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 Ericksen does Garden Spells – she also does the J.D. Robb series.
I subscribe to AudioFile – a magazine for audiobook lovers. I recommend it. They cover all topic areas, and they have a new releases section on their website. I enjoy their articles about different aspects of audiobooks, and their reviews are good. I find it really helpful when I am looking for audiobooks for my 91 year old mother-in-law. She’s not into romance so I have to broaden my searching for her.
Comfort listens – yes! I found myself listening to a whole string of J.D. Robb …In Death series earlier this summer – all books I had read. I found it very soothing – and I needed it.
All the mentions of the Outlander series are going to send me back to those pretty soon – absolutely at the top of my favorites.
When I first started listening to audiobooks I never listened to romance books. I used them as a way of catching up on other books that had been on my ‘to read’ lists for a long time. I read plenty of romance books in print. Now I mix them all up.
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 Ericksen does Garden Spells – she also does the J.D. Robb series.
I subscribe to AudioFile – a magazine for audiobook lovers. I recommend it. They cover all topic areas, and they have a new releases section on their website. I enjoy their articles about different aspects of audiobooks, and their reviews are good. I find it really helpful when I am looking for audiobooks for my 91 year old mother-in-law. She’s not into romance so I have to broaden my searching for her.
Comfort listens – yes! I found myself listening to a whole string of J.D. Robb …In Death series earlier this summer – all books I had read. I found it very soothing – and I needed it.
All the mentions of the Outlander series are going to send me back to those pretty soon – absolutely at the top of my favorites.
When I first started listening to audiobooks I never listened to romance books. I used them as a way of catching up on other books that had been on my ‘to read’ lists for a long time. I read plenty of romance books in print. Now I mix them all up.
In the previous post, I was referring to Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning. Sorry if I lost you there!
In the previous post, I was referring to Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning. Sorry if I lost you there!
KarLynP – narrated by Natalie Ross and Phil Gigante – hmmm, I may have to listen to the entire series to hear this (although it looks like Joyce Bean narrated the first books in the series??). I don’t know if you realize that Phil Gigante is the narrator I praised and praised in the first two audio columns.
Diana – I wonder if this means Gigante is not performing a female role. What a treat it would be to hear his performance without having to ignore his female voices! Maybe we could influence you to join the Gigante fan club if you only heard him portray males!
KarLynP – narrated by Natalie Ross and Phil Gigante – hmmm, I may have to listen to the entire series to hear this (although it looks like Joyce Bean narrated the first books in the series??). I don’t know if you realize that Phil Gigante is the narrator I praised and praised in the first two audio columns.
Diana – I wonder if this means Gigante is not performing a female role. What a treat it would be to hear his performance without having to ignore his female voices! Maybe we could influence you to join the Gigante fan club if you only heard him portray males!
I too visit Audible daily to see what is new. The do have Suzanne Brockmann’s Hot Pursuit, but you can only find it by doing a search of her name. I have noticed some books go into this ‘lost’ state for days before they finally show up in the full list of available books.
thank you so much for listing the upcoming books!!! I am looking forward to KMM’s Dreamfever the most. The reader is awesome.
I too visit Audible daily to see what is new. The do have Suzanne Brockmann’s Hot Pursuit, but you can only find it by doing a search of her name. I have noticed some books go into this ‘lost’ state for days before they finally show up in the full list of available books.
thank you so much for listing the upcoming books!!! I am looking forward to KMM’s Dreamfever the most. The reader is awesome.
Diana – received your Twitter message and went immediately to Audible to investigate the problem and it wasn’t their fault. When I started receiving email on my phone I cut out all unnecessary email from retailers and such and apparently I stopped my Audible email! Very unwise. I have started it back up and contacted customer service. I thank you double for mentioning this!
Diana – received your Twitter message and went immediately to Audible to investigate the problem and it wasn’t their fault. When I started receiving email on my phone I cut out all unnecessary email from retailers and such and apparently I stopped my Audible email! Very unwise. I have started it back up and contacted customer service. I thank you double for mentioning this!
I like the idea of comfort audio listens. Actually, that’s pretty much how I use audio books. I only listen to books I’ve read before, and they’re all my favorites (SEP topping the list). I’d have to agree with you, Lea, about Match Me If You Can. I’ve listened to the last two discs too many times to count.
I like the idea of comfort audio listens. Actually, that’s pretty much how I use audio books. I only listen to books I’ve read before, and they’re all my favorites (SEP topping the list). I’d have to agree with you, Lea, about Match Me If You Can. I’ve listened to the last two discs too many times to count.
Lea, did you find your Email from Audible re member special?
Lea, did you find your Email from Audible re member special?
Peggy P – I love your idea for a post and I’m writing it down! I am just finishing up one of my comfort listens, SEP’s Match Me if You Can. I still laughed heartedly and was totally entranced once again. And Heath has just found Annabelle at the campground…
Peggy P – I love your idea for a post and I’m writing it down! I am just finishing up one of my comfort listens, SEP’s Match Me if You Can. I still laughed heartedly and was totally entranced once again. And Heath has just found Annabelle at the campground…
I agree about the Audible site, I LOVE Audible but sometimes I stumble upon books that are available in audio but not in print yet (the last Kleypas for example) and then I wait for a book that ought to be available to show up! Updating of any of the pages is hit or miss, unfortunately. No kidding…. hello, Jeff Bezos – you bought it, fix it!
I am a total Outlander series groupie comfort listener! How’s that for a description? But whenever my current audiobook fails me or I just need to listen to something good….it’s a Gabaldon book with Davina Porter, always reliable, always good. Well, unless it’s a SEP with Anna Fields!
There’s a blog post for another day – “”comfort listens that never fail and you love to death””!
I agree about the Audible site, I LOVE Audible but sometimes I stumble upon books that are available in audio but not in print yet (the last Kleypas for example) and then I wait for a book that ought to be available to show up! Updating of any of the pages is hit or miss, unfortunately. No kidding…. hello, Jeff Bezos – you bought it, fix it!
I am a total Outlander series groupie comfort listener! How’s that for a description? But whenever my current audiobook fails me or I just need to listen to something good….it’s a Gabaldon book with Davina Porter, always reliable, always good. Well, unless it’s a SEP with Anna Fields!
There’s a blog post for another day – “”comfort listens that never fail and you love to death””!
Diana – I can’t find this special on Audible (and I am a platinum member). How can I locate this? Thanks!
Diana – I can’t find this special on Audible (and I am a platinum member). How can I locate this? Thanks!
Audible one week special for members is 3 romances for 2 credits. Limited selection but there are some good ones on the eligible list. Lea, I continue to be amazed at the haphazard way Audible runs the site, updating the romance home page only when someone thinks about it. I’ve found huge surprises just by doing author search. The site really needs help. Hello, Bezos?
Audible one week special for members is 3 romances for 2 credits. Limited selection but there are some good ones on the eligible list. Lea, I continue to be amazed at the haphazard way Audible runs the site, updating the romance home page only when someone thinks about it. I’ve found huge surprises just by doing author search. The site really needs help. Hello, Bezos?
kmredd,
It is possible to look up some new releases and see the print and audio version release dates. But, as I am sure you have seen, there are only a few that fall into that category. I am trying to make sense of the whole “upcoming releases” puzzle but so far I can only guess that there is a lack of coordination between audiobook producers and the downloadable format versus CD format, etc. I check 12 audiobook sites each month for upcoming releases as I put together this list and still miss 1-2 dozen. This seems to be mostly an Audible.com problem since they release by far the largest number of audiobooks on a monthly basis and have a very weak (and highly unreliable) upcoming releases list. And although Audible is a part of Amazon, Amazon does not consistently list upcoming releases for Audible.
I enjoyed More Than a Mistress years ago. It was on audio cassette and I still have it somewhere…I think. I’m glad you mentioned it – so many of our readers (listeners) have no idea the number of older romances that are available in audio format.
kmredd,
It is possible to look up some new releases and see the print and audio version release dates. But, as I am sure you have seen, there are only a few that fall into that category. I am trying to make sense of the whole “upcoming releases” puzzle but so far I can only guess that there is a lack of coordination between audiobook producers and the downloadable format versus CD format, etc. I check 12 audiobook sites each month for upcoming releases as I put together this list and still miss 1-2 dozen. This seems to be mostly an Audible.com problem since they release by far the largest number of audiobooks on a monthly basis and have a very weak (and highly unreliable) upcoming releases list. And although Audible is a part of Amazon, Amazon does not consistently list upcoming releases for Audible.
I enjoyed More Than a Mistress years ago. It was on audio cassette and I still have it somewhere…I think. I’m glad you mentioned it – so many of our readers (listeners) have no idea the number of older romances that are available in audio format.
I always get excited when this topic comes up every month. I just listened to “”More than a Mistress”” by Mary Balogh and really enjoyed it. Will there come a time when we look up a book and can see that it also comes as an audio book?
I always get excited when this topic comes up every month. I just listened to “”More than a Mistress”” by Mary Balogh and really enjoyed it. Will there come a time when we look up a book and can see that it also comes as an audio book?
MarissaB – I agree. There are those books that are better in print form than listening – especially the first time around and books with many characters qualify as such for me. The narrator can only differentiate a number of voices effectively and the listener spends a good amount of time wondering who just spoke and therefore missing the impact of the following words. JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series is one I consider better in print. Not only do you have many characters but you also have definitions for much of the terminology (listed at the front of the book).
MarissaB – I agree. There are those books that are better in print form than listening – especially the first time around and books with many characters qualify as such for me. The narrator can only differentiate a number of voices effectively and the listener spends a good amount of time wondering who just spoke and therefore missing the impact of the following words. JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series is one I consider better in print. Not only do you have many characters but you also have definitions for much of the terminology (listed at the front of the book).
I just finished listening to Faefever by Karen Marie Moning. Although it was an okay listen (Joyce Bean just can’t compare to Anna Fields, Johanna Parker, Davina Proter, Barbara Rosenblat, Kate Reading, etc), I wish now I had downloaded it to my Kindle instead. There were so many parts of the book I wanted to go over again and again and I just didn’t want to have to skip forward/back through the chapters. Sometimes, nothing will do but the written word, you know?
I wasn’t even going to start this series until after Shadowfever (Book 5) because I hate being on pins and needles waiting YEARS to get to the next book. Been there, done that, and still doing it apparently. But then Darkfever was offered for free on Kindle, and I jumped at the chance to download it. Two days later, I downloaded Bloodfever. Then my audible credits kicked in and I decided to try out Joyce Bean’s read. I am going backwards and forwards with myself as to what format I will use for Dreamfever. If it is anything like Faefever . . . Nah, I think I will play it safe and read it on Kindle.
I know what you mean about the Outlander series, Lea. I listened to the first book over and over again for a month and a half. I kept telling myself I would only listen to my favorite parts, but ended up having so many of them, it was just easier to listen to the whole thing every time. This series is just so masterfully done.
The only other books that have hit me the same way are The Curse of Chalion and The Paladin of Souls, both by Lois McMaster Bujold, and read by Lloyd James and Kate Reading respectively. Both of these have won the Hugo and Locus awards, with Paladin also winning the Nebula award. Great reads and awesome listens, too. Although they are not Romances, per se, they do have romance in them.
This July, I am looking forward to The Girl Who Played with Fire, sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Then in August, there’s Christine Feehan’s Dark Slayer.
I just finished listening to Faefever by Karen Marie Moning. Although it was an okay listen (Joyce Bean just can’t compare to Anna Fields, Johanna Parker, Davina Proter, Barbara Rosenblat, Kate Reading, etc), I wish now I had downloaded it to my Kindle instead. There were so many parts of the book I wanted to go over again and again and I just didn’t want to have to skip forward/back through the chapters. Sometimes, nothing will do but the written word, you know?
I wasn’t even going to start this series until after Shadowfever (Book 5) because I hate being on pins and needles waiting YEARS to get to the next book. Been there, done that, and still doing it apparently. But then Darkfever was offered for free on Kindle, and I jumped at the chance to download it. Two days later, I downloaded Bloodfever. Then my audible credits kicked in and I decided to try out Joyce Bean’s read. I am going backwards and forwards with myself as to what format I will use for Dreamfever. If it is anything like Faefever . . . Nah, I think I will play it safe and read it on Kindle.
I know what you mean about the Outlander series, Lea. I listened to the first book over and over again for a month and a half. I kept telling myself I would only listen to my favorite parts, but ended up having so many of them, it was just easier to listen to the whole thing every time. This series is just so masterfully done.
The only other books that have hit me the same way are The Curse of Chalion and The Paladin of Souls, both by Lois McMaster Bujold, and read by Lloyd James and Kate Reading respectively. Both of these have won the Hugo and Locus awards, with Paladin also winning the Nebula award. Great reads and awesome listens, too. Although they are not Romances, per se, they do have romance in them.
This July, I am looking forward to The Girl Who Played with Fire, sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Then in August, there’s Christine Feehan’s Dark Slayer.
Karen Marie Moning’s Dreamfever comes out August!
Karen Marie Moning’s Dreamfever comes out August!