Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s weekly New and Notable Audiobooks Post for the Week of August 5th.
Comment below on any I missed or what you’re excited about!
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With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson
Narrated by Lindsey Dorcus
Penguin Audio
She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it—yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.
Lauren Fox is the bookkeeper for Cold World, a tourist destination that’s always a winter wonderland despite being located in humid Orlando, Florida. Sure, it’s ranked way below any of the trademarked amusement parks and maybe foot traffic could be better. But it’s a fun place to work, even if “fun” isn’t exactly Lauren’s middle name.
Her coworker Asa Williamson, on the other hand, is all about finding ways to enliven his days at Cold World—whether that means organizing the Secret Santa or teasing Lauren. When the owner asks Lauren and Asa to propose something (anything, really) to raise more revenue, their rivalry heats up as they compete to come up with the best idea. But the situation is more dire than they thought, and it might take these polar opposites working together to save the day. If Asa thought Lauren didn’t know how to enjoy herself, he’s surprised by how much he enjoys spending time together. And if Lauren thought Asa wasn’t serious about anything, she’s surprised by how seriously he seems to take her.
As Lauren and Asa work to save their beloved wintery spot, they realize the real attraction might be the heat generating between them.
The Fifth Kind: Arrival by James D. Prescott
Narrated by Robin McAlpine
Self Published
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by James D. Prescott
In the depths of an ancient Egyptian tomb, archaeologists make a baffling discovery: the mummified body of a man clad in a space suit.
Halfway around the globe, exobiologist Dr. Katherine Shepard and intelligence officer Colonel Devon Peters are summoned to the site of a downed UFO. To their amazement, they find one of the occupants alive. Even more shocking, he appears to be human.
As Shepard and Peters delve deeper into the enigma, they expose a chilling truth: aliens have inhabited Earth far longer than anyone could have imagined, and they are not alone. An ancient, hidden war is being waged, with humanity’s survival hanging in the balance.
Thrust into a perilous world of shifting allegiances and veiled motives, Shepard and Peters must race against time to decipher the aliens’ true intentions and shield humanity from a revelation too shocking to comprehend.
The Fifth Kind is a gripping, high-octane hard science-fiction thriller that will leave you reading late into the night.
Sandstorm by Mark Dawson
Narrated by David Thorpe
Tantor Audio
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
A gripping fast-paced novella from the multi-million-selling author of the John Milton series.
In the city of Cairo, a sandstorm is coming.
Group Fifteen operative and ex-MI6 officer Charlie Cooper is working undercover as a political negotiator. Attending a conference surrounded by diplomats, businessmen, and lobbyists, nobody would suspect what he really does for a living. Also in their midst is Aisha, a Saudi activist whose protests against human rights abuses have made her an enemy of her country’s regime.
It isn’t just Cooper visiting Cairo under false pretenses. A hit squad has been sent to eliminate Aisha and their reputation precedes them. Cooper knows all too well that these men mean business and is given the order to take them out. But when he is told to use Aisha as bait, he starts to question what he is doing.
The hunt is on and the sandstorm is heading their way. Can Cooper eliminate the assassins before they reach Aisha? Can he keep her safe from harm without any means of escape?
Choices by Scott Cook
Narrated by Dave Alexander
Self Published
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
A simple missing-persons case sparks off an Orlando detective’s journey into a deadly world of shadow and mystery….
An idealist at heart, Scott Jarvis finds himself growing more and more disillusioned with police work. Assigned to what at first seems like a fairly mundane case to find a missing NASA engineer, he uncovers a plot that leads him into the dark underworld of organized crime and international intrigue. Just as he’s making real progress, Jarvis is pulled off the case and ordered to lay off or else….
Frustrated and haunted by the shadows of his past, Jarvis confronts the most important choice of his life–stay on the job or turn in his badge and become a hard-boiled private investigator…play by somebody else’s rules or do it his way–with fists flying and guns blazing!
A new Florida action and mystery series that takes you on a journey from Orlando to the Florida Keys where the shadow world of smuggling, murder, and a threat to national security could spell disaster for young Jarvis!
To Catch a Storm by Mindy Mejia
Narrated by Alex Pineda, Brian Hutchison, Libby McKnight
Recorded Books
In this brand-new series from national bestseller Mindy Mejia, a physicist and a psychic reluctantly team up to solve two missing persons cases during an ice storm in Iowa.
When her husband’s car is found abandoned and on fire—in the middle of a rainstorm—Eve Roth becomes the police’s number one suspect. After all, her husband was suspended from the University of Iowa for inappropriate conduct with a student, and who else but an atmospheric physicist could incinerate a car in a downpour? But Eve has no idea why her husband disappeared. She’s desperate to find him, both for herself and her beloved disabled father-in-law.
Jonah Kendrick appears on their doorstep with a theory. He’s seen Eve’s husband, bound and bleeding in a barn. Claiming to be a psychic detective who dreams of the lost, Jonah has helped find missing people his entire life. He dreamed about a young woman trapped in the same barn months ago, and she’s still missing.
As a firm believer in the laws of nature, Eve rejects anything to do with psychics, but their investigations soon collide. As the temperature drops and Iowa turns to ice, Eve and Jonah race across the state to discover what happened to the people they’ve lost. But the truth is more deadly either of them expected, and the physicist and the psychic must learn to believe in each other if they want to escape this storm alive.
The Siberia Job by Josh Haven
Narrated by Justin Price
HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books
After the demise of the Soviet Union, the newly established Russian government privatized its industry by issuing vouchers to all of its citizens, allowing them the chance to be shareholders in the country’s burgeoning businesses. The slips are distributed among the population and auctions are arranged where they can be exchanged for actual shares. For the country’s rural populations living in abject poverty, the vouchers appear to be little more than pieces of paper, totally separated from the far-off concept of potential future fortunes.
But for Texas businessman John Mills and his Czech companion, Petr Kovac, the seemingly valueless chits suggest a lucrative potential, worth much more than what the current owners are willing to sell them for. They travel to the furthest, coldest reaches of the country to acquire vouchers for the country’s national oil company, Gazneft, roving from town to town with suitcases full of cash. But they quickly learn that the plan has complications—for example, the fact that the auctions at which these vouchers are traded for actual shares have been planned at the most remote, inaccessible locations possible to deter outsiders from buying in. And when the Russian mafia and the oligarchs in charge of Gazneft catch wind of their successes, the stakes become suddenly more deadly.
Late Fees by Melissa Brown
Narrated by Jessie Elwyn
Self Published
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
The year is 1996 and Tilly Hamilton, is making big changes in her life. The former prom queen who followed her boyfriend to the state school of his choice only to be dumped a few months into her first semester, has now decided to do what’s best for her…and her alone. She’s transferred to her dream school, moved into an apartment and gotten a part-time job at Spotlight Video. But just as things are looking up, he walks through the door–the boy she never thought she’d see again; her very first love.
Wyatt Johansen never thought he’d see Tilly ever again. Once his family left the Midwest, he’d tried to forget the girl he’d reluctantly left behind his junior year of high school. And he’d be lying if he said his choice of college wasn’t partly due to it being her dream school. But, after months had passed without ever seeing her on campus, he figured it was never going to happen. That is, until he and some friends walked into Spotlight Video to rent a movie. He sees Tilly and his world comes to a screeching halt—like someone pressed ‘pause’ on the VCR. And right then and there, Wyatt knows that he’ll stop at nothing to get her back. He just hopes it’s not too late.
The Way I Hate Him by Meghan Quinn
Narrated by Vanessa Edwin, Teddy Hamilton
Self Published
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
From USA Today and Amazon Charts best-selling author Meghan Quinn, and narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin, comes a new stand-alone age-gap rom-com featuring a new cast of characters that will immediately have you hooked. This steamy, laugh-out-loud enemies-to-lovers small-town romance delivers the perfect happily ever after every romance lover craves.
Why am I holding a box of stolen memorabilia in my arms? It’s called…revenge.
After failing my last semester of grad school, I decided to come back to my hometown and wallow in my boyfriend’s sympathetic arms. Instead, he proceeded to dump me…for being boring!
Now, I’m not typically a spiteful person, but there’s only so much I can take. Hence why I’m holding the box of his most cherished possessions…stolen possessions no less!
The plan? To give the box back to its rightful owner and rat my ex out. How’s that for being boring?
But plans never go the way you want them, because instead of dropping off the box with a note, I’m pinned with the crime by the true owner of the box himself.
Hayes Farrow is grumpy, arrogant, and stupidly hot in a way that makes it hard to even look him in the eye. Not to mention he’s my brother’s nemesis so I fully intended to stay far far away from the gorgeous jerk.
But to add insult to the injury that has become my life as of late, Hayes gives me two options: Turn me into the police and press full charges…or work it off. How could I possibly work for someone I can’t stand? Easy, I don’t look good in orange.
But working for Hayes isn’t as horrible as I thought it would be. The way I hate him begins to turn into something else—something I never thought I’d feel. But the way my brother reacts when he finds out I’m working for his enemy? He’d prefer me in prison orange.
The Politician by Emma Nichols
Narrated by Jessica Jeffries
Tantor Audio
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
From an early age, Sarah Thompson’s life has been driven by her ambition to become prime minister. The leadership of her party and the country is tantalizingly within reach when a new assistant, Kendra, joins her team. Sarah’s growing fascination for the young outspoken environmental activist makes it impossible to resist temptation. As the threat to Sarah’s career gains momentum, she must navigate a tangled web of love and loyalty, or she will lose everything.
Kendra’s passion for the environment is as strong as her instant attraction to her boss, Sarah. She knows there can be no future in such a relationship but her heart refuses to listen. As their love deepens, Kendra is subjected to the dark side of politics. Lies and deception are spun through Westminster to keep them apart.
What will it take for Sarah not just to win the election, but to win back the love of her life?
From the internationally bestselling author of Elodie and Rock My Heart, Emma Nichols brings a steamy contemporary lesbian romance that takes the listener on a journey through the shadows of British politics and into the wonderfully sensual backdrop of Khao Sok National Park in Thailand.
Contains mature themes.
Sit, Stay, Love. by Amy Hutton
Narrated by Emma Leonard
Simon & Schuster Audio
The most uplifting rom-com you’ll listen to this year—a fresh take on the friends-to-lovers trope, brimming with heart, joy and puppies!
Sera loves owning a pet shelter—even if it’s often tricky to make ends meet, and her mother thinks she’s wasting her life. Thankfully, she can always rely on her steadfast best friend, Toby, who just happens to be the local vet.
And then famous actor Ethan James enters the scene. After Sera ‘saves’ Ethan from a friendly German Shepherd, he confesses to a terrible fear of dogs. A canine co-star is all that stands between Ethan and the role of a lifetime—and he wants Sera to help him overcome his fear. As they bumble through a series of training sessions together, sparks fly and Sera’s surprised to find herself falling for Ethan. But not half as surprised as she is when Toby starts acting like a jealous boyfriend.
Now Sera’s juggling six dogs, a litter of kittens, a horse, a sheep, and two men intent on outdoing each other. But she’ll have to figure out what her heart truly wants … before her life goes completely to the dogs.
Out of His League by Caroline Richardson
Narrated by Dara Rosenberg
Tantor Audio
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Sometimes you’ve got to leave your heart on the field
Gretchen Harper has always been practical. Dependable, solid, predictable. She’s never taken risks, and she’s especially never bought coffee for gorgeous professional athletes in airports. That is, until she meets her favorite baseball player on the worst day of his career.
Being sent to the minor league is just the first of Joshua Malvern’s many worries—he’s got an injury that won’t heal and his entire career and future are on the line. When a beautiful woman offers him coffee, that simple kindness is exactly what he needs to lift him out of his funk. He asks her to join him in first class, not expecting to end up joining her in bed.
What starts as a one-night stand ends up holding the promise for so much more. And while stepping out of her comfort zone has never been Gretchen’s style, for a chance at true love she’ll have to decide whether she’ll swing for the fences, even if it means striking out.
The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs
Narrated by Linda Emond
Simon & Schuster Audio
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twenty-second high-stakes thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan who, following a series of bizarre disappearances on the islands of Turks and Caicos, enters a sinister labyrinth in which a new technology may wreak worldwide havoc.
Called in to examine what is left of a person thought to have been struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men—tourists—have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos. Seven years earlier, the first victim was found in a strange location with his left hand hacked off; subsequently, two other visitors vanished without a trace. But, recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.
Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common—other than the odd places where their bodies turn up, and the fact that none seems likely to have been involved in criminal activity. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands’ seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn’t so sure. Disturbingly, she discovers evidence that what’s at stake may actually have global significance.
It isn’t long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud. Then Tempe herself becomes a target.
The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard
Narrated by John Keating, Alana Kerr Collins
Blackstone Publishing
From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the nineties, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.
One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands.
Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open—and destroy her chances of ever joining the force.
A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon, she’ll realize: what you don’t know can hurt you …
- No Rules of Engagement by Tracey Richardson (Narrated by Joana Garcia) - September 28, 2023
- Love at First Set by Jennifer Dugan (Narrated Narrated by Lori Prince) - September 26, 2023
- New and Notable Audiobook Releases for the Week of September 23rd on Brian’s Book Blog - September 23, 2023