Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s weekly New and Notable Audiobooks Post for the Week of February 25th.
Comment below on any I missed or what you’re excited about!
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Sea Castle by Andrew Mayne
Underwater Investigation Unit #4
Narrated by Susannah Jones
Brilliance Audio
Review Coming Soon!
$1.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Andrew Mayne
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A Wall Street Journal bestselling series. A deep diving investigator is pulled into the depths of a string of unsolved serial murders in a riveting thriller by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Sea Storm.
When a young woman washes ashore on a Fort Lauderdale beach, Sloan McPherson of the Underwater Investigation Unit is called in to consult. Sloan’s instinct says murder, but even then, there are too many questions.
For answers she reaches out to Gwen Wylder. The Miami homicide detective is notorious for being manipulative, bitter, a tyrant to her peers, and wicked smart. And she demands something in return from Sloan: fresh insight into seemingly unrelated cold-case murders and disappearances—and a possible serial killer trolling the Florida coast.
As loose ends of the old files begin to come together, another woman disappears. Sloan and Gwen are certain she’s the newest link in a deadly chain. They are determined to track her down before she dies, but they soon find themselves in uncharted waters. And the deeper Sloan and Gwen go, the stranger the case gets.
Long Way Home by J. B. Turner
Jack McNeal #2
Narrated by Jonathan Davis
Brilliance Audio
Review Coming Soon!
$1.99 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 Jonathan Davis
Long Way Home is an action-packed new thriller from bestselling author J. B. Turner and the follow-up to the electric No Way Back.
When Jack McNeal threw Henry Graff’s body in the reservoir, he thought he had closed the book on Graff and his nefarious associates. But when Graff’s body is exhumed from the water, McNeal’s troubles really begin. Plagued by flashbacks and nightmares from his murderous past and unable to move on from the tragic deaths of his wife and young son, McNeal is on the verge of a breakdown.
On the hunt for the mysterious “Woodcutter,” the man at the center of this whole conspiracy, McNeal uncovers a web of political intrigue that goes all the way to the White House. But the conspirators don’t want McNeal digging.
As he and his family are targeted by the same shadowy security consultancy that was responsible for his wife’s death, McNeal will stop at nothing to bring those responsible to justice, even if that means becoming the bad guy he swore he would never be.
Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
Narrated by Dion Graham, January LaVoy
Macmillan Audio
Review Coming Soon!
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Veronica Roth
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Dion Graham, January LaVoy
In this gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Antigone, #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth reaches back to the root of legend and delivers a world of tomorrow both timeless and unexpected.
“I’m cursed, haven’t you heard?”
Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.
Antigone’s parents–Oedipus and Jocasta–are dead. Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but with her militant uncle Kreon rising to claim her father’s vacant throne, all Antigone feels is rage.
When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.
But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.
“Roth is a masterful conjurer, summoning both classic myth and visceral dystopia to weave a breathtaking tale of love, avarice, and the timeless desire for revenge.”—Ryka Aoki, bestselling author of Light From Uncommon Stars
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.
Lucky in Lace by Melissa Brayden
Narrated by Lula Larkin
Bold Strokes Books Inc
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
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Juliette Jennings lives her life like a tightly laced corset—not that she’d ever wear one. As a business owner of a stationery store, structure is her favorite. But when her best friend and her ex fall head over heels for each other, everything unravels and leaves her exposed. Even worse, a scandalous lingerie shop has moved in next door, and its tantalizing window displays will drive away her conservative customers. If only the owner would turn off the charm, Juliette is sure she could stop imagining her in nothing but the shop’s lacy best sellers.
Peyton Lane loves a clean slate. In fact, she desperately needs one after a series of bad choices. She also likes sexy things, and uptight Juliette next door would be a fun bow to untie. But when Peyton’s feelings enter new territory, she realizes the world might be scarier than she’d planned. Juliette has Peyton longing for forever on one hand and lacing up her running shoes with the other.
What’re a structured stationery store owner and a sexy lingerie peddler to do?
It’s in Her Kiss by Rachel Lacey
Midnight in Manhattan #2
Narrated by Lori Prince
Self Published
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
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Two Broadway actresses, one starring role, and a kiss that might turn rivals…into lovers.
Sophie Rindell has dreamed of performing on Broadway since she was a little girl. But after more than 10 years of auditioning, she’s still waiting tables and sleeping on a friend’s couch while she waits for her big break. When she lands an audition for a new musical called It’s in Her Kiss, she’s sure this is the one. Not only is she auditioning for the lead, but it’s a queer role, the opportunity of a lifetime for Sophie.
Julia Vega has been working on Broadway for years now, but she hasn’t landed a starring role…yet. When she meets Sophie at the audition for It’s in Her Kiss, she senses a kindred spirit. They’re both talented and driven, but unlike Sophie, who’s been out since high school, Jules is still coming to terms with her sexuality. This role—if she lands it—could help define more than her career.
As their rivalry heats up, Jules and Sophie fight an attraction that blazes hotter than the spotlight. When the curtain rises on opening night, love might take center stage.
Users by Colin Winnette
Narrated by Justin Price
HighBridge Audio
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Miles, a lead creative at a midsize virtual reality company known for its “original experiences,” has engineered a new product called The Ghost Lover. Wildly popular from the outset, the “game” is simple: a user’s simulated life is almost identical to their reality, except they’re haunted by the ghost of an ex-lover. However, when a shift in the company’s strategic vision puts The Ghost Lover at the center of a platform-wide controversy, Miles becomes the target of user outrage, and starts receiving a series of anonymous death threats. Typed notes sealed in envelopes with no postage or return address, these persistent threats push Miles into a paranoid panic, blurring his own sense of reality, catalyzing the collapse of his career, his marriage, and his relationship with his children.
The once-promising road to success becomes a narrow set of choices for Miles, who, in a last ditch effort to save his job, pitches his masterpiece, a revolutionary device code-named the Egg, which will transform the company.
In a world rife with the unchecked power and ambition of tech, Users investigates—with both humor and creeping dread—how interpersonal experiences and private decisions influence the hasty developments that have the power to permanently alter the landscape of human experience.
Three’s a Crowd by Kate Gavin
Narrated by Piper Goodeve
Tantor Audio
Review Coming Soon!
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
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For Zoe Tyler, adulting sucks. First big job, student loan payments, and an apartment to maintain with little help from her often-absent boyfriend, Jake. Throw in a half-sister of Jake’s that she never knew about and it’s a wonder she’s holding it together.
When Paige Newbanks shows up unannounced at her half-brother’s apartment, she’s not only desperate for a place to stay, but desperate to get to know the brother she hasn’t seen since she was five.
Zoe sets aside her frustrations with Jake, inviting Paige to stay with them for as long as she needs. But when Jake misses yet another night out with Zoe and he suggests she take Paige instead, Zoe and Paige are drawn toward each other in an unexpected way.
Will Zoe and Paige jeopardize their respective relationships with Jake in order to see what a relationship with each other could be?
Contains mature themes.
For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding
Narrated by Sophie Amoss
Recorded Books
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
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Perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Meryl Wilsner, a funny, heartwarming, and moving novel about bad breakups, found families, and embracing life.
A Buzzfeed LGBTQ Romance You’ve Got to Read
Since a crushing breakup three years ago, Nina Rice has written romance, friends, her dreams of scriptwriting for TV, and even LA proper out of her life. Instead, she’s safely out in the suburbs in her aunt’s condo working her talent agency job from home, managing celebrity email accounts, and certain that’s plenty of writing—and plot—for her life. But a surprise meeting called by Ari Fox, a young actress on everyone’s radar, stirs up all kinds of feelings Nina thought she’d deleted for good . . .
Ari is sexy, out and proud, and a serious control freak, according to Nina’s boss. She has her own ideas about how Nina should handle her emails—and about getting to know her ghostwriter. When she tells Nina she should be writing again, Nina suddenly finds it less scary to revisit her abandoned life than seriously consider that Ari is flirting with her. Between reconnecting with her old crew and working on a new script, a relationship with a movie star seems like something she’ll definitely mess up—but what could be more worth the risk?
Amy Spalding’s For Her Consideration is full of heat and heart as Nina learns that her story just might include the kind of love that lasts.
Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliot
Narrated by Anna Caputo
Penguin Audio
$12.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.
By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After hours, she’s @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over fifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, what Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll’s rejection of her application is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Richard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job.
While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly handsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the resulting video footage. Julie’s follower count soars—and so does the Scroll’s. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously.
Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy, they’ll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.
The Woman at the Top of the Stairs by Jamey Moody
Second Chance #1
Narrated by Tessa Stavers
Tantor Audio
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
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What would you do for the woman you love?
Dru Rae gave up everything to get away from her mafioso family. She disappeared with hopes they’d never find her. All she wanted was a quiet life with a few friends and the woman she knew in her heart was out there.
Marina Summit was an uber successful realtor in a thriving housing market. She gave someone two dates, if there wasn’t a spark, then she moved on. Besides, she was too busy for love.
As a house stager on the first day of her new job, Dru was waiting to meet the realtor for a final walk through.
Marina was set to approve a new listing when she went to check on the house staging. She wasn’t prepared for what happened to her heart when she saw the woman at the top of the stairs.
Contains mature themes.
The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World by Brian Keene
Narrated by Joe Hempel
Crossroad Press
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
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Brian Keene’s seminal novel The Rising and its sequel, City of the Dead, revitalized the horror genre and gave zombie fans a new reason to celebrate. Since their original publication a decade ago, readers have hoped for a return to that universe.
The Rising: Selected Scenes from the End of the World is a collection of short stories set in the world of The Rising, examining the history of the Siqqusim, the arrival of the first zombie, the fall of mankind, and the terrifying events that occur after City of the Dead’s conclusion.
Featuring both new characters and beloved fan-favorites, this globe-spanning saga elevates the horror to new heights. If you are a fan of Keene’s zombie mythos, you cannot miss this book!
The Dragon by William Schoell
Narrated by Jeffrey S. Robinson
Encyclopocalypse Publications
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Photographer Eddie Drake had expected a challenge when he joined the archaeological expedition to the lost city of El Lobo, but he was unprepared for the bizarre terrors that lurked beneath the Mexican mesa.
The deeper the party descended into the ruins, the more unbelievably horrifying it became. Huge slug-like monsters with a hunger for flesh left trails of slime and blood through the hellish labyrinth, but the greatest terror was yet to come, as the men realized with growing panic that the cavern walls were actually composed of living flesh.
The Special by James Newman, Mark Steensland
Narrated by Sean Duregger
Encyclopocalypse Publications
$4.87 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
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In a house on the edge of town, there is a room. In that room, there is a box. And in that box await pleasures beyond your wildest imagination….
Jerry Harford is fed up. Overworked. Underpaid. And damn near certain his wife is cheating on him. He’s never been one for revenge, but his friend Mike talks him into thinking about Jerry just this once.
Now Jerry can’t get enough of The Special. He’s obsessed, and he wants it all to himself.
Before long, Jerry’s going to learn that pleasure has a price and whoever said “Hell is the truth seen too late” was right…terribly right.
Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder
Narrated by Arielle DeLisle, Katherine Littrell, Lindsey Dorcus
Macmillan Audio
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“Absolutely recommended for readers of the cosmic and gloriously horrific.” ―Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author
Sister, Maiden, Monster is a visceral story set in the aftermath of our planet’s disastrous transformation and told through the eyes of three women trying to survive the nightmare, from Bram Stoker Award-winning author Lucy A. Snyder.
A virus tears across the globe, transforming its victims in nightmarish ways. As the world collapses, dark forces pull a small group of women together.
Erin, once quiet and closeted, acquires an appetite for a woman and her brain. Why does forbidden fruit taste so good?
Savannah, a professional BDSM switch, discovers a new turn-on: committing brutal murders for her eldritch masters.
Mareva, plagued with chronic tumors, is too horrified to acknowledge her divine role in the coming apocalypse, and as her growths multiply, so too does her desperation.
Inspired by her Bram Stoker Award-winning story “Magdala Amygdala,” Lucy A. Snyder delivers a cosmic tale about the planet’s disastrous transformation … and what we become after.
A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Nightfire.
