Clutch

CONTEMPORARY:  Caroline Johnson receives her first purse from her Aunt Mimi along with the advice to “find something you love and hold onto it.” Once Caroline sets up her business as a designer of fashion bags, she decides it's time to focus on her love life. But finding a man is a lot like finding the right handbag. Not all are the right fit and not all last. With her best friend Mike offering her advice, a shoulder to cry on and free glasses of Chardonnay at his bar, Caroline tries out a number of “bags” in search of that one she can clutch.

With chapter titles like Hobo, Diaper Bag, Fanny Pack, and of course, Clutch, this chick-lit romantic comedy serves up an equally entertaining number of dates that match. Caroline is sweet, funny and blind to the obvious. While the big city dating scene might not be familiar to everyone, blind dates, bad dates, and the anticipation of a date all are. The reasons for Caroline's dating disasters will elicit laughter, commiseration and a desire to see her finally succeed. When she does find her clutch, it isn’t surprising, but it’s deeply satisfying. 

Suzanne Barbetta’s performance is simply wonderful. Her character voices for Caroline and Aunt Mimi are memorable. Her pacing and narration flow smoothly and keep the listener's attention on the story. While there is some graphic language, with Barbetta’s skillful narration it’s a natural outgrowth of the characters. It would be a pleasure to listen to her narrate other stories and to discover the depths of her talent as a narrator.

Tricia Hill