Sweet Victory

About This Audiobook

*Sweet Victory* isn’t just another celebrity-meets-commoner romance—it’s a razor-sharp, heart-in-throat sequel that leans into the messiness of love after the happily-ever-after. Beverley Watts skips the saccharine, serving up Victory Shackleford’s next chapter with a side of *real* stakes: the glare of fame, the weight of family secrets, and the kind of banter that’ll have you rewinding just to catch the zingers. What sets this apart? The audiobook’s dual narration—Colleen Prendergast’s Victory is all warm, self-deprecating wit, while Mark Elstob’s Noah oscillates between smoldering charm and vulnerable rawness, selling their chemistry without overacting.

The Dartmouth Diaries series has always excelled at grounding its glamour in grit, and *Sweet Victory* doubles down. Watts writes small-town England with the texture of a well-worn cardigan, then drops in Hollywood chaos like a hand grenade. The humor lands because it’s *earned*—think cringe-worthy family dinners and paparazzi ambushes that sting before they sparkle. At under six hours, the pacing clips along, but the production never feels rushed; even the quieter moments (a whispered 3 a.m. argument, a hesitant voicemail) crackle with tension. This is for listeners who want their romance with teeth—and a narrator duo who know exactly when to bite."

"review": "I’ll admit: I side-eyed the premise at first. *Another* famous-guy-falls-for-normal-girl story? But *Sweet Victory* disarms you in the first chapter, when Victory—now very much *not* normal, thanks to her A-list boyfriend—finds herself Googling ‘how to act at a Vanity Fair party’ while her nan texts her memes about ‘selling out.’ That’s the tone: equal parts glitz and grounded, delivered with a narrative voice that’s as sharp as it is tender.

Prendergast and Elstob’s narration is the secret weapon. Prendergast nails Victory’s mix of dry humor and creeping insecurity, especially in scenes where she’s out of her depth (her delivery of ‘*I can’t believe I just said that to Ryan Reynolds*’ is *chef’s kiss*). Elstob, meanwhile, avoids the trap of making Noah a one-note heartthrob; his performance in the latter half, when Noah’s past collides with his present, is downright *unsettling*—in the best way. My only critique? The middle act sags slightly with a subplot about Victory’s sister that feels undercooked compared to the A-story’s fireworks. And while the ending ties up neatly, a few emotional beats land *just* shy of earned—like Watts pulled a punch when she should’ve gone for the knockout.

Still, the audiobook’s production is flawless: no jarring edits, no awkward pauses, and a score that swells at just the right moments (the scene where Noah sings to Victory in a pub? *Perfection.*) If you loved *Beach Read*’s banter but wished it had more bite, or if you’re craving a romance that balances laugh-out-loud moments with real stakes, this is your next listen. Just maybe don’t start it in public—you *will* snort-laugh."

"tags": [
"witty British romance audiobooks