Clara’s Verdict
Portia MacIntosh has built a loyal readership on the strength of her romantic comedies, and A Lot to Unpack is a confident addition to a strong catalogue. The setup – Liberty, working for a dating app despite having been catastrophically betrayed by one, is sent on a secret mission to New York with her handsome boss – is precisely the kind of premise that the genre does well, and MacIntosh executes it with her characteristic warmth and wit. Karen Cass’s narration is a pleasure, and the result is a smooth, enjoyable six and a half hours that earns its keep.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 from listeners, with some notably enthusiastic responses and one or two more measured ones – which is, honestly, about right for a romcom that prioritises chemistry and voice over structural invention. This is comfort listening, confidently delivered.
About the Audiobook
Liberty’s situation at the novel’s opening is recognisably contemporary: she is trying to rebuild her confidence and her faith in men after her ex-boyfriend used a dating app to send intimate photographs to half the neighbourhood. Working at Matcher – the very app that facilitated her humiliation – is its own particular irony. The self-deprecating acknowledgement of this situation is characteristic of MacIntosh’s voice: her heroines are self-aware without being navel-gazing, and Liberty is no exception.
The central conflict – she must steal a contract from under her charming boss’s nose while increasingly suspecting he is not the villain she assumed – is handled with more nuance than the rom-com template might suggest. Jordan is given genuine complexity; the revelation of his own vulnerabilities is gradual and earned rather than sudden and convenient. The New York setting gives the story a pleasingly kinetic energy, and MacIntosh uses the travel element to create a sense of adventure and dislocation that suits both characters’ emotional states.
The “forced proximity” trope is one of the genre’s most reliable engines, and it functions well here. The tension between Liberty’s professional obligation and her developing feelings is sustained credibly across the narrative, though some listeners noted that the central romance takes longer to develop than expected – which, depending on your preferences, is either a virtue (slow burn) or a frustration.
At six hours and fifty-three minutes, this is a well-paced listen that never outstays its welcome.
The Narration
Karen Cass narrates with an energy and warmth that suits MacIntosh’s prose perfectly. She gives Liberty a distinctive voice – wry, occasionally hapless, fundamentally likeable – and handles the tonal shifts between comedy and more tender moments with ease. The romantic tension sequences in particular benefit from Cass’s ability to hold the right register without tipping into either comedy or melodrama.
MacIntosh’s books tend to work very well in audio format, and this is partly because the author’s voice is so strong: Cass finds it and runs with it, and the result feels like a natural collaboration rather than a transposition.
What Readers Say
Rated 4.3 out of 5 from listener reviews. The enthusiasm of the majority is striking: “I loved Liberty right from the first page and felt so invested in her story,” wrote one UK reader. “It kept me guessing. I could picture everyone and it was so well written that I felt all her emotions.” Another admitted they had tried to limit themselves to a chapter per evening and found it impossible.
The single notably critical review – which described the romance as slow to develop and the middle section as somewhat flat – represents a genuinely held view, but the weight of the responses is clearly positive. One reviewer’s succinct summary: “Very good assessment of dating apps put into a nice story. Well written.”
Who Should Listen?
Readers who enjoy British romantic comedy with a contemporary setting and a protagonist whose sense of humour about her own misfortunes is a defining characteristic. Fans of Emily Henry, Sally Thorne, and Abby Jimenez – all cited by the publisher – will find this familiar and pleasurable territory. MacIntosh’s existing readership will need no persuasion.
Also well-suited to listeners looking for something light and absorbing during travel or commutes – the New York setting and the “jet set” energy of the plot make it a particularly fitting choice for those circumstances.
Available on Audible UK. Also check Kobo, Scribd, and Storytel.
