The Grumpy Count

I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes when I heard the title *The Grumpy Count*—surely another trope in disguise? But Alix Nichols and narrator Virtual Voice pulled me into this audiobook with the precision of a well-aimed snowball to the face. Virtual Voice’s performance is a masterclass in contrast: their clipped, aristocratic tones for Jonas make his grumbling sound like a disapproving uncle at a wedding, while Margot’s upwardly mobile chaos comes through with breathless, teenage-excitement energy. The pacing zips along, with sharp dialogue that’s funnier in audio than on the page—imagine two people playing verbal tennis with a very expensive racket. My only critique? The side characters border on caricature (the butler who *must* be in at least three plays), and the mansion’s layout feels less like a real house and more like a sitcom set. Still, the chemistry between Margot and Jonas is electric, and by the final act, even the grumpy count can’t resist a grin. If you’ve ever wanted to yell at a fictional aristocrat for his terrible taste in wallpaper, this is your audiobook.