Winter is a great time of year for games, from football and basketball on TV to cozy game nights at home. Here are 10 new audiobook romances on the theme of “fun and games.” Roll the dice and pick one to listen to—you can’t go wrong with any of these.
Hockey romance. If the icy air of the hockey rink fills you with glee, you won’t want to miss THE GOLDEN GOAL by Annah Conwell, read by Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke. Churchill balances Sutton’s thrilling job as a hockey team’s physical therapist against her dislike of player Shaw’s competitive nature. Her reading has a light touch, full of humor, while Clarke’s assured narration with a rough edge provides a fun foil. And for a completely delightful conceit, there’s PUCK AND PREJUDICE by Lia Riley with narration by Will Damron. Hockey goalie Tucker Taylor travels back to Regency England, forming a pact with Lizzy, who wants the personal freedoms that come with marriage. Damron’s narration respects bookish Lizzy and the Austen-themed plot alongside Tucker’s hockey-related woes.
Video games. If you like your games on a screen, try another rivals-to-lovers story—PLAYING FLIRTY by Shameez Patel, read by Nirvi Shah. Rosie dislikes fellow gamer and member of her social circle William, until he agrees to help her with her board-game design. Shah captures Rosie’s emotional fragility as she navigates a breakup and her confusing relationship with Will. In TWO CAN PLAY by Ali Hazelwood, read by Kelsey Navarro Foster, Viola and her fellow game designer Jesse end up in forced proximity after a company bonding experience lands them in the snowy wilderness. Foster has a wry tone that mirrors Viola’s frustrations and her growing addiction to Jesse.
Courtside. Jamie Harrow’s ONE ON ONE is an appealing second-chance-at-love/let’s-root-for-the-underdog basketball story, read by Kyla Garcia. Her voice softens as Annie reminisces about her past with fellow coach Ben and deals with the reasons behind her departure. Moving from sentimental to steamy, try LOVE AND SPORTSBALL by Meka James with narration by Lauryn Nichols and Marcella Cox. Sports trainer Khadijah hooks up with Shae, then is dismayed to discover that she is a player for Khadijah’s new team assignment, the Atlanta Cannons. Nichols mirrors Khadijah’s anxiety about her new job and the conflicts her relationship with Shae may create. Cox has a smooth, rhythmic voice that matches Shae’s enticing invitations to Khadijah.
Travel to the Wimbledon court with Mary Jane Wells and Patrick Zeller in Meg Jones’s CLEAN POINT. As tennis’ bad girl Scottie tries for a comeback with a new doubles partner, Nico, the attraction and the suspicions are quick to follow. Wells plays Scottie’s blunt cuteness to a T, while Nico’s gruff, competitive nature comes across through Zeller’s ripostes. And one more for basketball fans with THE SOUND OF US by Sarah Castille. Skye Jordan’s life, including her basketball hopes, has hit a bump, and narrator Lila Winters will flood listeners with a whirlwind of drama and desperation. Meanwhile, Skye’s introduction to DJ Dante Romano, performed by Thomas Oakley, opens some intriguing doors. Oakley’s deep voice also drips with restrained emotion, and the narrators’ commitment to the story will have listeners hooked from the beginning.
Word games. Finishing up with some audiobooks that put the “fun” in fun & games, who could resist KNOW YOUR NEWLYWED, read by Mary Mouser, Tyler Posey, and a full cast? "Know Your Newlywed" is an immersive game show for newlyweds. But what happens when Cleo and Javi pretend to be married to get on the show? Sound effects and narrators hamming it up for the “TV audience” are just the beginning of this joyride. And this last audiobook has a special place in my heart—A FIVE-LETTER WORD FOR LOVE by Amy James, read by Katie Koster, takes place on Prince Edward Island, Canada (the home of Anne of Green Gables) and stars a couple who bond over the online game Wordle. Koster’s self-deprecating performance is something listeners will relate to, if they don’t already belong to the Wordle world.
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