New Reviews: Romantic Fiction

Will Watt's delightful performance amplifies the holiday magic in this contemporary workplace romance. Splashes and Snuggles store manager Sam Becker sustains a concussion and fakes amnesia after his frosty boss, Jonathan Forest, fires him and his entire underperforming staff. What ensues is a heartwarming journey for both men, full of snarky banter and free-flowing humor, as... Read More

January LaVoy offers a lively performance of this romantic suspense. Alex thinks she's done with love when she stumbles upon Philip, a mysterious man who collects her from the airport for a wedding. They immediately become attracted to each other, but Philip keeps Alex at arm's length because he's just settling into civilian life after retiring from his career as a spy. Then... Read More

In this audiobook, Evie Sage is navigating financial challenges and takes on the role of assistant to a notorious villain, diligently managing office tasks and supporting his exploits. As her attraction to her mysterious boss deepens, the twisty plot unfolds, weaving a tapestry of intrigue and suspense. The emergence of a mysterious saboteur threatens the villain's empire,... Read More

Charlotte North and Stephen Dexter immerse listeners in Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio's tense romance in this reimagining of Shakespeare's TAMING OF THE SHREW. Katerina and Christopher were friendly childhood neighbors, but as adults they absolutely can't stand each other--until one night they share a long awaited, explosive kiss. Katerina realizes that Christopher... Read More

Narrator Kathleen McInerney transports the listener to Greenwich Village at Christmastime. Kerry Tolliver and her brother, Murphy, have brought Christmas trees from their farm in North Carolina to sell in the New York neighborhood while staying in the run-down trailer they affectionately call "Spammy." Kerry develops a friendship with Patrick and his 6-year old son, Austin.... Read More

Bessie Carter's crisp, energetic performance enlivens bestselling author Sophie Kinsella's newest rom-com. Kinsella takes on the serious topic of corporate burnout as Sasha, fed up with overwork and understaffing, runs away from her job--straight into a brick wall. She heads to the Devon seaside, site of happy childhood memories, seeking off-season solitude. Instead, she is... Read More

This sensual and romantic audiobook transports listeners to the vineyards and verdant hills of Tuscany. The exuberant voice of narrator Maria Marquis tells us the story of a young New York career woman who finds herself heir to a vineyard, Casalvento, in Tuscany. While the plot is predictable, the characters, though charming and expertly presented, are rather clichéd. But the... Read More

Kristen DiMercurio's dynamic performance takes listeners to Baltimore, where Billy Perkins owns Charm City Rocks, an independent record store. Margot Hammer, Billy's long-time celebrity crush, was the drummer of a now defunct rock band. Their first encounter, orchestrated by Billy's son, Caleb, is a total disaster but eventually leads to an endearing romance. The story is told... Read More

Eileen Stevens will have listeners feeling merry and bright as they tune into this small-town Christmas romance. Sylvie West, a baker at the Christmas Café, loves her job and wants to save it when she discovers the café could be sold. Luckily, the Holiday Channel is filming nearby, so she enlists the help of Royce, a dreamy actor, to film a scene at the café. When her... Read More

Alexander Cendese and Lynn Wright bring listeners back to Cape May, New Jersey, for a holiday romance. Jameson Franklin is asked to run his cousin's restaurant while he is away over the holiday season, and he ends up changing the popular casual place to a more upscale one, much to the dismay of florist Devon Pratt. Devon is fostering a mastiff and blackmails Jameson into... Read More

Kim Bretton and Emma Fenney team up in this "fake dating" holiday-romance-turned-sapphic love story. The narrators alternate chapters told from the points of view of Bretton's warm, sensitive Margot and Fenney's passionate, impulsive Ellie. Freshly separated from her emotionally abusive girlfriend, Margot agrees to pose as the fake girlfriend of one of her big marketing clients... Read More

In this captivating audiobook, listeners are transported to the enchanting town of Henry Adams and the Christmas wedding of Bernadine and Mal. Kim Staunton's exceptional delivery imbues each character with depth and emotion as she skillfully portrays the intricacies of their relationships. From Preston's heartbreak to Reverend Paula's entanglement with a chef and former mayor... Read More

Zim Avaltrades narrates from the perspective of 26-year-old soccer veteran Grace Henderson, and Dana Varden portrays 22-year-old rookie Phoebe Matthews. Henderson and Matthews find themselves playing for the same team, in more ways than one. While jokester Phoebe is hoping to score on and off the field with her childhood icon, secretive Grace is busy hiding her hip injury and... Read More

Narrators Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni take listeners to the quaint mountain town of Galway, North Carolina. There Rose Barnes is hoping to start fresh and build the house of her dreams--that is, until she hires a burly, grumpy contractor named Angus Drummond. Little does Rose know that Angus's scowling demeanor is due to his attraction to her kindhearted soul. As the two... Read More

A dual narration by Piper Goodeve and Tim Paige introduces a cozy Connecticut town that is about to experience a magical apocalypse. Local business owner Jessica Gold and new-to-town Derrick Winters believe that a high school witch can help avert disaster. While Jessica's friends' voices are not always distinct in conversation, Goodeve clearly evokes Piper's guilt about her... Read More

Who is the person you most want to be with when the end of the world is near? In this full-cast performance, six couples try to answer that question before a meteor shower ends everything. There are different relationships represented: a pair of exes, competitive business owners, and former rivals, to name a few. Despite the premise, these stories offer hope for reconciliation... Read More

Nikki Massoud brings a dynamic and heartfelt performance to this festive Christmas romance. Jobless and newly single, Maya Bashir reluctantly returns to her hometown in the Scottish Highlands. On the way home, she unexpectedly runs into Sam, her first crush and first major heartbreak. Massoud seamlessly switches from an American accent to a Scottish lilt when performing... Read More

In this first audiobook in Awakening, a new fantasy series, Calista's power of intuition and foretelling have made her a favorite of the Baron of Archwood. When Hyborn Prince Thorne visits, he and Calista are inexplicably drawn to each other despite their differing classes and impending war. Soneela Nankani narrates Calista and Thorne's story, as told from Calista's point of... Read More

This rom-com is expertly performed by Mara Wilson and Nickelodeon star Danny Tamberelli. Lucy doesn't feel like she's going anywhere in life, and Rudy wants a relationship with someone who doesn't care that he was a 90s TV star. When they go on a date, it ends with a grave prediction from a psychic: Their romance will be equally rewarding and disastrous. For a romance heavy on... Read More

Narrator Sophie Amoss infuses an engaging blend of fun and thoughtfulness into this contemporary sapphic romance set in the world of show business. Nina Rice, an aspiring screenwriter who ghostwrites celebrity correspondence for a talent agency, meets one of her clients, the effortlessly cool actress Ari Fox. Their simmering chemistry quickly turns into a discreet,... Read More

Stacy Gonzalez's fierce narration of Lopez's second-chance romance is a stormy yet satisfying listen. Fleeing an emotionally abusive ex, Gillian Armstead-Bancroft returns to her hometown of Freedom, Kansas, where she has an awkward reunion with her first lover, Nicky Mendoza. They then spend the summer working together on a downtown mural project. Gonzalez flexes her narrative... Read More

Escape with narrators Joy Nash and Chris Brinkley to the snowy town of Christmas Notch, where a holiday movie is being filmed. As one of the lesser-known former boy-band members of INK, Kallum Lieberman enjoyed his short run of fame and then moved home to open a pizza business. Now ready to step back into the spotlight, he signs on to star in a new, sexy Santa movie alongside... Read More

Escape to the magical small town of Thistle Grove with narrator Yu-Li Alice Shen. Witch Delilah Harlow is attempting to put her life back together after being struck by a power surge that caused her to lose much of her memory. Hoping to regain her former self, she casts a dangerous spell to heal herself and control power. When an alluring stranger, Catriona Quinn, shows up and... Read More

Narrators Soneela Nankani and Rita Sharma transport listeners to a magical moon garden where blossoms grant wishes. As a child, Rashmi believed her mother's stories of the mysterious moon garden. But failing to make a wish, Rashmi believes, could have resulted in her mother's death. Now her boyfriend, Darsh, has given Rashmi a rare chapbook that lures her back into the garden,... Read More

Kristen DiMercurio returns triumphantly as narrator of the third Bright Falls novel. Romance writer Iris Kelly is the only one who is single in her Sapphic circle, and that's how she likes it. Or so she thinks until she meets a cute aspiring thespian. Unfortunately, Stevie Scott's generalized anxiety disorder leads to a disastrous first date. Life gets more complex when Iris... Read More

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Pete Cross narrate a festive gay update of a holiday classic. Bailey George wants to change her life and leave her hometown but feels stuck. With the unexpected assistance of fabulous drag queens from the House of Angel, Bailey just might get her wish granted. Bailey's ambivalence and frustration are captured by Hutchinson-Shaw: Everyone she loves lives... Read More

Angelina Rocca and John Lane combine their talents to enliven the romance between Georgia Brooks, a nonprofit worker, and Drew Daniels, a lawyer. Sparks fly between the two when they meet at a dinner honoring Georgia's father. Later, Georgia's sister wins Drew at a charity bachelor auction and offers him to Georgia for her birthday. Lane brings a deeply masculine quality to his... Read More

This captivating audiobook is a fantasy-romance that explores the clash between duty and passion. In a realm rich with magic, Adara's engagement to the prince takes a riveting turn as her heart pulls her towards charismatic, mixed-race Evren. Stella Hunter's narration captures Adara's emotional evolution, portraying her turmoil and nascent desires with finesse. J.F. Harding's... Read More

Henriette Zoutomou delivers an enchanting performance in this fantastical romance. Xavier is a prince in need of a true love's kiss to break a curse. Ursula is a fortune teller who is looking for love again. They agree to break the prince's curse by finding the perfect kiss, and as they set about doing so, their mutual attraction grows. Zoutomou's narration is soothing yet... Read More

Mary Jane Wells's performance sizzles in this explosive 1840s mystery- romance. Wells acts out the scenes with her lyrical voice, adding panache to the double entendres and sexy repartee. A string of explosions is occurring in East London. Sultry Lady Imogen Loveless, who is passionate about explosives, uses her considerable wit and steamy charms as she alternately butts heads... Read More

Narrator Savannah Peachwood excels in her narration of the romance between free-spirited Star Shine Meadows and wealthy veterinarian Rafe Whitman. Star, who makes her living as a line sitter and a character actor, encounters Rafe at his niece's birthday party. Rafe's mother and sister-in-law have been shoving eligible women at him, so he hires Star to pose as his girlfriend.... Read More

Heather Long shows listeners the complexity of blame and forgiveness in a compelling Christmas-themed audio. Holly and her sister, Lily, are embarking on a Christmas trip to Devon, England, when a horrible accident occurs. Long details the suffocating blame Holly shoulders and the halting ways she attempts to exist without her sister. A series of karmic twists leads Holly back... Read More

Narrator Pippa Jayne delights listeners in this festive friends-to-lovers romantic comedy. Stella Bloom desperately wants to save her family's Christmas tree farm, which she has loved since childhood. To win a cash prize from a contest, she asks her best friend, Luka Peters, to fake date her to make Lovelight Farms seem like the ultimate romantic destination for the holidays.... Read More

Narrator Carly Robins brings life to the romance between bookstore owner Jade Mackenzie and advertising expert Levi Donovan in the small town of Sweetbriar Ridge. Levi has been forced to return home after being fired from his job in Alexandria just as Jade is opening her new bookstore/coffee shop. Levi's sister is working for Jade as a baker. Obstacles keep getting in Jade's... Read More

Escape to glamorous Hollywood with narrators Lisa Larsen and Alex Knox. Kell Simmons has been managing the Matthews brothers, popular movie stars, for years. All this time no one has known she's in love with action star Ryan. However, Ryan gets engaged and breaks Kell's heart, thus making the perfect setup for a new reality TV show in which Kell finds herself "fake dating"... Read More

In this exciting first installment of a new historical romance series, narrator Justine Eyre brings to life a swoon-worthy love story amid the complexities of Jewish society in 1830s London. After her beloved father dies, 23-year-old Isabelle longs to take his place in his surety business. Thwarted by the gender and religious bigotries of the time, as well as her father's... Read More

This delightful Regency romance has a mystery and a handsome lord to be absolved of wrongdoing. Listeners will applaud the many voices of narrator Moira Quirk. She is the brash Lord Webb, who has a heart of gold, and the astonishing heroine, Marjorie Wynchester. Marjorie is deaf in her left ear, due to a bout with smallpox, and she's an excellent forger, who, along with her... Read More

Gilli Messer gives voice to both a modern 30-something artist and a 350-year-old vampire in this romantic comedy. Cassie is being evicted and needs a place to stay right away. She answers an ad for a roommate--even though the rent is suspiciously low for a Chicago apartment with a lake view. Frederick J. Fitzwilliam has spent the last hundred years in the vampire equivalent of... Read More

Mark Sanderlin narrates this quirky time-travel romance in a charming voice. Nolan jumps at the opportunity to do a last minute gig at a famous comedy venue, abandoning his crush and best friend, Drew, and missing his sister's wedding. After disappointing everyone, he wishes on magic crystals to skip to the good parts of his life. The next morning, it's seven years later, and... Read More

Natalie Naudus performs a fairy tale brimming with romance and heart. Nox and Amaris know the orphanage they reside in is more than an orphanage. A nearby city purchases its orphans for nefarious purposes. Sure enough--Nox and Amaris are separated. They grow up apart, but they never stop searching for each other. Naudus captures the banter that dramatizes the endearing bond... Read More

Martyn Swain narrates a delightfully gothic-tinged romance between an earl and his secretary. Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become Earl of Oxney, much to the dismay of his relatives. Luke Doomsday joins the household as Rufus's secretary but has his own motives for being there. While Rufus appears to be a straightforward former military man, Swain expertly teases out his... Read More

Narrator Joe Arden delivers a powerful performance as he takes listeners back to the small town of Triple Falls, North Carolina, in this Ravenwood spin-off. Dominic King has always pursued retribution for the ills he's encountered. He's full of dark secrets until Cecilia, a fiery, strong-willed woman, makes it her mission to uncover them. Their unexpected and newfound love... Read More

Narrator Carly Robins delivers on the cozy charm of Aguirre's roommate romance. When Iris inherits a purple Victorian house in St. Claire, Illinois, it's a fresh start, far away from her judgmental, magical family. Robins chronicles Iris's search for roommates, creating unique voices for crotchety Henry Dale, garrulous Sally, youthful Rowan, and considerate Eli, who knew Iris... Read More

Narrator Angela Dawe returns to a world made up of humans, Psys, and changelings. Psy Theodora Marshall teams up with bear changeling Yakov Stepyrev to investigate an abandoned center that was used to rehabilitate Psys. Theodora's grandfather was evil, and Dawe reveals all the darkness of his personality. Theodora was tortured by him, and as she struggles to cope with her past,... Read More

Secrets are revealed, and love is found in this contemporary romance, narrated by Anne Pepperidge, Julia Whelan, and coauthor Johnathan McClain. The founders of the Sin With Us romance convention, Essie and Steve, have been hiding a secret. Essie isn't the bestselling author named SS. Steve is. Thrilled to be invited to the popular convention, new author Cordelia hopes to make... Read More

Narrator Ingrid Greene plunges listeners into a Southern world of wealth, horse racing, and power. Maddy is taken in by a woman claiming to be her late mother's best friend after her father and brother mysteriously die in a car crash. Through her relationship with her mother's friend, Maddy meets Blaise Hughes, whose family owns the largest racehorse establishment in the South.... Read More

André Santana and AJ Beckles lead a talented ensemble in delivering this heartfelt romance about healing from trauma. Santana voices Logan, an actor infamous for his terrible behavior. Beckles voices up-and-coming actor Mattie, Hollywood's latest golden boy. When publicity for their new rom-com fails to bring in audiences, they agree to pretend to date. Santana captures Logan's... Read More

Narrator Kitty Bang draws the listener into the story of Ivy Jensen, who is returning home to New York after her tech company failed because she trusted someone she shouldn't have. Hoping to rebound, Ivy teams up with Heath Marino, who wants to turn his grandmother's success as a matchmaker into a new computer app. Bang brings a hint of Italy to Heath's Italian grandmother.... Read More

High school sweethearts have a second chance at love in this audio novella, narrated by Andrew Eiden and Luci Christian Bell. After they unexpectedly break up in high school, Hannah feels nothing but disdain for Ethan. But 15 years later, she calls him with a request: Return the sweater she was wearing the day he broke her heart. Through humorous mishaps and many phone calls,... Read More

Amy McFadden takes the listener to Coyote Canyon, Montana, where Talulah has returned after 14 years to settle her great-aunt's estate. Talulah is concerned about how she'll be received because when she was last home, she left her fiancé, Charlie, at the altar. McFadden believably conveys her trepidation. While she's there, a romance develops between her and Brant, Charlie's... Read More

Ulka Simone Mohanty narrates a joyous multicultural celebration of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Ramadan as two women, Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson, are stranded in scenic Snow Falls, Canada, during a snowstorm. Mohanty projects a festive sense of humor as multiple disasters threaten the travelers. While Maryam deals with her sister's wedding postponements and Anna examines her life... Read More

Narrator Soneela Nankani channels a bountiful amount of energy while portraying an amateur heist crew as they plot to steal back a stolen necklace. Leading the team is Simi, an apathetic late bloomer who forms the crew when her best friend is falsely accused of the original theft. Each member has an outsized personality, and Nankani shapes her performance to match each... Read More

Maddy Withington narrates an enemies-to-lovers romance set in Australia. While in high school young teens Brooke and Jesse became best friends; however, after an embarrassing incident, Brooke's feelings for Jesse turn to scorn. When they both end up in Melbourne for college, they're surprised to find themselves housemates. Remaining cordial for the sake of their other... Read More

Teddy Hamilton and Lauren Sweet pair up to narrate this audiobook featuring two college students and a fun summer romance. After her parents' bitter divorce, Aurora, voiced by Sweet, has trouble committing to one man. Russ, portrayed by Hamilton, is a hockey player with a troubled father. It's the end of the year for the students of Maple Hills College. After a one-night stand,... Read More

Krysta Gonzales narrates a romance between a botanical witch and her former crush. Forced to return to her hometown after losing her job, Sage Flores unwillingly confronts her past. Gonzales expertly navigates the complications Sage experiences as she faces not only her family, but also the man who broke her heart in high school. The three Flores sisters--Sage, Teal, and... Read More

Brooke Bloomingdale and James Gloucester delight listeners as they narrate this hilarious, heartfelt holiday rom-com. Melody Gallard and Beat Dawkins are the adult children of the legendary rock band Steel Birds--now defunct. Thanks to a lucrative reality TV offer, Beat and Melody are attempting to reunite their estranged mothers, both veterans of the band, for a reunion... Read More

Narrator Todd McLaren does a fine job depicting the romance between Erianne Mitchell and architect Ty Mosby. Erianne has known and loved Ty most of her life. Since she's gone to work for him doing cost estimates, her feelings have only deepened. But when he thinks she's betrayed him, he casts her aside, not realizing that she's pregnant. She flees to Wyoming, prepared to raise... Read More

Jasmin Walker narrates the story of a woman who returns home for the holidays and unexpectedly finds love. Starr is surprised to see her brother's friend Waylon at her family's Thanksgiving celebration. Neither is the type to have a fling, but their attraction is undeniable. As the year's end approaches, so does Starr's time in DC. Both characters rely on their deep faith to... Read More