Welcome to Brian’s Book Blog’s weekly New and Notable Audiobooks Post for the Week of April 22nd.
Comment below on any I missed or what you’re excited about!
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Flux by Jinwoo Chong
Narrated by David Lee Huynh
Tantor Audio
$7.47 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
A blazingly original and stylish debut novel about a young man whose reality unravels when he suspects his mysterious employers have inadvertently discovered time travel—and are using it to cover up a string of violent crimes . . .
Four days before Christmas, eight-year-old Bo loses his mother in a tragic accident, twenty-eight-year-old Brandon loses his job after a hostile takeover of his big-media employer, and forty-eight-year-old Blue, a key witness in a criminal trial against an infamous now-defunct tech startup, struggles to reconnect with his family.
So begins Jinwoo Chong’s dazzling time-bending debut that blends elements of neo-noir and speculative fiction as the lives of Bo, Brandon, and Blue begin to intersect, uncovering a network of secrets and an experimental technology that threatens to upend life itself. Intertwined with them is the saga of an iconic ’80s detective show, Raider, whose star actor has imploded spectacularly after revelations of long-term concealed abuse.
Flux is a haunting and sometimes shocking exploration of the cyclical nature of grief, of moving past trauma, and of the pervasive nature of whiteness within the development of Asian identity in America.
The Tempest by Peter Cawdron
Narrated by Kaleo Griffith, Caitlin Davies
Podium Audio
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Peter Cawdron
Eighteen thousand colonists lie in suspended animation, awaiting a new life around another star.
Marc and Emma are on the graveyard shift onboard the Sycorax, an interstellar spacecraft bound for New Haven, a colony world fifty light years from Earth. For the crew of the Sycorax, interstellar flight is boring—that is, until they run into a tempest. Before long, they find themselves on a crippled spacecraft falling toward a black hole, but that’s the least of their problems…
The Tempest is a tribute to Shakespeare’s final play and explores similar themes while weaving some of his dialogue into the narrative. It includes references to the 1950s classic sci-fi film Forbidden Planet and Michael Crichton’s Sphere, both of which were influenced by Shakespeare’s work.
First Contact is a series of standalone novels that explore the social, political, religious, and scientific aspects of humanity’s first interaction with extraterrestrial life. These books can be listened to in any order.
The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan
Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins
Penguin Audio
$12.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Sean Patrick Hopkins
In a near-future Toronto buffeted by environmental chaos and unfettered development, an unsettling new lifeform begins to grow beneath the surface, feeding off the past
The Marigold, a gleaming Toronto condo tower, sits a half-empty promise: a stack of scuffed rental suites and undelivered amenities that crumbles around its residents as a mysterious sludge spreads slowly through it. Public health inspector Cathy Jin investigates this toxic mold as it infests the city’s infrastructure, rotting it from within, while Sam “Soda” Dalipagic stumbles on a dangerous cache of data while cruising the streets in his Camry, waiting for his next rideshare alert. On the outskirts of downtown, 13-year-old Henrietta Brakes chases a friend deep underground after he’s snatched into a sinkhole by a creature from below.
All the while, construction of the city’s newest luxury tower, Marigold II, has stalled. Stanley Marigold, the struggling son of the legendary developer behind this project, decides he must tap into a hidden reserve of old power to make his dream a reality―one with a human cost.
Weaving together disparate storylines and tapping into the realms of body horror, urban dystopia, and ecofiction, The Marigold explores the precarity of community and the fragile designs that bind us together.
Murder in the Hollows by Declan James
Narrated by Alexander Cendese
Jake Cashen Crime Thriller Series #1
Podium Audio
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
One small town’s dark secrets lay hidden in the hollows…
Rumors have swirled around Jake Cashen his whole life. Is he crazy like his father? Is it true they booted him out of the F.B.I. right after he cracked a career-making RICO case? Was he dirty?
Only Jake knows, and he’s not telling. He came back to his tiny hometown at the foot of Ohio’s Blackhand Hills to serve as a deputy sheriff. He hopes to punch a clock and keep his head down until retirement.
It was a solid plan—until someone put a bullet in the head of a revered county judge.
Jake’s new boss knows Jake has a particular set of skills. The Sheriff pins a detective badge on him, whether Jake likes it or not. He could have said no, but as Jake watches the locals nearly bungle the case in the first five minutes, he knows he’s all in.
As Jake digs into the murder, he soon learns Judge Rand had enemies in every corner, and someone hiding in plain sight may be plotting to bring his investigation to a deadly end.
To bring a cold-blooded killer to justice, Jake’s forced to confront every truth he’s tried to escape—even the ones that could bury him.
Murder in the Hollows is the gripping first book in the Detective Jake Cashen thriller series. Author Declan James, a former police detective, brings you authentic crime fiction that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of Connelly, Box, Dugoni and Baldacci.
Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald
Narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw
Random House Audio
$12.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
A binge-worthy queer coming-of-age rom-com about life and love in Hollywood. • “This vibrant, sun-drenched romantic comedy is both an irresistible love story and a riveting exploration of Hollywood dynamics.”—Rachel Lynn Solomon, New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk
For aspiring cinematographer Luna Roth, coming out as bisexual at twenty-four is proving more difficult than she anticipated. Sure, her best friend and fellow queer Romy is thrilled for her—but she has no interest in coming out to her backwards parents, she wouldn’t know how to flirt with a girl if one fell at her feet, and she has no sexual history to build off. Not to mention she really needs to focus her energy on escaping her emotionally-abusive-but-that’s-Hollywood talent manager boss and actually get working under a real director of photography anyway.
When she meets twenty-eight-year-old A-list actress Valeria Sullivan around the office, Luna thinks she’s found her solution. She’ll use Valeria’s interest in her cinematography to get a PA job on the set of Valeria’s directorial debut—and if Valeria is as gay as Luna suspects, and she happens to be Luna’s route to losing her virginity, too . . . well, that’s just an added bonus. Enlisting Romy’s help, Luna starts the juggling act of her life—impress Valeria’s DP to get another job after this one, get as close to Valeria as possible, and help Romy with her own career moves.
But when Valeria begins to reciprocate romantic interest in Luna, the act begins to crumble—straining her relationship with Romy and leaving her job prospects precarious. Now Luna has to figure out if she can she fulfill her dreams as a filmmaker, keep her best friend, and get the girl. . . or if she’s destined to end up on the cutting room floor.
The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
Narrated by Lauren Sweet
HarperCollins Publishers
$12.99 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase
Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage of convenience…
Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.
Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.
Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…
Talk Flirty to Me by Livy Hart
Narrated by Zura Johnson, Edward Black
Tantor Audio
$7.49 Whispersync Deal with Kindle Purchase – Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
I’ve got ninety-nine problems and my brother’s snarky, smart-mouthed best friend Sam is tangled up in every last one of them.
When it comes to firefighter Sam O’Shea, absence—and a regime of tactical avoidance—has been working for me juuust fine. But when the audition of a lifetime falls in my pathetically broke lap, and he’s the only one who can help me land the job, I’m willing to make a deal with the devil if it means I can kickstart my career as a narrator for audio books.
The problem? We’d have to actually do the job. Together. And then we’re told it’s for an erotic romance. Narrating steamy lines in a tiny studio with a man who lights a fire under your skin? An occupational hazard. Accidentally inciting a town scandal when your erotic audiobook clips wind up on the radio? A crisis. And falling for the one man I promised my brother-and my heart—I wouldn’t touch?
A disaster-and temptation-I can’t resist.
Contains mature themes.
French Holiday by Sarah Ready
Narrated by Kelsey Navarro
Self Published
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Kelsey Navarro
One (crumbling) French castle. Two enemies-at-first-sight. The holiday of a lifetime.
Merry DeLuca has a problem—a big problem. Her sister just married her best friend and the only man she’s ever loved. Her life is rapidly spiraling down the drain, and she doesn’t have an escape plan.
So when Merry is offered a three-month holiday living in a romantic castle in the French countryside, she leaps at the chance. Merry knows her French holiday will fix everything—there will be mouthwatering pastries, delicious (meaningless) flirtations, and languid strolls through vineyards at sunset. Her holiday will be perfect.
At least, Merry believes that until she arrives and finds Noah Wright—the best man at her sister’s wedding and the worst man she’s ever known—staying in her castle.
Famous travel documentarian by day and arrogant devil by night, Noah refuses to leave the castle. Which means that Merry and Noah are stuck together in France, in a crumbling castle, in a holiday where nothing goes right. Not for Merry, and not for Noah.
So they strike a truce—they’ll live as cohabitating friends for three-months, and then they’ll amicably part ways, never to see each other again.
But the thing about friendship? Sometimes, secrets are uncovered. Mysteries revealed. Hearts laid bare. And friendship can start to feel a lot like caring. A lot like love. It can even make you wish that the holiday never has to end.
Her Best Friend’s Secret by Anna Mansell
Narrated by Imogen Church
SAGA Egmont
Your best friend deserves the truth. But it will ruin her life. What would you do?
It’s been over twenty years since four very different teenage girls sat on that beach at Goran Haven, and swore to be best friends forever. Their lives went different ways after Emily left. But each remembered that promise. And none truly found friendship like it again.
Now, Emily’s back, with a secret she can’t face. She tries to hide away, take time to heal and make some difficult choices, but she runs into one of her old friends, and soon the four are reunited. Lolly, warm as ever, is a successful physiotherapist, married with kids. Yet smart, strong Amanda, who cherishes her teenage daughter, is alone and seemingly stuck in a dead-end job. And creative Jess is so much quieter than Emily remembers.
The bond is still there, and Emily realises their friendship might keep her together, but there are reasons why the women fell out of touch. Secrets that have lain dormant for decades start to surface, and then one of the women discovers a betrayal so big, it could turn each of their lives upside down.
It’s always those we’re closest to who have the power to tear us apart. Can friendship give Emily and her friends the strength to survive a devastating shock, or are some things unforgivable?
Full of truths about friendship, marriage, and the relationships that define us, Her Best Friend’s Secret is a powerful, relatable and emotionally gripping novel for fans of Jojo Moyes, Diane Chamberlain, and The Silent Wife.
Author has sold over 30,000 copies to date and is a top 20 Amazon CA and top 70 Amazon UK author.
Anna spent almost twenty years trying to shoehorn writing in to her career as a marketing manager for dance and theatre companies. Eventually, she did what you are not remotely supposed to do and walked away from an excellent job in order to try and become a published author. Three years, lots of tears and some slightly hairy bank balances later, she met Kirsty Greenwood and the rest, as they say, is history. Anna lives in Cornwall with her husband and two kids. She feels very fortunate!
Search and Rescue by Boyd Craven III
Narrated by Kevin Pierce
One Man’s Opus #4
Self Published
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
Check out my reviews of other titles written by Boyd Craven III
Check out my reviews of other titles Narrated by Kevin Pierce
Recovered from the events that took place in Florida and Utah, the Carpenter family and their three furry companions embark for a new adventure!
The Carpenters have been invited to visit Tina’s parents in Arizona, which ties into some training Tina wants to sign Sarge up for. The problem arises when Rick isn’t quite ready to tackle the desert yet. The physical wounds are long gone, but he’s still working on the mental ones. Deciding to stay home and work on the bugout property, the couple decides to divide and conquer. Tina doesn’t mind visiting her parents without Rick, though she misses her husband. She decides training is just what her and Sarge need. All was going perfect until a small plane went down nearby, and some from her class are enlisted to help find the survivors.
Meanwhile in Michigan, having some of the best noses out there, Ophelia and Opus, along with Rick, start on a journey to find a lost scout pack and their den leader. Little do they know that getting to them is only the smallest part of the journey!
Both adults find themselves a country apart in search and rescue missions. When things go wrong, they go really wrong.
A Winter Affair by Minna Howard
Narrated by Jilly Bond
SAGA Egmont
Kindle Edition Currently Available with Kindle Unlimited
A wonderful warm, seasonal treat, whisking you on a magical adventure to the Swiss Alps. Full of food, laughter and fun. Perfect for the fans of Trisha Ashley.
With a recent divorce and empty nest Eloise Brandon is facing Christmas alone until a harried phone call from her godfather changes everything.
Accepting his challenge, Eloise finds herself en-route to Verbier and to her godfather’s chalet in the beautiful Swiss Alps to help cater for some seriously rich, high rolling guests.
What ensues makes it a Christmas to remember. A heady alpine mixture of old friends, ex-husbands, mega-rich, super demanding guests, a dishevelled proprietor and Bert the dog.
Minna has had an exciting career in fashion journalism and now writes full time, whilst enjoying time with her grandsons and working as an occasional film and TV extra. She lives in London.
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