As we did this time last year for 2012 romance titles, we’re opening up nominations for 2013 Best Romance Audiobook. We run this event during May to coordinate with the Audiobook Publishers Association’s Audie Awards (May 29th). Although we concede that there have been a number of well-deserved Audie romance wins in past years (and we’re thrilled when one of our favorite narrators wins), we don’t believe the Audies represent the everyday romance listener’s best of the best. So we think this is the perfect time to conduct a sort of “people’s choice” award for Best Romance Audio of 2013.
What 2013 romance audiobooks do you think worthy of the Best Romance Audio award? We are asking you to nominate up to five of your best 2013 romance listens. The six books that receive the most nominations will be our finalists for our Best Romance Audio of 2013 (take a look at our 2012 finalists and winner). We’ll then ask for a vote from those final six.
We’ll keep the nominations open until midnight (CST) Sunday, May 18th. We’ll then open voting with the final six finalists on Wednesday, May 21st to run through Tuesday May 27th. We’ll announce the Best Romance Audiobook on Monday, June 2nd as our official kickoff for JIAM aka June Is Audiobook Month!
Below you will find a partial list of 2013 romance audio releases. We aren’t recommending all of the titles on this list – we’re only trying to bring a large number of 2013 releases to your mind. Not all 2013 titles are listed for every author. This list is only for the purposes of brainstorming and does not represent a list of hopeful finalists in any manner.
If you don’t see one of your favorites on the list, please tell us about it in our discussion area.
You’ll find our easy entry form at the bottom of the page.
We’re excited to see your favorite five romance listens of 2013!
Brainstorming 2013 Titles
Marina Adair
Autumn In the Vineyard Renee Raudman
Summer In Napa Renee Raudman
Susan Andersen
All Shook Up Angele Masters
Some Like It Hot Emily C. Michaels
Ilona Andrews
Magic Rises Renee Raudman
Steel’s Edge Renee Raudman
Jennifer Ashley
Books 4.5, 5, 5.5, and 6 of the Highland Pleasures Series Angela Dawe
Books 2, 3, 4, 5 of the Shifters Unbound Series Cris Dukehart
Kristen Ashley
Law Man Kate Russell
Mystery Man Kate Russell
Own the Wind Angela Starling
Mary Balogh
The Arrangement Rosalyn Landor
Maya Banks
The Breathless Trilogy Adam Paul
Forged in Steele Adam Paul
Celeste Bradley
Fallen Susan Ericksen
Patricia Briggs
Frost Burned Lorelei King
Alpha and Omega Holter Graham
Suzanne Brockmann
Headed for Trouble Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbank
Connie Brockway
No Place for a Dame Alison Larkin
Promise Me Heaven Alison Larkin
Sandra Brown
Deadline Stephen Lang
Grace Burrowes
The Bridegroom Wore Plaid Roger Hampton
Once Upon a Tartan Roger Hampton
Kristen Callihan
Shadowdance Moria Quirk
Chelsea M. Cameron
My Favorite Mistake Kate Rudd
Anna Campbell
A Rake’s Midnight Kiss Antony Ferguson
Liz Carlyle
In Love With a Wicked Man Carolyn Morris
Emma Chase
Tangled Sebastian York
Pamela Clare
MacKinnon’s Rangers Series Kaleo Griffith
Striking Distance Kaleo Griffith
Alice Clayton
Wallbanger Heather Smith
Kresley Cole
Books 5, 6, 7, and 13 of the Immortals After Dark Series Robert Petkoff
Jenny Colgan
Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe Michelle Ford
Shelly Crane
Wide Awake Emily Durante and Sean Crisden
Tessa Dare
Spindle Cove Series Carolyn Morris
Suzanne Enoch
The Devil Wears Kilts Anne Flosnik
The Handbook to Handling His Lordship Anne Flosnik
Katy Evans
Real Charlotte Penfield
Remy Sebastian York
Mine Charlotte Penfield
Jeaniene Frost
Twice Tempted Tavia Gilbert
Julie Garwood
The Secret Susan Deurden
Ransom Susan Duerden
Rachel Gibson
Run to You Tanya Eby
Truly Madly Yours Emma Bates
Deeanne Gist
It Happened at the Fair Amy Rubinate
Love on the Line Barbara McCulloh
Cecilia Grant
A Woman Entangled Susan Ericksen
Molly Harper
How to Run With a Naked Werewolf Amanda Ronconi
My Bluegrass Baby Amanda Ronconi
Thea Harrison
Kinked Sophie Eastlake
Rising Darkness Sophie Eastlake
Lorraine Heath
As the Earl Desires Emily Gray
Lord of Wicked Intentions Faye Adele
Rita Herron
Her Dying Breath Tanya Eby
Georgette Heyer
The Black Moth Julian Rhind-Tutt
The Grand Sophy Sarah Woodward
Sylvester Nicholas Rowe
Kristan Higgins
The Best Man Amy Rubinate
Linda Howard
Midnight Rainbow Brenda Sweeney
Shadow Woman Carrington MacDuffie
Elizabeth Hoyt
Duke of Midnight Claudia Harris
The Princes Trilogy Moira Quirk
Eloisa James
Books 1 and 2 The Essex Sisters Series Susan Duerden
Once Upon a Tower Susan Duerden
Julie James
Love Irresistibly Karen White
Practice Makes Perfect Karen White
Sabrina Jeffries
By Love Unveiled Corrie James
What the Duke Desires Corrie James
Susanna Kearsley
The Firebird Katherine Kellgren
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Inferno Holter Graham
Cloak and Silence Holter Graham
Laura Kinsale
Flowers from the Storm Nicholas Boulton
For My Lady’s Heart Nicholas Boulton
The Prince of Midnight Nicholas Boulton
The Shadow and the Star Nicholas Boulton
Shadowheart Nicholas Boulton
Sophie Kinsella
Wedding Night Jane Entwistle, Fiona Hardingham, Mark Bramhall
Lisa Kleypas
Crystal Cove Tanya Eby
Ruthie Knox
About Last Night Coleen Marlo
Jayne Ann Krentz
Dream Eyes Tanya Eby
Shelly Laurenston
Books 1 thru 5 of the Pride Series Charlotte Kane
Julia London
The Fancy Lives of the Lear Sisters Series Natalie Ross
Homecoming Ranch Tanya Eby
Over the Edge Series Renee Raudman
Sarah MacLean
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover Rosalyn Landor
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished Rosalyn Landor
Cathy Maxwell
The Devil’s Heart Rosalyn Landor
The Scottish Witch Rosalyn Landor
Jamie McGuire
Walking Disaster Dan Bittner
Courtney Milan
The Duchess War Rosalyn Landor
The Heiress Effect Rosalyn Landor
Elisabeth Naughton
Stolen Fury Elizabeth Wiley
Stolen Heat Elizabeth Wiley
Amanda Quick
The Mystery Woman Justine Eyre
Julia Quinn
The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After James Langton
The Sum of All Kisses Rosalyn Landor
Anna Randol
Sins of a Wicked Princess Veronica Paulion
Deanna Raybourn
A Spear of Summer Grass Nicola Barber
Lisa Marie Rice
Midnight Series Alexandra R. Joseph
Judith Merkle Riley
Margaret of Ashbury Series Anne Flosnik
Karen Robards
Hunted MacLeod Andrews and Cassandra Campbell
J D Robb
Thankless in Death Susan Ericksen
Nora Roberts
Dark Witch Katherine Kellgren
Whiskey Beach Luke Daniels
Maya Rodale
Wicked Wallflower Carolyn Morris
Karen Rose
Did You Miss Me? Marguerite Gavin
Diana Rowland
Mark of the Demon Series Liv Anderson
Patricia Ryan
Pure and Simple Eric G. Dove
Sharon Sala
Til Death Kathe Mazur
Jill Shalvis
Always on My Mind Annie Greene
It Had to Be You Annie Greene
Rescue My Heart Karen White
Rumor Has It Karen White
Graeme Simsion
The Rosie Project Dan O’Grady
Nalini Singh
Archangel’s Legion Justine Eyre
Heart of Obsidian Angela Dawe
Jessica Sorensen
The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden Leslie Bellair
Shannon Stacey
All He Ever Dreamed Lauren Fortgang
Anne Stuart
Never Kiss a Rake Xe Sands
Never Trust a Pirate Xe Sands
Sherry Thomas
Ravishing the Heiress Jenny Sterlin
J R Ward
Possession Eric Dove
Lover at Last Jim Frangione
Christine Warren
Hungry Like a Wolf Kate Reading
On the Prowl Kate Reading
Lauren Willig
The Ashford Affair Nicola Barber
The Passion of the Purple Plumeria Kate Reading
Lauren Wittig
Highlander Betrayed Phil Gigante
Suzanne Wright
Feral Sins Jill Redfield
Samantha Young
Down London Road Elle Newlands
Into the Deep Renee Cahmbliss
On Dublin Street Paula Constello
Time for You to Nominate Your 2013 Romance Favorites
Please provide us with up to five favorite 2013 romance audiobook titles with author. To be considered a 2013 publication, we look at the original audio publication date – not the book’s original print publication date.
Nominations ended. Stay tuned for the final six vote on May 21st.
If you discover that you cannot access the above entry form, mail your nominations directly to us using one of our email addresses found here.
Together, we’ll let the audiobook industry know just what we most enjoyed in 2013!
Lea Hensley
What about the Beautiful Bastard series by Christina Lauren.I think a couple of those were done in 2013. Loved the books and narrators.
Thanks Bobbie for bringing those to our attention!
Thank you for this great list, Lea! and compiling the votes.
I do believe “The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After” is narrated by James Langton/Roger Hampton, though, instead of Rosalyn Landor.
Thanks Lisa! Corrected.
Oh, god, narrowing it down to five was so hard. Like a lady (ha!) I did not nominate my own, but there were so many others and five wasn’t enough.
One of my absolute faves was 5th Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones. The others were all very good but this one was almost perfect on every level. And I forced myself to keep to only one Laura Kinsale even though I could have filled all five with them.
Did Lord of Scoundrels come out this year or last?
Lord of Scoundrels was released in 2014 – it will feature largely in the 2014 poll I’m sure!
Know what you mean about Laura Kinsale…
Oooh, or maybe I should have nominated my own because I’d be nominating the divine Xe, who Will be narrating the final one in the series, thank heavens. Can we vote more than once? Or would that make everything crazy?
So Xe is narrating the third in the series? Yes!
The final book in the Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris (Dead Ever After) was released in 2013. It may not be my absolute favorite Sookie Stackhouse book, but it is the ending to one of the best paranormal series ever!
There are some great books on this list, but I added a few I thought were missing:
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha
White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland
Reaver by Larissa Ione
Oh, I wanted to nominate Written in Red, but was afraid it didn’t classify as romance, although I think of it as being like the first Kate Daniels’ book where the romance is just getting started. It was easily my favorite book of the year.
Julie James, Practice Makes Perfect was easily my #1fav….