Audible Originals I Recommend You Listen To!
I’ve been trying to not only keep up with my reading challenge, but also to incorporate more audiobooks. To do this, I found a handful of Audible Originals that I listened to and absolutely LOVED. Here are some that I’ve already heard that I would recommend to someone who needs to get into reading, get out of a reading funk, or just wants a quick audio book to help them catch up on their challenges.
Winter Nights #1: Eight Winter Nights by Liz Maverick
Last year, Rachel Bacharach met the man of her dreams at a Hanukkah party — and then her outgoing best friend Tamara swooped in and “called” Oz Caplan for herself. It’s a typical outcome for the dependable, bookish Rachel, who is never able to extinguish the spark she immediately felt for Oz. But being secretly in love with her best friend’s boyfriend all year hasn’t been easy.
As this year’s party approaches, Oz and Tamara break up. It’s a worst-case scenario when Oz asks Rachel to help him write Tamara love letters to win her back in time for their Hanukkah anniversary. Rachel’s been writing love letters to Oz in her journals for a year; she knows all the words he would need. But will Rachel be able to hide her true feelings from Oz any longer? And might this year’s party finally be Rachel’s chance to trust her heart and put everything on the line for love?
Winter Nights #2: Bright Winter Lights by Liz Maverick
Billionaire businessman Adam Bosch decides to bring a date to the family Hanukkah party this year in hopes of getting a break from his mother’s matchmaking. Trouble is, his busy schedule hasn’t left much room for romance. Since he’s always remained cordial with his high school sweetheart Sara Schwartz, he gets back in touch and asks her to be his plus one. And if he’s being honest, it’s a good excuse to see her again…since he’s never quite forgotten her.
Sara’s a successful designer with a close circle of friends and a thriving business—so what if her love life is non-existent? When Adam resurfaces and asks her to pose as his date after all these years, she thinks it’s a ridiculous idea. But he’s charming, persuasive…and too cute to resist. Before long, they rediscover the spark that first brought them together. Will their holi-date turn into lasting love?
Winter Nights #3: On a Night Like This by Liz Maverick
After a broken engagement, Cher decides to leave heartbreak behind by signing up for a holiday house swap. For the next few weeks, she’ll ditch sunny California to spend her first Hanukkah in New York City, a time of snow-covered sidewalks, festive store windows, hot cocoa, and…cute neighbors?
As Cher is moving into her temporary new apartment, Eliot is moving his ex’s belongings out, and he soon finds himself offering to play tour guide. He’s nursing a broken heart too, and spending time showing the beautiful traveler around is exactly what he needs. There’s nothing more magical than jaunting around the wintry city together with no expectations…until he starts hoping for more.
With the holiday of lights—and the sparks of attraction—setting their hearts aglow, will they find a way to bridge the distance? And when the past comes calling, will their first season together be their last?
Still Hung Up on You by Liz Maverick
Hannah Gold never thought she’d speak to Ethan Reisner ever again. Getting dumped in high school will do that to you. But when she needs to find a beloved sweater in time for her parents’ 50th anniversary, she begins her search where she last saw it: Ethan’s childhood home.
She thought calling Ethan out of the blue would be the hardest part, but breaking fifteen years of silence was just the beginning. Why is Ethan being so friendly? And helpful? And funny? And is it possible for someone to be handsome over the phone?
As her feelings take her to unexpected places and her parents’ anniversary looms closer, Hannah will have to dig deep, find out what’s real, and decide exactly what she wants.
P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 1 by Lauren Blakely
Past loves should stay in the past.
After the way my first love took off for the ends of the earth, the last thing I want is to see him on billboards and bookstore bestseller shelves. Now my boss just handed me the project that could make my career. All I have to do is partner up with the man, the myth, the legend – adventurer Hunter Armstrong.
That’s easier said than done, because when we reconnect, I learn Hunter has his own agenda on this project. And it’s not to find a treasure in art and antiques. It’s me. But what we discover shocks both of us, and we have no choice but to follow the clues….
P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 2 by Lauren Blakely
I was pretty good at living without regrets until a way too close call during a skydive. Instead of my life flashing before my eyes, I saw one face, one regret that’s been gnawing at me ever since—Presley. And now I know I have to win her back at any cost. Fate steps in when we discover hidden stories from the past. And they’re an opportunity I can’t pass up. The just might be the path back to the woman I let get away while we chase down a love story a hundred years in the making.
P.S. It’s Always Been You: Part 3 by Lauren Blakely
Hunter Armstrong sauntered back into my life unexpectedly, all lopsided grin, mischievous eyes and rugged determination. Not to mention a huge heart. He’s nearly impossible to resist, but that’s what I have to do as we follow the clues in a trail of love letters from a century ago. But with every new twist in the story, this treasure hunter seems to set his sights more firmly on reclaiming my heart. I desperately want to believe him, but the trouble is I don’t know if I’m simply getting swept up in the past, or if we can truly try again for a brand-new present.
Say Yes by Elle Kennedy (note: this can be a bit SMUTTY)
Maid-of-honor Emilia is looking for some stress-busting fun the night before her best friend’s wedding. And what’s more fun than a no-strings hook-up? Good thing there’s an app for that, and she’s in luck—the sexy stud she swipes right on is more than happy to fulfill all her sexual needs. Her hot night with “Dirk” is everything she knew it would be.
But this morning?
He looks a hell of a lot like the groom.
Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It’s amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days. Except my shiny new website is glitching, and my inner rage-monster is ready to scorch some earth… when he finally picks up. Not the robot voice I expected but a real live human named Cal. He’s surprisingly helpful and really knows his stuff, even if he’s a little awkward…. in an adorable way.
And suddenly I’m flirting with him? And I think he’s flirting back.
And suddenly it’s been hours, and we’re still on the phone talking and ordering each other takeout while he trouble shoots my website.
And suddenly we’re exchanging numbers and sending texts and DMs every day, leaving voice mails (who even does that anymore?!).
And suddenly I’m wondering if it’s possible for two people fall in love at first talk.
Because I’m falling… hard.
Evidence of the Affair by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Dear stranger…
A desperate young woman in Southern California sits down to write a letter to a man she’s never met—a choice that will forever change both their lives.
My heart goes out to you, David. Even though I do not know you…
The correspondence between Carrie Allsop and David Mayer reveals, piece by piece, the painful details of a devastating affair between their spouses. With each commiserating scratch of the pen, they confess their fears and bare their souls. They share the bewilderment over how things went so wrong and come to wonder where to go from here.
Told entirely through the letters of two comforting strangers and those of two illicit lovers, Evidence of the Affair explores the complex nature of the heart. And ultimately, for one woman, how liberating it can be when it’s broken.
Snow Day by Julie Lipson
What makes for a wonderful life? On a crowded Christmas train from Milan to Paris, Amy, an American headed to meet her fiancé, and Martjin, a Finn headed anywhere but home, meet cute. But when their train gets delayed in an Italian Alps hill town due to a snowstorm, they, along with a passel of fellow stranded passengers, find comfort and joy in a cozy inn, run by a wise Italian man who forces them to look at the holiday and each other in a whole new light.
A Vineyard Valentine Nina Bocci
The annual Valentine’s Day singles soiree is always a big money-maker for Eloisa Giordono’s winery. What could be more romantic than looking for love at a quaint family vineyard on the most romantic night of year? Well, just about anything as far as Eloisa is concerned. She’s a Valentine’s Day Grinch who thinks it’s the lamest, most clichéd holiday ever invented.
Fortunately, she’ll get to hang out with like-minded folks this year by hosting an Anti-Valentine’s Day party on the same night. She’ll just need to alternate between events to keep them both running, and she’ll be raking in the profits. But Eloisa is thrown for a loop when a sexy, self-described hopeless romantic shows up at the singles soiree and keeps her captivated. Will he change her mind about the holiday…and about love?
The Wedding Proposal John Swansiger
Her dream wedding has fallen to pieces…but her love story has just begun. Lose your heart to this scripted, multicast rom com featuring an immersive soundscape!
Hanna is devastated when just a few weeks before her wedding, her fiancé drops the bomb that he doesn’t want to marry her. With the wedding bought and paid for (and completely non-refundable!), she decides to give it away to a deserving couple. Hanna chooses a pair of strangers that fate seems to put in her path, and then embarks on rearranging the wedding details with the help of the new bride-to-be’s brother. As Eric helps her make the final flower selections, put the finishing touches on the cake, and fine tune the other romantic details, something unexpected starts to happen. They find themselves falling for each other. Is Hanna’s broken heart to blame for pulling her toward Eric, or is this the beginning of something real and lasting?
The originals were really captivating and quick to listen to. I really enjoyed them and when you’re fallen behind because you’re in a funk, or you’ve just need to get something to get you by, these are absolutely perfect. I also listen to these kinds of books when I’m driving to Orlando and/or to work in the mornings because I get so enthralled by the story lines.
