Sometimes I listen to an audiobook that’s so good, it brings the story and characters and setting to life so successfully, I simply refuse to pick up any other format. It’s a beautiful experience, finding the perfect author-narrator combination and coming across a performance that elevates an already flawless novel to a truly magical experience! Here are five instances I got to experience in the past year.
—Ali Hazelwood, author of Deep End
Danielle Allen writes the best banter in the romance world, and I am ready to ride at dawn to defend this opinion (actually: fact). Wesleigh Siobhan, the narrator for Curvy Girl Summer, is Aaliyah. The way she moves between humor, tension, emotional moments, and sexy beats is unparalleled. (Bonus rec: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan, read by the same narrator!)
A romantasy novel in which a powerless (?) girl finds herself having to survive many deadly trials, Servant of Earth is a unique story with a wide cast. Mia Hutchinson-Shaw has to voice some very interesting characters, and (without spoilers) she does it in the most entertaining way possible!
This is the third installment in a trilogy (of which I highly recommend every book) but it can be read as a standalone. I adored both narrators, but I thought that the way Ian Hackney brought to life Angel (the main male character, who’s also an R&B star and has been pining for Iris for years) was delightful.
Another romantasy with a lot of twists, turns, and a deliciously badass characters. In The Starlight Heir, the crown Prince is hosting a contest to select his future bride—except that’s not the real reason at all. Anais Inara Chase is a fantastic Suraya, but there are two narrators at work here, which adds to the complexity and mystery of the story…
This is a gender swapped retelling of Sherlock Holmes, and therefore a historical mystery, but it has a very strong romantic subplot that spans the entirety of the series. Kate Reading, the narrator, is incredibly skilled when it comes to capturing Charlotte’s dry humor and to bringing to life the many different points of view.
Ali Hazelwood is known for her romance stories that are often centered on women in STEM and academia.
