in the romance, but in Amy’s hard-won, imperfect growth. If you’ve ever laughed through tears while eating stress-carbs, this one’s for you."

"tags": [
"queer romantic comedy audiobooks