In early 2013, we started looking for listeners’ favorites in a large number of romance sub-genres. We took a close look at those most talked about audios at our Romance Audiobooks Goodreads group over the past three years. We studied the results of the two Favorite Romance Audiobooks Polls held at AAR in 2011 and 2012. We considered the numerous listeners’ emails and messages we have received over the past four years. We reviewed listeners’ comments at Speaking of Audiobooks from 2009 to 2013. And we tallied the comments and survey results at AudioGals, all in an effort to come up with a basic listening guide for romance audio – a guide to the best the genre has to offer – our AudioGals Guide to Romance Audio.
All audios chosen for The Classics graphic are well written, expertly performed, and contain quality production. We like to think of it as a core curriculum for romance listening – by listening to each of these audios, one can fully grasp the intense diversity romance offers and understand the high level of entertainment high quality audiobooks can provide.
We’re hoping this graphic will serve a number of purposes. First, to direct existing romance audio listeners to new listens. Second, enticing non-romance audio listeners to try the romance genre. And third, serving as a guide for those new to audiobooks – to get a taste of the best romance audio has to offer and build a desire within these new listeners to keep listening.
These are the audiobooks that keep inspiring highly favorable comments year after year as listeners either discover these titles for the first time or take a trip down memory lane by relistening to these old favorites yet again. It also includes new titles that have received an overwhelming “hurrah!” from romance listeners.
As we look at listener favorites over the past five years, there are a few titles from the 1990s that remain standouts even today including Anna Fields’ performance of a number of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ titles, Davina Porter’s delivery of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, and Tom Stechschulte’s narration of Nora Roberts’ Carnal Innocence. But audio performances have changed greatly in the past thirteen years with narrators now expected to perform rather than merely read. The availability of more sophisticated production equipment also means we are discontented with poor production quality. No longer are we so tolerant of a low hum in the background or editing that fails to cut out swallowing, breathing, and such. Therefore many of the titles on The Classics graphic are from the past few years as more is expected and subsequently delivered. Listeners have embraced a number of newer titles as much as they once did Gabaldon’s Outlander series, long seen as the golden standard for romance audio. We see narrators meeting the magnificent standards set by those such as Davina Porter and Anna Fields.
In the end, today’s graphic includes titles from ten publishers over sixteen years with the oldest released in 1997 and the newest released in 2013.
We want to thank Tantor Audio for supporting this event and for their unfailing commitment to quality romance audio as they pay attention to listeners’ requests and release a large selection of romance audiobooks each month.
We have detailed each of the audio titles on the graphic below. You will find that each title links to the hard copies, if available. Listed separately are links to Audible and Tantor’s sale.
There are many titles that came so very, very close to making The Classics list. We’d love to hear from you if there are titles you think deserve inclusion as this is just the first in a series. In 2014, we’ll be looking for the best in various sub-genres and plan to eventually devote a graphic to each of the major romance sub-genre, allowing us to include many more titles. We’ll hold your suggestions close. Feel free to share in our discussion area.
We encourage those who work with groups of listeners to download either our jpeg or pdf files. Our pdf file will print out as a good size poster if desired.
Contemporary:
General
Something About You – Julie James
Narrated by Karen White
Original publication date: 2012
Natural Born Charmer – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Narrated by Anna Fields
Original date: 2007
Blue-Eyed Devil – Lisa Kleypas
Narrated by Renee Raudman
Original publication date: 2008
Humorous
Match Me If You Can – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Narrated by Anna Fields
Original publication date: 2005
To Die For – Linda Howard
Narrated by Franette Liebow
Original publication date: 2004
Practice Makes Perfect – Julie James
Narrated by Karen White
Original publication date: 2013
New Adult
Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster – Jamie McGuire
Narrated by Emma Gavin and Dan Bittner
AudioGals review – Beautiful Disaster
AudioGals review – Walking Disaster
Original publication dates: 2012 and 2013
Perfect Chemistry – Simone Elkeles
Narrated by Blas Kisic and Roxanne Hernandez
Original publication date: 2009
Easy – Tammara Webber
Narrated by Tara Sands
Original publication date: 2012
Historical:
European
Flowers from the Storm – Laura Kinsale
Narrated by Nicholas Boulton
Original publication date: 2013
Outlander – Diana Gabaldon
Narrated by Davina Porter
Original publication date: 1997
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie – Jennifer Ashley
Narrated by Angela Dawe
Original publication date: 2012
American
Surrender – Pamela Clare
Narrated by Kaleo Griffith
Original publication date: 2013
Prince Charming – Julie Garwood
Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Original publication date: 2012
Just Imagine – Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Narrated by Cristine McMurdo-Wallis
Original publication date: 2001
Viking to Medieval
Spell of the Highlander – Karen Marie Moning
Narrated by Phil Gigante
Original publication date: 2005
Dream of Me – Josie Litton
Narrated by Josephine Bailey
Original publication date: 2004 (approx)
Honor’s Splendour – Julie Garwood
Narrated by Anne Flosnik
Original publication date: 2010
Paranormal:
Vampire
Lover Awakened – J.R. Ward
Narrated by Jim Frangione
Original publication date: 2009
Once Burned – Jeaniene Frost
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Original publication date: 2012
Archangel’s Blade – Nalini Singh
Narrated by Justine Eyre
Original publication date: 2011
Other Creatures
On the Edge – Ilona Andrews
Narrated by Renee Raudman
Original publication date: 2009
Dragon Bound – Thea Harrison
Narrated by Sophie Eastlake
Speaking of Audiobooks review of Dragon Bound
Original publication date: 2011
Slave to Sensation – Nalini Singh
Narrated by Angela Dawe
Original publication date: 2011
Humorous
Kiss of the Highlander – Karen Marie Moning
Narrated by Phil Gigante
Original publication date: 2008
Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs – Molly Harper
Narrated by Amanda Ronconi
Original publication date: 2010
Wolf at the Door – Christine Warren
Narrated by Kate Reading
Original publication date: 2011
Romantic Suspense:
General
The Witness – Nora Roberts
Narrated by Julia Whelan
Original publication date: 2012
On Thin Ice – Anne Stuart
Narrated by Xe Sands
Original publication date: 2012
Kill and Tell – Linda Howard
Narrated by Natalie Ross
Original publication date: 2010
Heavy Suspense
Envy – Sandra Brown
Narrated by Victor Slezak
Original publication date: 2001
Carnal Innocence – Nora Roberts
Narrated by Tom Stechschulte
Original publication date: 1999
Death Angel – Linda Howard
Narrated by Joyce Bean
Original publication date: 2008
Series
I -Team – Pamela Clare
Extreme Exposure , Book 1
Narrated by Kaleo Griffith
AudioGals review of Extreme Exposure
Original publication date: 2012
In Death – J.D. Robb
Naked in Death, Book 1
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Speaking of Audiobooks review of Naked in Death
Original publication date: 2004
Troubleshooters (starting with Flashpoint) – Suzanne Brockmann
Flashpoint, Book 7
Narrated by Patrick Lawlor and Melanie Ewbanks/Renee Raudman
No
AudioGals overview of the series
Original publication date: 2004
Fantasy Series:
Fever – Karen Marie Moning
Darkfever, Book 1
Narrated by Phil Gigante and Joyce Bean/Natalie Ross
Fever Series Two Gals Talking Discussion
Original publication date: 2008
The Sharing Knife – Lois McMaster Bujold
The Sharing Knife: Beguilement, Book 1
Narrated by Bernadette Dunne
Speaking of Audiobooks review of The Sharing Knife: Legacy Book 2
Original publication date: 2007
Night Huntress – Jeaniene Frost
Halfway to the Grave , Book 1
Narrated by Tavia Gilbert
Speaking of Audiobooks Halfway to the Grave review
Original publication date: 2010
Alpha and Omega – Patricia Briggs
Alpha and Omega, Book 1
Narrated by Holter Graham
Original publication date: 2007
Kate Daniels – Ilona Andrews
Magic Bites , Book 1
Narrated by Renee Raudman
Original publication date: 2009
To comment in our discussion area, please follow this link to our blog page.
Lea Hensley