Also, because the POV character is Arthur, and he's a bit socially awkward and all over the place (salient plot points being the cause) it sort of works.

The narration style is just initially a bit of a jarring seeming mismatch with the literally quiet tone of the book (it's mostly silent communication and internal narration from Arthur's point of view), but ultimately works because he does a good job. Significantly more voice acting takes place than the sample led me to believe, and I honestly think that the narrator did a really good job. However, when starting at the beginning I got used to the different style of narration pretty quickly (within a few minutes), after which it was fine. This is a favorite story of mine - but I delayed giving the Audiobook version a go because initially the narration style is a bit off-putting from what I'm used to - especially in the sample. Please note: This audiobook has a heat rating of zero. Except Martin just might be something closer to an actual secret agent than paper-pusher Arthur is, and it might be more than hearts at risk when something more than friendship begins to develop. Starting with a short, surprisingly interesting conversation on sociology books, Arthur slowly begins to chip away at The Alien's walls using home-cooked meals to lure the secretive agent out of his abrasive shell. In a last-ditch attempt to be seen as friendly and outgoing, he decides to make friends with The Alien, aka Agent Martin Grove, known for his strange eating habits, unusual reading choices, and the fact that no one has spoken to him in three years. It's like high school all over again: His attempts to be friendly come across as awkward and creepy, and no one wants to sit at the same table with him at lunch. After getting another 'lateral promotion' by a supervisor who barely remembers his name, it's suggested that Arthur try to 'make friends' and 'get noticed' in order to move up the ladder. Arthur Drams works for a secret government security agency, but all he really does is spend his days in a cubical writing reports no one reads.

His Quiet Agent by Ada Maria Soto