"Maybe I'm in my jaded era, but I've needed to be surprised and jolted lately. These are recent audiobooks that each surprised me, presented a twist, bent an old tale into something new, or just made me laugh. Each offered a unique perspective and held my attention from the opening credits to the last." —Kennedy Ryan, author of Before I Let Go and This Could Be Us
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I'm cheating and recommending the first two installments of Laqueur's Venery Series because I can't choose one. The first story brilliantly intertwines the lives of three compelling characters, linked through the tragedies of the 1973 Chilean coup and September 11 in New York City. The second story extends and builds upon the first in a way that just ripped my heart out, but left me so completely satisfied. This series made me cry in a way I haven't in a long time. Also ... there's a bit of a love triangle, queer rep, and so much cultural texture. Laqueur is a phenomenal storyteller, and the narrators Darren Eliker and Vanessa DeSilvio give a pitch-perfect delivery of this masterpiece.
I've been chasing a Fellow Travelers high since the Showtime limited series finale. Sebastian's audiobook scratched that itch in so many ways. It's a late 1950s, post-McCarthyism era queer love story with two uniquely swoony heroes. Sebastian's clever, insightful writing slowly exposes the vulnerable underside of this funny story, and makes us fall hard for these two guys as they figure out what they want in life and what they'll do to have it; what they'll do to have each other. Opposites attract, roommates-to-lovers, grumpy sunshine—it's all in here, and I couldn't put it down. Joel Leslie, whom I loved narrating Sebastian's Georgian romance The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes, shines again!
Tia Williams's latest novel is an incredibly unique premise. Writing this good feels effortless, but requires such a skilled storyteller. Blending a modern love story, the nostalgia of the Harlem Renaissance, and an unexpected dash of magical realism, Williams executes this complex, layered story flawlessly. It will be your next favorite book. Mela Lee, who captivated narrating Seven Days in June, returned stronger than ever, and new-to-me-narrator Preston Butler had me swooning and cackling with his butter-smooth delivery of love and laughs.
Nikki Payne has jokingly referred to herself as "Austentatious," and her sophomore novel, Sex, Lies and Sensibility, supports the claim. Nobody's doing Austen retellings quite like Payne. In her new release she raises the stakes, raises the drama, raises the temperature (HAWT!), and ultimately raises the bar, remaining faithful to key aspects of Austen's original plot, but employing delightfully inventive departures that make it singular: the renovation trope, the New England setting, secrets, pining in a rollicking good time of an interracial romance (Black heroine/Abenaki hero). Don't miss this fresh air audiobook!
Hockey romance is so popular right now, but generally speaking, there's very little diversity in the sport or the subgenre. Enter Alexandria House and her St. Louis Sires series featuring Black hockey players and the gorgeous, complex women they love. With House's signature cocktail of heat, humor, and heart, coupled with the always-outstanding narration of Jakobi Diem and Nicole Small, this Audie finalist is a must-listen for fans of sports and swoon.
About Kennedy
USA Today bestselling author and Audie Award winner Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Kennedy and her writings have been featured in USA Today, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, Glamour, Cosmo, Ebony, TIME, and many others. The co-founder of LiFT 4 Autism, an annual charitable book auction, she has a passion for raising autism awareness. She is a wife to her “lifetime lover” and mother to an extraordinary son.
