A Girl Like Me

By: Bettina Hunt

Narrated by: Charlie Albers

The most uplifting and heartwarming romantic comedy you'll listen to this year!

***Cute and clumsy bumps into train man in a meet-cute that readers have described as ‘brilliant.’ She’s been asking the question, ‘What’s wrong with me?’ He holds the answer, but will knowing the truth change anything?

Olivia is a thirty-something disaster in the best possible way. Her clumsiness has earned her a lifetime of bumps, bruises, and awkward situations—and she's grown used to it. Navigating everyday tasks that everyone else seems to breeze through, Olivia’s developed a set of coping strategies. When they don’t work, she knows she can always count on her supportive friends to step in and help.

But when a new boss shakes up her life at the advertising agency, Olivia is pushed out of her comfort zone and into a battle to prove herself.

Then Caspar—an enigmatic, composed stranger who quite literally catches her when she falls—starts showing up everywhere. Is it fate? Or is it just another complication? The more time they spend together, the more Olivia wonders: Could this be love?

Not your typical boy-meets-girl story, A Girl Like Me is a charming romantic comedy about embracing imperfections, celebrating differences, and finding the courage to be yourself.

Perfect for fans of Bridget Jones’s Diary, The Rosie Project, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, and Sophie Kinsella novels.

©2023 Bettina Hunt (P)2026 Bettina Hunt

Heartfelt, Hilarious Story of Self-Acceptance & Healing

This book might be marketed as a contemporary romcom, but it’s really a character-driven story about self-acceptance & healing. And what makes it unique is its neurodivergent representation—Olivia’s experience with dyspraxia, a condition that literally shapes how she moves through life. And for romance fans, there’s much to love—opposites attract, a memorable meet-cute, & a mystery man love interest!

Told in a stream-of-consciousness style POV, you really feel like you’re inside Olivia’s head. She overthinks, jumps to worst-case scenarios, & some of her inner dialogue is hilariously exaggerated. Her meet-cute on the train station platform with the “mystery man” sets the tone for what’s to come, & the way he keeps appearing creates intrigue around him. What makes him so likable is that he accepts her immediately & tries to help her understand herself. And while her clumsiness will have you laughing out loud in a few scenes, the dyspraxia element adds depth beyond a typical romcom.

The supporting characters are well developed. Olivia’s friends Russell, Dev & Steph, and Romalee—who’s connected to the mystery man—add humor & emphasize the found family in Olivia’s life.

At just over 250 pages, the book packs in a lot. The short chapters, combined with good momentum make this ideal for a single-sitting read. I’m not a fan of third-act breakups, but this one is done well—it’s tied directly to Olivia’s understanding of her dyspraxia rather than over-the-top drama. The ending feels realistic & you’ll be left feeling a bit emotional but also uplifted!

NARRATION:
The audiobook of A Girl Like Me is narrated by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers, known for her dynamic character work in contemporary, character-driven novels just like this one.

Albers portrays protagonist Olivia with a quick-spoken, intelligent-sounding voice layered with anxious energy that really captures her as someone who overthinks everything and constantly jumps to worst-case scenarios. She does a brilliant job making Olivia’s inner monologues both hilarious and compelling, using expressive voice acting that makes her feel very real and easy to relate to—something that might not fully come through in just reading the physical book. She also makes the dialogue between Olivia and her coworkers and friends Dev and Steph very engaging—their back-and-forth often feels like listening to the audio of a rom-com film!

For Olivia’s love interest Caspar, she uses a calm, steady voice that immediately makes their opposites-attract dynamic clear. As their relationship develops, Albers subtly shifts her delivery to emphasize his patient nature and his genuine desire to understand and support Olivia, which makes him even more likeable. The dialogue between them is a real highlight—the chemistry is evident right from their memorable meet-cute, which is expertly narrated, and their slow-burn romance feels believable.

By the end, Albers highlights Olivia’s emotional growth—her tone is calmer and more self-assured, perfectly reflecting how she begins to better understand her neurodivergent mind and dyspraxia. In addition, she gives distinct voices and personalities to the wide range of supporting characters—Olivia’s roommate, friends, and coworkers—which makes the listening experience easy to follow, immersive, and engaging from start to finish!

Loved it!!!

So… to sell this as a romance story is really selling this story short. Yes there was romance, white romance in the foreground and background, but the real highlight was showing that someone who has dyspraxia which is also called developmental coordination disorder “DCD” can live a full life and not sell themselves “short”. Short is a pun because the main lady Olivia in this story is quite short.

Their narration was wonderful, and the production was very clean. It was a joy to listen to the story. It also increases awareness for dyspraxia. As someone myself who is quite uncoordinated and being the very last one ever being chosen for any team when I was in high school, I can relate somewhat to the main character. But I guess everyone feels a little awkward about part of their developmental life, and even now as an adult.

I highly recommend this book for an uplifting read or listen, depending on how you’re going to ingest the material.

A Good Listen

The story follows Olivia as she navigates work, friendships, and an unexpected romance while learning more about herself. I enjoyed the premise and the romance, but I found some of the female lead's choices difficult to understand, which made it harder for me to connect with her at times. Even so, the narration was well done and kept the story enjoyable overall.