New Reviews: Romantic Fiction

Listeners will find that time travel is possible as narrator Rupert Degas delivers this Georgian romance in an evocative voice. Degas's courtly tone introduces Jack, the disgraced Earl of Wyncham. Cast out by London society, he is reduced to roadside robbery to stave off ennui. But after he rescues the young Diana from the unwelcome advances of the Duke of Andover, family and... Read More

Narrator Tanya Eby takes each of three women--Bree, Mikki, and Ashley--on an emotional journey. Bree has vowed not to get close to anyone, a goal that becomes complicated when she gets involved with Ashley's brother. Eby's brittle voice conveys Bree's panic as she grows closer to him. Mikki is just getting back into dating after her divorce, and Eby's portrayal displays all of... Read More

Marcella Cox's dazzling narration adds zest to this contemporary romance set in Los Angeles. With warmth and sincerity, Cox portrays Dreamy Daniels. a 20-something Black administrative assistant who has decided to take a break from dating after a bad breakup. Her plan to focus only on finishing her college degree and on setting up a nonprofit is thrown into disarray when she... Read More

Em Grosland narrates a culinary romance. Simone is working her dream job, developing and testing recipes at The Discerning Chef. But when Ray is hired as kitchen manager, she begins questioning what she really wants. Simone is an anxious perfectionist who is apt to be prickly and standoffish, yet she has a long-suppressed desire for connection, and Grosland captures all these... Read More

Narrators Erin Mallon and Tom Taylorson combine their talent to tell the story of former child actor Isabella York and television producer Henry York. The two hooked up, resulting in the birth of their daughter, of whom Henry has no knowledge. In Boston in 1989, Isabella and Henry encounter each other once again when they're hired to work on a children's show. Henry is from... Read More

Narrators Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock lend their voices to the second installment of the Dark Olympus series. Aphrodite's feud with Psyche's mother, Demeter, has threatened Psyche's life. But Aphrodite's son, Eros, finds that he can't fulfill his mother's demand to kill Psyche. Hoping to keep her safe, the two agree on a marriage of convenience, not expecting that a... Read More

As they are thrust back together by a friend's wedding, high school "enemies" June and Ryan are brought to life by narrators Connie Shabshab and Lee Samuels. June and Ryan spent their youth pulling pranks on each other. When they are reunited, it becomes clear that their hate was suppressed attraction all along. The story is set in Charleston, and both narrators provide just... Read More

Ava Erickson and Joe Arden are prolific narrators for a reason--they are very talented. In this story of planned revenge that turns into love, Mackenzie Cabot, a rich, beautiful college student and entrepreneur, ends up falling for gorgeous, inked, ripped, local bad boy Coop Hartley. Can love bridge their differences? Both narrators alternate portraying the various characters.... Read More

Promoting a wedding business in a town named Cemetery is challenging. Narrator Marni Penning brings life to the romance that develops between Yardley, a wedding planner, and Travis, the brother of a bride who has hired Yardley. Penning's youthfully exuberant performance perfectly fits the bride. And she portrays Travis in a deep, sexy voice. Yardley herself lives with her... Read More

Listeners who appreciate an awkward protagonist or a meet-cute will find this audiobook appealing. Buttoned-up Hayes Montgomery III and awkward Franny Doyle meet when he gives her his Gucci suit jacket when her dress rips on the subway. Alternating chapters provide opportunities for Franny and Hayes to contemplate their growing attraction. The audio format capitalizes upon the... Read More

Narrators Mackenzie Cartwright and Alexander Cendese combine talents for this short yet enjoyable romance between drummer Axel Forrester and veterinarian Tara Stillman. For Axel, Tara has always been the one who got away. When he discovers that they are finally in the same area, Axel borrows his bandmate's dog to reconnect with Tara. Cendese's and Cartwright's performances both... Read More

The remarkably talented narrator Soneela Nankani performs this feel-good romance flawlessly. Kamila Hussain is living the perfect life. Friends, family, career, she's got it all--well, almost all. Her love life has been a little dry lately. She also has Rohan Nasser, her brother-in-law and longtime friend, but why are his forearms suddenly making her belly flop?? And why is... Read More

Narrator Kay Eluvian's luminous performance enriches this Regency-era friends-to-lovers romance. After faking her own death at the Battle of Waterloo in order to live fully, Viola Carroll reemerges as the companion of her inimitable sister-in-law, Lady Marley. Eluvian's keen sense of dramatic emphasis and comic timing come to the fore as Viola reunites with her childhood... Read More

Sybil Johnson narrates a quartet of inspirational historical romance novellas set during the latter half of the nineteenth century. These stories about independent young women and the lumberjacks who fall for them take listeners west through lumber towns from Maine to Idaho. Though the situations and time periods may differ, each story features the protagonist's trials and... Read More

Narrator Will Damron displays a skillful range in this thriller. Harry perfects pickpocketing and cracking safes at a young age--skills born of necessity because his loving but poor family struggles to make ends meet. Need evolves into a lifestyle as Harry continues his nighttime burglaries to create a life of travel and academia. But when Harry falls in love with Miranda, his... Read More

Joel Leslie narrates a historical outlaw romance. Marian Hayes, Duchess of Clare, just shot and likely killed her husband and isn't the least bit sorry. Luckily, she has Rob Brooks, a far more experienced criminal, on hand to help her through the aftermath. Leslie perfectly captures Marian's difficult and prickly personality, which she wields like a bludgeon, but he also does... Read More

Narrators Brittany Pressley and Ryan West depict a story of triumph in a hopeless situation. Kenna, who has just been released from prison, is focused on connecting with her daughter, Diem. Then she meets a man named Ledger, and they get on track for romance--until Ledger discovers that Kenna was the driver who killed his friend Scotty in a car accident. Worse, Ledger is also... Read More

Narrator Adenrele Ojo will amaze listeners with her vocal talents in this debut romance. Savvy Sheldon--whose boyfriend of six years dumps her by explaining that he's "looking for an upgrade"--must rebound. At first devastated, she rallies by focusing on herself through her own "Project Upgrade"--getting back into shape, renovating her outdated kitchen, connecting with her best... Read More

This debut rom-com, narrated by Carolyn Kang, features a curvy fitness influencer named Crystal and a hard-bodied firefighter named Scott. When a sexy stranger keeps interrupting her workouts, body-positive Instagrammer Crystal sees red. But as their lives become intertwined, they realize their grandparents are trying to set them up. A relative newcomer to narrating, Kang has a... Read More

Narrators Julia Whelan and Jason Clarke dynamically portray Emerson and Nolan, friends and co-creators of an online foodie show. Their sexual tension drives their fans' engagement with their show, but what lies beneath is a friendship both are afraid to lose. A contest pushes the two closer to their career goal, and as they compete for a streaming platform deal, Emerson and... Read More

Abhay Ahluwalia and Brittany Pressley narrate a contemporary romance. Columbia grad students Lyric and Kian have been best friends for seven years. When Lyric's love life hits a roadblock that threatens to bring her doctoral thesis on love and sexual chemistry to a halt, Kian offers to tutor her in dating. The situation brings to the surface what everyone else has known all... Read More

Stella Bloom welcomes listeners back to Spark House, a boutique inn in Colorado run by three sisters. In this installment, London Spark teams up with Jackson Holt, a sustainability consultant working for the inn. When business turns to pleasure, Bloom expresses the challenges London experiences as she balances time with Jackson, work for the inn, and her Etsy business. Bloom's... Read More

Sarah Naughton's empathetic narration gives listeners a cozy seat in Rachel's cabin on Lake Erie. She has uprooted herself and her daughter, Maisy, from Florida and is settling into a new job at an Ohio brewery/inn. When she meets her new employer, Mason, she develops an instant attraction. In her narration, Naughton ensures that Rachel sounds like a modern woman whose maternal... Read More

In this second audiobook in the Everheart Brothers of Texas series, Declan Everheart, a hunky chef in Austin with daddy issues, meets curvy Kasi Blythewood, an independent movie producer, who also has daddy issues. Kasi is hoping to locate financing for her dream, a series about food from unusual places around the world. Narrator Deanna Anthony's energetic and happy-sounding... Read More

Narrators John Lane and Kitt Swann combine their talents to bring to life the romance that develops between Danny, the owner of a custom garage, and Callie, a recovering addict who comes to work for him. The couple have a past. Callie is the sister of Danny's close friend. Swann narrates the chapters from Callie's point of view and brings out all of Callie's vulnerabilities. As... Read More

Nancy Peterson's performance fills the corners of your heart as she recounts the search for three children who have run away from Grace and Lillian's small Canadian prairie orphanage. Peterson's voice holds limitless empathy for human failures and doubts as Lillian confronts her worries about setting up her own house and welcoming her father's new wife. Different voices and... Read More

Rebecca Mozo and Alastair Haynesbridge narrate a fake-dating rom-com. Solange Pereira interrupts a wedding to stop the groom from making a terrible mistake, and now that groom, Dean Chapman, has to completely reconstruct his life plan because of a wedding crasher. Mozo's charming and funny portrayal of Solange plays up her tendency to be witty and sarcastic while hiding deep... Read More

Karla Serrato's animated, upbeat voice enhances this charming enemies-to-lovers romance. Her moderately paced narration quickly picks up as a midnight kiss sparks an affair between Mariana and Angelo, mariachi musicians from rival bands. When the bands enter a major competition, the couple secretly work together to keep the feud at bay. Serrato's emotive performance evokes the... Read More

Narrator Mari's even-paced, soft, and expressive voice brings to life this lovely story of connection, family, acceptance, and love. Former football great Owen Stafford is hiding out in Rose Bend as a result of a car accident that sidetracked his successful career. Equally emotionally wounded Leontyne Dennison is hiding behind her job to keep people at a distance. She runs into... Read More

Bahni Turpin powerfully narrates this compelling story about loss, love, and the many brave and complicated choices we make each day. Feyi Adekola lost the love of her life in an accident and fled her hometown for the anonymity of New York City. There, she slowly builds a new life with her best friend, Joy, and a growing art career. Five years later, Feyi meets a new man, and... Read More

With a dual narration from alternating points of view, the first in the Nerds of Happy Valley series is an instant success. Kelsey Navarro and Tim Paige perform with such aptitude that listeners will delight in this slow-burn office romance. Quirky and friendly Blaine has been crushing on Lysander long before his weight loss, but she's had bad luck with love, which makes her... Read More