I have been struggling to stay engaged with books in 2023 and decided to switch it up with some Audible Original novellas. I enjoyed both of these stories and at just under 3 hours, they are perfect if you want something you can listen to in a day or two.
Coming Home by Kennedy Ryan, narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem
In Coming Home, an accomplished journalist and morning show darling reunite at homecoming to see if there is anything left of the spark they ignited over 20 years ago. That’s right, this is a grown folks 40+ romance. Ryan is known for her doorstopper romances but excels at bringing all the heat, emotion and swoon to this shorter format. I’m not sure what I can say about the narrating duo of Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem, they are amazing and will basically make me pick up any book.
Crimes of Passion by Jack Harbon, narrated by Kevin R. Free and Ron Butler
True crime podcasters Emery and Calvin couldn’t be more different–Emery is all about making fun of killers and telling jokes while Calvin does extensively researched deep dives. A fan’s final request forces them to work together to cover the same killer and the former enemies realize there is more than meets the eyes.
This is one of those “immersive” Audible Originals that utilizes a full cast, sound effects and script format to tell a well-rounded story. Harbon is squeezing A LOT of character development, world-building, and plot in less than three hours but I think it works.
True crime can be kind of a touchy subject but Harbon did a great job acknowledging true crime ethics while still indulging in the entertaining side. The serial killers discussed in this book are fictional.
This was my first time listening to Kevin R. Free, who is probably most well-known as the voice of Murderbot. His stalwart voice for Calvin worked well with Ron Bulter’s energetic performance of Emery. There are a couple of places where the characters are just laughing back and forth that felt authentic and it was an overall fun listen.
This is a closed-door romance, which I think is a first for Harbon.
