FIRST COMES LIKE

Saira Ayers and Neil Shah narrate a budding romance. Bollywood star Dev Dixit and Pakistani-American beauty influencer Jia Ahmed, who don't know each other, nonetheless agree to pretend to date. He's on a lark, and she is trying to fend off her family's traditional Muslim intentions for her. Shah's voice is a treat for the listener's ears. Full of emotion, his rich, smooth timbre brings the reserved Bollywood actor to life. Ayers's delivery is missing the passion found in Shah's narration. In a flat, almost bored, tone for most of the production, she fails to engage the listener with her part of the story. This makes for an uneven performance that reduces the overall quality of the audiobook. A.L.S.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2021]