The most romantic day of the year is coming up, and we have romance recommendations for every listener! If Galentines Day is more your thing, check out these audiobooks. Would you prefer to ignore Valentines Day altogether? We have plenty of bookseller recommendations that you can sort by genre.
Here are some great romance listens, all bookseller-recommended!
[audiobook title=”Get a Life, Chloe Brown” isbn=”9780062941244″ author=”Talia Hibbert” narrator=”Adjoa Andoh” ]”This is a beautifully inclusive novel that made me cry and laugh harder than I’d like too. Chloe and Red were amazing characters that I didn’t want to leave when the story ended. I can’t get over Chloe being a larger lady and the story not focusing on that. I was bracing myself so many times for her to feel sad about her weight or talk about how much she might eat to de-stress herself but the story never gave me that, and I appreciated it so much. She was fine with her appearance and it’s that type of attitude and writing that made me love Chloe even more. I also loved how determined Chloe was to not let her disability take over her life. It’s important to me to see stories like this getting written because representation is huge as a bookseller. I believe everyone deserves to be seen and this was a pure gem.” Macey, Penn Book Center[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”Call Me By Your Name” isbn=”9781427291707″ author=”André Aciman” narrator=”Armie Hammer” ]”Some books change you, fundamentally alter something about who you are, how you think, how you feel. Whether it’s a new feeling, or that they’ve opened your eyes to a part of yourself that you weren’t aware of, I’m not sure, but what I do know is that Call Me By Your Name was, for me, one of those books. Even through the adolescent language and intensity of the protagonist, or perhaps because of it, this book made me feel something entirely new, or helped me to feel something old in a new way. It takes you back to the intense feelings of longing, of youthful attraction and obsession, and somehow does so both with bluntness and incredible prose. This was my second read (listen) of Call Me By Your Name, and it meant something more and something different this time through, and I imagine that this is that kind of book. The kind that no matter how many times I read it will become something new and something differently important upon every read.” Amy, Changing Hands[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”Frankly in Love” isbn=”9780593105603″ author=”David Yoon” narrator=”Raymond J. Lee” ]”Frankly in Love is a breathtaking, sit-on-the-floor-sobbing, smile-till-your-face-hurts whirlwind of a novel. David Yoon’s writing is extraordinary: carefree and playful, yet deep and resonating. Embedded throughout are gems that encapsulate the humanity of being young, being in love, and discovering who you are and who you aren’t. Not only is this a compelling and engrossing story of love and growing up, it powerfully hits many notes regarding race, family, and biases. I know this will be a book that will continue to resonate with me for a long time, and I can’t wait to share it so that it will stick in other readers’ hearts, too.” Tildy, Belmont Books[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”The Summer Wives” isbn=”9780062849526″ author=”Beatriz Williams” narrator=”Kristin Kalbli” ]”When her mother marries one of the wealthy summer residents in 1951, 18-year-old Miranda enters the exclusive world of Winthrop Island. A perfect summer beach read, the story moves from 1930 to 1951 to 1969, when Miranda returns to the island. The year-round residents and the summer people don’t mix much, but long-buried secrets won’t stay buried forever. Love, scandal, murder, jealousy—The Summer Wives has it all!” Susan, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”The Bromance Book Club” isbn=”9780593151235″ author=”Lyssa Kay Adams” narrator=”Andrew Eiden & Maxwell Caulfield” ]”In just a few short years, Gavin and Thea have gone from starry-eyed young lovers to married with twins. Gavin is at the top of his career in baseball, but Thea is feeling like she’s lost who she is—there is definitely trouble in paradise, and Thea wants out! But Gavin’s teammates invite him to join a book club that just might reignite that spark the couple once had. Can reading romance novels teach Gavin how to win back his wife? I absolutely love the concept of this novel. The writing was fun and light, yet maintained depth and value. I could relate to Thea as a wife and mother and still rooted for Gavin.” Miranda, A Little Bookish[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”Red, White & Royal Blue” isbn=”9781250233950″ author=”Casey McQuiston” narrator=”Ramon de Ocampo” ]”Fresh, irreverent, and funny, Red, White & Royal Blue is a delight and a treasure. With subtle jabs, Casey McQuiston pokes fun at both the public face of the British monarchy as well as the back-door politicking that dominates the U.S. political scene. The story follows the self-centered Alex Claremont-Diaz (America’s First Son) and his interactions with British Prince Henry of Wales. As hostility increases between two political scions forced into a sham friendship, we see the framework of political destiny and duty begin to fray. Little by little, hostility turns to something else entirely. This is a story about happiness — and, more importantly, honesty — for those who live their lives in the public eye.” Todd, The Book Cellar[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”Evvie Drake Starts Over” isbn=”9781984845733″ author=”Linda Holmes” narrator=”Julia Whelan” ]”I enjoyed following Evvie’s journey as she navigated her life and figured out how to handle loss, love, friendships, family and happiness. This book was a great escape with a sweet romance woven throughout. I enjoyed the nods to NPR and, since I’m from Minnesota, enjoyed the mentions of my home state as well. A perfect beach listen!” Myrna, Content[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”A Long Petal of the Sea” isbn=”9780593167977″ author=”Isabel Allende” narrator=”Edoardo Ballerini” ]”In this quietly compelling novel, Isabel Allende deftly brings us into the world of the Spanish Civil War and Chilean Revolution, elegantly weaving characters’ stories together to produce a stunning tapestry of love, heartbreak, loyalty, and politics. Follow war doctor Victor and accomplished pianist Roser as they struggle down a path that is constantly blocked with great challenges. Though many despair, there is always a way through, and you may find support in places you least expect.” Kalli, Rediscovered Books[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”Not the Girl You Marry” isbn=”9780593151211″ author=”Andie J. Christopher” narrator=”January LaVoy” ]”This is a fun and engaging read. Don’t let the concept (a role reversal of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) or cute cover fool you. There is a lot more depth to this plot than meets the eye; it’s about being seen and accepting your true self. Jack and Hannah both try to be what they think others want them to be but, because of their deceptions due to job obligations, are actually their natural selves. I can’t wait for book two.” Audrey, Belmont Books[/audiobook]
[audiobook title=”The Silence Between Us” isbn=”9780310768692″ author=”Alison Gervais” narrator=”Chloe Dolandis” ]”An impressive book by YA author Alison Gervais. It includes a romance but has so much more to offer. The story dives into what it is like to be deaf in a hearing-abled school, the challenges she faces both academically and socially. It discusses life with a single parent and a little brother with cystic fibrosis. It kept me listening. The author is hearing disabled as well and the audio book includes a fascinating interview that covers her own thoughts and feelings of being labeled disabled and what it is like to have hearing loss.” Mollie, HearthFire Books and Treats[/audiobook]