Our listeners joined together once again in May to nominate those romances released in 2013 that they thought worthy of AudioGals Best 2013 Romance Audiobook award. We timed our choice of the best to correspond with the Audie Awards ceremony and the industry’s choice of the best. Our votes have now been tallied and our listeners have spoken.
First of all, our six finalists:
Pamela Clare – Surrender Narrated by Kaleo Griffith
Laura Kinsale – Flowers from the Storm
Pamela Clare – Striking Distance
Julie James – Practice Makes Perfect
Emma Chase – Tangled
Courtney Milan – The Duchess War
And the winner is…
Winner of Best 2013 Romance Audiobook
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale Narrated by Nicholas Boulton
Hedgehog, Inc.
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Second Place Winner
Surrender
Tantor Audio
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Third Place Winner
Striking Distance
Tantor Audio
Congratulations to the winners! Thanks for providing us with many hours of wonderful romance listening!
Lea Hensley
Great choices by the audiobook romance listeners–now if we can just get Laura Kinsale to finish her backlist and Tantor Media to put out Pamela Clare’s Blakewell/Kenleigh family Trilogy.
Thanks for all your hard work Audiogals!!
Kelley
I may die of ecstasy if the Kenleigh/Blakewells make it to audio. Not sure my heart can take it! But I’ll take the risk ;).
This means so much more than the Audies. I look forward to more opportunities to show our appreciation and love for the romance audiobook community!
I’m ranting about the Audies Best Romance winner over at Speaking of Audiobooks today. http://bit.ly/1kprwSD
I don’t agree with a non-romance title carrying the award!
Love your rant!
Thank you so much (on behalf of Nick!) The Audies are the Audies, but this is an award that touches my heart, because it’s from the people who actually LISTENED to his amazing performance. :)
Also, the rest of the audiobooks are on the way. They’re recording Lessons in French (I just got the first 10 chapters, it’s great!) but he has understudy and other rehearsals for the two plays that he’s in, so they have to juggle studio dates. Seize the Fire next, late summer or fall I think.
Thank you again, Audiogals!
Laura
Sincerely our pleasure, I must say!
Congratulations to the winners and fellow nominees! They are all excellent choices but as I said in an older post, Flowers from the Storm has become the highest standard by which all audiobooks will be measured in the future. Looking forward to the release of Lessons in French. Hopefully soon!
“We timed our choice of the best to correspond with the Audie Awards ceremony and the industry’s choice of the best.”
You are too kind – the industry’s choice is not about what is the best of the genre or what the readership likes best – it’s about the best marketing. I don’t say that as sour grapes – I say that as someone who knows what the judging criteria are, and marketing – starting with the book being submitted for consideration – is a major component. It’s unfortunate the APA does not use the generally accepted definition of “romance” genre for the category they refer to as “romance” and therefore allows non-romance genre submissions. Would the Nicholas Sparks book have won if submitted under the genre it’s classified to, General Fiction?
(oh, the number of sentences I wrote and deleted in this reply)
I’m grinning from ear to ear because my winner is the overall winner :D!
Laura and Nick have raised the bar when it comes to excellence in audiobook narration and production, and I’m delighted they’ve been recognised for their achievement by the people who really matter – the people who actually LISTEN to their work.
And Laura – Seize the Fire is the one I’ve been waiting on tenterhooks for! Nick as Sheridan? Be still my beating heart…
Thanks for a much more acceptable slate of romance choices and congratulations to the winner!