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

Ron Butler narrates a romance novella set in Orlando, the first in the Voluptuous Woman duology. After a well-publicized breakup just weeks before her wedding, Dominique has been hesitant to date again; however, the handsome man she sees on her morning runs has her reconsidering. A failed marriage has Jordan vowing never to date another lawyer--until he learns that the... 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

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

Journey with narrators Saskia Maarleveld and Shane East to the Scottish Highlands in this enemies-with-benefits romance. Riley Rhodes, an expert "curse breaker," has been tasked with breaking an ancient curse at a legendary Scottish castle. Looking for redemption after a previous scandal, archaeologist Clark Edgeware is determined to prevent Riley from getting in the way of his... 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

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

Narrators CJ Bloom and Teddy Hamilton bring to life two talented college hockey players in this new contemporary romance. Gigi Graham has big dreams of making the women's national hockey team and stepping out of her famous hockey-playing father's shadow. She makes a deal with grumpy but extremely hot Luke Ryder to help her improve her game. In return, she promises to help him... 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

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

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

Erin Bennett draws the listener into the relationship between Rachel Lindquist and parapsychologist Bryan Hennessy. After years of being estranged from her mother, Rachel returns home to find her mother suffering from Alzheimer's. Bryan is living in her home as he searches for a ghost. Bennett aptly portrays Addie's frustration with her memory loss and her hostility toward... Read More

Narrator Melanie Crawley breathes life into the story of maid Alana Davison and Greek tycoon Ares Sarvis. Ares needs a wife in order to fulfill the terms of his estranged grandmother's will. Alana overhears him discussing his situation and volunteers herself as his bride. Ares had a horrible childhood and has cut himself off emotionally. Crawley gives him a stiffness that... 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

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

Mela Lee offers a fun, steamy performance of this robust story. Romance author Sophie is outed when she's videoed drunkenly confessing that she's never been in love. The video goes viral. To rehabilitate her image, she vows on TikTok to get in touch with all her exes to learn where things went wrong. Meanwhile, her relationship with ex-TV star Dash, who is her landlord, takes a... Read More

Journey deep into the Mexican jungle with narrator Frankie Corzo as she brings to life two rival archaeologists. Dr. Socorro "Corrie" Mejía thinks she has landed the archeology dig of a lifetime when she is invited to search for the long-lost remains of an ancient warrior of the Aztec empire--who may just be her ancestor. However, in order to be successful she must team up with... Read More

Aden Hakimi and Feodor Chin narrate this heartfelt second-chance romance about two 40-something men in small-town Florida. Hakimi portrays Eli, a trans man who returns to his much-disliked hometown for Christmas after a career implosion. While his pacing is sometimes a bit forced, he captures Eli's biting humor, resigned anger, and cautious bubbling hope. Chin shines as Nick,... 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 returns listeners to Coyote Canyon, Montana. Ellen Truesdale and her father, Stewart, are estranged; their well-drilling companies are rivals. Despite her initial hostility, Ellen develops a relationship with Hendrix Durrant, the nephew of Stewart's second wife, as well as his business partner. When it comes to her father, Ellen tries to be tough--though McFadden... 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

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