Welcome to Day 4 of RomBkLove! I’m so excited to be hosting for the first time.
Audiobooks are one of my favorite ways to consume stories and my audiobook consumption went way up when I started going on walks in quarantine. There is something special when you find a captivating audiobook that transports you to a new world . The romance genre has some of the best audiobook narrators out there and here are just a few of my fave performances.
Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender | Narrated by Logan Rosoz
Narrator Logan Rosoz was a teenager the year this book came out and his charming performance is brimming with authenticity in this irreverent coming of age YA romance. He fully embodies the character of Felix, a trans artist in New York City, in all his vulnerability. Rosoz can also be heard on the recently released The Meet Cute Diary.
CW: Transmysoginy, bullying, misgendering
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras | Narrated by Carmen Vine
Carmen Vine’s engrossing performance is equal parts humorous and emotional in this heartfelt romcom. In this sensual (but closed-door) romance readers are swept away to Key West where a Cuban firefighter agrees to a fake relationship with a social media influencer. It’s pretty common for dual perspective m/f romances to have a male narrator but Vine does it all on her own, with her uncanny knack for creating realistic character voices.
CW: breast cancer (no death), eating disorders
The Granger Brothers Series by Brenda Jackson | Narrated by Ron Butler
I fondly remember actor/narrator Ron Butler as the campy receptionist on Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP. His rich swoon-worthy voice is just full of characters. I binged all of the Grangers books this year and Butler expertly crafts a distinctive personality for all the overlapping characters in this smoldering contemporary romance series. Butler can be found on many of Brenda Jackson’s recent releases and is recording many of her backlist Harlequins!
CW: abelism, wrongful incarceration, kidnapping/abduction, murder
The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan | Narrated by Mary Jane Wells
Mary Jane Wells is one of my favorite historical romance narrators because she always sounds like she is having a blast with whatever she is reading. Her sparkling high-spirited voice reminds me of Minnie Driver in Disney’s Tarzan. Wells is at the top of her game in this romance between a quick-witted duke and his childhood crush.
CW: discussion of parental death, anti-Asian racism
Deuces Wild by Christina C Jones | Narrated By Wesleigh Siobhan & Jakobi Diem
I was captivated by Wesleigh Siobhan’s gripping performance as Alicia “Ace” Miller, a former assassin recovering dark memories from her past. Alicia, along with police Detective Cree Bradley (voiced by Jakobi Diem), spends the book anti-hero-ing it up as she ruthlessly searches for answers. Siobhan perfectly captures Alicia’s cold but passionate demeanor and I can’t believe this is one of her first audiobooks.
CW: child abuse, forced prostitution, sexual assault, human trafficking, violence, torture….this is a dark romance.
Reverb by Anna Zabo | Narrated by Greg Boudreaux
Reverb was discussed by #RombLove founder Ann Coqui on Day 1 and it has one of my favorite audiobooks. It’s an angsty but ultimately cathartic bodyguard/ rockstar romance expertly performed by Greg Boudreaux. Boudreaux has such a honeyed and layered voice that flows effortlessly among the charismatic cast of characters in the series. I’ve heard him in interviews and can literally hear every character in his natural speaking voice.
Tell me all about your favorite audiobooks in the comments or on social media using the #RomBkLove!
