Something Extraordinary

Something Fabulous

By: Alexis Hall

Narrated by: Ell Potter, Steve West

From the author of Boyfriend Material comes the absurdist adventure of two friends determined to avoid marriage to unsuitable people as they race through Regency England to marry each other instead.

Sir Horley Comewithers isn’t particularly interested in getting married, especially when his match is a perfectly respectable young woman. Sir Horley is, after all, extravagantly gay. But he’s resigned to a fate there’s no point resisting—until a dear friend does it for him.

Arabella Tarleton has no interest in romance, but even she can see that Sir Horley’s nuptials are destined to end in a lifetime of misery. Well, not on her watch. And what are friends for, if not abducting you on the night before your wedding in an overdramatic attempt to save you from a terrible mistake?

Their journey to Gretna Green is a hodgepodge of colorful run-ins and near misses with questionable innkeepers, amateur highwaymen, overattentive writers, and scorned fiancées. Then again a bumpy road is better than an unhappy destination.

But when it comes to marriage, Belle and Sir Horley are about to discover that it’s not what you do or how you do it but the people who you choose to do it with that matter most.

©2024 by Alexis Hall. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Narrators Ell Potter and Steve West are a dynamic duo escorting listeners through a bombastic adventure.… Potter and West's elegant tones make their expressive narrations all the more amusing. This fun listen features a long-lasting love between two charming friends. An absorbing narration for a wide audience.”—AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner

“With great warmth, a good deal of silliness, and a touch of anachronistic language, this story succeeds across the board. A thoroughly queer and extraordinary historical romance.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Extraordinary! Lovely Performance by Potter & West

Ah, listening to an Alexis Hall audiobook is like visiting with an old friend you haven't seen in awhile. Their writing is so clever and witty, I wonder why I let so much time go by without reading them. Hall has a way of spinning a story that's unlike any other writer. Incorporating friendship and courtship, romance and lust in the most delightful way - I adored Something Extraordinary. Regardless if you read this as a satisfying third episode of the Something Fabulous series, or if you enjoy it as a standalone, you’re in for a magnificent time!

The audio version of Something Extraordinary is beautifully performed by Ell Potter and Steve West.

Fantastic

Brilliant writing, lots of laughing out loud momets, Emotional journey to hfn.
Would have loved more mr smith))

Tedious

I tried to like it but it’s tedious. A lot of words to get to the main reason for the book. The characters are not sympathetic. I just gave up.

Platonic perfection

All the farcical fun of Something Fabulous, all the under-represented character exploration of Something Spectacular, and a perfect representation of fully adult platonic love. I loved every single minute of this book. Arabella Tarelton makes me feel seen in ways I never imagined possible for mainstream fiction. Honestly, 7/5 stars, will definitely be a frequent re-listen.

WHAT? NO NICOLAS BOULTON???!

I’ve anxiously been awaiting this book, but it has taken me a few attempts to really engage with it. Whereas the first book in this series yanked me in immediately and kept me engaged through to the end, this book took a bit more effort to get into. Although the narration in this book is good, Nicholas Boulton’s narration of the first book really brought the characters to life, so visualization of the story happened effortlessly. It was also distracting when certain details in the story contradicted previous books in the series. This being said, it was not a credit wasted, for eventually the story picks up, and, in comparison to other books with LGBTQ themes, it still outshines most. I was also invested in the characters from previous books in the serious. Hall is so good with character development, it is difficult not to become invested and attached to her characters. Love her work.