New Reviews: Romantic Fiction

Using her versatile narration style and husky voice, Sophie Amoss traces Mallory's journey from victimized wife to self-possessed law office manager. Amoss delivers an immersive first-person storytelling experience as Mallory leaves New York for New Jersey, where she plans to help clean out the home of her Aunt Maggie, a hoarder. As Mallory works with Maggie's neighbor, Nick,... Read More

The conversational styles of narrators Wesleigh Siobhan and Emmanuel Ingram match this flirty workplace romance. Logan Byers is helping love interest Pierre Perry III produce his TV script for "One Day Sober." Siobhan's rounded tones mirror Logan's emotions. She emphasizes certain words to demonstrate Logan's analytical nature. For Pierre, she has a deeper voice, and she... Read More

Narrators Shane East, Stella Hunter, and Zachary Webber seamlessly romp through this crossover audiobook featuring characters from the Hot Brits, Hot Scots, and Au Naturel series. Hunky, smart, but lousy-in- the-sack Brit Grey Dixon attends his brother's wedding at a nudist resort with his best friend, the lovely Jessica O'Connor. He's madly in love with her, but he lacks... Read More

Narrator Mary Jane Wells doesn't miss a step in delivering this entertaining and well-crafted love story. When beautiful Lucy Coover, an art student at the Royal Academy, stumbles across a drunk, naked, and very handsome man passed out in an alley, she can't help but later paint him in his magnificent and easily recognizable "altogether." Happily for the listener and Lucy,... Read More

In this story about love, loss, and second chances, narrator Sarah Naughton delivers clever dialogue, heartwarming wisdom, heart- breaking pain, and life-affirming humor. Lovely Anna takes her late fiancé's sailboat on the trip he had planned to the Caribbean. Recognizing that she can't sail the boat alone, she hires hunky Irish sailing professional Keene, a man who is dealing... Read More

Narrators Alexander Cendese and Tamika Simone jointly perform this contemporary romance set amid the East Coast indie rock scene. Antonia and Seb bonded when they were music-loving teenagers in small-town Pennsylvania but haven't spoken in several years, ever since Seb left for the city, leaving Toni behind. Simone clearly distinguishes between Toni's inner dialogue of... Read More

Narrator Lorelei King provides an entertaining and skilled performance of this audiobook. Demons and ghosts feature in this new addition to the Charley Davidson series. After he disappeared and cut off all contact with her, Amber never expected to see her ex again. She definitely didn't expect him to turn into a demon hunter. Now the duo attempt to put aside their electric... Read More

Lauren Sweet narrates a whimsical romance between a die-hard romantic and a cynical skeptic. Annie and Brendon have known each other since they were kids, but the timing for romance has never been right. Now that Annie is unexpectedly in town, Brendon decides to throw caution to the winds and persuade her to take a chance on love. Sweet captures Brendon's unshakable belief that... Read More

Emily Woo Zeller narrates a scorching second-chance romance featuring an entrepreneur and a restaurant owner. Trixie Nguyen was dumped by Post-It note two years ago and is just about over her ex, Andre Walker--until she sees him unexpectedly at a pop-up she is hosting. Not surprisingly, Trixie has a lot of complicated feelings toward Andre, and Zeller perfectly captures them... Read More

Grab tissues because narrators Troy Duran and Keira Stevens will have listeners ugly crying! Two broken souls are drawn together by a cruel twist of fate when Sam receives a heart transplant from Cassi's husband. Duran and Stevens make the chemistry of this slow-burn romance palpable. Duran infuses Sam's voice with a delicate balance of patience and raw suffering; he excels at... Read More

Karen Chilton narrates the story of an unconventional search for a princess with a happy and delightfully unexpected ending. Makeda Hicks wants nothing to do with princesses or fairy tales, despite family stories of her grandmother's youthful fling with a prince. So when Beznaria Chetchevaliere suddenly appears, saying she is the long-lost heir to a small kingdom, the meeting... Read More

The listener will feel the sand and surf in this steamy summer romance, narrated by Anne Marie Lewis and John York. Cassidy Quinn returns from Boston to a cottage in York, Maine, where she spent carefree summers as a child. When local boy Sean Anderson turns up, they resume an affair from 15 years earlier. As their relationship deepens, they uncover an old family secret that... Read More

Narrators Mackenzie Cartwright and Connor Crais will have listeners feeling the growing passion in this friends-to-lovers romance. Lincoln Kingston and Jordan Greene grew up together. Jordan is the daughter of Lincoln's family's housekeeper; she now works as Lincoln's personal assistant. When the relationship between the two characters starts to go beyond business, Jordan... Read More

The narrative talents of Dion Graham, Melanie Ewbank, and Patrick Lawlor combine in this adventurous romance. Navy SEAL Thomas King and Tasha Francisco are hiding from people who want to kill them. Tasha has loved Thomas since she was 5 years old, and hiding out with him brings those feelings to the surface. Graham's rich baritone suits Thomas's military bearing, and he is... Read More

Narrator Morgan Hallett immediately draws the listener into this romantic suspense, set in the 1930s. Former socialite Lyra Brazier is now an apprentice at a detective agency. When her boss mysteriously disappears after visiting a suspicious spa, Lyra is assigned to go undercover with a partner/bodyguard to find him. Hallett's cool tone and even pace have the listener feeling... Read More

Narrator January LaVoy's smooth stylings carry listeners from Adrian Rizzo's traumatic childhood to adulthood and her career as a yoga and fitness trainer with a line of popular videos. She's positioned to be just as successful as her mother was--but who is sending her periodic death threats? LaVoy ages Adrian appropriately; her voice moves from button-cute to an enthusiastic... Read More

If only all audiobooks could be this well done, clever, funny, poignant, zany, touching, well acted, and beautifully narrated! Author/narrator Erin Mallon hits it out of the park with a rom-com that tells the hilarious story of Mabel, a perpetually upbeat and insightful entomologist. She metamorphoses from being semi-satisfied with a loser mama's boy to reluctantly falling for... Read More

Carmen Jewel Jones narrates a sweet romance about finding love in unexpected places and making the most of every moment. Maya Jackson is not looking for love when she comes to Charleston to help her father after surgery, but a relationship with boutique owner Derek Sullivan blossoms regardless. Both Maya and Derek have suffered relatively recent losses, and Jones allows them... Read More

Narrator Natalie Naudus brings a quiet intensity to this genre-crossing audiobook featuring August, a prickly loner who tries to lose herself in New York City but instead finds purpose, community, and unconventional romance. The latter involves kindhearted, butch Jane, who overrides August's emotional barriers while facing a more serious hitch: Jane's from the 1970s, trapped on... Read More

Julia Whelan's immersive narration and the author's rich prose draw listeners into this slow-burn romance. Poppy is uninspired by her work as a travel writer and missing Alex, her best friend, after a falling out. After she texts to see if he'll revive their summer vacation tradition, Whelan makes Poppy's jumbled hope, anxiety, and joy palpable when he agrees. Alternating... Read More

Michael Urie's rambunctious narration will have listeners laughing at this unlikely romance between the charitable Crown Prince Edgar and chaotic event planner Carter Ogden. Carter is newly single and reevaluating his life. Urie's upbeat voice and quippy tone are a perfect fit for the indomitable New Yorker whose chance encounter with Prince Edgar sparks an unexpected romance.... Read More

Joel Leslie narrates a romance between a retired highwayman and a foppish noble. Kit Webb has given up his outlaw past in favor of a lawful present--but when a nobleman arrives demanding help in planning a robbery, he is very tempted. Leslie captures Kit's gruff mien and understandable reluctance to revisit the past, as well his dissatisfaction with his present situation.... Read More

Narrator Eboni Flowers uses her Broadway experience to portray Neevah Saint, a theater actress recruited to star in film director Canon Holt's biopic about 1940s-era Black, bisexual singer Dessi Blue. Flowers dazzles with her emotional and vocal range. Her smooth voice spotlights Neevah's passion for Canon and his film. Flowers differentiates cast and crew in her dialogue.... Read More

Narrator Mari's soothing, resonant voice takes listeners on an emotional journey through grief, love, and forgiveness. Pregnant and divorced, Sydney has returned to her hometown to start over. Mari's bold and bright tone mirrors Sydney's newfound independence as she settles in and forms an unexpected connection with the town's mayor, Coltrane. Mari's performance of Coltrane... Read More

Listeners will root for young single mother Rosaline as she competes on "Bake Expectations," a televised UK baking show. Her connections with her fellow contestants, as friends and more, lead to some unexpected twists and turns in this largely appealing and often funny romance. While narrator Fiona Hardingham gives an enthusiastic variety of British voices to all of the... Read More

This audiobook opens with a chuckle as narrator Lori Prince describes the funeral service of art dealer Cade Elgin's aunt, which includes drag queens in attendance and friend Selena Mathis's eulogy for the aunt's lady parts. Cade and Selena have inherited the aunt's sex-toy shop, which is hopelessly in debt. They have one month to save the failing business. Selena's light voice... Read More

Narrator Mela Lee's extraordinary range and dramatic style allow listeners to experience every dark, humorous, and heartbreaking moment of this fraught second-chance romance. As troubled teenagers, Eva Mercy and Shane Hall shared seven life-changing days that inspired their successful writing careers. Lee's conversational tone lends itself well to Eva, who now hides her chronic... Read More

Two narrators deliver this historical romance about widowed Lady Sylvia, who establishes The Mismatch Society to support women who don't wish to marry. Clayton Kearsley, Viscount St. John, best friend of Lady Sylvia's late husband, has long been fighting his attraction to her. When she asks him to join the group to bring it some legitimacy, might he find a way to win her over?... Read More

Only available in audio format, this short, funny, sweet romance is sure to delight listeners. When a text sent accidentally by an acquaintance appears late one night, Jessie can't help replying. The only thing Eliot knows is that the woman behind the reply intrigues him--even if he has no clue who she is. A dual narration performed by Lidia Dornet and Chris Brinkley pulls... Read More

Chrystal Bethell's narration of this island romance is sassy, high pitched, and slightly accented. While the accent she uses does not precisely match the Trinidadian setting of the story, it's easy to overlook this detail. In the past, Cherisse, a pastry chef, has clashed with Keiran King, a well-known DJ from her childhood. Now, neither of them is happy when they find... Read More

Narrator Natalie Naudus infuses each character in this novel with vibrancy and humor. Kara's life is in flux. She is having difficulty getting started on writing her next historical romance novel, and her personal life has stalled. Then, while serving as maid of honor for her best friend, she encounters her college boyfriend, Ryan, the love of her life. In a delightful... Read More

Narrator Troy Duran lends his enjoyable voice to the first audiobook in Lane's Cedar Point series. Breckin Lorry and Mason Miller were high school sweethearts until life events tore them apart. Twenty years later, both return to Cedar Point, Washington, where they are compelled to examine their past and see if they can rekindle the love they once had for each other. This... Read More