Scandalous

About This Audiobook

*Scandalous* isn’t just another celebrity romance—it’s a razor-sharp, identity-bending romp where the real drama isn’t the red carpet, but the twin who *isn’t* supposed to be on it. Kris Bryant drops readers into a high-stakes game of mistaken identity when Amelia, a no-nonsense academic, impersonates her fame-hungry twin Zoey at a supernatural TV convention. The tension crackles from the first chapter: Amelia’s dry wit clashes with Zoey’s glittery world, and the audiobook’s narration by Lori Prince leans into that contrast with a performance that’s equal parts exasperated sigh and breathless gossip. Prince’s voice work is particularly clever in distinguishing the twins—not through over-the-top accents, but through subtle shifts in rhythm and tone that make their dynamic feel achingly real.

What sets this apart from typical rom-com fluff is its refusal to soften the edges. The supernatural fandom backdrop isn’t just set dressing; it’s a petri dish for exploring authenticity, with Amelia’s discomfort in the spotlight mirroring the listener’s own skepticism about Hollywood’s gloss. The chemistry between Amelia and the love interest (a journalist who *knows* something’s off) simmers with the kind of slow-burn tension that’s rare in audio—Prince’s delivery turns even a loaded pause into foreplay. At 9 hours, the pacing is tight, though the convention scenes occasionally meander into fan-service territory. Still, for listeners who crave romance with bite and a narrator who can sell both sarcasm and sincerity, this is a standout."

"review": "I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the ‘twin swap’ premise—until Lori Prince’s narration made me believe in it. Her Amelia is all clipped vowels and academic precision, a woman who’d rather debate semicolons than small-talk with cosplayers, while her Zoey drips with the kind of practiced charm that makes you suspect she’s reciting lines from a media training binder. That duality is the audiobook’s secret weapon. When Amelia stumbles into a panel discussion about vampire lore (while internally panicking about her sister’s missing script notes), Prince’s delivery had me laughing out loud—not just at the absurdity, but at how *painfully* relatable Amelia’s discomfort feels.

The romance subplot, though, is where *Scandalous* stumbles slightly. The love interest, a journalist named Riley, is compelling enough—a skeptic in a room full of true believers—but their initial meetings drag with repetitive ‘will they/won’t they’ beats. Bryant’s dialogue shines brighter in the twin-centric scenes, where the tension isn’t just romantic but existential: Who gets to claim their identity when the world only sees the famous version? The production quality is flawless (no awkward edits or volume spikes), but I docked half a star for the convention crowd scenes, which sometimes blur into a noise of nameless fans. That said, the final act’s emotional payoff—delivered with Prince’s signature mix of warmth and wry humor—more than makes up for it. If you love romances where the real conflict isn’t external but the mess inside the protagonists’ heads, this is your next listen."

"tags": [
"LGBTQ+ twin swap romance