July and August in Oklahoma can be particularly hard to bear with temperatures hovering around the 100 degree mark and more days than not of high humidity. I just want to stay in and ignore the fact that my garden still needs tending or my dog needs walking. But gardener and responsible owner that I am, I trek out into the heat anyway and find, yet again, an audiobook to be the perfect distraction. I’ve had some real luck with my summer listening choices and books such as Linda Howard’s Burn, Anne Stuart’s Ice Storm, and Rachel Gibson’s Tangled Up in You have helped me make it through the heat quite effectively.
Next week I plan to start listening to the first four books in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series once again – first, for the pure enjoyment and second, in preparation for an upcoming column dedicated to this highly favored series of audiobooks. It’s 159 hours of hearing Davina Porter’s delightful voice but should be much easier this time around since I will be listening on my iPod rather than exchanging one cassette tape after another…after another…after another. I plan to give myself a couple of months to complete this pleasurable task since I will be listening to other audiobooks as well. If you have not yet experienced this wonderful series, you may want to start your listening soon since I can almost guarantee that you will be eager to share your thoughts with others.
July’s Leftovers
Most challenging when compiling a list of upcoming audiobook releases is the lack of reliable “Coming Soon” announcements, particularly from Audible which is my usual source. My morning ritual of looking for the latest in audiobook releases still yields a significant number of surprises despite a diligent search of upcoming releases only weeks earlier. Below are a few of Audible’s July romance audiobooks, in no particular order, that didn’t make our July list but certainly merit mentioning.
Hunter, Madeline – Lessons of Desire
Ward, J R – Lover Awakened: Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 3
Putney, Mary Jo – Loving a Lost Lord
Dahl, Victoria – Start Me Up
Mallery, Susan – Straight from the Hip
Davidson, MaryJanice – Undead and Unwelcome: Queen Betsy, Book 8
Hart, Megan – Deeper
Ross, Joann – Crossfire
Showalter, Gina – The Darkest Prison
MacAlister, Katie – Holy Smokes: Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 4
Audiobook Romances on Sale in August
Note: Included in the unabridged list are those books with unknown.
Abridged
Castle, Jayne – Obsidian Prey
Feehan, Christine – Dark Slayer
Gregory, Philippa – The White Queen: A Novel
Hamilton, Laurell K – Guilty Pleasures
Macomber, Debbie – 92 Pacific Boulevard
Macomber, Debbie – Debbie Macomber Cedar Cove CD Collection 1: 16 Lighthouse Road, 204 Rosewood Lane, 311 Pelican Court
Macomber, Debbie – Wyoming Brides
Rice, Luanne – The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners
Unabridged
Aarsen, Carolyne – The Price of Fame
Ashley, Jennifer – Immortals: The Redeeming (format unknown)
Bangs, Nina – Eternal Pleasure (format unknown)
Castle, Jayne – Obsidian Prey
Cook, Gloria – A Stranger Light
Crossland, Glenice – The Ever Open Door (format unknown)
Dickey, Eric Jerome – Resurrecting Midnight
Feehan, Christine – Dark Slayer
Haggard, Sir H. Rider – Marie
Hamilton, Laurell K – Guilty Pleasures
Hamilton, Laurell K – The Laughing Corpse
Johnson, Milly – A Spring Affair (format unknown)
Kenyon, Sherrilyn – Bad Moon Rising
Klein, Zoe – Drawing in Dust
Larkin, Mary – Painful Decisions
Lofts, Norah – A Rose for Virtue (format unknown)
Macomber, Debbie – 92 Pacific Boulevard
Macomber, Debbie – Wyoming Brides
Debbie Macomber, Cathy Lamb, Judy Duarte & Mary Carter – Almost Home
Mallin, Gail – A Most Unsuitable Duchess (format unknown)
Manby, Chris – Crazy in Love
Morrissey, Di – Tears of the Moon (format unknown)
Quick, Amanda – Scandal
Rinehart, Mary Roberts – The Amazing Interlude
Rose, Karen – I Can See You
Wilson, C L – Lady of Light and Shadows (format unknown)
Please share with us other August audiobook romances you may know of and we will add those books to this list prior to publishing it on AAR’s main site. You may notice books that are already offered in audio format but hold a place on this list because a new format is now available (abridged versus unabridged, CD, or download). Also, if you see any book that is not a romance, please let us know. And finally, release dates change so we ask that you be forgiving of exact dates.
Time for Your Thoughts
What August releases are you looking forward to?
What have you listened to lately and do you recommend it?
What topics do you want to see in our audio discussions?
Happy summer listening. See you again in August.
-Lea Hensley
Phil Gigante and Jane Brown narrate Dark Possession, Dark Curse and Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan. I much prefer having a male reader for the male parts and a female reader for the female parts. One thing that drives me nuts is multiple readers doing a series. Maybe that could be another topic if it hasn’t been already?
My comfort “”listens”” would be the Outlander series (I just finished listening to all 6 in prep for the new one) and Christine Feehan’s Dark series.
Phil Gigante and Jane Brown narrate Dark Possession, Dark Curse and Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan. I much prefer having a male reader for the male parts and a female reader for the female parts. One thing that drives me nuts is multiple readers doing a series. Maybe that could be another topic if it hasn’t been already?
My comfort “”listens”” would be the Outlander series (I just finished listening to all 6 in prep for the new one) and Christine Feehan’s Dark series.
Diana,
LOL – I do the same with my favorite authors. Replace the paperback with the Kindle version and then when it comes out in audio, purchase it again. Howard’s Death Angel is the perfect example: first the hardback and then the audio for the vacation and then the Kindle for future enjoyment.
I was speaking of the Gigante/Ross team narration of Karen Marie Moning’s Dreamfever. Of course, I have yet to read any books in the Fever Series yet, but this may provide some extra inspiration.
Ditto on the Dream Man thought.
Diana,
LOL – I do the same with my favorite authors. Replace the paperback with the Kindle version and then when it comes out in audio, purchase it again. Howard’s Death Angel is the perfect example: first the hardback and then the audio for the vacation and then the Kindle for future enjoyment.
I was speaking of the Gigante/Ross team narration of Karen Marie Moning’s Dreamfever. Of course, I have yet to read any books in the Fever Series yet, but this may provide some extra inspiration.
Ditto on the Dream Man thought.
Continued…I’m not so good with tiny keypad. Karen Rose’s new book is the one I’m most looking forward to in audio. I’ve already pre-ordered it for Kindle. I think I’m a financial windfall for my favorite authors when I buy them in two formats. Linda Howard for sure…I own the Mackenzie books in paperback, Kindle, and audio. Well, it’s cheaper than some other forms of entertainment, like jetsetting or an evening at the movies.
Continued…I’m not so good with tiny keypad. Karen Rose’s new book is the one I’m most looking forward to in audio. I’ve already pre-ordered it for Kindle. I think I’m a financial windfall for my favorite authors when I buy them in two formats. Linda Howard for sure…I own the Mackenzie books in paperback, Kindle, and audio. Well, it’s cheaper than some other forms of entertainment, like jetsetting or an evening at the movies.
You’re welcome! I haven’t picked my three yet but am considering Deanna Raybourn’s Silent books. I wonder why 3 different narrators?
What book is Ross/Gigante? How I wish those two could do-over Dream Man! Natalie Ross has become a favorite of mine. She is absolutely delightful on Up Close and Dangerous.
I spoke with Karen Rose at RWA (her husband gave me a hat which he says figures into the new book) about her audio. She was happy to hear that her audiobooks are so well done. She said she has them but has not listened because she’s squicky about hearing sex scenes that she wrote. I encouraged her to listen because they are excellent.
You’re welcome! I haven’t picked my three yet but am considering Deanna Raybourn’s Silent books. I wonder why 3 different narrators?
What book is Ross/Gigante? How I wish those two could do-over Dream Man! Natalie Ross has become a favorite of mine. She is absolutely delightful on Up Close and Dangerous.
I spoke with Karen Rose at RWA (her husband gave me a hat which he says figures into the new book) about her audio. She was happy to hear that her audiobooks are so well done. She said she has them but has not listened because she’s squicky about hearing sex scenes that she wrote. I encouraged her to listen because they are excellent.
Christina – Thanks for the Audiofile suggestion. It sounds like something I need for reference and I am going to look into it later this evening. I just started listening to Outlander today. It is so wonderful!
Christina – Thanks for the Audiofile suggestion. It sounds like something I need for reference and I am going to look into it later this evening. I just started listening to Outlander today. It is so wonderful!
I recently listened to Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen – not strictly romance but they both have romance themes in them. They are by two different readers, and I thought both were enjoyable. Susan Eric