Audiobooks by Bernice L. McFadden

"The first of two steamy and entertaining romance novels, published under the beloved and distinguished author's real name for the first time You never know what's going on behind someone's groove. New York City, April 2002: Geneva, Crystal, Noah, and Chevy, a close friend group, are all mid-thirty, flirty-and ready to embrace the heat of the summer. But behind closed doors, each of them has struggles of their own: Geneva keeps accidentally falling for the charms of her good-for-nothing ex-husband; Crystal is a high-flying executive with a picture-perfect life and a boyfriend who might just be too good to be true; Noah is attempting to keep the spark alive between him and his European boyfriend, but the flames of temptation keep catching fire in the most unexpected of places; and then there's Chevy, who couldn't care less about love and only wants a life of champagne dinners and designer bags, no matter the cost. But as the city heats up and tensions keep bubbling under the surface, Chevy gets entangled with a hot and mysterious stranger. The group must come together to save their friend before it's too late-and before secrets break their forever friendship."

Bernice L. McFadden, Geneva Holliday (Author), Cary Hite, Emana Rachelle, Janina Edwards, Kevin R. Free, Robin Miles (Narrator)

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Fever: A Novel

"The second of two steamy and entertaining romance novels, published under the beloved and distinguished author's real name for the first time Three years have passed since four friends-Geneva, Chevy, Crystal, and Noah-had a steamy summer of secrets and sleeping around. As another summer is fast approaching, they've sworn off any extracurricular activities, but as the temperature rises in the city, the friends find themselves in hot water again. Geneva is busy taking care of her daughter and trying not to get too involved with her son's young business manager. Chevy gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to assist a diva who might want more than what's in the employment contract. Crystal has promised to save herself for Mr. Right (instead of jumping into bed with another Mr. Right Now), but her commitment is tested when an old acquaintance reenters her life. And while Noah is getting very cozy with his new neighbors in London, he's still everyone's favorite (and only) confidant who can't stop himself from meddling in other people's business. But secrets don't stay secrets for long among these friends, and with sexual tensions high on both side of the pond, everyone is sure to catch the fever. . . ."

Bernice L. McFadden, Geneva Holliday (Author), Emana Rachelle, Janina Edwards, Kevin R. Free, Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

Camilla's Roses: A Novel

"A reissue of a hidden gem from the award-winning author of Sugar, this novel tells the story of a woman who uncovers the fragility of life and the enduring strength of family love. Camilla's childhood was immersed in love and chaos, and steeped in perfection. As an adult she hasn't looked back, refusing to acknowledge the people and places that scarred her so many years ago. But a cancer diagnosis forces Camilla to turn to the past, and all its pain, to save her daughter. As Camilla discovers the bittersweet limitations of motherhood and reconciliation, she also awakens an inspiring message about the mortality issues we all must face. Unfolding in a progression of powerful chapters, Camilla's Roses portrays a life haunted by the past, and the choices we all make to fight for a future."

Bernice L. McFadden (Author), Adenrele Ojo, Emana Rachelle, Janina Edwards, Karen Murray, Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook

Firstborn Girls: Four Generations, One Extraordinary Story

"Brought to you by Penguin. A memoir about four generations of women whose lives illuminate a century of American history, by the author of Richard and Judy Book Club pick Sugar On her second birthday in 1967, Bernice McFadden died. She was in a car crash on the motorway turnoff to Detroit. For a few minutes, she was clinically dead. From the moment of her resuscitation, we follow a remarkable life, all the way up to the publication of her first novel, Sugar. In 80s Brooklyn, growing up in terror of her alcoholic father, young Bernice loses herself in books. But it’s not until she reads Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, stories about ‘messy, beautiful, joyful Black people’ so reminiscent of her loved ones, that she sees herself within their pages. Bernice’s family story begins in Sandersville, Georgia, with freedwoman Louisa Vicey Wilson in 1870. Her descendants survived Reconstruction, Jim Crow, joined the ‘great migration’, cried when Dr King was assassinated during The Civil Rights Movement. Wisdom, secrets, and fierce love are passed down through generations of women like Lou’s handmade quilt. Tracing her roots gives Bernice the strength to write her own story. A memoir of many threads, Firstborn Girls is an extraordinarily moving account of a life shaped both by family history and a drive to be something more. 'Riveting... one of America’s most creative and necessary writers' SAPPHIRE 'McFadden’s ability to tell a story makes this one of the most engrossing memoirs I have read in a long time… People will talk about these First Born Girls for years to come!' TARANA BURKE, activist and author of Unbound 'Remarkable... Firstborn Girls is an absolute treasure' DEESHA PHILYAW, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies © Bernice McFadden 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Bernice L. McFadden (Author), Bernice L. McFadden, Robin Miles (Narrator)

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Sugar

"Brought to you by Penguin. Young and confident, with a swagger in her step, Sugar arrives in the small southern town of Bigelow with the hope of starting over. Soon Bigelow is alight with gossip and suspicion, and Sugar fears she can't hide from her past. Until, that is, she meets Pearl, her next-door neighbour. Over sweet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both women's lives - and the life of an entire town. Vividly bringing 1950s Deep South America to life, with its flowering magnolia trees, lingering scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and white picket fences that keep strangers out - but ignorance and superstition in, Sugar takes us on a journey through loss and suffering to a place of forgiveness, understanding, and grace. © Bernice McFadden 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021"

Bernice L. McFadden (Author), Myra Lucretia Taylor (Narrator)

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The Warmest December

"'McFadden's reissued second novel takes an unflinching look at the corrosive nature of alcoholism . . . This is not a story of easy redemption . . . McFadden writes candidly about the treacherous hold of addiction.' --Publishers Weekly 'Riveting. . . . So nicely avoids the sentimentality that swirls around the subject matter. I am as impressed by its structural strength as by the searing and expertly imagined scenes.' --Toni Morrison, author of Beloved 'The sharpness of the prose and power of the story make it hard to stop reading even the most brutal scenes . . . The story feels real perhaps because it's familiar . . . Or maybe, as Frey points out, the story is too vivid to be read purely as fiction. But in this Precious-style novel, genre is the least of our concerns.' --Bust magazine 'This is a story that cuts across all race and social strata in its need to be told.' --The Dallas Morning News The Warmest December is the incredibly moving story of one Brooklyn family and the alcoholism that determined years of their lives. Narrated by Kenzie Lowe, a young woman reminiscent of Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John, as she visits her dying father and finds that choices she once thought beyond her control are very much hers to make. Bernice L. McFadden is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels."

Bernice L. McFadden (Author), Myra Lucretia Taylor (Narrator)

Audiobook

Loving Donovan

"Two-time Hurston/Wright Legacy Award finalist Bernice L. McFadden has also been twice honored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. One of Library Journal's 25 Key Indie Fiction Titles, this heartbreaking tale follows two damaged but hopeful souls as they struggle to find love despite the ravages of their pasts"

Bernice L. McFadden, Terry McMillan (Author), Robin Miles (Narrator)

Audiobook