Valentine’s Day is coming around again, and it’s time to think about falling in love. Not with a person, but with an audiobook (of course). And a love affair with a romance audiobook is sort of a frame story — you’re relishing a captivating love story even as you have a serious crush on the narrator and the addictive performance they’ve just given to you as an additional gift.

Sometimes it’s love at first sight. Richard Armitage’s VENETIA had me at the introductory credits. It’s an elegant abridgment paired with Armitage’s melted butter voice.

VENETIA
by Georgette Heyer, Read by Richard Armitage
Naxos AudioBooks

Other times, you fall in love with the whole package. Renee Raudman’s readings of Ilona Andrews’s fantasy romances build and weave to a crescendo. With so many memorable characters and scenes, there can’t be one favorite moment.

And then there are the surprises. I don’t know what I expected when I listened to Laura Kinsale’s UNCERTAIN MAGIC, read by Nicholas Boulton, but the exquisite mix of production quality and deeply developed vocal characterization impressed even this picky listener.

UNCERTAIN MAGIC
by Laura Kinsale, Read by Nicholas Boulton
Hedgehog Inc.
AudioFile Earphones Award

I imagine you have your own audio crushes, too. Did I say that you should fall in love with an audiobook? I’ve changed my mind. Fall in love with all of them — it’s not cheating to spread your audio love around.

Browse the newest Romance audiobook reviews here, or if you are an RT Reviews fan, we share AudioFile  Romance reviews each week at RT Book Reviews blog!