The Best Is Yet to Come

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when I saw the ‘high school sweethearts reunited’ premise—until Eva Kaminsky’s performance had me hooked by Chapter 3. There’s a rawness to her delivery that makes even the most clichéd lines feel fresh, especially in the flashback scenes where young Sarah and Calvin’s flirtation borders on combative. Kaminsky doesn’t just *read* the banter; she *embodies* it, and that’s what sells the emotional stakes. The present-day scenes, where Sarah’s guarded sarcasm butts up against Calvin’s gruff introspection, are where the audiobook truly shines. Andre’s writing here is tighter than in some of her earlier works, with fewer meandering subplots—though I’ll dock half a star for the slightly rushed resolution to Calvin’s family drama, which felt like it needed another scene to land with the same impact as the rest. Pacing is where this audiobook excels. The 8-hour runtime flies by, thanks to a mix of snappy dialogue and Kaminsky’s knack for pacing—she lingers just enough on the quieter, more introspective moments (like Calvin’s late-night drives through the vineyards) to let the tension breathe. The production quality is flawless, with no jarring edits or volume inconsistencies, which is a pet peeve of mine in romance audiobooks. My only real critique? The steamier scenes, while well-written, occasionally tip into *too* breathy territory in the narration. But that’s a minor quibble in an otherwise stellar performance. If you love enemies-to-lovers energy with a side of small-town charm—and a narrator who can sell both the humor and the heartache—this is a top-tier pick.