Audiofile Magazine is proud to present its 2017 Best Romance Audiobook list. These fifteen audiobooks represent a snapshot of this year’s best listening. Many reviewers helped make this list possible — thanks to all of them for being wonderful listeners. Since it’s impossible to choose a favorite from among these stellar titles, I thought I would prepare a little quiz for you as an introduction to the titles (see the end of the post for the answers!). And don’t forget to Love Your Listening!
Best of Romance Audio Quiz
1. Twelve of the titles are part of a series. Which 3 titles are standalone audios?
2. Of the historicals, one is set in the reign of King George IV of England, one during King Edward I of England’s reign, and one during King George III of England’s reign. Which is which?
3. Of the paranormals, one is set in a magical upstate New York and one is set in a magical Houston, Texas. Which is which?
4. How many of Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark audiobooks has Robert Petkoff narrated?
5. Which of the titles is most likely to twist your heart in knots?
6. JANE OF AUSTIN seems to be a play on Jane Austen. It’s a modern adaptation of which Austen novel?
7. Our suspense narrators are John Lane, Renee Raudman, and MacLeod Andrews. Match them up with their other works from the following authors: Marina Adair, Lauren Rowe, Nora Roberts (warning, this is a trick question!).
Historical
BEAUTY LIKE THE NIGHT
by Joanna Bourne, read by Kirsten Potter
Tantor Media
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DUKE
by Kelly Bowen, read by Ashford McNab
Hachette Audio
FAIR, BRIGHT, AND TERRIBLE
by Elizabeth Kingston, read by Nicholas Boulton
Hedgehog Inc. Productions
AudioFile Earphones Award
Contemporary and Suspense
CHASING DOWN A DREAM
by Beverly Jenkins, read by Lynnette Freeman
Recorded Books
AudioFile Earphones Award
CLAIM & PROTECT
by Rhenna Morgan, read by John Lane
Harlequin Audio
COME SUNDOWN
by Nora Roberts, read by Elisabeth Rodgers
Brilliance Audio
ENIGMA
by Catherine Coulter, read by Renee Raudman, MacLeod Andrews
Brilliance Audio
IF NOT FOR YOU
by Debbie Macomber, read by Khristine Hvam
Random House Audio/Books On Tape
AudioFile Earphones Award
JANE OF AUSTIN
by Hillary Manton Lodge, read by Kate Handford
Dreamscape
AudioFile Earphones Award
OFF BASE
by Annabeth Albert, read by Tyler Stevens
Harlequin Audio
AudioFile Earphones Award
REAL DIRTY
by Meghan March, read by Elena Wolfe, Sebastian York
Blackstone Audio
AudioFile Earphones Award
THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER
by Carolyn Brown, read by Brittany Pressley
Brilliance Audio
AudioFile Earphones Award
Paranormal
THE CHOSEN
by J.R. Ward, read by Jim Frangione
Random House Audio/Books On Tape
AudioFile Earphones Award
WHITE HOT
by Ilona Andrews, read by Renee Raudman
Harper Audio
AudioFile Earphones Award
WICKED ABYSS
by Kresley Cole, read by Robert Petkoff
Simon & Schuster Audio
AudioFile Earphones Award
Quiz Answers
Check your score — if you had 2 or more correct answers, you are a romance audiobook junkie. Congratulations, and feel free to join our support group for people who listen too much!
1. STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER, JANE OF AUSTIN, and COME SUNDOWN. It’s all about family with these audiobooks, and narrators Brittany Pressley, Kate Handford, and Elisabeth Rodgers manage the challenges of compromise and commitment—not to mention a dead body.
2. BEAUTY LIKE THE NIGHT is set three years after Waterloo, so King George III was still on the throne, but his brother was Prince Regent. Narrator Kirsten Potter does the British and French accents to perfection. BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DUKE is 1820s England, so presumably King George IV is king, although it could possibly still be George III. Narrator Ashford McNab is so good with the aristocracy. Dripping disdain! FAIR, BRIGHT, AND TERRIBLE is set during the Welsh invasions in the late 13th century, so the warlike Edward I was king. Narrator Nicholas Boulton manages Welsh and arcane language with warm passion.
3. WHITE HOT is set in a magic Houston where families with magical talents run the city by their own rules. THE CHOSEN is set in Caldwell, New York, where paramilitary-trained vampires fight for survival. Narrator Renee Raudman plays up the humor and the peril, making WHITE HOT a strong fantasy romance. Narrator Jim Frangione rocks the dark brooding hero persona that author JR Ward creates. Both audiobooks are part of series that are worth a further listen.
4. All of them! (They’re at 17 and counting.) When you have a good thing going, you don’t mess with it. 🙂
5. That’s a tough one! OFF BASE and REAL DIRTY both deal with the emotional struggle of deciding to be in a relationship. In both cases, characters have learned by painful experience to protect themselves, and they definitely think twice about taking any further risks. Narrators Tyler Stevens, Elena Wolfe, and Sebastian York do an excellent job playing up that risk/reward negotiation. CHASING DOWN A DREAM and IF NOT FOR YOU, on the other hand, deal with the hardship of accidents and the fortuitous arrival of people who can help and heal you. Narrators Lynnette Freeman and Khristine Hvam strike the balance between pain and joy. Great listens across the board!
6. SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Most of the book takes place in Austin, Texas, after sisters face a financial setback and get involved with questionable guys. Narrator Kate Handford nods to the familiar story while giving it a fresh, modern feel.
7. Renee Raudman has narrated many Marina Adair novels. John Lane, similarly with Lauren Rowe. However, Nora Roberts has been narrated by both Renee Raudman and Macleod Andrews!
Visit the AudioFile Magazine Best of 2017 e-zine for more great audiobooks!
