Running Hot

Dawson McBride nails the duality of Cuss with a voice that’s equal parts gravel and honey—think Idris Elba if he spent his off-hours narrating biker romance audiobooks. The growl in his delivery when Cuss dismisses corporate suits as ‘accountants in loafers’ is pure auditory catnip, and he sells the softening of our hardened hero with a tenderness that feels earned, not forced. The pacing, however, stumbles in the middle act. Sheppard’s script hits every trope beat with precision (the obligatory bar fight, the misunderstandings that could’ve been texted to cut half the runtime), but the audiobook lingers on them just a shade too long, making the emotional payoff feel like a delayed punchline. Still, the chemistry between Cuss and the heiress—let’s call her ‘Lila’ for brevity—crackles. Their verbal sparring is juicy enough to make a lawyer blush, and McBride’s timing in delivering their barbs is impeccable. If you’re here for the slow-burn tension and a narrator who makes every ‘get out of my garage’ sound like a mating call, this delivers. Just don’t expect a marathon; think more like a sprint with a few unnecessary detours.