If You Ask Me

The picture of perfection, Violet Covington has a beautiful home, a husband, and a great career as the anonymous author of the advice column “Dear Sweetie.” Then she walks in on her husband, Sam, in flagrante delicto with their neighbor. As Violet comes to terms with the downfall of her marriage, her advice column takes on a new tone that’s anything but sweet. While on the brink of self-destruction, Violet meets a smokin’ hot and sweet firefighter named Dez and eventually finds herself on a path to self-discovery. With a light and feathery Southern accent, the talented narrator, Shannon McManus, captures Violet’s authentic transition between sweet and sassy, while simultaneously showcasing her depth and vulnerability. Even though it’s told from Violet’s POV, as a narrator, she is reticent. But the advice column and readers’ letters provide a lot of insight. Hubscher’s (Meet Me in Paradise) latest is more than a light rom-com; it covers difficult issues too and gives trigger warnings in the prologue.