Lea Hensley Archives — All About Romance

Speaking of Audiobooks: Latest Listens and Audio News

Note: Our “For the New Listener” feature appears in the latter half of today’s column.

Rachel Gibson – Can it finally be happening?

Before March 2015, Rachel Gibson’s books had been sporadically released in audio format – one here – one there – and rarely with a really good narrator. I had listened (or attempted to listen) to all eleven of those audio titles, each time just wishing for that perfect listen as I’m a BIG Gibson fan. She knows how to make guys sound like guys and her style of contemporary romance is what I seek out when I want a fun listen.

But those eleven listens never reached that point of audio listening bliss; although the superb writing was present each time (most rated an A for me in print format – a few were Bs), I just didn’t feel the narrator was talented enough to pull off the […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:20+00:00May 4th, 2015|Categories: audio books, Lea Hensley|23 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: An Audio Take on AAR’s 2014 Annual Poll

Note: Our “For the New Listener” feature appears below our Annual Poll discussion.

It’s evident to participants in AAR’s Annual Poll that the results are based on the reader’s enjoyment of the print version of each book (although it’s not ever implicitly stated). But does a winning book’s inclusion on the resulting Best 2014 Romance Novels list indicate the best in audiobooks as well? Well, sometime yes and, unfortunately, sometimes no. A narrator has such a strong influence on the audio version of any fictional book that they can lift the overall audio grade to a higher level or lower it significantly.

That’s what today’s column is all about. We’re taking a look at AAR’s 2014 Annual Poll winners (the print versions) and reviewing the probability of such a winning status in their existing audio formats. Just which winning books can you comfortably search out […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:20+00:00April 13th, 2015|Categories: Annual Reader Poll, audio books, Lea Hensley|18 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: Accessing Audiobooks Through Your Library

For years, I have wanted to write a column on borrowing library audiobooks. In my experience, “checking out an audiobook” from the library has been reserved for the occasional hard copy (cassettes or CDs). I haven’t really taken the time to figure out digital audiobook library borrowing. Oh, I tried about five years ago and found that my Apple device was incompatible. Being the technophobe that I am, I quickly gave up.

But things have changed since my failed attempt to digitally borrow an audiobook. The selection is much more impressive and the technical aspect has improved. Remember, we’re talking about your library here. Who loves to help folks enjoy books more than your library? The help is there to get you started.

In our July 2014 Speaking of Audiobooks column, I mentioned my desire to feature a column on accessing audiobooks through libraries. I requested help from our listeners since my knowledge level, […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:21+00:00March 9th, 2015|Categories: audio books, Book news, Lea Hensley|Tags: Hoopla, library, OneClickdigital, OverDrive|35 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: It’s Almost All Listening for Me These Days

Since I started listening to fictional audiobooks more than twelve years ago (I’ve lost track), I have continued to read print titles while listening to others. Even when I was only reading in print, as a rule, I read three books at a time since variety has always been important in my reading/listening. That meant those three books represented three different genres/sub-genres as well to avoid mixing up the storylines.

Over the past six years, I listened to two books while I read a couple of print titles as well. Occasionally, one book (print or audio) swept me away and demanded all my attention but there was a definite structure there – two audiobooks and two print books were required at all times. Sub-genre variety was no longer much of a concern since narrators provided plenty of diversification on the audio side. And then I realized it was a […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:23+00:00February 2nd, 2015|Categories: audio books, Book news, Lea Hensley|27 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: Top Ten Listens of 2014

It’s good news all the way around when looking back at romance audiobooks in 2014. The selections were more diverse than ever and we saw a significant rise in overall quality as well. Despite my Dreaded Burnout of 2014, I listened to approximately 80 audiobooks last year. But wait, that should be qualified a bit – I attempted to listen to that number although I officially tagged a number of those DNFs. I only sporadically kept records on my Goodreads shelf which caused a good amount of confusion when I started putting together this list a few weeks ago. New Year’s Resolution #5 – Keep up records at Goodreads.

The Top Ten Romance Listens

1. Lord of Scoundrels – Loretta Chase

Narrated by Kate Reading

Romance audio fans responded with great delight to the audio release of Lord of Scoundrels. It had been at the top of […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:24+00:00January 5th, 2015|Categories: audio books, Best of List, Lea Hensley|Tags: AAR Annual Readers Poll, Amy Harmon, Anna Fields, Audiobooks, Ilona Andrews, Jojo Moyes, Jonathan Davis, Julie James, Karen Robards, Karen White, Katie Reus, Laura Kinsale, Lea Hensley, loretta chase, Melanie Ewbank, Patrick Lawlor, Renee Raudman, Sandra Brown, Sophie Eastlake, speaking of audiobooks, Suzanne Brockmann, tavia gilbert, Top Ten Listens|20 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: A BIG December Giveaway

Watching romance audio releases on a daily basis as I’m prone to do, I’m always a little amazed at the number of choices offered to today’s listener. Tantor Audio continues to play a large role in those offerings with a healthy number of monthly first-time-in-audio releases and a dedication to providing above-average listens. With the Holiday season upon us and 2014 winding down, I thought it the perfect time to take a look at some of Tantor’s recent and Coming Soon romance offerings. And then, we’re wrapping it all up in a big giveaway.

The Giveaway

We’re giving away five romance audiobooks to TWO winners courtesy of Tantor Audio. The winners will each choose five audiobooks (either as downloads directly from Tantor or MP3 CDs) from the fifteen (15) titles featured below. All titles are newer releases or Coming Soon. If the winner chooses a Coming Soon title, it […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:24+00:00December 1st, 2014|Categories: audio books, giveaways, Lea Hensley|Tags: Audiobooks, Lea Hensley, speaking of audiobooks|4 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: Older Romance Gems I Discovered through Listening

When I started writing the Speaking of Audiobooks column in 2009, romance listening was still a rather new, if not unheard of, experience for the majority of romance fans. We may have heard of audiobooks, and even tried one, but romance? Possibly we had listened to an instructional audiobook or a children’s book when vacationing with the family but that was it.

Although I know there are huge numbers of yet-to-be-converted romance audio fans out there, audiobook listening is definitely on the rise. The selection, ease of access through downloads, and the affordability of today’s audiobooks brings in new audio listeners every day. […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:25+00:00November 3rd, 2014|Categories: audio books, Lea Hensley|Tags: Audiobooks, Lea Hensley, Sandra Brown, speaking of audiobooks|2 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: The Dreaded Burnout, Latest Listens, and Upcoming Releases

Burnout – More than a Reading/Listening Slump

If you have been reading one genre or another consistently for years, I imagine it has happened to you – genre burnout. After reading and listening to romance for around twelve years, it finally happened to me earlier this year. Previously, I had experienced a sort of reading fatigue from time to time with one romance sub-genre or another but found that if I changed up my romance choices, my interest would return. But when my romance burnout occurred this year, it was all encompassing. I completely lost interest in romance. Possibly it was due to the fact that I explore a good deal of audiobooks written by new-to-me authors or with new narrators, in an attempt to stay up with the current romance audio trends. That means a good deal of DNFs (did not finish) and frustration as well.

By |2017-06-23T08:30:25+00:00October 20th, 2014|Categories: audio books, Lea Hensley|Tags: Audiobooks, Lea Hensley, speaking of audiobooks|16 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: Notable August Releases, MOBY, and STARZ Outlander

August is always a strong month for romance audiobook releases and this year is especially strong evidence of such. Here are just a few titles worthy of your attention in August.

Heroes Are My Weakness – Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Narrated by Erin Bennett

A lover of Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ books for at least a dozen years now, I always eagerly anticipate each of her new releases. I’m unfamiliar with Erin Bennett but she’s not new to narrating. At Audible, I found close to […]

By |2017-06-23T08:30:28+00:00August 4th, 2014|Categories: audio books, Lea Hensley|Tags: Audiobooks, Diana Gabaldon, Lea Hensley, speaking of audiobooks|7 Comments

Speaking of Audiobooks: Downpour – an Alternative to Audible and a FIVE Credit Giveaway!

When audio enthusiasts look for downloadable audiobooks, they usually think of Audible first, unaware that there is now another game in town. Downpour.com, Blackstone Audio’s online audiobook retail site, offers not only competitive pricing but all the ease of downloads you’ll find at Audible. Downpour also offers two additional features that have significantly impacted my buying habits – DRM-free buying and lower pricing for purchasing those extra audiobooks beyond your monthly credits.

The DRM-free factor is big. How often have you been frustrated by your inability to loan your eBooks or downloaded audiobooks? That’s DRM at work. Here’s what Craig Black, founder of Blackstone Audio, has to say about DRM: […]