Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s weekly New and Notable Audiobooks Post for the Week of September 3rd.
Please leave a comment below about what you’re excited about or if I missed any releases!
Authors, narrators, producers, and publishers — any of the books featured here are prime candidates for review.
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Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh by Rachael Lippincott
Narrated by Natalie Naudus, Shakira Shute
Simon & Schuster Audio
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Rachael Lippincott
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Natalie Naudus
From the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl comes a fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that’s What If It’s Us meets Bridgerton.
What if you found a once-in-a-lifetime love… just not in your lifetime?
Audrey Cameron has lost her spark. But after getting dumped by her first love and waitlisted at her dream art school all in one week, she has no intention of putting her heart on the line again to get it back. So when local curmudgeon Mr. Montgomery walks into her family’s Pittsburgh convenience store saying he can help her, Audrey doesn’t know what she’s expecting…but it’s definitely not that she’ll be transported back to 1812 to become a Regency romance heroine.
Lucy Sinclair isn’t expecting to find an oddly dressed girl claiming to be from two hundred years in the future on her family’s estate. But she has to admit it’s a welcome distraction from being courted by a man her father expects her to marry—who offers a future she couldn’t be less interested in. Not that anyone has cared about what or who she’s interested in since her mother died, taking Lucy’s spark with her.
While the two girls try to understand what’s happening and how to send Audrey home, their sparks make a comeback in a most unexpected way. Because as they both try over and over to fall for their suitors and the happily-ever-afters everyone expects of them, they find instead they don’t have to try at all to fall for each other.
But can a most unexpected love story survive even more impossible circumstances?
Just Tell Her by Nicole Pyland
Narrated by Melissa Moran
Self Published
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Nicole Pyland
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Melissa Moran
Charlie Adams has two best friends—Ember Elliot and Hailey Grant. She’s secretly been in love with Hailey since the moment they met more than a decade ago. She has watched Hailey date all the wrong women and never said anything about how she wanted to be Hailey’s forever love.
Hailey Grant had a first love that she was comparing every other woman to. When that woman comes back into her life, Hailey has to get to know her again after all this time. As Hailey tries to figure out if her first love is actually her forever love, she sees something is different about Charlie. When the two women embark on new relationships, they’ll have to finally confront their growing attraction for each other and decide if they can be brave enough to risk the most important friendship they have for possibly something more.
Charlie might just be the girl who gets the girl after years of watching Hailey be miserable with other women who didn’t deserve her, and Hailey might have just had the right woman by her side this whole time.
Beta: A Technological Nightmare by Sammy Scott
Narrated by Shawn Compton
Fright Night Audio
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Shawn Compton
Michael Danvers’ life of self-imposed seclusion is interrupted when he receives a strange invitation: the unique opportunity to move into and beta-test a fully automated, state-of-the-art smart home.
A true marvel of modern innovation, the house is controlled by a sophisticated AI that ensures all routine tasks are taken care of, limitless forms of entertainment are just a voice command away, and nearly every physical need is met with efficiency.
But soon, Michael realizes that what at first presented itself as a futuristic utopia may be quickly devolving into a technological prison.
The Body Below by Daniel Hecht
Narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers, Bronson Pinchot
Blackstone Publishing
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Bronson Pinchot
Conn Whitman’s long-distance swims keep him centered and sane—until a terrifying underwater encounter in a woodland lake plunges him into the middle of a murder investigation.
Once a superstar investigative reporter, disgraced by misconduct, Conn returned to his Vermont hometown to put his life back together. Now, after ten years covering local news, he knows his community like nobody else. When he kicks a submerged object while swimming—something with the density and resilience of human flesh—he wonders if it’s connected to an unsolved murder in a nearby town.
Detective Marlene Selanski heads up the State Police investigation. She considers Conn a possible suspect, and when the case turns personal for him, she warns him against “vigilante research” that could interfere with her investigation. Defying Selanski, Conn and his fiancée, Celine Gabrielli, combine their talents—his decades of journalistic research, her PhD in psychology, and a wealth of knowledge about the traditional ways of Vermont’s old villages—to seek answers on their own. Confronted with obsession, deception, and betrayal, they realize too late the dangers of amateur sleuthing: Murder disrupts lives in unexpected ways, sending out ripples and bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface.
USA Today and London Times bestselling author Daniel Hecht weaves evocative language with psychological complexity in a murder mystery that will have you holding your breath until the last word.
The Shallows by Holly Craig
Narrated by Tamala Shelton
Audible Studios
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Her best friend is dead.
Emma and Ariella, neighbours in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs, appear to have it all—perfect homes, perfect husbands, perfect lives. But they both know dark secrets lurk beneath the surface and shallow waters can’t hide Ariella’s. Now she has been found murdered.
Her daughter filmed the killing.
Not knowing what she’s filmed, Emma’s daughter Kiki innocently uploads footage of Ariella’s brutal death. Emma fears the worst—the killer will know what she and Kiki have seen. Their safe suburban lives no longer exist.
Her husband knows more than he’s revealing.
Emma’s husband Charles forces the family to leave their perfect life and escape on their yacht. His dangerous plan to flee means Emma is trapped and desperately seeking answers. What are they hiding from? What did Ariella have to confess? And who else knows Emma’s own secret?
Her secret isn’t safe and neither is she.
Kill Zone by Loren D. Estleman
Narrated by Justin Price
Tantor Audio
A remarkable new antihero, mob hit man Peter Macklin must end a hostage crisis on a tour boat in Lake Erie
Siegfried, a terrorist group made up of a killer, a bassist, an ex-marine, a demolitions expert, a Black Panther, a national guardsman, and a couple of spoiled teenagers, is about to become Detroit’s worst nightmare. The motley gang boards a river cruise boat armed with M16s and enough explosives to burn the city down. They have eight hundred hostages, and if they don’t get what they want, Siegfried will kill every soul aboard.
Rescue is impossible. No cop could get on the boat. The only man with the skills for the job is Peter Macklin, a professional killer with ties to the local mob. Hired by the FBI bureau chief to sneak aboard the ship and destroy Siegfried from the inside out, Macklin will find killers in front of him-and another on his tail.
Set in Detroit, this fast-paced thriller introduces another great series from the three-time Shamus Award-winning author of the Amos Walker Mysteries.
Androne by Dwain Worrell
Narrated by Gary Tiedemann
Brilliance Audio
$1.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Gary Tiedemann
Humanity’s new war is an enigma, with an enemy threat beyond all imagination, in this near-future novel of mind-blowing adventure where the fate of the world rests in the choices of one ordinary soldier.
In one terrifying event called the Ninety-Nine, all major military installations on earth were eviscerated. But by whom? Foreign powers, AIs, ETs? Every conceivable adversary was ruled out. Reeling from massive casualties and amid hundreds of conspiracy theories, humanity creates Andrones: bipedal android drones piloted remotely by soldiers who will never again need to be on the field of battle. Newly minted Androne pilot Sergeant Paxton Arés has now been deployed into a fight against an enemy no one understands or has ever seen.
Passing mostly uneventful days patrolling an unidentified desert, Paxton spends time communicating with his pregnant girlfriend back home and reflecting on his impending fatherhood. But as he is drawn deeper into military camaraderie and begins quickly rising up the ranks on the strength of his father’s military legacy, Paxton starts to question the swirling rumors about the nature of the conflict. What he’s encountered in the shifting dunes—something inexplicable, indomitable—fills him with the fear that whatever is out there is destined to win.
Whether it’s curiosity, ambition, or a newfound paternal instinct, Paxton has a driving need to understand the dangerous truths of this strange, invisible war. And the choices he must make have the power to change everything.
Cowgirl Up by Ali Spooner
Narrated by Heidi Bindhammer
Self Published
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Ali Spooner
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Heidi Bindhammer
When the new ranch hand, Coal Bryan, arrives at the MC2, the last thing she’s looking for is love.
Her coworkers are surprised when Coal turns out to be female. Coal, used to the reaction, quickly earns the respect of the crew with her work ethic and skill with horses. Coal uses the strenuous work and friendship of the ranch hands to try and forget her broken past.
Melissa Conway, owner of MC2, offers Coal a place to live in her home. They both are shocked to find they are linked in a way neither of them imagined.
Mary Leah, Melissa’s sister, arrives at the ranch to recover from a recent tragedy. The attraction between Mary Leah and Coal is instant and mutual. Can the three women survive their personal dilemmas? The love and friendship they develop certainly helps, but will it be enough to bring them together? Ride along with the MC2, for boot scootin’, butt kickin’, dirt eatin’, rodeo adventures, with a love story thrown into the mix.
The Real Fake Fiancé by Sara Jane Woodley
Narrated by Justis Bolding, David Bendena
Dreamscape Media
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Hi, I’m Dee, and I’m captain of the friend zone.
I didn’t ask for this dubious honor, but don’t worry, I like it this way. I’m happy not dating and just being “one of the guys” on my volleyball team.
At least I was until my scary new boss informs me that my job—I’m a developer at a dating app (ironic, right?) that I coded from scratch, an app that is essentially my baby—is in jeopardy. So I lie—tell him that I’m living proof the app works, because I’m engaged to a man I met on it. And who do I name as my lucky (fake) fiancé? My best friend, Noah Jackson.
Noah is my longtime confidant, teammate, and all around favorite person…and while he always says he’d do anything for me, this is surely overstepping the friendship boundary. Right?
Apparently not. To my surprise, Noah agrees to go along with my crazy story and be my fake fiancé. And what’s more, he makes it look convincing—so convincing I’m starting to wonder where the line is between friendship and “more” and if it would really be so bad to cross that line and leave the friend zone for good…
Matthew Mather Legacy Collection by Matthew Mather
Narrated by Tom Taylorson
Blackstone Publishing
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Matthew Mather
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Tom Taylorson
Read by Earphones Award-winning narrator Tom Taylorson, this is a triple-treat grand audio collection for anyone who enjoys Matthew Mather’s insightful, cutting-edge fiction mixed with action and adventure.
CyberStorm, the first novel in the World War C series, tells of a bizarre string of disasters cutting New York off from the world.
Darknet is a standalone novel and an adrenaline-fueled mystery with a noir/tech edge that takes listeners to a new edge of the cyber world.
Polar Vortex is a stand-alone novel about a modern airline that mysteriously disappears just as global tensions rise between America and Russia.
Six Summers to Fall by C.W. Farnsworth
Narrated by Gail Shalan, Alex Kydd
Podium Audio
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Six summers. Six chances. One week spent pretending.
Ever since her younger sister’s engagement was announced, Harper Williams has been dreading the wedding. What should be a joyous, sun-drenched affair is sure to be filled with plenty of awkward moments, thanks to Harper’s strained relationship with her only sibling. Awkwardness enhanced by the wedding’s location—a lake in Maine, swimming with painful memories of their late father.
Running into Drew Halifax—her childhood crush, who grew up to be the golden boy of hockey—is a surprise. Not nearly as shocking as his offer to be her plus-one is, though.
She expects him to back out. He shows up. She’s looking for a distraction from the past. He’s killing time until his season starts, and he can chase the championship. She’s guarded yet outgoing. He’s easygoing yet focused.
They hardly know each other—until one week of sharing secrets, pretending to be in love, and sleeping in the same bed changes everything. Feelings that were supposed to be fake start to feel very real.
Problem is, neither of them is looking for a relationship. At most, they’re meant to be a summer fling. Definitely not a happily ever after.
But when it comes to falling? You have no control. Once you start, it’s impossible to stop. And sometimes… it takes six summers.
Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg
Narrated by Eric Conger
Brilliance Audio
$1.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
For a professional criminal and a relentless arson investigator, fear and revenge spread like wildfire in an incendiary thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.
Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at near hurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire is exactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend.
As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspect that someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end.
While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker are closing in. But when they all collide in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them against an unexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.
The Hike by Lucy Clarke
Narrated by David Johansen-Menkin, Stephanie Racine
Penguin Audio
No help.
No cell coverage.
No one to hear them scream.
Burned-out by both her marriage and work, Liz is desperate for an escape. More than that, she craves an adventure, a total reset. So, when she plans a vacation with her three best friends, she persuades them to spend four nights camping in the stunning mountains of Norway. Following a trail that climbs through lush valleys, towering peaks, and past jewel-blue lakes, Liz is sure that the hike is just what they need.
But as they stride farther from civilization, it becomes clear that the women are not the only ones looking to lose themselves in the mountains. The wilderness hides secrets darker than they could ever have imagined, and if they’re not careful . . . not all of them will return.
- 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