LAURA RIDER'S MASTERPIECE

With its biting humor and self-absorbed characters—who are caught in a twisted love triangle—Hamilton's latest defies any literary label. Laura Rider yearns for a writer's life to replace the one she finds dull. When she encourages a relationship between her husband and a local radio personality, the conflicts that arise are hardly surprising. Alyssa Bresnahan's energetic delivery of this atypical romance is delightful and moves briskly from lively dialogue to racy love scenes without hesitation. The novel stumbles a bit with the various passages relayed via email—the cumbersome format is awkward on audio—but that’s no fault of the narrator. Bresnahan is a bright light in an unusual but diverting novel. Her voice is warm and authentic—even if the characters are not. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]