Kaetrins’s Top 5 Contemporary Romance Audiobooks
I could have chosen way more than five. It was difficult to trim the list. But the brief is for “gateway” audiobooks so I’ve chosen audios which showcase excellent narration and which are likely to have a more universal appeal.
As part of the Audio Publisher’s Association June is Audiobook Month celebration, there will be 4 winners of a pair of earbuds and 3 free audiobook downloads from Audiobooks.com! There’s an easy entry form at the bottom of this post!
1. Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas, narrated by Renee Raudman. Hardy Cates is one of my favourite romance heroes and the voice given to him by Renee Raudman makes this an audio which sticks in my memory. Haven’s journey through a violent marriage and into her HEA with Hardy is a feast for the ears.
2. Kulti by Mariana Zapata, narrated by Callie Dalton. I listened to this one last year. Zapata is the queen of the slow burn romance – it takes a while but the payoff is SO worth it. Callie Dalton’s narration pairs with the text so well. She absolutely nails the main characters of Sal and Kulti. It’s not very explicit but it’s very very romantic and I’d happily recommend it to anyone who’s interested in trying a contemporary audiobook and who loves a slow character reveal.
3. Wait for You by J. Lynn (aka Jennifer L. Armentrout), narrated by Sophie Eastlake. Sophie Eastlake is one of my very favourite narrators. I love the way she delivers character and emotional intimacy. She gives good hero as well. Wait for You is my favourite J. Lynn book. If someone enjoyed NA romance and wanted to try audiobooks, Wait for You is an excellent place to start. My appreciation of this audiobook has grown over time. Were I reviewing it today, I’d be rating it much higher than I did in 2014.
4. The Search by Nora Roberts, narrated by Tanya Eby. Technically this one is romantic suspense but it’s also contemporary and there are dogs! Also it is my most favourite Nora Roberts audiobook and I’ve re-listened to it a few times. I just love it. Tanya Eby is another of my favourite narrators and I think this one is among her very best performances.
5. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie, narrated by Deanna Hurst. Crusie’s books are a perennial gateway romance recommendation in print so it is fitting one of her books appears on this list. My very favourite Crusie is Bet Me. The writing is excellent and the narration top notch. Snappy banter gets me every time. Also, donuts.
Kaetrin
JUNE IS AUDIOBOOK MONTH – GIVEAWAY! All month long, bloggers will be sharing their favorites around the world in a Blog Tour organized by the Audio Publisher’s Association. Look for AudioGals’ favorites on Fridays in June and let us know your favorites in the comments – series, narrators, authors – plus visit the other blogs for more chances to win!
The Fine Print:
Enter for a chance to win. No purchase is necessary. The giveaway is open from 12 am CDT Friday 2 June 2017 through 12:00 am CDT Monday 26 June 2017 (which is midnight Sunday). This is the same giveaway as the one posted June 2; if you entered on that post, you are already entered in the giveaway drawing.
Four winners will be chosen. The prize is a pair of earbuds and 3 free audiobook downloads at Audiobooks.com (approximate value: up to US$45.00), which expire 15 July 2017. The codes have been provided by the Audio Publisher’s Association and Audiobooks.com. Entrants are restricted to US addresses only, please.
One entry per person, please. Winners will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter software. Winners will be notified by email used for entry by 11:59 pm Monday 26 June 2017, and will have 24 hours to respond. If no response is received, another winner will be chosen.
Great post Kaetrin!
Blue Eyed Devil has been on my TBL forever! I even have a copy that I could readily listen to. I definitely need to schedule some time for listening to audiobooks on my backlist. It’s just so tempting to reach for that shiny new release!
I’m not a big re-reader/re-listener but Blue-Eyed Devil is one I’ve read once or twice and I’ve listened to at least twice. I think you’ll really like it BJ!
I will have to check out Bet Me! I loved that book and am so happy you reminded me about it!
My top favorite audiobooks are:
1) Reasonable Doubt by Whitney G.
2) Fishers Light by Tara Sivec
3) Heaven & Hell by Kristen Ashley
4) El Diablo by M. Robinson
5) Mister O by Lauren Blakely (The whole series really! =D )
I really liked Heaven and Hell too. It was very tempting to put a Kristen Ashley book on there – I probably would have gone with The Gamble or Sweet Dreams I think, or maybe the The Will… hmmm – so many to choose from! LOL. But it seems to me that KA is one of those authors who really work or really don’t and as the brief was “gateway” I decided to go with books I thought might have a more universal appeal. I really love the Rock Chick books on audio as well!
I haven’t listened to any of the other books on your list except for Mister O – I do enjoy Blakely on audio – especially with Sebastian York narrating. :D
If you like SebYo then maybe you would like Reasonable Doubt. That was my very first audiobook and it is what made me fall in love with them! I prefer to listen ever since! <3
I have been listening to audiobooks constantly this winter. Thanks for the giveaway!