Contemporary Women Audiobooks | Fiction

Better Left Unsent: The hilarious new romcom from international bestselling author

"'Laugh-out-loud, heartwarming tale' BETH O'LEARY 'Pure romance magic' CHRISTINA LAUREN 'Beyond wonderful, so funny, so sweet' LINDSEY KELK Millie Chandler is known at work as the nice receptionist who got dumped by the company hotshot, and ever since then, she has vowed to keep everything to herself - her feelings, her hopes, and especially her fears. But Millie does have an outlet: her emails. From sarcastic replies to her rude boss, rants to friends about their terrible taste in men to a five-hundred-word love declaration to her ex, who three years on, is about to marry someone else. Millie's reality lives in her drafts until the morning she discovers that they are somehow in her sent folder. The truth is out. As every dark secret she's worked so hard to keep password protected is released, Millie must fix the chaos her words have caused. Will Millie find the strength to open both her heart, and her inbox?"

Lia Louis (Author), Ashley Tucker (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Night in Question

"Brought to you by Penguin. Florence Butterfield has lived an extraordinary life full of travel, passion and adventure. But, at eighty-seven, she suspects there are no more surprises to come her way. Then, one midsummer's night, something terrible happens - so strange and unexpected that Florrie is suspicious. Was this really an accident, or is she living alongside a would-be murderer? The only clue is a magenta envelope, discarded earlier that day. And Florrie - cheerfully independent but often overlooked - is the only person determined to uncover the truth. As she turns detective, Florrie finds herself looking back on her own life . . . and a long-buried secret, traced in faded scars across her knuckles, becomes ever harder to ignore. Prize-winning author Susan Fletcher's The Night in Question is an absorbing and uplifting whodunnit with a uniquely loveable protagonist at its heart. ©2024 Susan Fletcher (P)2024 Penguin Audio"

Susan Fletcher (Author), Jenny Funnell (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - Cemetery of Untold Stories El cementerio de los cuentos sin contar Unabr SP Ed

"La inigualable Julia Alvarez, autora de En el tiempo de las mariposas y De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento, regresa con una extraordinaria e íntima novela que nos recuerda que las historias de vida jamás están realmente acabadas. Ni siquiera cuando llega el final. **Uno de los libros más esperados del año según el New York Times, Washington Post, Today.com, Goodreads, Literary Hub, BookPage, BBC.com, and Zibby Mag** Alma Cruz ha decidido ponerle punto final a su carrera de escritora, pero teme acabar como su amiga, una exitosa novelista arrastrada a la locura por un libro que jamás terminó de escribir. Por eso, cuando hereda un modesto terreno en República Dominicana, se le ocurre sepultar allí sus decenas de manuscritos inconclusos. Quiere que descansen en paz en la misma tierra donde yacen sus raíces. Pero a diferencia de Alma, los protagonistas de sus relatos aún tienen mucho por decir, y encuentran en Filomena, la reservada cuidadora del cementerio, una interlocutora empática y atenta. Al compartir sus historiasBienvenida, la exesposa olvidada del dictador Rafael Trujillo; Manuel Cruz, un médico exiliado durante el régimen, y la misma Filomena convertirán el cementerio en un lugar mágico.Un santuario donde quienes han sido silenciados hallarán el sentido que anhelan en la vitalidad imperecedera de los cuentos que aún quedan por contar. Y colorín colorado... —— Literary icon Julia Alvarez, bestselling author of In the Time of the Butterflies, shares an inventive and emotional novel about storytelling and her homeland—the Dominican Republic—that Kirkus Reviews calls a ''rich and moving saga'' and Shelf Awareness calls ''a lyrical thought-provoking meditation on truth, complicated family narratives, and the question of whose stories get told.'' **Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by the New York Times, Washington Post, Today.com, Goodreads, Literary Hub, BookPage, BBC.com, and Zibby Mag** Alma Cruz has decided to end her writing career, but she fears she'll end up like her friend, a successful novelist driven to madness by a book she never finished writing. So when she inherits a modest plot of land in the Dominican Republic, she decides to bury her dozens of unfinished manuscripts there. She wants them to rest in peace in the same land where her roots are. But unlike Alma, the protagonists of her stories still have plenty to say, and they find in Filomena, the reserved caretaker of the cemetery, an empathetic and attentive interlocutor. By sharing their stories, Bienvenida, the forgotten ex-wife of dictator Rafael Trujillo; Manuel Cruz, a doctor exiled during the regime, and Filomena herself will turn the cemetery into a magical place, a sanctuary where those who have been silenced will find the meaning they yearn for in the imperishable vitality of the untold stories. Y colorín colorado..."

Julia Alvarez (Author), Altagracia Nova (Narrator)

Audiobook

Hagstone

"THE INSTANT TOP 5 IRISH BESTSELLER SHORTLISTED FOR THE JOHN McGAHERN BOOK PRIZE 2025 ‘Wild, singular…gripped me from the start’ DOUGLAS STUART 'Passionate, wild, hugely atmospheric' DAVID NICHOLLS ‘Intelligent, probing’ MAGGIE O'FARRELL ‘A gorgeous, mysterious read’ AISLING BEA ‘I adored it’ LOUISE KENNEDY LONGLISTED FOR THE 2025 DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD *A most anticipated 2024 debut in BBC, Daily Mail, Stylist, New Statesman, Sunday Independent, Irish Times and Irish Examiner* The haunting debut novel from acclaimed, Irish no. 1 bestselling author, Sinéad Gleeson. The sea is steady for now. The land readies itself. What can be done with the women on the cliff? On a wild and rugged island cut off and isolated to some, artist Nell feels the island is her home. It is the source of inspiration for her art, rooted in landscape, folklore and the feminine. The mysterious Iníons, a commune of women who have travelled there from all over the world, consider it a place of refuge and safety, of solace in nature. All the islanders live alongside the strange murmurings that seem to emanate from within the depths of the island, a sound that is almost supernatural – a Summoning as the Iníons call it. One day, a letter arrives at Nell’s door from the reclusive Iníons who invite Nell into the commune for a commission to produce a magnificent art piece to celebrate their long history. In its creation, Nell will discover things about the community and about herself that will challenge everything she thought she knew. Beautifully written and gripping, Sinéad Gleeson’s debut novel takes in the darker side of human nature and the mysteries of faith and the natural world. Perfect for readers of Margaret Atwood and Sarah Moss. 'Sublime' OBSERVER ‘Original and captivating’ BBC 'A gripping punch to the gut' SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ‘Startling, engrossing, darkly playful’ RODDY DOYLE ‘Magnificent…a literary page-turner’ JENNIFER HIGGIE 'Constellations: Reflections from Life' by Sinéad Gleeson won Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2019 Irish Book Awards."

Sinéad Gleeson (Author), Tara Flynn (Narrator)

Audiobook

Tourist Season

"A great new beach read from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookstore on The Beach A summer by the ocean promises new beginnings-until old secrets resurface. Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family's luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy's childhood closet. She's not sure what to make of it, but is relieved when the property's caretaker, Bo, checks in on her. Bo's home is damaged, so they temporarily shelter together, and Ismay is comforted by his quiet strength. But the unannounced arrival of a family member puts Bo back at his place and changes Ismay's summer into something other than what she wants-or ever expected. With so many reasons to feel unsettled, Ismay finds herself turning to Bo, who gives her more than a sense of security; there's something about him that makes her feel alive, stirring her to wonder what life might be like if she chose a different path… As Ismay grows closer to Bo, she begins to hope the reclusive caretaker might eventually let down his guard. But when she finds out that he has secrets, too, she begins to question how well she knows any of the men in her life-and how well she can trust her own heart. Look for other summer reads by bestselling author Brenda Novak: - The Seaside Library - Summer on the Island - The Bookstore on the Beach"

Brenda Novak (Author), Amy Mcfadden (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Beautiful People

"Set against the glamorous 1960s Jet Set-a failed debutante's new job as assistant to society photographer Slim Aarons takes her into Palm Beach's inner circle, and into a beguiling friendship with the star at its center, fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer "This glittering novel shines as brightly as its heroine. A true delight." -Nicola Harrison, author of Hotel Laguna Washington Post Best Book of April * PureWow Best Book of Summer * Woman's World Best Book of the Week It's 1961, and for Margo Hightower, everything is about to change. True, her engagement is off, her family has fallen in scandal, and she's completely broke. But she's just been hired as assistant to photographer Slim Aarons-famous for his vibrant pictures of high society, royalty, and Hollywood stars-and she knows this opportunity is her ticket to something better. From the bright beaches of Acapulco to glitzy parties in New York, Margo is thrown headfirst into the glamorous jet-set world she so covets, observing its ways from behind the camera as Slim's sidekick. There's Jackie Kennedy, Truman Capote's Swans, a host of Vanderbilts. Beautiful people in beautiful places. But when they land in Palm Beach, a scene with few rules and many riches, the lines between work and play begin to blur. As Margo becomes swept up in the city's social circle-and into a friendship with heiress and rising fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer-the golden life seems increasingly in reach. Until she finds herself entangled in a complicated web of loyalties and secrets that could bring it all crashing down… Don't miss Michelle Gable's other riveting novels: - The Bookseller's Secret - The Lipstick Bureau"

Michelle Gable (Author), Eleanor Caudill (Narrator)

Audiobook

Love at First Knight

"She’s no damsel in distress, and he’s certainly not wearing shining armour. But one knight can change everything… Daisy Hastings has always thought she was born in the wrong era. So when she bags a summer job at the Tower of London helping to run their Knight school, it feels like a step in the right direction. Theodore ‘Teddy’ Fairfax is a loose cannon. A disgraced distant relative of the royal family, he’s tall, dark and now (begrudgingly) helping with the Tower of London’s summer programme – and there’s nowhere he’d like to be less. When Teddy’s oath to be an obstruction almost gets Daisy fired, she declares war. But as the two cross swords, they start to discover they both need a little rescuing… And that maybe, just maybe, love can bloom, even on a battlefield… Readers are falling hard for Love at First Knight! 'I LOVED this book!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I was in love from page one.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'So cute!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I finished the book in a single sitting. Couldn't put it down!' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This helped heal my own nerdy anxious heart. I'll cherish this read forever.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'There was so much to love about it; if this book was made into a movie, I'd watch it.' NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Megan Clawson (Author), Ashley Tucker (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Sicilian Inheritance

"Don’t miss this transporting novel full of family secrets, a disputed inheritance, and a century-old unsolved mystery … ‘As much a feminist adventure as a redemptive family mystery . . . I was gripped and entertained from start to finish’ Ashley Audrain, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Push ‘Strong women, rich history and page-turning suspense make for a rich and satisfying read’ Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author * * * A century-old unsolved murder A disputed inheritance A family secret that some will kill to protect . . . When Sara Marsala’s beloved great-aunt Rosie passes away, she leaves Sara a valuable piece of land in Sicily, but there’s a catch: the locals refuse to acknowledge the rightful owner of the deed, and if Sara wants the land she must first uncover the truth about what happened to her great-grandmother, Serafina Marsala. Because Rosie didn’t think Serafina died of illness as family lore states . . . Rosie believed Serafina was murdered, and she wants Sara to prove it. Sara’s investigations take her up and down the picturesque Italian countryside and, along the way, she learns more about Serafina, a headstrong young woman thrust into motherhood in her teens, who fought for a better life for all the woman of her small village. Yet a woman who challenges the status quo is never safe, and as Sara discovers more about Serafina, she comes up against the same menacing forces that took down her great-grandmother. And now they want to destroy Sara too. * * * Praise for The Sicilian Inheritance: ‘Equal parts rich historical fiction, gripping murder mystery, and a moving exploration of identity, grief, and the long shadow of the past’ Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here"

Jo Piazza (Author), Carlotta Brentan, Rachel Hirsch (Narrator)

Audiobook

What the Mountains Remember: A Novel

"'Joy Callaway weaves a dramatic, heartfelt story of self-discovery and a hard-won love against the stunning backdrop the 'Eighth Wonder of the World.'' --Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of Time is a River At this wondrous resort, secrets can easily be hidden in plain sight when the eye is trained on beauty. April 1913--Belle Newbold hasn't seen mountains for seven years--since her father died in a mining accident and her mother married oil and gas magnate, Shipley Newbold. But when her stepfather's business acquaintance, Henry Ford, invites the family on one of his famous Vagabonds camping tours, she is forced to face the hills once again--primarily in order to reunite with her future fiancé, owner of the land the Vagabonds are using for their campsite, a man she's only met once before. It is a veritable arranged marriage, but she prefers it that way. Belle isn't interested in love. She only wants a simple life--a family of her own and the stability of a wealthy man's pockets. That's what Worth Delafield has promised to give her and it's worth facing the mountains again, the reminder of the past, and her poverty, to secure her future. But when the Vagabonds group is invited to tour the unfinished Grove Park Inn and Belle is unexpectedly thrust into a role researching and writing about the building of the inn--a construction the locals are calling The Eighth Wonder of the World--she quickly realizes that these mountains are no different from the ones she once called home. As Belle peels back the facade of Grove Park Inn, of Worth, of the society she's come to claim as her own, and the truth of her heart, she begins to see that perhaps her part in Grove Park's story isn't a coincidence after all. Perhaps it is only by watching a wonder rise from ordinary hands and mountain stone that she can finally find the strength to piece together the long-destroyed path toward who she was meant to be. International bestselling author Joy Callaway returns with a story of the ordinary people behind extraordinary beauty--and the question of who gets to tell their stories. Praise for What the Mountains Remember: 'Callaway is back with another insightful rendering of a place and time in history, bringing her trademark attention to detail, warmth, and heart to a story centered around one of the nation's most beautiful and fabled hotels, the Grove Park Inn in Asheville NC.'?--Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, author of ten novels and cofounder of The Book Tide 'A stunning portrayal of the building of the Grove Park Inn that reveals not only its grandeur, but also the struggles of the laborers tasked with its construction, Joy Callaway brings the famed Vagabonds to life with immaculate research and rich details in this intriguing, elegantly written historical fiction that readers are going to love!' --Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Hidden Books - Perfect for fans of The Only Woman in the Room and A Well-Behaved Woman - Stand-alone novel"

Joy Callaway (Author), Brittany Pressley (Narrator)

Audiobook

American Daughters: A Novel

"In the vein of America’s First Daughter, Piper Huguley’s historical novel delves into the remarkable friendship of Portia Washington and Alice Roosevelt, the daughters of educator Booker T. Washington and President Teddy Roosevelt. At the turn of the twentieth century, in a time of great change, two women—separated by societal status and culture but bound by their expected roles as the daughters of famed statesmen—forged a lifelong friendship. Portia Washington’s father Booker T. Washington was formerly enslaved and spent his life championing the empowerment of Black Americans through his school, known popularly as Tuskegee Institute, as well as his political connections. Dedicated to her father’s values, Portia contributed by teaching and performing spirituals and classical music. But a marriage to a controlling and jealous husband made fulfilling her dreams much more difficult. When Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency, his eldest daughter Alice Roosevelt joined him in the White House. To try to win her father’s approval, she eagerly jumped in to help him succeed, but Alice’s political savvy and nonconformist behavior alienated as well as intrigued his opponents and allies. When she married a congressman, she carved out her own agendas and continued espousing women’s rights and progressive causes. Brought together in the wake of their fathers’ friendship, these bright and fascinating women helped each other struggle through marriages, pregnancies, and political upheaval, supporting each other throughout their lives. A provocative historical novel and revealing portrait, Piper Huguley’s American Daughters vividly brings to life two passionate and vital women who nurtured a friendship that transcended politics and race over a century ago. "

Piper Huguley (Author), Chanté Mccormick, Kristen Sieh (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Marriage Sabbatical: A Novel

"What if you could take a vacation from your marriage? A couple decides to give it a shot in this fun, adventurous novel by Lian Dolan, the popular author of The Sweeney Sisters and Lost and Found in Paris. After twenty-three years of building careers and raising kids together, Jason and Nicole Elswick are ready for a break from their daily lives. Jason has spent years planning his dream sabbatical—ditching work for a nine-month-long motorcycle trip through South America. Problem is, that’s Jason’s dream, not Nicole’s. After years working retail and parenting in Portland, Nicole craves the sun of the Southwest and the artistic community in Santa Fe, where she wants to learn jewelry design. A chance encounter at a dinner party presents a surprising—and intriguing—way out of their dilemma. Over a little too much wine, Jason and Nicole’s married neighbors sing the praises of the 500 Mile Rule: their policy of enjoying themselves however they wish—and with whomever they wish—when they’re temporarily far apart. It seems like the perfect solution: nine months pursuing their own adventures—with a bit of don’t-ask-don’t-tell—and then a return to their shared lives. It’ll be a sabbatical from their marriage as well as their day jobs. As Jason bikes his way across a continent and Nicole reclaims the art she’s long neglected, they discover the pleasures and pitfalls of the 500 Mile Rule, confronting temptations of all kinds, uncomfortable truths about themselves, and gaining new perspective on their partnership. But all sabbaticals come to an end…then what?"

Lian Dolan (Author), Stacey Glemboski (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Limits: A novel

"The most thrilling work yet from the best-selling, prize-winning author of The Newlyweds and Lost and Wanted, a stunning new novel set in French Polynesia and New York City about three characters who undergo massive transformations over the course of a single year "A big-hearted, tightly-plotted novel that bravely takes on our times by looking at the timeless stuff of human intimacy. The Limits is an immersive and powerful book." -Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind From Mo'orea, a tiny volcanic island off the coast of Tahiti, a French biologist obsessed with saving Polynesia's imperiled coral reefs sends her teenage daughter to live with her ex-husband in New York. By the time fifteen-year-old Pia arrives at her father Stephen's luxury apartment in Manhattan and meets his new, younger wife, Kate, she has been shuttled between her parents' disparate lives-her father's consuming work as a surgeon at an overwhelmed New York hospital, her mother's relentless drive against a ticking ecological clock-for most of her life. Fluent in French, intellectually precocious, moving between cultures with seeming ease, Pia arrives in New York poised for a rebellion, just as COVID sends her and her stepmother together into near total isolation. A New York City schoolteacher, Kate struggles to connect with a teenager whose capacity for destruction seems exceeded only by her privilege. Even as Kate fails to parent Pia-and questions her own ability to become a mother-one of her sixteen-year-old students is already caring for a toddler full time. Athyna's love for her nephew, Marcus, is a burden that becomes heavier as she struggles to finish her senior year online. Juggling her manifold responsibilities, Athyna finds herself more and more anxious every time she leaves the house. Just as her fear of what is waiting for her outside her Staten Island community feels insupportable, an incident at home makes her desperate to leave. When their lives collide, Pia and Athyna spiral toward parallel but inescapably different tragedies. Moving from a South Pacific "paradise," where rage still simmers against the colonial government and its devastating nuclear tests, to the extreme inequalities of twenty-first century New York City, The Limits is an unforgettably moving novel about nation, race, class, and family. Heart-wrenching and humane, a profound work from one of America's most prodigiously gifted novelists."

Nell Freudenberger (Author), Rebecca Lowman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Contemporary Women Audiobooks in Fiction