The Trouble with You

About This Audiobook

L.A. Cotton’s *The Trouble with You* isn’t just another high school romance—it’s a razor-sharp, small-town power play where the football field is a battleground and every smirk hides a grudge. Hailee Raine’s dry, defiant narration (performed with biting wit by Sarah Puckett) cuts through the clichés of pep rallies and jock worship, turning her final year of hell into a listener’s guilty pleasure. The dual-POV audiobook thrives on contrast: Puckett’s Hailee is all rolled eyes and simmering rage, while Wen Ross delivers Jason’s cocky swagger with just enough vulnerability to keep you hooked. What elevates this beyond typical YA fare? The way Cotton weaves Hailee’s quiet rebellion into the fabric of a town that worships its golden boys—until she starts pulling threads.

The audiobook’s production leans into its strengths: crisp dialogue that crackles with tension, and a pacing that mirrors Hailee’s escalating schemes. Ross’s performance as Jason is particularly clever—he nails the jock arrogance, but the cracks in his armor (especially in private moments) make his character more than a caricature. This isn’t a story about instant redemption or grand gestures; it’s about the messy, satisfying burn of watching someone fight back. The 11-hour runtime flies by because the stakes feel personal, not just romantic. If you’re tired of YA heroines who wait to be saved, Hailee’s brand of calculated chaos will feel like a breath of fresh air—laced with a little arsenic."

"review": "I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes at the premise—*another* football-obsessed small town, *another* mean stepbrother trope—but *The Trouble with You* won me over by refusing to play it safe. Sarah Puckett’s narration as Hailee is the standout here: she delivers every sarcastic remark like a dagger wrapped in honey, making even the most mundane high school horrors (think: spirit week humiliation) feel like high-stakes warfare. Wen Ross, as Jason, walks a tightrope between insufferable and intriguing, and I’ll give him credit for making a character who *should* be a villain into someone you weirdly root for. The real magic, though, is in the audiobook’s *rhythm*—the back-and-forth between Hailee’s plotting and Jason’s cluelessness creates a tension that’s equal parts frustrating and addictive.

That said, this isn’t a flawless listen. The middle act drags slightly as Hailee’s schemes start to feel repetitive (how many times can one girl “accidentally” sabotage a star player?), and some of the side characters blur into forgettable small-town stereotypes. The production is clean, though I wished for more distinct vocal differentiation in group scenes—sometimes it was hard to track who was speaking during crowded dialogues. But the payoff? Worth it. The final act delivers a twist that’s both earned and deliciously petty, and the narrators sell every second of it. If you love enemies-to-lovers with a side of revenge, or if you’ve ever fantasized about taking down a high school’s golden boy, this audiobook will scratch that itch—just don’t expect to like yourself for enjoying it quite so much."

"tags": [
"enemies-to-lovers with revenge plots