It’s the list you audiophiles have all been waiting for: the 10 best audiobooks of 2018! Sheena and I have joined forces again to bring you the best audiobooks we listened to that were released last year.
These stories captivated us because they were written so well AND had top-notch performances. If you’re just looking to get into lesfic on audio, they’d all make a fabulous place to start.
Tara and Sheena’s audiobook of the year
1 Charming the Vicar by Jenny Frame
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Nicola Victoria Vincent
This book is an: age gap, thawing ice queen, celebrity, smalltown romance
What it’s about
Finnian Kane, famous master of illusion, mentalist, and renowned atheist, has a crisis of faith after her sister’s death. She rents a cottage in the village of Axedale in Kent, desperately trying to find a safe haven from the intrusive media to grieve and work out how to move on.
The Reverend Bridget Claremont makes it her mission to help the enigmatic Finnian find her faith in life again. Bridge has long yearned for a life partner, and her best friend’s wedding has intensified that desire. But when you’re a lesbian vicar in a small English village, it’s not easy to find your perfect match.
Their chemistry is clear from the start, despite their different beliefs and Bridge insisting Finn isn’t her type. But will the mentalist find the magic that can charm the vicar?
Check out our full review here
Why we love it
Bridget and Finn are such a wonderful couple and I loved every minute of their journey. The character work is so good in this story, and Nicola Victoria Vincent does a brilliant job of bringing it to life.
Get It On Amazon
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Tara’s List
1 In Her Court by Tamsen Parker
Published by indie author
Narrator: Jill Smith
This book is a: sweet “falling for the best friend’s sister” romance at an adult sleepaway camp
What it’s about
Newly minted professor Evangeline “Van” Thompson’s academic dreams have turned into nightmares. She can’t wait to escape the pressure cooker of the university to spend the summer at Camp Firefly Falls with her bestie, Nate.
Unfortunately, Nate breaks his leg halfway through the season, and his little sister Willa fills in for him as resident tennis instructor. Van has fond memories of the blonde moppet, but when Willa shows up at camp, she’s not so little anymore. She’s grown into a bombshell and a menace on the tennis court—why do those skirts have to be so short, anyway?
Willa Carter has had a crush on Van Thompson since the third grade but Van’s always been more interested in hanging out with Willa’s older brother. Not much seems to have changed—Van’s managing the camp’s web presence while Willa rocks her tennis whites.
Camp will be closing in a few weeks, and Van’s barely spoken to Willa despite sharing a cabin. But when the two get thrown together to plan the last session of camp, s’mores might not be the only thing getting sticky and sweet before the season’s out…
Why I love it
This was one of my favourite books in 2017, so I was thrilled to see it released in audio. Jill Smith knocked it out of the park, taking everything that’s amazing about the book—fab characters, adorable banter, sizzling chemistry—and amplifying it.
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out: In Her Court by Tamsen Parker made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
2 The Shape of You by Georgia Beers
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Lori Prince
This book is an: angsty, opposites attract romance about finding the right person at the wrong time
What it’s about
Personal trainer Rebecca McCall is furious when her coworker is sidelined and she’s forced to teach the “Be Your Best Bride” class. As if being a size two for your wedding photos is all exercise is good for. Could the whole thing get more vain and sexist? The class is full of preening, giggling Bridezillas, but one woman stands out. The one who confesses she’s only there because her fiancée signed her up. Who does that to someone they care about? And why can’t Rebecca take her eyes off her?
Spencer Thompson is a second-guesser. After making the worst mistake of her life, she’s happy to abdicate responsibility and let other people make her decisions for her. She’s always felt a little bit too soft, a little bit too curvy in all the wrong places. Her fiancée apparently agrees because she signed Spencer up for a class at the gym. Terrified by the online profile of the instructor, the epitome of Zero Body Fat, Spencer is relieved to find someone new, and realistic looking, leading the class. Except the instructor seems to hate her and Spencer has no idea why.
When a perfectly innocent post workout smoothie leads to an earth shattering kiss, Rebecca wonders if she’s been wrong all along, and Spencer is challenged to make another decision that could change her life forever.
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
I know cheating stories aren’t for everyone, but I appreciated how nuanced Georgia Beers was when she approached this one. Lori Prince’s performance was magnificent, bringing all of Spencer and Rebecca’s complicated feelings to the forefront alongside their attraction.
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out: The Shape of You by Georgia Beers made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
3 Sparks Like Ours by Melissa Brayden
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Melissa Sternenberg
This book is an: enemies to lovers, coming out romance between elite surfers
What it’s about
Gia Malone wants one thing and one thing only: to be the best surfer in the world. Her biggest obstacle is the annoyingly perky Elle Britton. Not only is Elle number one in the rankings, she’s also a fan favorite. But there’s a lot about Elle that Gia never noticed, like her surprising sense of humor and picture-perfect mouth.
Elle Britton is tired. After tournaments, fan meet-ups, and nonstop media requests, all she wants in the world is a little peace and quiet. But with Gia Malone closing in on her ranking, she has to surf her best. When the media picks up the story of their neck and neck status, Elle finds herself forced further into the spotlight, this time alongside Gia, the knockout with the killer shred and sexy smile.
It’s not long before there’s no denying the chemistry on and off the beach. But only one can win…
Why I love it
Sparks Likes Ours is fun, flirty, and sexy with a totally engaging romance between characters who I was rooting for all the way—a perfect beach read! Melissa Sternenberg’s performance is excellent for all of the Seven Shores series (this is the third of four books), but if I had to choose only one, this is my favourite.
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out: Sparks Like Ours by Melissa Brayden made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
4 This London Love by Clare Lydon
Published by Custard Books and Audible Studios
Narrator: Emily Bennet
This book is a: totally adorable British romcom
What it’s about
A successful editor. A workaholic florist. It’s complicated, but is it love?
Kate Carter has it all, except for a special person to share it with. The stylish, charismatic art editor has her sights set on someone, but a few unanswered questions keep her from making a move.
Meg Harding is single but stuck living with her ex. When she meets Kate, she sees a bright light at the end of her life’s dark tunnel. But it doesn’t take long for the florist’s secrets to nearly derail the promising pairing.
Can they overcome the obstacles they can’t control to find their happily ever after?
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
This London Love is the perfect sweet romance to take you away from it all. Meg and Kate are my favourite couple in Lydon’s London romance series, and Emily Bennet’s narration drew me into their lives immediately, holding my interest until the last second of the book.
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out: This London Love by Clare Lydon made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
5 Breakthrough by Kris Bryant
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Brittni Pope
This book is a: sweet and funny romance about how sometimes you can find yourself in a place you never wanted to go in the first place
What it’s about
Kennedy Wells is desperate to get back her dream job writing for Mainstream, Waters Publishing’s celebrity magazine. She’s worked too hard over the years to have it snatched away because of one tiny indiscretion that ended with a giant lawsuit. After five months of writing mind-numbing articles about current events, her boss agrees to let her get back to reporting on the rich and famous after one last story.
A born and bred city girl, Kennedy is sent to cover fishing in Alaska, which has her feeling just like a fish out of water. When Brynn Coleman, director of Alaska’s Wildlife Rescue and Sanctuary, comes to her rescue time after time, Kennedy can’t help but lower her guard and open herself up to Brynn’s standoffish charm. Falling for the sexy ranger is one thing, but is the possibility of love worth giving up a career she’s always dreamed of?
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
Kennedy has an amazing transformation in who she as a person and her priorities, and Brynn is just the perfect hunky ranger (who wouldn’t fall for her?!). Brittni Pope captures everything perfectly with her narration, which kept me finding ways to sneak more listening time.
Get It On Amazon
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Sheena’s List
1 Alias by Cari Hunter
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Nicola Victoria Vincent
This book is a: thrilling mystery about a woman who doesn’t remember why she someone wants to kill her.
What it’s about
A car lies crashed below a Welsh mountain road. One of the young women inside it is dead, the other badly injured with no memory of who she is or what just happened. All she has is a bus pass showing her photograph and a name she doesn’t recognize.
As she struggles to recover from her injuries, a startling revelation shatters everything she thought she knew, forcing her into an uneasy alliance with Detective Bronwen Pryce. With danger closing in from all sides, the two women must work together to uncover the truth – even if it kills them.
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
The mystery is tantalising, the character is relatable and you never quite know what is going to happen next. Pair that with fantastic narration and you have a beautiful thing.
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out Alias by Cari Hunter made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
2 Calling The Dead by Ali Vali
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Paige McKinney
This book is about a: cop chasing a killer while falling in love with a wonderful woman.
What it’s about
Detective Sept Savoie is a cop who thinks making a relationship work is harder than catching a serial killer, but her current case may prove her wrong.
Six months after Hurricane Katrina has devastated most of New Orleans, detective Sept Savoie is battling the nightmare of everything the storm has taken from her when a brutalized body turns up behind one of New Orleans’s most famous restaurants, which is run by Keegan Blanchard. The more Sept works through the clues, the more they point to Keegan, which makes the relationship growing between them anything but love at first sight. The first death is only the beginning, though, as the miles of deserted neighborhoods Katrina left behind provide the perfect stage for murder.
A Sept Savoie Romantic Thriller.
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
It’s a gorgeous mix of delightful and awful as Sept faces threats to the safety of herself and those close to her.
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out Calling The Dead by Ali Vali made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
3 All In by Nell Stark
Published by Bold Strokes Books and Bold Strokes Books Inc
Narrator: Hollis Elizabeth
This book is a: romance set in Vegas.
What it’s about
Annie Jump Navarro is an Ivy League math whiz kid who has won numerous Internet poker championships under the handle supernova. But when the Feds crack down on legislation making the funding of online gambling accounts illegal, most of Nova’s assets are frozen. Her sponsors will only continue to support her if she can win a championship bracelet at one of the live events of the World Series of Poker.
She heads for Vegas, where she meets Vesper Blake, an ambitious but jaded casino host who has seen too many fools flock to the strip only to leave broke and humiliated.
Will Vesper be able to successfully coach the volatile Nova to win at live poker? And will Nova be able to convince Vesper she should take a gamble on true romance?
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
The high stakes poker is nothing compared to the high stakes romance.
Get It On Amazon
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4 The Covert Captain by Jeannelle M Ferreira
Published by Jeannelle M Ferreira
Narrator: Violet Dixon
This book is a: woman pretending to be a man and falls for a woman.
What it’s about
Nathaniel Fleming, veteran of Waterloo, falls in love with his Major’s spinster sister, Harriet. But Nathaniel is not what he seems, and before the wedding, the truth will come out….
Eleanor Charlotte Fleming, forgotten daughter of a minor baronet, stakes her life on a deception and -makes her name – if not her fortune – on the battlefield.
Her war at an end, she returns to England as Captain Nathaniel Fleming and wants nothing more than peace, quiet, and the company of horses. Instead, Captain Fleming meets Harriet. Harriet has averted the calamity of matrimony for a decade, cares little for the cut of her gowns, and is really rather clever. Falling in love is not a turn of the cards either of them expected.
Harriet accepts Captain Fleming, but will she accept Eleanor? Along the way, there are ballrooms, stillrooms, mollyhouses, society intrigue, and sundering circumstance.
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
It’s full of angst, drama and the gorgeous scenery of historical England.
Get It On Amazon
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5 The Locket by Gerri Hill
Published by Audible Studios
Narrator: Genvieve Bevier
This book is a: romantic suspense about a movie star with a stalker and the cop who tries to keep her safe.
What it’s about
Danielle Stevens is Hollywood’s “next big thing” in a long line of next big things. When she goes to Dallas to prepare for a role – shadowing Detective Harper Jeremiah – she’s not only running from her fame…she’s also running from a stalker.
Harper Jeremiah wouldn’t recognize a Hollywood actress even if she bumped into one on the street. The last thing she wants to do is to get pulled from her current case to have an actress follow her around. But the perceived babysitting gig quickly turns into a protection detail as the threats against Dani escalate. The two women form a bond as secrets are shared, trust builds, and the stalker turns into a hunter.
As the stalker’s pursuit becomes relentless, Harper becomes even more determined than ever to protect Dani at any cost. But could that unwavering conviction get them both killed?
Check out our full review here
Why I love it
Great narration and a suspenseful story with a movie star and a cop who has no idea who this movie star is, so she isn’t at all star struck. What’s not to love about that dynamic?
Get It On Amazon
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[tweetthis]Check it out The Locket by Gerri Hill made this top 10 list[/tweetthis]
We hope you enjoyed our list of 10 Best Audiobooks of 2018. Tara and I had the difficult task of narrowing down all the excellent audiobooks we listened to and it was no small task.
We received review copies of these audiobooks but no money was exchanged for the reviews and when you use our links to buy we get a small commission from Amazon. Using our links is a great way to support us without spending any more than you normally would to buy the products.
