Egomaniac by Vi Keeland

Narration by Joe Arden and Andi Arndt

Vi Keeland is a pro at New Adult romances. Over the last few years I have read or listened to close to a half dozen of her books, and she has always managed to surprise me with a fresh and yet just as engaging romance with a healthy dose of intrigue and angst. In this case, and with this title, I thought she might have been trying something a little bit different. Perhaps one of those cocky, alpha heroes that romance listeners seem to fall in love with due to the steam, but that sometimes leave listeners a bit at odds with whether they should genuinely like the hero. Well, if that’s you, don’t let the title Egomaniac scare you away. Title notwithstanding, I ended up falling in love with this hero who turned out to be sensitive, caring, and protective and who exemplifies the motto that appearances can be deceiving and that actions speak louder than words. There is also a touch of humor in this story, not to mention the undeniable chemistry between this couple that will keep you glued to your earbuds. Moreover, the splendid narration by the experienced, narrator duo team of Joe Arden and Andi Arndt makes this a title that is best experienced in audiobook format.

Emerie Rose, a psychologist who specializes in couples counseling, has just moved out to New York City from Oklahoma so she is thrilled to find office space she can afford on Park Avenue no less. However, when the actual tenant, divorce attorney Drew Jagger, comes back from vacation, she quickly learns just how easily someone can be swindled in the Big Apple. This is just the beginning of her troubles, as she came out to New York City chasing a man who is her “friend” and who she first met in school when he was the teacher’s assistant for one of her classes. Unfortunately, notwithstanding the big move, he still doesn’t seem to catch on that she’s interested in him (at least not until Drew shows an interest).

Fortunately, Drew is understanding and allows her to stay in the office for a few weeks while she figures out what office space she can actually afford. The answer is not much, so they strike a bargain. Drew will let her sublet space in his office in exchange for her help while his assistant is out on leave. So begins their daily interactions where they settle into a comfortable routine, including a good dose of banter and attraction. The fact that he’s a divorce attorney and she is a psychologist who tries to salvage marriages also provides fodder for some comical situations.

However, there is a lot more to Drew than meets the eye. There is a reason he only represents men in divorce cases. And when the reasoning for this seemingly bitter, anti-relationship position comes to light, it will break your heart. These circumstances also throw one large curveball into whether there ever could be a HEA for Emerie and Drew.

Joe Arden and Andi Arndt narrate this book in the typical New Adult fashion with Mr. Arden narrating the chapters from Drew’s perspective and Ms. Arndt the ones from Emerie’s. This style works well to divide the perspectives being shared and they both used a similar style that works well together. This insured that no matter which narrator I was listening to, I could easily differentiate the speakers in any given scene and that the sound that they each gave a character had a similar sounding ring to it. This conformity of style further brought each character to life for me, allowing me to easily differentiate personalities.

Both narrators had a great sense of timing with the witty banter and comical scenes too, which left me chuckling throughout a number of the scenes. Not only were they sensitive to the underlying humor, however, but their recitation of the more serious scenes were also equally well done. They also did a great job with the steamy scenes which really solidified the chemistry between Emerie and Drew and made the romance believable.

This story ended up being so much more complex and heart-stirring than what I had expected. If you’re looking for a sexy, funny, but also serious romance that will leave you with a hopeful feeling, then I recommend you give Egomaniac a listen.

BJ