Romance Newbies, Report to the Office
So how does one convert non-romance aligned coworkers? With some handpicked recommendations of course! If you’re looking to try a new genre or convince a friend/family member/significant other that this all-encompassing genre is much wider than they think, here’s where you can start. And feel free to tweet me @MelissaBendixen if you have some more gateway romance suggestions. – Melissa, Audible Editor
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The Kiss Quotient
- A Novel
- By: Helen Hoang
- Narrated by: Carly Robins
- Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases - a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with as well as way less experience in the dating department than the average 30-year-old. It doesn't help that she has Asperger's and that French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. She decides that she needs lots of practice - with a professional - which is why she hires escort Michael Phan.
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It's a lot...
- By Emily Kenny on 08-22-18
A magical story about love and math (but not too much math)
Our romance editors should be moonlighting as matchmakers, because it took them about two seconds to find my romance soulmate. I immediately fell in love with Stella, whose Asperger’s helps her kick ass at her job as an econometrician, but leaves her doubting her abilities in love and sex. So she does what any logical person would do: she hires a professional tutor, i.e. a male escort named Michael. ...YEP. The Kiss Quotient checks so many of my boxes: it’s progressive, sex-positive, and respectful of both Stella and Michael. And the sex scenes are suuuper steamy. Which, let’s be honest, enhanced my experience. I also really appreciated the depiction of Stella’s Asperger’s—as someone who’s not neurotypical myself (who even is?!), I love a good story about neurodiversity, and this one feels exceptionally authentic as the author has Asperger’s, too. That #ownvoices magic, guys. Finally, there’s a really cute analogy about economics and underwear and love, and I can’t even with how weird and sweet it is. I will DEFINITELY be picking up another romance, especially if someone can tell me which ones are EXACTLY LIKE THE KISS QUOTIENT. #romanceconvert
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Whispered Lies
- By: Kathleen Brooks
- Narrated by: Therese Plummer
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Government secrets are being sold, and the newly sworn in president of the United States already feels out of options. Without knowing the full scope of the scandal, the president decides to turn to the one person he knows he can trust - former FBI agent Elizabeth James. Her deep distrust of the system is rooted in her unfair discharge from service. Now she sees a chance to restore her reputation and send a message to those who would use their power to destroy others' lives.
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🌟🌟4 Stars 🌟🌟
- By ❤️Cyndi Marie❤️🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 02-11-18
Thrilled… to be a romance convert!
I absolutely LOVED this book! Three chapters in and I was hooked. I ended up finishing the entire thing in 3 days and started book 2 in the series already! Coming into this romance challenge I brought the thinking that every romance novel was like those Fabio-covered paperbacks you saw at the grocery store when we were younger—you know, the ones that seem to have sexy times on every single page you flip to—but in reality Whispered Lies was a pleasant surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed. I am a huge fan of a little espionage, so I would HIGHLY recommend this to anyone like me who loves a good political thriller or spy novel and who has an open mind to a little hot and heavy love-making on the side. I think it’s safe to color me an official romance convert!
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Wanderlust
- By: Lauren Blakely
- Narrated by: Richard Armitage, Grace Grant
- Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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They say Paris is always a good idea.... You know what I say? Paris would be a much better idea if I spoke the dang language. I can't even board the metro to visit the Louvre without ending up at the Moulin Rouge, and let's not even mention how I'll ever make it through a day at my new office. Fortunately my company hooks me up with my own personal translator. Ooh la la. Or should I say bloody hell? Because he's charming, witty, and British, and he brings the city to life for me.
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✫✫ 5 Stars ✫✫ Romantic with great narration!
- By ❤️Cyndi Marie❤️🎧Audiobook Addicts🎧 on 02-06-18
A journey to the City of Love
Being new to the romance genre, I knew just two things to expect from this challenge: sex scenes and an HEA ending (“happily ever after” for other newbies like me). One concern I had was being overheard listening to one of the more risqué parts, which never happened. But there were a few times, while stuck in traffic, when I'd look over at the car next to me, chuckle (on the inside) and think, "If they only knew." But Wanderlust does not overdo it. It struck me as having the perfect blend of steaminess, story, setting, and most importantly, performance. OMG is Richard Armitage fantastic! And the dual narration between him and Grace Grant works seamlessly. As a female listener, I could identify with the parts read by Grace, and then sit back and enjoy the parts performed by Richard. All-in-all, this was a very satisfying experience, and certainly an audiobook I can recommend to anyone looking to escape to Paris in the company of a handsome Brit.
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Croc's Return
- Bitten Point Series # 1
- By: Eve Langlais
- Narrated by: Chandra Skyye
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Take one deadly bite and, bam, a man's life is changed forever, or so Caleb discovers when a loss of control leads to him joining the military and leaving everything behind. Now that he's back, making amends is harder than expected. His ex-girlfriend, Renny, is not interested in excuses. Caleb might have returned, but her plan is to keep him at arm's length - only she can't. Her son deserves a chance to get to know his father, but that doesn't mean that Renny is letting Caleb back into her heart.
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Expecting A Bite, But Got A Nibble!
- By Cheri on 07-28-16
Half-man, half-croc, all so very romantic
Though not a romance listener myself, ask around the water cooler here at Audible and anyone will tell you that I have an endless fascination with the shifter romance genre – I mean the puns alone! So when I asked our faithful romance team for recs, they naturally didn’t hesitate to assign me to listen to a steamy crocodile shifter romance. I went in with high expectations for zany half-man/half-croc antics but what I got instead was a story of family, mystery, and heart, and a not-so-surprising amount of croc-man angst. Most surprising though? Our sexy war hero protagonist barely spends any time as a crocodile and most of his time fighting to keep the (literal) beast within. Metaphors abound in this one! It begs the question though, if a croc shifts in the Bayou and no one is around to hear it, is he even a shifter? (Answer, yes.) My biggest takeaway? Shifter romances aren’t quite what I expected but that doesn’t mean I won’t be back for more. Hot and Badgered here I come!
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Dark Edge of Honor
- By: Aleksandr Voinov, Rhianon Etzweiler
- Narrated by: Jack LeFleur
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Sergei Stolkov is a faithful officer, though his deepest desires go against the Doctrine. A captain with the invading Coalition forces, he believes that self-sacrifice is the most heroic act, and his own needs are only valid if they serve the state. Mike, an operative planted within Cirokko's rebels, has been ordered to seduce Sergei and pry from him the Coalition's military secrets. His mission is a success, but as he captures Sergei's heart, Mike is tempted by his own charade and falls in love.
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Brilliant reader, Brilliant book
- By Liana on 08-16-11
More than just a romance
Military science fiction M/M erotic romance titles are not usually my first choice when I’m looking for a new audiobook, so this was quite a bit to take in for my first romance listen. I’m more of a literary fiction kind of guy, so you can probably imagine I approached this experiment with the snobby, skeptic lens us literary folk often view anything that isn’t a deep exploration of the human condition. That said, I was surprised at how listenable I found this audiobook. Jack LeFleur’s narration is really good, and there’s a lot going on in the story besides the romance that there were times when I forgot I was listening to one. Of course, I was reminded immediately every time one of the hot damn-level sex scenes made its way into the story. Overall, I don’t know if I can really call myself a romance convert, but I understand its appeal a little more and genuinely found the military sci-fi element pretty interesting.
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Safe with Me
- By: Kristen Proby
- Narrated by: Jennifer Mack, Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Keeping others safe is what Caleb Montgomery does. He's never had a problem taking on an assignment, whether it was during his dangerous SEAL days or his most recent job of training war mercenaries. But being assigned to keep Brynna Vincent and her adorable daughters, Maddie and Josie, safe from an unknown threat has thrown Caleb off his axis. Hot for the tall brunette since she came back to town more than a year ago, being close to her day in and day out is cracking Caleb's resolve to keep his hands off her gorgeous body and his head in the mission.
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Book Five in the With Me in Seattle series.
- By Jordy ♡♡♡♡ on 10-27-13
More pleasure, less guilty
Lately I’ve been rethinking the idea of "guilty" pleasures. I work hard at my job, I work hard at parenting, and I physically work hard at least three times a week. So, why should I feel guilty about enjoying something as harmless as a romance novel? The truth is: I’m not a regular romance listener (you’ve heard this before!). My path to My First Romance Listen was a circuitous one, starting with tropes that spoke to me personally, finally landing on Safe with Me because, honestly, I felt I could relate to a story centering on a mom with two young kids (which I have) in Seattle (where I grew up). And what do you know, it worked! Jennifer Mack’s narration–-her subtle modulation between the male and female parts–-and pacing is right on. And, bonus: it was totally fine to pick up this series at book 5. I’m on board for more, but most likely will be sticking to this “strong-willed heroine” trope for now. Maybe it’s easier to escape–-and feel less guilty about it-–if it feels somewhat close to reality.
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Carol - The Price of Salt
- By: Patricia Highsmith
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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A chance encounter between two lonely women leads to a passionate romance in this lesbian cult classic. Therese, a struggling young sales clerk, and Carol, a homemaker in the midst of a bitter divorce, abandon their oppressive daily routines for the freedom of the open road, where their love can blossom. But their newly discovered bliss is shattered when Carol is forced to choose between her child and her lover.
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I can't stop thinking about this book...
- By Shelley S. on 10-13-15
Forbidden romance for picky partners
I came into this romance challenge with my nose turned up. It’s not that I wasn’t open to the experience, it’s that I didn’t want to settle. Some may say my standards were too high as I callously cast aside a romance recommendation (or nine), but I held out hope. Then it hit me as I was fondly recalling first reading Romeo and Juliet: I craved conflict. My romance needed tension. Passion. Just, in a subtle way. I didn’t want any gratuitously steamy parts. Yet, I still wanted to feel the characters’ pheromones quibble with every word. I wanted to almost taste their tears—and, because this is romance—hear their not-too-happily ever after. If you’re like me then Carol: The Price of Salt might just be the one for you. Written by Patricia Highsmith (yes, she does write more than mystery!) and performed by Narrator Hall of Famer, Cassandra Campbell, the tale of Therese and Carol will captivate you from sweet start to bitter end.
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Fresh Catch
- By: Kate Canterbary
- Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine, Chris Chappell
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Take a vacation, they said. Get away from Silicon Valley's backstabbing and power-grabbing. Recharge the innovative batteries. Unwind, then come back stronger than ever. Instead, I got lost at sea and fell in love with an antisocial lobsterman. There's one small issue: Owen Bartlett doesn't know who I am. Who I really am.
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salty sweet
- By Stacey Oliver on 09-10-18
So caught up
Fresh Catch is probably my second romance title ever so I went into it with a few assumptions about how it wouldn’t live up to "real literature", but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely a very steamy story, but I never got the sense it was restricted solely to its sexuality. Cole and Owen are two strong independent men, but they both wrestle with loneliness and distrust of intimacy. As characters they feel full, authentic, and grounded. Maybe that was the reason their tentative courtship and intense sexual chemistry felt so realistic and so incredibly palpable. And when the tides do finally turn it’s definitely like nothing I’ve ever listened to before, I’ll just leave it at that.