Just Some Stupid Love Story

Doyle’s (“Society of Sirens” series, written under the name Scarlett Peckham) first contemporary romance follows Molly, who writes Hollywood rom-coms and adamantly believes that happy endings are fantasies exclusive to the silver screen. Upon reuniting with her high school flame, Seth, a bubbly divorce lawyer and serial monogamist who is desperate for love, the two make a bet, each arguing that their respective expertise will help them accurately predict a couple’s success rate. As they report on the breakups, betrayals, and flirtations around them, Seth and Molly start to rekindle a flame all their own. However, with Molly’s distrust of romance and Seth’s inability to find happiness solo, will their story be a blockbuster or a lackluster flop? Listeners will be charmed by Seth and Molly’s witty banter, performed by Tim Paige and Christine Lakin, whose dual-POV narration adds an affecting level of intimacy. Even so, listeners may be distracted by the narrators’ different voicing of Molly’s cadence and tone. Additionally, the lengthy, languidly paced narration of email exchanges eventually wears thin.