New Reviews: Romantic Fiction

Narrator Callie Dalton brings the steam to the second Big Shots title. Tallulah accepts a live-in nanny job for Boston hockey star Burgess's daughter even though a traumatic past experience makes cohabitating difficult for her. The audio starts off a little stiffly, and Tallulah and Burgess are difficult to differentiate in conversation during the introductory chapters. Once... Read More

Natalie Naudus narrates this delightful romantic comedy with confidence. After adventurous escapades June comes back to her beachside hometown to manage her late sister's struggling tea shop. At the same time, Levi, recently thrust into the spotlight due to a public breakup, returns to assist Dylan, June's younger brother, with his upcoming wedding. When a chance photo of June... Read More

Biz and Wyatt's anxiety about impending fatherhood grows as the couple travel on their "babymoon." Ryan Spahn and Michael Urie capture the impending dads' feelings with their nuanced narrations, told in alternating points of view. Wyatt wants to stick to the itinerary as they drive from New York to California, where their baby will be born via surrogacy. Fun-loving Biz is... Read More

Narrator Nikki Massoud performs this heartfelt and hilarious holiday romance about a former child star turned artist who finds love in the most unexpected place. As a child, Charlotte never expected that her small role in a holiday classic would later turn her life upside down. Now, years later, she flees the country after turning down a reboot opportunity due to backlash from... Read More

In this love letter to bookstores, narrated by Cindy Kay, employees fight to keep their store from closing. Fifty-year-old Jo's life revolves Bruebaker's Books, the behemoth of a bookstore she has managed for years. When Mr. Bruebaker, the owner, has a stroke, the store's CEO and his daughters order the iconic establishment to close immediately. Jo and several of the store's... Read More

Victoria Villarreal's narration reflects the magical mayhem and quirky comedy that break out in the small town of Owl's Hollow. Chanterelle Cottage witch Charlie Sparrow and her two moms worry about the business's survival when competing mages Fitz and Eleanor set up shop nearby. Villarreal depicts Charlie and Fitz's sworn-enemy vibe, along with their sarcastic banter. Soon... Read More

Narrators JF Harding and Avery Caris join forces to recount the romance between Lily Dumont and Ty Benson. After the death of her parents, Lily is put into foster care with Ty's mother by her Uncle Mark. Worried that her uncle is after her fortune, Lily and Ty fake Lily's death at age 17. Both Harding and Caris capture the teens' desperation. Years later, Ty goes to New York to... Read More

This audiobook offers a charming, romantic performance by narrators Marissa Hampton and Christopher Hampton. When former celebrity chef Sirena's cooking powers go awry, she unintentionally casts a spell that causes the entire town of Freya Grove to repeat the month of October. To restore her powers, she seeks aid from a former reality TV star named Gus; together, they navigate... Read More

In this captivating slow-burn romance narrated by Elyse Dinh and Teddy Hamilton, Willa has just moved into her late aunt's home on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. Recovering from the death of her husband and years of caregiving, she endeavors to restart her career as a cookbook ghostwriter. Hudson, the island's handyman, voiced by Hamilton, is striving to establish... Read More

Narrators Phillipa Soo and John Cho portray two rival journalists who have three weeks to uncover an intriguing story in a mysterious mansion. Nadine Barbault, an obituary writer for the TORONTO HERALD, wants to be the first to report the death of famous author Dot Voline. Finally, she hears that Dot has expired, and she releases the obit, but a problem develops--Dot isn't... Read More

Escape with narrator Jennifer Macbeth to a family vacation in Greece. Flo needs a break after an embarrassing meltdown, so the timing of this vacation is perfect. However, her brother brings along his best friend, Jamie, who is gorgeous but a person Flo loathes. Yet, secretly, she has a crush on him. Macbeth adds just the right amount of vulnerability and passion to her tone to... Read More

Narrators Maeve York and Benjamin Sands deliver exceptional performances of this audiobook. Gage Buchanan, a seemingly perfect single man, meets Rory Casteel, a cocktail waitress turned art appraiser, in his hometown of Calliope. Rory is on a mission to find her father and doesn't expect to cross paths with Gage after their one-night stand. However, as their attraction grows,... Read More

Amielynn Abellera delivers a lively performance of this romance. Evan gets shot down after casually asking out his new coworker, Dalisay, who has just arrived from the Philippines. His Filipino friends advise that to earn her heart, he must embark on the Five Stages of Courtship, a tradition that doesn't fit his modern sensibilities. Abellera's vigorous performance offers a... Read More

Rebecca Yeo narrates a romance that also features family drama. Renee Goh and Yap Ket Siong were on the verge of becoming something more than friends 10 years ago; now, after a chance encounter at a private gallery preview, they have the opportunity to reignite their relationship. Yeo perfectly balances the trauma Renee and Ket Siong both carry with the giddiness they feel at a... Read More

Narrators Kim Churchill and Oliver Clarke perform this rivals-to-lovers hockey romance. Sutton Jones is thrilled to have her dream job as a physical therapist for a professional hockey team--the same hockey team her brother and Shaw Daniels, the bane of her existence, play for. Shaw is her brother's best friend and has always been her rival in some way--or so she thinks.... Read More

Narrator Jeannie Sheneman brings listeners to Boneyard Key, one of the most haunted towns in Florida. Cassie Rutherford has moved into the old Hawkins house, not knowing she's getting a ghostly roommate. When her laptop won't charge in her new home, Cassie meets Nick Royer, the owner of a local café. Nick is a bit grumpy, and Sheneman gives his voice a bit of gruffness. As Nick... Read More

A dual narration by Zion Jang and Laura Knight Keating plays up the contrast between proper witch Max and Texan Delia Merriweather, whose magic is trapped by a hex. Keating gives Delia a twangy accent that rings with both humor and confusion as she puzzles out her feelings for her new neighbor and discovers her power. Keating's voices for Delia's eccentric family members are... Read More

Narrators Shezi Sardar and Brent Billings make an appealing pair in this sweet and steamy romance set in Kansas City. Farzan and David hook up after a case of mistaken identity and some scorching instant chemistry. Farzan would like their relationship to become something more, but David, who is focused on studying for his master sommelier exam, urges them to continue as friends... Read More

Narrator Amy McFadden breathes life into the romance between pop music star Simon Bennett, and publicist Juliette Bellucci. After a scandal with her previous client, Juliette is assigned to work with Simon on a concert documentary. Simon doesn't want his difficult childhood to be part of the film, and Juliette is tasked with making sure that doesn't happen. Simon has a sunny... Read More

Mary Mouser, Tyler Posey, and a full cast delight listeners in this immersive rom-com. Cleo has been obsessed with the decades-old game show "Know Your Newlywed," in which married couples compete. Currently pursuing her PhD in anthrozoology, she has put aside finding a relationship. But then she comes across Javi's dating app profile and discovers he loves "Know Your Newlywed,"... Read More

Narrator Marisa Calin transports the listener back to 1898 London and the Savoy Hotel, where Lady Delia Stratham works as an event planner. Lord Simon Hayden has been hired by the hotel's owners to find out why it's losing money despite being busy. Delia and Simon clash at first, and Calin captures the considerable tension between the two. Later, as they grow closer, Calin... Read More

In this dual-perspective romance, Ellie Gossage ably performs both narrators with voices that fit their distinct personalities. Bubbly, optimistic Opal wins the lottery and uses most of her newfound wealth to outright purchase a beautiful flower farm in Appalachian North Carolina. But when she arrives at her new home, she discovers cynical Pepper, who has been living and... Read More

Frankie Corzo narrates a contemporary romance featuring childhood best friends. Laniah and Issac have always been close. Now Issac's career in L.A. has skyrocketed, putting him in the spotlight. At home in Rhode Island, Laniah and her mother struggle to keep their natural hair care business operating. Issac's plan to boost the store's sales by fake-dating Liniah for the summer... Read More

Tune in for a great experience with narrator Marni Penning as she returns listeners to the small town of Cemetery, Indiana. Berkley Carr, who hasn't had an easy life, has moved to town to run its new animal shelter. There, she encounters Lawson Salder, who comes from her hometown and is privy to her past. Berkley is from Kentucky, and Penning gives her a hint of an accent.... Read More

Kelli Tager narrates this holiday romance set partially in small-town Vermont and partially in big-city Manhattan. As the only Jew in town, grumpy café owner Abby Cohen gets "volun-told" to organize a Hanukkah Festival to save the locale's quaint shops. This is how she finds herself fake dating her least favorite customer in exchange for his vendor contacts and a visit to his... Read More

Mackenzie Cartwright and Teddy Hamilton join forces to portray the romance between Jackson Justice and April Hoffman. April is working for Jackson's lumber business in Maine when she's involved in an accident that leaves her with amnesia. Her memory lapses give insecure Jackson the opportunity to admit his feelings for her. Hamilton projects all of Jackson's masculinity, along... Read More

Dara Rosenberg returns to narrate another Meltzer contemporary romance, this time featuring a Jewish shop owner in Woodstock, New York, and the man who might be a golem she accidentally summoned. After an anti-Semitic group papers the town with hateful flyers, Faye drowns her fears in wine and performs a ritual for protection. The unexpected appearance of a handsome man with... Read More

Karen Novack takes on the joint roles of narrator and 40-year-old recently divorced Jessie, whose fresh start begins when she's hired as caretaker of an old house in the Sierra Foothills. Little does Jessie know that the house comes with secrets and strange employees. But Jessie has self-appointed protectors: the aging, ultra-stiff gargoyle/butler, Mr. Tom, portrayed by RJ... Read More

Vikas Adam and Soneela Nankani narrate a story of a fake marriage of convenience loosely inspired by Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT. Veera Mathur and Deepak Datta never meant to end up married to each other, but they decide to make the best of the situation as it solves problems for both of them. However, all too soon their feelings become too real to ignore. Veera has quite a bit... Read More

A cast of narrators tells Audrey Carlan's second "Marriage Auction" story from each character's perspective. As the auction approaches, listeners hear each couple's backstory in differently voiced chapters. From the sizzling attraction that narrators Wesleigh Siobhan and Winston James create for their characters to the world-weary bachelor Rhodes, narrated by Aiden Snow, and... Read More

Anna Caputo brings both joy and melancholy into her narration of Jenny Green's failure at life as she has watched her friends succeed. At her college reunion, she is given a chance to make amends by a secret consortium of women who give out memos for success. Now Jenny travels back to key moments in her life, guided by her memo, which dictates what choices to make to succeed... Read More

Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya portrays a young physics professor who decides to live according to her daily horoscope after being denied tenure at her university. Miranda Reep takes a much-needed sabbatical and decides to adopt a different perspective on life. Her fortune begins to change when she meets Simon Archer, the boy next door. Araya's portrayal of Miranda's conflicted... Read More

Narrators Angela Dawe and Gary Furlong delight listeners in this contemporary romance revolving around grieving and love. Callum Flannelly is a happy recluse who would love to own his family's undertaking business. To do that, he must marry before he turns 35. Lark Thompson escaped to Ireland for a new job opportunity and to move on with her life after her husband's death. Lark... Read More

Saskia Maarleveld and Zachary Webber narrate this suspenseful romantic suspense. Maggie Chase writes cozy mysteries, and Ethan Wyatt writes popular thrillers. Maggie hates Ethan. Both have been invited to attend a Christmas party at an English estate. Upon arrival, Maggie and Ethan are stunned to find out that world-famous mystery writer Eleanor Ashley is hosting the party;... Read More

Narrator Gabriela Tola uses an expressive voice for Brazil native Sol Carvalho, a software designer at a video game firm in Copenhagen. She loves the city and wants to stay, but that depends on whether she gets a promotion that hinges on various team-building exercises. In the meantime, she rents a room from Viking look-alike Erik Storm. Throughout, Tola blends Danish accents... Read More

Ruby Corazon delights as the narrator of this debut contemporary romance featuring a librarian and an ex-NFL star. Each is attempting to get over their feelings for their ex--both of whom are newly engaged. Can they do so by hooking up with each other? Everyone thinks Marcela Ortiz and Theo Young are sleeping together anyway, so why not play along? When their ruse turns into... Read More

Narrator Ellis Evans's total commitment makes what could be a ridiculous premise a fun and compelling listen. College student Nicholas "Coal" Claus is the heir to Christmas. After his attempt at spreading joy goes wrong, Coal shares a drunken kiss with a man who then disappears. Fast-forward a couple of years, and Coal finds himself facing an unwanted arranged engagement to his... Read More

Elizabeth Knowelden will capture listeners' hearts with her charming performance. Rival ornithologists Beth Pickering, a recent graduate, and Professor Devon Lockley are on the hunt for the death whistler bird, one the rare jewels in birding. While Beth finds Devon to be brash and egotistical at first, it's only a matter of time until Devon's charm sucks her in. Knowelden's... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns the listener to the world of the psy-changelings. Remi Denier, the leopard changeling, has a mysterious new neighbor named Auden Scott, who is a psy. Auden is pregnant and has a brain injury that has left her with memory gaps and two personalities. One of them has the cold demeanor of the psy, and the other is warm and caring. Dawe successfully... Read More

Bailey Carr narrates this fifth installment of sexy, witchy stories about the residents of Thistle Grove. Necromantic devil eater Dasha Avramov has an addiction to traversing the veil between life and death. Doing so numbs her grief but prevents a healthy relationship with her on-and-off girlfriend, Ivy Thorn. The ominous presence of a harbinger of death, the mysterious... Read More

Patti Murin captures the wit and warmth of this uplifting romance. Emma Wheeler, an aspiring screenwriter, receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity when her manager asks her to rewrite a disastrous rom-com by her idol, Charlie Yates. Charlie, an acclaimed action-adventure screenwriter, is taken aback by Emma's sudden appearance at his home to "assist" him in reworking his... Read More

Karissa Vacker and Zachary Webber narrate a contemporary romance set in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. After a career meltdown, chef Fisher is offered another chance that temporarily relocates him and his teenage niece to Oregon. The job involves preparing a new restaurant for opening. Sage, a high school teacher, caretaker of displaced animals, and grower of flowers,... Read More

Narrator Brittany Pressley adds a Southern touch to her portrayal of Libby O'Dell as she starts a new life in the small town of Sawmill, Texas. Libby has taken a job running Benny Taylor's antique store. Minilee and Opal are Libby's elderly neighbors across the street, and Pressley ages her voice appropriately for them. Libby hears the voice of her crotchety deceased... Read More

Narrators Avery Caris and J.F. Harding combine their talents to depict the romance between lawyers Molly Gifford and Daniel Hunter. Daniel once fell for Molly, but she left him to find her family. Then she returns to ask him for help defending her father from a murder charge. Caris and Harding seamlessly go back and forth, equally capable of voicing the male and female... Read More

Listeners go on a cruise with narrator Joy Nash in this hilarious and heartfelt Sapphic romance with a touch of suspense. Krysta Morton claims she's done being a bodyguard--that is, until she's offered a lucrative sum of money to watch celebrity influencer Addison Hayes. Now that she's finally making waves with her career, Addison is expanding her empire with her first branded... Read More

Set sail with narrators Keylor Leigh and Amir Abdullah for a second-chance romance at sea. Family obligations meant a cordial end to marine biologist Hope Evans's last relationship, even though fellow shark scientist Adrian Hollis-Parker was the perfect catch. After three long years of helping her widowed sister's small business stay afloat, Hope accepts a summer job on a... Read More

Take a summer vacation on Fire Island with narrator Brittany Pressley and this heartfelt contemporary romance. Maggie Monroe left home to pursue a screenwriting career in L.A. six years ago and never looked back. Returning home after things didn't work out, she has to face her ex-boyfriend, Mac, and ex-best friend, Liz, who both feel she abandoned them. Now the trio, along... Read More

B.R. Myers's story, set in 1816 in Halifax and on an isolated island off its coast, is brought to life by Imogen Church. She has a unique ability to inject accents and personality into the diverse characters. The heroine, Emeline, narrates her own story. Her guardian, the imperious Mrs. Stackhouse, arranges Emeline's future with Captain Graves, whose first two wives died in... Read More

Escape on a thrilling adventure with Soneela Nankani and Andrew Eiden as they narrate this suspenseful romance. A year has passed since Simi Chopra, her assorted crew, and Jack Danger pulled off a lucrative diamond heist. Now, the Chicago Mafia boss is demanding that the jewels be returned, so Simi gets the team back together. Nankani delivers an expressive performance that... Read More

Siena East--a Choctaw writer, comedian, and actor--performs this romance novel from debut Chickasaw author Danica Nava. After sending out countless job applications with few responses, Ember Lee Cardinal decides to exaggerate her work experience on her next application. She lands the job and meets her new co-worker, Danuwoa Colson, the only other Native person at her new office... Read More

Narrator Amy McFadden draws the listener into the romance between physical therapist Lucy Dawson and quarterback Jax Wylder. Lucy blames Jax for the accident that ruined her brother's dream of playing professional football, and McFadden adds a touch of hostility to her performance. The pair are thrust together when Jax plans to open a camp for kids with disabilities. McFadden... Read More

Helen Laser narrates this third book in the Glimmer Falls series, in which supernatural inhabitants live mundane lives in a suburban town. Introverted werewolf Ben Rosewood is in for a surprise when he drunkenly orders a crystal on eBay only to find it contains a trapped vampire succubus--and she's NOT happy. Laser's somewhat androgynous voice allows her to smoothly voice all... Read More

Mark Sanderlin is a regular narrator for Timothy Janovsky's novels. His charming voice goes well with Janovsky's dry wit, and with the queer couple at the heart of this romantic comedy. Between studying for his sommelier courses and living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the last thing Julien Boire needs is the distraction that mixologist Greg Harlowe presents. But what... Read More