Single and Looking, Daisy (Secret Lives of Sisters)

CONTEMPORARY:  Daisy is 39 and single, a situation her five sisters, mother and aunt are all determined to rectify by setting her up on blind dates. Meanwhile, her cat has started talking to her in a British accent, and her car GPS is possessed by demons. Daisy isn’t quite desperate, but surely among one of these dates, she will find her Prince Charming. Unfortunately, with names like Jose Cuervo, Harvey Von Wallbanger, Johnny Walker, and so on, each disaster date provides Daisy with a list of attributes to avoid in a man. Is it any wonder Daisy despairs of finding her Mr. Right?

"Single and Looking, Daisy" is laugh-out-loud funny. The machinations of Daisy's sisters, mother and aunt combined with clever dialogue and hilarious outcomes keep the listener entertained. As enjoyable as it all is, Daisy's sole focus is on finding someone who can love her. We know she's a perpetual PhD student, but we never see her studying, at school, working or with friends (other than her sisters), to round her out as a person. The dates were also extreme over-the-top caricatures that skirted close to stereotypes. Despite that, writing humor is challenging, and author, Belinda Austin, succeeds in scene after scene to create a highly entertaining story.

Stacy Gonzalez shows off her talents with a range of voices and accents that keep the listener in stitches. In particular, she manages to distinctly vary each of Daisy's sisters' voices along with her mother and aunt. Her sense of timing is impeccable, and her pacing is spot on as she wrings out every drop of humor in the story. Ms. Gonzalez has a bright future as a professional narrator and would add to any book performance!

Tricia Hill