THIS TIME LOVE

Laural Merlington's voice is perfect for the self-assured yet vulnerable Dr. Joy Smith-Anderson, who is running a research project at Lost River Cave in New Mexico. The action starts when Gabe Venture, an adventure journalist, turns up to do a story on the closing of the cave complex. They have a past. She wants nothing to do with the only man who ever physically excited her but left her to bear their child alone. Thinking she aborted the child, he now hates her. While this is not Lowell at her best, it's a moderately entertaining and sexy romance with fascinating details of cave exploration and formation. Merlington is effective on the whole, even though her male voices sound forced and 6-year-old Kati sounds silly. D.T.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]