Double Decker Dreams

When Kat spotted “Alexander” atop a double-decker bus, she knew he would be her knight in shining public transportation. Though she had been career-focused since taking an overseas assignment to escape her ex, she wastes no time planning their picture-perfect future: she, a soon-to-be partner and eventual CEO of her consulting firm, and he, an English aristocrat brimming with elegance and endless devotion to her. When the truth turns out to be further from her fantasy (and closer to home) than she ever imagined, Kat must reevaluate whether her rom-com–induced expectations are realistic. MacMillan (The Heart of the Deal) offers an ambitious contemporary romance that seeks to be empowering but ends up more saccharine and sanctimonious. Though the characters are well-developed, the narrative is drawn out and difficult to engage with. Narrator Madeleine Maby presents a convincing Kat, who, unfortunately, is more petulant than playful. Maby’s attempts at various accents are exaggerated and inconsistent.