Contemporary Women Audiobooks | Fiction

The Philadelphia Heiress: A Novel Audiobook

"In pursuit of happiness, a young woman’s dreams extend beyond money and marriage in this aspirational historical novel by the international bestselling author of The Light After the War. It’s 1927, and Helen Montgomery is coming of age on Philadelphia’s Main Line, where privileged young women are set for life. But Helen has desires of her own. Debutante balls, eligible bachelors, and marriage aren’t among them…until her father is embroiled in a devastating scandal that jeopardizes the family’s financial future and social standing, that is. Then it becomes up to Helen to repair both by marrying a man of wealth and connection. Edgar Scott is as independent as Helen. The black-sheep scion of a railroad magnate, Edgar’s aspirations of becoming an author go against the grain of his own family’s expectations. For a time, Helen and Edgar’s marriage grows from attraction and convenience to genuine loyalty and respect. But as Edgar’s frustrations and rejections mount and Helen’s personal dreams recede, the cracks in the perfect life Helen wants are beginning to show. So begins Helen’s journey of forgiveness, redefining the meaning of perfection—for herself and in others—and accepting with all her heart the mistakes humans make in the name of love."

Anita Abriel (Author), Barrie Kreinik (Narrator)

Audiobook

Blank: A Novel

"A wife, mother, and frustrated writer faces an impossible deadline for turning her life around in a hilarious debut novel about family, friendship, success, and exhilarating self-(re)discovery. Pippa Jones is a fortyish former literary sensation who fears she will be a one-hit wonder. After the follow-up book she was almost done writing, Podlusters, had to be tossed (it ended up sharing a plot and title with superstar author Ella Rankin’s summer blockbuster!), she couldn’t write a thing. Months of staring at a blank page made her confidence vanish like a one-night stand. When she finds out that she has only five days left to finish (or rather, start) or repay an advance she’s already spent, Pippa has a brilliantly original idea. Okay, fine, her twelve-year-old son came up with it as a joke, but Pippa and her teenage daughter approved. Pippa’s not only going to make a bold statement, but she’ll change the book world while she’s at it! Can she pull it off? At this point, she doesn’t have a choice. When Pippa’s publisher gets intimately involved, it unlocks a series of plot twists she never saw coming. From the courtyards of posh Beverly Hills hotels and Malibu mega-mansions to Brentwood and Santa Monica bookstores, Pippa races against time—in her used Volvo—and discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends, and herself than she ever could have dreamed up."

Zibby Owens (Author), Sharon Freedman (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Devil and Mrs. Davenport: A Novel

"The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead. The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices. Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening. Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work. As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself."

Paulette Kennedy (Author), Lauren Ezzo (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Waves Take You Home: A Novel

"In this heartfelt story about how the places we run from hold the answers to our deepest challenges, the death of her grandmother brings a young woman home, where she must face the past in order to become the heir of not just the family restaurant, but her own destiny. Violeta Sanoguera had always done what she was told. She left the man she loved in Colombia in pursuit of a better life for herself and because her mother and grandmother didn’t approve of him. Chasing dreams of education and art in New York City, and with a new love, twenty-eight-year-old Violeta establishes a new life for herself, on her terms. But when her grandmother suddenly dies, everything changes. After years of being on her own in NYC, Violeta finds herself on a plane back to Colombia, accompanied at all times by the ghost of her grandmother who is sending her messages and signs, to find she is the heir of the failing family restaurant, the very one Abuela told her to run from in the first place. The journey leads her to rediscover her home, her grandmother, and even the flame of an old love."

María Alejandra Barrios Vélez (Author), Krysta Gonzales (Narrator)

Audiobook

Nuclear Family

"A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING READER FAVOURITE ‘Funny, poignant, smart and wonderfully, achingly real’ SARAH WATERS ‘Rambunctiously funny’ THE TIMES, Book of the Year 'I can’t think of another author who can make me ricochet so quickly from painful empathy to helpless laughter' ERIN KELLY Who do you choose when the cracks begin to show? When Lena buys DNA testing kits for her father Tom and twin sister Alison, she has no idea the gift will blow her family apart. Tom, forced to admit that he isn’t his daughters’ biological father, is terrified they will reject him. Alison, trying to start a family with her wife, doesn’t think DNA should make a difference. But Lena is obsessed with tracking down their biological father – and soon discovers they have a famous half-brother. Then she becomes obsessed with him, too… From the Polari Prize-winning author of In at the Deep End, this is a hilarious and deeply moving novel about what it means to be a family. READERS ARE LOVING NUCLEAR FAMILY 'I raced through it over a 24-hour period' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved the mix of humour, warmth and empathy. It's such an insightful book that really got me thinking' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Davies writes fearlessly and movingly – I felt as though I was reading about family friends. A brilliant read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I chuckled, laughed, and cried… People are alive and breathing on the pages of this book. Please read it and enjoy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Laugh-out-loud funny… A delight!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Kate Davies (Author), Olivia Darnley (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Diamond and the Duke

"When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed 'beast' finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time… Despite a hero's return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat-and the despair of a broken heart-left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone…except for Ellie Balfour. Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other's business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can't bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes. But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can't win-and Wesley's heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan…"

Christi Caldwell (Author), Mary Jane Wells (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Happiest Ever After: THE TOP 10 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

"Life can be an adventure story, if you write it yourself! 'Milly Johnson always delivers an absolutely cracking read' Katie Fforde The new romantic, heartwarming, feelgood novel from the much-loved Sunday Times bestselling author, Milly Johnson. 'Gloriously funny, witty, wise and wonderful, this book is a total joy!' Alexandra Potter 'A delicious warm hug of a book' Jill Mansell 'Guaranteed to put a spring in your step - I loved it' Jo Thomas 'Gorgeous, heartwarming and moving, The Happiest Ever After is so original and brilliantly written in the typically funny and clever Johnson style' Lucy Vine 'An escapist, uplifting read full of heart' Libby Page 'Funny and brilliant and gorgeously warm, Milly Johnson always, always delivers' Paige Toon 'Takes you on a classic transformative journey in the most wonderful and original way. What a joy!' Julietta Henderson Polly Potter is surviving, not thriving. She used to love her job - until her mentor died and her new boss decided to make her life hell. She used to love her partner Chris - until he cheated on her, and now she can't forget. The only place where her life is working is on the pages of the novel she is writing - there she can create a feistier, bolder, more successful version of herself - as the fictional Sabrina Anderson. But what if it was possible to start over again? To leave everything behind, forget all that went before, and live the life you'd always dreamed of? After a set of unforeseen circumstances, Polly ends up believing she really IS Sabrina, living at the heart of a noisy Italian family restaurant by the sea. Run by Teddy, the son of her new landlady Marielle, it's a much-loved place, facing threat of closure as a rival restaurant moves in next door. Sabrina can't remember her life as Polly, but she knows she is living a different life from the one she used to have. But what if this new life could belong to her after all? 'Reading a Milly Johnson book is like spending time with a best friend - you always end up feeling better about the world. Written with genuine warmth and heart, they're an absolute treat' Lucy Diamond 'One of those novels that draws you in to its world and makes you wish you could be friends with Shay. A tantalising juicy tale full of twists and turns that kept me gripped. Warm, funny and moving. One to curl up with and devour' Ruth Jones 'The feeling you get when you read a Milly Johnson book should be bottled and made available on the NHS' Debbie Johnson"

Milly Johnson (Author), Colleen Prendergast (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Phoenix Crown

"An unforgettable story about the intertwined lives of two wronged women, spanning from the chaos of the San Francisco earthquake to the glittering palaces of Versailles… San Francisco, 1906. In a city bustling with newly minted millionaires and scheming upstarts, two very different women hope to change their fortunes: Gemma, a golden-haired, silver-voiced soprano whose career desperately needs rekindling, and Suling, a petite and resolute Chinatown embroideress who is determined to escape an arranged marriage. Their paths cross when they are drawn into the orbit of Henry Thornton, a charming railroad magnate whose extraordinary collection of Chinese antiques includes the fabled Phoenix Crown, a legendary relic of Beijing’s fallen Summer Palace. His patronage offers Gemma and Suling the chance of a lifetime, but their lives are thrown into turmoil when a devastating earthquake rips San Francisco apart and Thornton disappears, leaving behind a mystery reaching further than anyone could have imagined . . . Until the Phoenix Crown reappears five years later at a sumptuous Paris costume ball, drawing Gemma and Suling together in one last desperate quest for justice . . . Praise for The Phoenix Crown: ‘Impeccably researched, magnificently rendered, and breathlessly paced’ JAMIE FORD ‘Seamless, page-turning masterpiece of history and suspense – shot through with women rising up from the margins of society to claim their own singular futures, I could not put this triumphant novel down’ MARIE BENEDICT ‘Heart-pounding, gasp-out-loud storytelling – The Phoenix Crown is the best book I’ve read all year’ VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY 'Lushly detailed, richly imagined, and utterly satisfying, The Phoenix Crown will entrance readers' BOOKLIST 'Action-packed, this novel skillfully uses its strong female leads to examine racism, sexism, and classism. Readers won't want to put this one down' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY '[A] seamless collaboration of two terrific novelists' THE WASHINGTON POST"

Janie Chang, Kate Quinn (Author), Katherine Chin, Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sisterhood

"Two sisters. One secret. A journey to learn who they really are… The instant Irish number one bestseller! ‘I really, really loved it. I think it's her best book so far, written with maturity and great compassion. The characters are very relatable, Lou was my favourite … I enjoyed this book so much’ MARIAN KEYES 'A burst of Sicilian sunshine … Cathy writes from the heart with great warmth and sincerity' ERICA JAMES Lou never puts herself first. She always looks out for other people. Even at her own birthday party, all she does is worry whether everybody else is having a good time. Then a terrible secret upends the celebrations. And she decides to do the one thing that nobody ever expects: something for herself. But she’s going to need her sister. Life has pulled Lou and Toni apart– yet now they set off on a journey, one that will whisk them from the windswept Irish coast to sun-baked Sicily. Where will their journey end? READERS HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH SISTERHOOD: 'I love Cathy Kelly's books and this is no exception. She seems to have the knack of taking an ordinary family with ordinary problems and making it so very interesting' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I have always enjoyed Cathy Kelly's books, and think this is one of her best' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is a poignant and engaging feel-good story, which had me hoping for bouts of insomnia for a little extra middle of the night reading.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Girl power at its best! A story of self-discovery for two sisters who both have devastating things to deal with.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Cathy’s novels never fail to completely engross you in the story – first class.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The book was AMAZING. I loved seeing the sisters support each other and I delighted in Lou getting bolder and stronger and telling people what for.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Cathy Kelly (Author), Angeline Ball (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Fortune Seller: A Novel

"Yellowjackets meets The Cloisters in this beguiling coming-of-age story about class, reinvention, and destiny, set against the backdrop of two mysterious deaths. Middle-class Rosie Macalister has worked for years to fit in with her wealthy friends on the Yale equestrian team. But when she comes back from her junior year abroad with newfound confidence, she finds that the group has been infiltrated by a mysterious intruder: Annelise Tattinger. A talented tarot reader and a brilliant rider, the enigmatic Annelise is unlike anyone Rosie has ever met. But when one of their friends notices money disappearing from her bank account, Annelise's place in the circle is thrown into question. As the girls turn against each other, the group’s unspoken tensions and assumptions lead to devastating consequences. It's only after graduation, when Rosie begins a job at a Manhattan hedge fund, that she uncovers Annelise's true identity––and how her place in their elite Yale set was no accident. Is it too late for Rosie to put right what went wrong, or does everyone's luck run out at some point? Set in the heady days of the early aughts, The Fortune Seller is a haunting examination of class, ambition, and the desires that shape our lives. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press."

Rachel Kapelke-Dale (Author), Stephanie Cannon (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Women: The Instant Number One Bestseller from the author of The Nightingale

"Read by Julia Whelan, including an Author's Note read by Kristin, revealing her inspiration for telling the women's heroic stories, which had been either forgotten or entirely overlooked. From the worldwide bestselling author of The Four Winds, The Nightingale and Firefly Lane (a Number One series on Netflix), The Women is a story of devastating loss and epic love. 'Astonishing. Compelling. Powerful' - Delia Owens, bestselling author of Where the Crawdads Sing 'Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism' - Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry 'Powerful' - Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library An instant Sunday Times bestseller and soon to be a major motion picture! 'Women can be heroes, too'. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances "Frankie" McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California's idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause. Listeners love The Women: 'The sure touch of Golden Voice narrator Julia Whelan transforms Kristin Hannah's absorbing novel about Vietnam War combat nurses into an addictive listen' - AudioFile 'It honours ALL women: those who have fought for their rights and freedoms, those who have been overlooked and underappreciated, those who have been forgotten by families and society' 'I've been looking forward to this book's release for months' 'Kristin Hannah has done it again' The Women was a Sunday Times bestseller from 17.2.24-13.4.24"

Kristin Hannah (Author), Julia Whelan (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Reality of Everything

"Two years after the man she loved was killed in Afghanistan, Morgan Bartley is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. The reno on her dilapidated beach house in the Outer Banks might be just the distraction she needs to keep her debilitating anxiety attacks at bay and begin to heal her heart . . . if she can ignore the ridiculously handsome guy next door. At twenty-eight, single-dad Jackson Montgomery's life revolves around his five-year-old daughter and his job as a search-and-rescue pilot for the coast guard. He's no stranger to saving a damsel in distress, and though his gorgeous new neighbor is clearly in distress, she's no damsel. She's stubborn as hell with walls a mile thick, and the dog tags hanging from her rearview mirror give him a pretty good clue as to why. It doesn't matter that their attraction is undeniable—she swore she'd never fall for another pilot, let alone a military man. There are some wounds time can't heal, and some fears too consuming to conquer. She's a barely breathing heartbreak on the edge of recovery. He's a crash waiting to happen. Together they could have it all . . . if they can endure the coming storm. Contains mature themes."

Rebecca Yarros (Author), Cj Bloom, Teddy Hamilton (Narrator)

Audiobook

Contemporary Women Audiobooks in Fiction