Last Updated on by Nishil Prasad
To escape this dreary world, to fall in love with someone fictional, to swoon over characters and relationships: what’s not to love about romance novels? No wonder it’s one of the most popular genres in fiction, read widely all over the world. Emotions, melodrama, passion flying everywhere, these books help you live out your fantasies or see yourself in different situations.
One of the most optimistic genres in itself as well, the romance genre has seen some great pieces over the years. In this article, we’ve compiled some of the best romance audiobooks for you, to binge over a weekend or listen through a long drive! You can also find some incredible sci-fi audiobook, marketing audiobook, and true crime audiobook recommendations here if you’d like. Now let’s get straight into today’s topic:
10 Best Romance Audiobooks
1. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
A witty romantic comedy story of a PhD student, Dani Brown who’s ambitious and wants academic fame and professional success. She’s tried her hand at romance and a short answer? Not for her. She craves for a perfect friends-with-benefits relationship though.
But when she encounters the muscular security guard Zafir Ansari who rescues her from a misfired office fire drill, and its recording goes viral on social media, her plans might change. Quite drastically. Both romantic and seductive at the same time, Talia’s piece keeps you glued to the story till the very end.
2. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
How often does a first love last, especially when you’re just 16? Rarely, if ever. Eleanor and Park are wise enough to know their love has very few chances of working out, despite all the signs, yet having a go at it nonetheless. Set in 1986 through a school year, Eleanor & Park is the story of a first love and just how hard and passionately it sucks you within.
Rowell writes with charm and humour, and with undertones that are sure to invoke nostalgia within you. Rebecca Lowman and Sunil Malhotra narrates this story alternating between perspectives with a calm and subtle voice that lends an additional emotional sublayer to the story.
3. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
One of the most popular romance novels of all time, that’s also been adapted into a blockbuster movie, The Notebook is as simple and delicate as falling in love is. Noah and Allie both can’t escape the memories of each other, even after a decade of separation.
A timeless tale of passion and true love, the book makes you laugh and cry and dream through its words and characters. Barry Bostwick voices the audio adaptation with heart and soul that takes you to a time when things were simpler, slower, more beautiful.
4. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
A historical fiction that spans through decades. The 1930s. Spanish Civil War. Two civilians who have had to come together, for their survival. As Europe burns in the fires of world war, they’re glad to be away. Passing through one hurdle after another, they await the day they can reach their home, after everything, once again.
But Victor and Rosa would realise, eventually, that perhaps home wasn’t what they thought it was. Perhaps it was closer, within reach, all along. One of the best works amongst Isabel’s illustrious bibliography, and one of the best paintings of Spanish Civil War on page, the book takes you on a ride, a ride that you shall never forget.
5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
A classic haters to lovers comedy, The Hating Game is fun, wild and more. Everyone loves Lucy at her office. Everyone except Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is very much reciprocated. It’s a long, baffling game of both trying to get the upper hand over each other. When there’s a promotion at stake, it’s now do or die.
If she wins, she’ll get to be his boss. But if she loses, she’ll resign. But destiny has different plans. After a dramatic kiss inside an elevator, maybe their assumptions about each other were misplaced. Or maybe this is yet another game?
6. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
When Nikole goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, the last friend she was expecting was a proposal, and a scoreboard one, no less. The hard part is not the rejection as much as it is to disappoint all the fans. Carlos saves her away from that game and helps her again and again, even after her video goes viral.
Surely someone as handsome as Carlos wouldn’t be in for something serious, and so Nikole goes on a fun ride with him. But soon it is breaking all the rules and the game has to be stopped. A relatable piece with feminist undertones, The Proposal is one hell of a fun, sexy and cute adventure.
7. It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Despite coming from a small town and not having things set for her, Lily has worked hard to get where she wanted. When she feels chemistry with the handsome Ryle, everything seems to be falling in place for her. But there are questions, and a lot of them. The big one being Ryle’s aversion to relationships.
All this takes her back to the memories of her first love, Atlas. And when all of a sudden, Atlas reappears in her life, everything is in danger of falling apart. Olivia Song narrates the story with grace and subtlety and brings Lily to life in style.
8. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
For Stella Lane, maths is everything. It makes all the sense in the world. Inventing algorithms to predict what a customer would purchase, she has way more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience when it comes to the dating game. And so decides she needs some practice. Lots of it, actually.
So she’ll hire an escort, Michael Phan, who teaches her everything from foreplays to missionary positions. It won’t be long before he starts craving all of him at all times, love being the only logic that matters. In this booktrack edition, an atmospheric soundtrack plays alongside Carly Robins’ delightful narration, which serves to add to your overall experience of the story.
9. Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
True love, as they say, isn’t always diplomatic! When images of an argument between Alex Claremont-Diaz, the son of the American President, and Henry, Prince of Wales, goes viral, the consequences might be catastrophic. And so a plan is devised to settle matters between them publicly, once and for all.
But what started as a fake friendship soon grows into something deeper, something romantic, something dangerous. Would this unhinge the two countries or will love actually save the world? Gorgeously narrated by Ramón de Ocampo, the audiobook flies and sweeps you away with the emotions and quirks of this love story being brought out perfectly.
10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I’m certain no one will disagree with this piece being included. On the contrary, it won’t be too far-fetched to say that any romance list is incomplete without Austen’s magnum opus. Mrs Bennet wishes to see all her five daughters being married off, and married off soon and well. So when the rich Mr Bingley arrives in their neighborhood, she wastes no time in making all the introductions and such.
But Bingley’s friend, Mr Darcy, discourages him against marrying Jane Bennet and rubs off her sister, Elizabeth, in a wrong way, too. But will pride and prejudice keep Darcy and Elizabeth from falling for each other? Dramatized and narrated by a cast of characters, the audiobook is a joy to listen to and immerse yourself in this classic story from over two centuries back.
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