New Reviews: Romantic Fiction

EJ Lavery brings to life or, rather, death this danse macabre of a tale. Chapters are framed by the 10 stages of grief and follow former wild-child rock star Mal Caldera as she processes her afterlife and what got her there. Even though it's safer for everyone if she stays among the thriving ghost community, she can't help trying to reach out to her sister, Cris, or getting a... Read More

Amanda Ronconi's spirited narration contrasts with Sebastian York's stoic delivery of this new audio romance. After her relationship with a famous musician ends acrimoniously, Aurora rents a small apartment in her former hometown. Upon arrival, she discovers that the actual landlord, Tobias Rhodes, wasn't informed of the arrangement made by his young son. As she regains her... Read More

Joy Nash gives a sparkling performance of this enemies-to-lovers story, the first in a new romance series set in small-town Maryland. Athena finds herself stranded in Harlot's Bay when her fiancé, Johnny, breaks their engagement. She has left her teaching position and has impulsively purchased the ten-foot-wide Spite House as a wedding gift for Johnny. Next door lives Johnny's... Read More

Narrator Callie Dalton brings the steam to the second Big Shots title. Tallulah accepts a live-in nanny job for Boston hockey star Burgess's daughter even though a traumatic past experience makes cohabitating difficult for her. The audio starts off a little stiffly, and Tallulah and Burgess are difficult to differentiate in conversation during the introductory chapters. Once... Read More

Narrator Stella Bloom faithfully re-creates the joy, peril, and humor in Kristen Ashley's series opener. Rachel "Raye" Armstrong meets Julien "Cap" Jackson during a daring rescue, and it's instant attraction--with Raye sounding sweet and spunky, while Cap has a gravelly voice. Bloom does a stellar job introducing Raye's found family and her beloved Oasis apartment complex.... Read More

Biz and Wyatt's anxiety about impending fatherhood grows as the couple travel on their "babymoon." Ryan Spahn and Michael Urie capture the impending dads' feelings with their nuanced narrations, told in alternating points of view. Wyatt wants to stick to the itinerary as they drive from New York to California, where their baby will be born via surrogacy. Fun-loving Biz is... Read More

In this love letter to bookstores, narrated by Cindy Kay, employees fight to keep their store from closing. Fifty-year-old Jo's life revolves Bruebaker's Books, the behemoth of a bookstore she has managed for years. When Mr. Bruebaker, the owner, has a stroke, the store's CEO and his daughters order the iconic establishment to close immediately. Jo and several of the store's... Read More

Victoria Villarreal's narration reflects the magical mayhem and quirky comedy that break out in the small town of Owl's Hollow. Chanterelle Cottage witch Charlie Sparrow and her two moms worry about the business's survival when competing mages Fitz and Eleanor set up shop nearby. Villarreal depicts Charlie and Fitz's sworn-enemy vibe, along with their sarcastic banter. Soon... Read More

Narrators Carly Robins and Aaron Shedlock portray two con artists who are looking to escape their life of crime and start fresh in a new town. Phoebe Graves was raised in a family that lived on lies and corruption. Hoping to start over in Connecticut, Phoebe and her best friend, Hailey, take off. But Hailey's brother, the handsome Rocky, follows them. Robins and Shedlock... Read More

Narrators Zara Hampton-Brown and Shane East delight listeners with this contemporary romance about a single dad. Dax Cove is surprised to find out he's a father as a result of one of his recent one-night stands. Willing to do the right thing, he takes care of his baby girl, but he is in desperate need of a suitable nanny. Both Hampton-Brown and East fully embody their... Read More

Narrators Phillipa Soo and John Cho portray two rival journalists who have three weeks to uncover an intriguing story in a mysterious mansion. Nadine Barbault, an obituary writer for the TORONTO HERALD, wants to be the first to report the death of famous author Dot Voline. Finally, she hears that Dot has expired, and she releases the obit, but a problem develops--Dot isn't... Read More

Listeners will be swept away by Nikki Massoud's charming performance of this romance novel. After running out of money chasing her chef dreams, Effie comes back to her childhood home on Alder Isle for the summer. She gets a job at a prestigious local restaurant, but when she almost hooks up with her boss and discovers she works with her childhood friend Ernie, whom she rejected... Read More

Escape with narrator Jennifer Macbeth to a family vacation in Greece. Flo needs a break after an embarrassing meltdown, so the timing of this vacation is perfect. However, her brother brings along his best friend, Jamie, who is gorgeous but a person Flo loathes. Yet, secretly, she has a crush on him. Macbeth adds just the right amount of vulnerability and passion to her tone to... Read More

Narrators Maeve York and Benjamin Sands deliver exceptional performances of this audiobook. Gage Buchanan, a seemingly perfect single man, meets Rory Casteel, a cocktail waitress turned art appraiser, in his hometown of Calliope. Rory is on a mission to find her father and doesn't expect to cross paths with Gage after their one-night stand. However, as their attraction grows,... Read More

Amielynn Abellera delivers a lively performance of this romance. Evan gets shot down after casually asking out his new coworker, Dalisay, who has just arrived from the Philippines. His Filipino friends advise that to earn her heart, he must embark on the Five Stages of Courtship, a tradition that doesn't fit his modern sensibilities. Abellera's vigorous performance offers a... Read More

Narrator Bianca Drew introduces listeners to Georgina Wilcox and her three sisters. They are of African descent and born into the family of a successful businessman, their grandfather. Their trials and tribulations begin with the death of sister Catherine's husband, who, it turns out, has drained the company's coffers of money. Drew captures all the anxiety of these events.... Read More

Narrators Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke perform this rivals-to-lovers hockey romance. Sutton Jones is thrilled to have her dream job as a physical therapist for a professional hockey team--the same hockey team her brother and Shaw Daniels, the bane of her existence, play for. Shaw is her brother's best friend and has always been her rival in some way--or so she thinks.... Read More

Narrator Jeannie Sheneman brings listeners to Boneyard Key, one of the most haunted towns in Florida. Cassie Rutherford has moved into the old Hawkins house, not knowing she's getting a ghostly roommate. When her laptop won't charge in her new home, Cassie meets Nick Royer, the owner of a local café. Nick is a bit grumpy, and Sheneman gives his voice a bit of gruffness. As Nick... Read More

Mara Wilson and Lindsey Dorcus narrate a romance set on a reality-TV dating show. Krystin is appearing on "Hopelessly Devoted" to find a husband; Lauren is on the show to build her social media presence. Neither woman expects to fall for anyone, not even Josh, the show's hopeless romantic. Wilson brings sweet sincerity to her portrayal of Krystin, emphasizing her overall... Read More

Natalie Naudus, as Logan, and Jeremy Carlisle Parker, as Rosemary, serve up complementary energy with alternating performances of two former best friends who unite to fulfill their beloved former English teacher Joe's dying wish. Parker's performance from Rosemary's perspective vibrates with her tightly wound anxiety as Joe's request for a summer road trip from Washington to... Read More

Narrators Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings make an appealing pair in this sweet and steamy romance set in Kansas City. Farzan and David hook up after a case of mistaken identity and some scorching instant chemistry. Farzan would like their relationship to become something more, but David, who is focused on studying for his master sommelier exam, urges them to continue as friends... Read More

Narrator Amy McFadden breathes life into the romance between pop music star Simon Bennett, and publicist Juliette Bellucci. After a scandal with her previous client, Juliette is assigned to work with Simon on a concert documentary. Simon doesn't want his difficult childhood to be part of the film, and Juliette is tasked with making sure that doesn't happen. Simon has a sunny... Read More

Narrator Marisa Calin transports the listener back to 1898 London and the Savoy Hotel, where Lady Delia Stratham works as an event planner. Lord Simon Hayden has been hired by the hotel's owners to find out why it's losing money despite being busy. Delia and Simon clash at first, and Calin captures the considerable tension between the two. Later, as they grow closer, Calin... Read More

In this dual-perspective romance, Ellie Gossage ably performs both narrators with voices that fit their distinct personalities. Bubbly, optimistic Opal wins the lottery and uses most of her newfound wealth to outright purchase a beautiful flower farm in Appalachian North Carolina. But when she arrives at her new home, she discovers cynical Pepper, who has been living and... Read More

Travel to the Summer Olympic Games with Shaniqua Okwok, who narrates this contemporary sports romance. Hardworking Olivia Nkomo is determined to get her dream job at the Summer Games, where she hopes to meet some of her favorite athletes. Zeke Moyo, the star of Team Great Britain, is seeking the title of "fastest man alive." When Olivia and Zeke bump into each other on the... Read More

What a treat it is to listen to Kimberly Wetherell's sparkling narration of this fun and heartwarming rom-com. At age 29, Gray leaves Tulsa for a position in public relations at a prestigious private school in New Orleans, where her best friend, Cherry, lives. Having ended a ten-year relationship, Gray is encouraged by Cherry to embark on a six-week astrology dating project... Read More

Frankie Corzo narrates a contemporary romance featuring childhood best friends. Laniah and Issac have always been close. Now Issac's career in L.A. has skyrocketed, putting him in the spotlight. At home in Rhode Island, Laniah and her mother struggle to keep their natural hair care business operating. Issac's plan to boost the store's sales by fake-dating Liniah for the summer... Read More

Tune in for a great experience with narrator Marni Penning as she returns listeners to the small town of Cemetery, Indiana. Berkley Carr, who hasn't had an easy life, has moved to town to run its new animal shelter. There, she encounters Lawson Salder, who comes from her hometown and is privy to her past. Berkley is from Kentucky, and Penning gives her a hint of an accent.... Read More

Mackenzie Cartwright and Teddy Hamilton join forces to portray the romance between Jackson Justice and April Hoffman. April is working for Jackson's lumber business in Maine when she's involved in an accident that leaves her with amnesia. Her memory lapses give insecure Jackson the opportunity to admit his feelings for her. Hamilton projects all of Jackson's masculinity, along... Read More

Karen Novack takes on the joint roles of narrator and 40-year-old recently divorced Jessie, whose fresh start begins when she's hired as caretaker of an old house in the Sierra Foothills. Little does Jessie know that the house comes with secrets and strange employees. But Jessie has self-appointed protectors: the aging, ultra-stiff gargoyle/butler, Mr. Tom, portrayed by RJ... Read More

A cast of narrators tells Audrey Carlan's second "Marriage Auction" story from each character's perspective. As the auction approaches, listeners hear each couple's backstory in differently voiced chapters. From the sizzling attraction that narrators Wesleigh Siobhan and Winston James create for their characters to the world-weary bachelor Rhodes, narrated by Aiden Snow, and... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya portrays a young physics professor who decides to live according to her daily horoscope after being denied tenure at her university. Miranda Reep takes a much-needed sabbatical and decides to adopt a different perspective on life. Her fortune begins to change when she meets Simon Archer, the boy next door. Araya's portrayal of Miranda's conflicted... Read More

Narrator Kitty Bang draws the listener into the romance between television production assistant Anika Fox and Luca St. Marten, the king of a small European country. Hoping to bring tourists back to his country, Luca has agreed to be part of a reality dating show. Anika starts as a production assistant but ends up as a contestant. Luca and Anika met prior to the show, but she... Read More

Ruby Corazon delights as the narrator of this debut contemporary romance featuring a librarian and an ex-NFL star. Each is attempting to get over their feelings for their ex--both of whom are newly engaged. Can they do so by hooking up with each other? Everyone thinks Marcela Ortiz and Theo Young are sleeping together anyway, so why not play along? When their ruse turns into... Read More

Dorothy Dillingham Blue evokes a sense of wonder with her nuanced narration of this unique story-within-a-story. Elsy is delighted when she stumbles into the fictional town of her beloved romance series on a road trip. Soon though, she begins to worry about how this could have happened--and why. Her favorite characters aren't behaving like they did in the books, and the only... Read More

Elizabeth Knowelden will capture listeners' hearts with her charming performance. Rival ornithologists Beth Pickering, a recent graduate, and Professor Devon Lockley are on the hunt for the death whistler bird, one the rare jewels in birding. While Beth finds Devon to be brash and egotistical at first, it's only a matter of time until Devon's charm sucks her in. Knowelden's... Read More

Listeners will be swept away by Marissa Hampton and Jesus E. Martinez's portrayal of the simmering tension between workaholic hotelier Genevieve Raymond and her Panamanian driver, Adrián Nicolas. Instead of returning to the U.S. after opening a new resort, Gen decides to extend her stay in Colón, and her sexy driver, no longer her colleague, extends the invitation of a... Read More

Emma Galvin and Max Meyers voice the perspectives of sommelier-in-training Theo Flowerday and French pastry chef Kit Fairfield. The two bisexual exes have met up by chance on a three-week food tour of France, Spain, and Italy. This tour de force of accents and vocal work is a testament to Galvin and Meyers's skills. Any scene can require a half dozen international accents... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns the listener to the world of the psy-changelings. Remi Denier, the leopard changeling, has a mysterious new neighbor named Auden Scott, who is a psy. Auden is pregnant and has a brain injury that has left her with memory gaps and two personalities. One of them has the cold demeanor of the psy, and the other is warm and caring. Dawe successfully... Read More

Hollywood romance meets time travel in this rom-com from the husband-and-wife team of Kate and Danny Tamberelli. Narrators Mara Wilson and Danny Tamberelli portray Beatrix and Rocco, who are working on a film together. Suddenly, they find themselves catapulted 17 years into the past. Wilson's pleasant, emotive voice fits Beatrix as she works through complex emotions of grief... Read More

Patti Murin captures the wit and warmth of this uplifting romance. Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when her manager asks her to rewrite a disastrous rom-com by her idol, Charlie Yates. Charlie, an acclaimed action-adventure screenwriter, is taken aback by Emma's sudden appearance at his home to "assist" him in reworking his... Read More

Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber narrate a contemporary romance set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. After a career meltdown, chef Fisher is offered another chance that temporarily relocates him and his teenage niece to Oregon. The job involves preparing a new restaurant for opening. Sage, a high school teacher, caretaker of displaced animals, and grower of flowers,... Read More

Narrator Brittany Pressley adds a Southern touch to her portrayal of Libby O'Dell as she starts a new life in the small town of Sawmill, Texas. Libby has taken a job running Benny Taylor's antique store. Minilee and Opal are Libby's elderly neighbors across the street, and Pressley ages her voice appropriately for them. Libby hears the voice of her crotchety deceased... Read More

Listeners go on a cruise with narrator Joy Nash in this hilarious and heartfelt Sapphic romance with a touch of suspense. Krysta Morton claims she's done being a bodyguard--that is, until she's offered a lucrative sum of money to watch celebrity influencer Addison Hayes. Now that she's finally making waves with her career, Addison is expanding her empire with her first branded... Read More

Take a summer vacation on Fire Island with narrator Brittany Pressley and this heartfelt contemporary romance. Maggie Monroe left home to pursue a screenwriting career in L.A. six years ago and never looked back. Returning home after things didn't work out, she has to face her ex-boyfriend, Mac, and ex-best friend, Liz, who both feel she abandoned them. Now the trio, along... Read More

Ros Watt's narration highlights all the charm of this queer historical romance. Kit Griffith is a bicycle shop owner--and a dashing rake. He's left his old life behind, in which he belonged to a sisterhood of women artists, and is building a new one in Cornwall. There he's approached by the indefatigable Muriel Pendrake, a botanist who is keen to have him illustrate her... Read More

Amanda Leigh Cobb returns as narrator of a stand-alone audiobook that takes place in the world of the Crowns of Nyaxia series. There's always risk in making a bargain with a vampire, but Lilith decides she has no other options. She needs vials of vampire blood to find a cure for a fatal illness that will save her sister, who is failing fast. Cobb portrays Lilith as a young... Read More

Andi Arndt narrates this lively romance between Anna, a PI, and Owen, the owner of an adventure company at Lake Tahoe. They are thrust together when Anna finds a gold coin in her late father's belongings that was stolen from Owen's aunt. Anna takes on the job of proving her father's innocence by way of her sister Wendy, who is pregnant with triplets and bedridden. Arndt... Read More

Narrators Brittany Pressley and Zachary Webber take listeners on a heartfelt ride in this contemporary romance. Hazel Elliot and Ash Campbell, who are from the same hometown, are summoned home for different reasons--Hazel for her dad's wedding and Ash for family obligations. After Ash's car breaks down, Hazel offers him a ride, and they soon realize they may need each other... Read More