Savannah Breeze

Keating is simply delightful in the first-person role of BeBe Loudermilk, a thrice-divorced Southern belle and restaurant owner who falls for a gorgeous, smooth-talking con man who tricks her out of all her money and possessions. Putting on a lively Southern accent, Keating embodies BeBe perfectly, evoking her theatrical personality (wailing melodramatically over her loss), her self-deprecating humor and her never-give-up determination as she tries to pick up the pieces by getting a dilapidated motel up and running. Keating also creates distinct, believable voices for the other characters: a lazy drawl for BeBe's grandfather, whose absent-mindedness hides a shrewd mind; a gritty tone for Harry Sorrentino, the cantankerous hotel caretaker who alternately exasperates and attracts BeBe; and even voices of minor characters, including a Valley Girl–sounding young woman named Emma and a Spanish-accented bank teller. The audiobook is abridged, but you'd never know it: it flows seamlessly. It's a rollicking, entertaining story from beginning to end. This audiobook production makes an already enjoyable book even more fun, perfect for beach listening. Simultaneous release with the HarperCollins hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 30). (Apr.)