AMANDA'S WEDDING

When snooty rich girl Amanda tells 20-something Melanie and her buddy Fran that she's marrying Frasier McConnel, laird of a run-down Scottish castle and an extremely sweet man, they know they must prevent the wedding. A series of barbed encounters, many of them drunken, ensues as Melanie, Fran, and Frasier's brother, Angus, attempt to forestall the nuptials. Tanya Eby reads in a high, squeaky, little-girl voice that is annoying, but not necessarily out of character. The men all have deep, gravelly voices, Scots included; the women are difficult to differentiate. Most amazing are the switches from smooth narrative to stilted phrasing complete with halts in unnatural places, which complement the inarticulate dialogue. Aside from the foul language and sharp British humor, the story is a predictable romance packed with humiliation, cruel humor, and a happy ending. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]