Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s Weekly Showcase of New and Notable Audiobooks for October 6th!
Each week, I handpick audiobooks from various genres that have caught my attention. Dive in and discover your next great listen!
Spot an audiobook I missed or one you’re particularly excited about? Share in the comments below!
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Make My Wish Come True by Rachael Lippincott, Alyson Derrick
Narrated by Krystal Hammond, Natalie Naudus
Simon & Schuster Audio
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by Krystal Hammond, Natalie Naudus
‘Tis the season for holiday hijinks in the newest sapphic rom-com about a rising star and a small town girl going on twelve fake holidates from the New York Times bestselling authors of She Gets the Girl, Rachael Lippincott and Alyson Derrick!
Twelve days of fake dates. Two holidays. One chance to convince everyone they’re in love.
Arden James is Hollywood’s hottest teen actor. Infamously reckless, she’s a constant in the tabloids. But when her messy reputation costs her an audition for her dream role, Arden and her publicist make up a lie to flip the script. Only, for the lie to work, she’ll have to head home for the holidays for the first time in four years.
Caroline Beckett has spent those last four years shining up a stellar portfolio that will get her into a top journalism program and convincing herself she could not be less interested in what her former best friend and first crush has been up to since she left without a word. But when Arden suddenly shows up at her doorstep with the promise of a real byline in Cosmopolitan in exchange for a write up on their “secret romance” and twelve snow-covered holidates in their Christmas-obsessed hometown, Caroline can’t help but be tempted into playing along.
It should be easy enough to stand each other for twelve days to make their dreams come true, right? But when old feelings start to bubble up, so do new holiday wishes that might just have Arden and Caroline falling faster than that Christmas Eve snow…
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
Narrated by Kristen DiMercurio
Penguin Audio
Two exes find themselves stuck at the same house for Christmas in this holiday romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.
It’s been five years since Charlotte Donovan was ditched at the altar by her ex-fiancée, and she’s doing more than okay. Sure, her single mother never checks in, but she has her strings ensemble, the Rosalind Quartet, and her life in New York is a dream come true. As the holidays draw near, her ensemble mate Sloane persuades Charlotte and the rest of the quartet to spend Christmas with her family in Colorado—it is much cozier and quieter than Manhattan, and it would guarantee more practice time for the quartet’s upcoming tour. But when Charlotte arrives, she discovers that Sloane’s sister Adele also brought a friend home—and that friend is none other than her ex, Brighton.
All Brighton Fairbrook wanted was to have the holliest, jolliest Christmas—and try to forget that her band kicked her out. But instead, she’s stuck pretending like she and her ex are strangers—which proves to be difficult when Sloane and Adele’s mom signs them all up for a series of Christmas dating events. Charlotte and Brighton are soon entrenched in horseback riding and cookie decorating, but Charlotte still won’t talk to her. Brighton can hardly blame her after what she did.
After a few days, however, things start to slip through. Memories. Music. The way they used to play together—Brighton on guitar, Charlotte on her violin—and it all feels painfully familiar. But it’s all in the past and nothing can melt the ice in their hearts…right?
Class Act by Kelsey Rodkey
Narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
HarperCollins
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by Jesse Vilinsky
Perfect for fans of Elise Bryant and Katie Cotugno, this fake-dating YA rom-com from Kelsey Rodkey set at a high school election shows that in matters of the heart, you have to elect to be yourself.
Ella knew transferring to a new school wouldn’t be easy. The first day, while defending her sister, Ella makes an enemy out of the student council president and lands in detention. Swearing revenge on him, Ella will stop at nothing to unseat him—even calling for a redo election in which she’s the only one brave enough to run against him.
As a new student, Ella isn’t sure she can secure the votes until she meets unfailingly flirtatious Patrick and hears his wild idea to help her. He’ll pretend to be her boyfriend and show their classmates that she and her ideas for the school aren’t so bad. It’s like something out of her sister’s fan fiction.
But when their fake romance starts feeling too real, and Patrick’s true motives for their arrangement come to light, Ella has to decide what’s more important: Patrick or the polls.
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster
Spotify Audiobooks
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Ali Hazelwood
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by Kelsey Navarro Foster
An enemies-to-lovers spicy romance set in the world of video gaming from the bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis—available only in audio!
Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why.
When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.
But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.
Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter
Narrated by Charlie Bushnell, Jesse Vilinsky
Movies #2
Simon & Schuster Audio
In this highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Better than the Movies, Wes and Liz struggle to balance their feelings for each other with the growing pains of being a college student.
For a few beautiful months, Wes had his dream girl: strong-willed girl-next-door Liz. But right as the two were about to set off to UCLA to start their freshman year together, tragedy struck. Wes was left dealing with the fallout, which ultimately meant losing Liz in the process.
Flash forward months and months later and Wes and Liz find themselves in college, together. In a healthier place now, Wes knows he broke Liz’s heart when he ended things, but he is determined to make her fall back in love with him.
Wes knows Liz better than anyone, and he has a foolproof plan to win her back with the rom-com worthy big gestures she loves. Only…Liz will have none of it. Wes has to scheme like a rom-com hero to figure out how to see her. Even worse, Liz has a new friend…a guy friend.
Still, Wes won’t give up, adapting his clever plans and going hard to get Liz’s attention and win back her affection. But after his best efforts get him nowhere, Wes is left wondering if their relationship is really over for good.
10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe: A Holiday Romance by Codi Hall
Narrated by CJ Bloom, Lee Samuels
Falling in Mistletoe #1
Podium Audio
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
A misunderstanding sparks an enemies-to-lovers romance between an outdoorsman and an aspiring writer in this funny and festive Christmas-themed novel.
So far, no man in Mistletoe, Idaho, has measured up to the literary heroes in Delilah Gill’s favorite books. Anthony Russo is no exception. She’s not sure why the steamy smooch they once shared suddenly turned frosty, and she’s tried to keep her distance ever since. But she’s had enough of being serially single, and she decides it’s the perfect time to put herself out there.
Anthony isn’t interested in playing games and he doesn’t like being used—especially not to make his own best friend jealous. Still, a bruised ego doesn’t stop him from imagining kissing Delilah again when she shows up to the local watering hole looking like a million bucks, and the other single men in town start to notice her considerable charms.
As December approaches and the Christmas festivities ramp up, both Delilah and Anthony find themselves roped into Mistletoe’s seasonal happenings. It won’t be long now before proximity turns loathing into interest, and ultimately a romance that could lead to a very happy holiday indeed . . .
The Artifact by Peter Cawdron
Narrated by Siobhan Waring
First Contact
Podium Audio
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Peter Cawdron
Five hundred miles from the Mediterranean, deep in the interior of Libya, lost in the heart of the Sahara itself, lies an oasis trapped in the past.
With no surface water, Harat Zuwayyah barely supports any life at all. The scorching wind howls across the desert, driving the sand and threatening to bury the village. Professor Susan Taylor is excavating an Egyptian tomb dated to 4500 BCE. She uncovers the mummified remains of a wealthy family that died on the trade route, revealing insights into a lost culture, but it’s the talisman watching over the grave that causes her heart to race. Red eyes glow from the back of the cave…
First Contact is a series of standalone novels that explore humanity’s first interaction with extraterrestrial life.
Contains a special note from the author.
Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
Narrated by R.C. Bray
Blackstone Publishing
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by R.C. Bray
In Robert A. Heinlein’s controversial Hugo Award-winning bestseller, a recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the Universe—and into battle against mankind’s most alarming enemy …
Johnnie Rico never really intended to join up—and definitely not the infantry. But now that he’s in the thick of it, trying to get through combat training harder than anything he could have imagined, he knows everyone in his unit is one bad move away from buying the farm in the interstellar war the Terran Federation is waging against the Arachnids.
Because everyone in the Mobile Infantry fights. And if the training doesn’t kill you, the Bugs are more than ready to finish the job …
The Elias Network by Simon Gervais
Narrated by Graham Halstead
Caspian Anderson #1
Brilliance Audio
Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Simon Gervais
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by Graham Halstead
Mr. & Mrs. Smith meets political thriller in this heart-pounding series debut about two undercover flames whose new mission risks exposing their true identities to the world…and, worse, each other.
Caspian Anderson is a translator for the United Nations—or so he’s led everyone to believe. No one suspects that mild-mannered Caspian, with his baggy clothes and sensible car, is actually an elite assassin for the US government. And that’s just how he wants it.
For ten years, Caspian has worked under the code name Elias for Onyx, a black program deep within the Department of Homeland Security. His latest mission takes him to Switzerland to kill a target tied to a human trafficking ring. There, Caspian stumbles onto a web of conspiracies involving high-level political figures.
Meanwhile, Caspian’s girlfriend is starting to pull away, and he wonders whether she may have secrets of her own. The truth is, Liesel Bergmann’s a spy. But neither knows the truth about the other…yet. As their covert operations converge, trust becomes paramount. Can they work together to bring down the enemy with their lives—and hearts—still intact?
No Prayers for the Dying by Dale M. Nelson
Narrated by Gary Bennett
The Gage Files #1
Podium Audio
Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by Gary Bennett
In the high-stakes game of international spycraft, the most dangerous weapon is the truth. And Matt Gage is about to unleash it.
Ex-CIA operative Matt Gage believed the covert world was firmly in his rearview. But the untimely demise of a Silicon Valley powerhouse drags him back to the subterranean chessboard of spycraft. At the behest of the tenacious Elizabeth Zhou, the magnate’s daughter, he starts an inquiry that promises more shadows than truths.
From the vibrant alleys of Chinatown to the imposing skyscrapers of the tech giants, a sinister web unfolds, where the line between friend and foe isn’t just blurred—it’s non-existent. Each revelation is a grenade with its pin pulled. Every move is made on a knife’s edge. And with every step, Gage walks closer into the subtle battle being waged far from the public eye.
In this electrifying dance of loyalty, betrayal, and the harrowing price of the truth, one misstep could be the last. Perfect for listeners who crave the heart-pounding thrill of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, the cerebral espionage of Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, and the intricate plotting of David Baldacci.
Hard Duty by J. B. Turner
Narrated by Jeffrey Kafer
A Jon Reznick Thriller #13
Brilliance Audio
Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by J. B. Turner
Check out my reviews of other titles narrated by Jeffrey Kafer
From bestselling author J. B. Turner comes a deadly mission for Jon Reznick—but when the target is a master of disinformation, finding him might be harder than killing him.
Black-ops specialist Jon Reznick is hoping for some well-earned down time under the Florida sun when he gets a surprise call from the CIA. An embittered US counterintelligence expert is about to sell a career’s worth of state secrets to the Russians, and the Agency wants Reznick to track him down.
With the spook holed up somewhere in the diplomatic cauldron of the Middle East, protected by highly trained Russian mercenaries, Reznick knows it’s almost certainly a suicide mission. But with tough Scot Mac McCafferty and cybersecurity genius Trevelle Williams to back him up, patriot Reznick is soon racing across the region in pursuit of the target.
Time is ticking and death is a strong possibility, but with stakes this high, for Jon Reznick there are no rules that can’t be broken…and failure is never an option.
I’ve loved reading since I was little when my dad would read me Dr. Suess books. Fast-forward a little and I noticed that he was always reading on his lunch breaks at work, and I wondered why.Then, I found a book that took me to another place and time, to another feeling,another sense of “being”.It was the first book that I ever fell in love with, and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.
