Contemporary Women Audiobooks | Fiction

To the Wild Horizon: A totally captivating story of love and endurance on the Oregon Trail

"Missouri, 1846: In the frontier town of Independence the sound of a gunshot shatters the night. As the pistol drops from her hand and clatters to the ground, Grace knows she has no choice but to leave. Now. In this inspiring and deeply moving story of love, courage and endurance, a young woman on the run from the law sets off on a desperate journey of survival on the treacherous Oregon Trail. Terrified she's wanted for the murder of her landlord, Grace is certain that, even though she acted in self-defence, no one will believe her. Quickly packing the few belongings she and her little brother Tom possess, they race to join the line of dusty wagons preparing to leave for Oregon. As they set off, over the perilous Great Plains, knowing the wild rivers and the Rocky Mountains they must cross, Grace vows to do whatever it takes to protect Tom and get them both to safety. She will prove herself capable of surviving the hardest journey of her life. This unputdownable and heart-wrenching historical novel shows the true strength and resilience of a woman's heart, even when she has everything to lose and the odds are stacked against her. Fans of Kristin Hannah, Amy Harmon and Olivia Hawker will lose themselves in To the Wild Horizon. Readers are captivated by Imogen Martin's historical novels: "Absolutely LOVED this book. I was reading it far too late into the night to find out what happened next." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wonderful… I genuinely struggled to put this book down, in the end giving up completely and staying exactly where I was until I'd finished it." Eva Glyn, author of The Olive Grove, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Captivating… will leave an indelible mark on your heart.' Rachel Wesson, author of Darkness Falls "Stayed awake half the night to finish this book - I couldn't put it down!" Sue MacDonagh, author of The Sea Sisters Swimming Club, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I adored this book." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Enthralled from the very first page. I'll be recommending this book to everyone." Luisa A. Jones, author of The Gilded Cage, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A great read… I just couldn't put it down." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wonderful. I loved every minute." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Imogen Martin (Author), Katie Beudert (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Artist's Wife: An utterly absorbing historical novel of love and torn family loyalties

"A gripping and unputdownable story of love, sacrifice and torn family loyalties during the turmoil of WW1. July, 1914: In their sunlit Hampshire workshop, Alice Dalton mixes paints for the stained-glass artwork she and Edmund are working on, pausing only to joyfully cradle the soft swell of her stomach. But the looming war threatens her hard-won happiness. A knock at the door announces the arrival of Victor, her estranged brother, returning after six long years in America. But her elation at being reunited is short-lived as she realizes he still hasn't forgiven her for her part in the heartbreak that sent him abroad. When Victor enlists, their tentative reconnection is shattered. Will Alice ever see her brother again? While her brother risks his life at Gallipoli, Alice begins to notice the cracks appearing for Edmund, as he tries to protect the world they've made for themselves and the happy family life they long for. Every day he's torn between duty to his country, his moral compass and the desperate need to protect Alice from his powerful father, who could destroy their lives in an instant. As the war gathers pace and threatens everything she holds dear, can Alice fight to hold onto love in a world torn apart by violence? From the gilded world of high society London to the perilous battlefields of Gallipoli, The Artist's Wife is an utterly gripping and richly evocative story of an Edwardian family torn apart by war, betrayal and heartbreak. Perfect for fans of The Venice Sketchbook and The Nightingale. What readers say about Clare Flynn's historical novels: "Truly inspirational… kept me totally captivated from beginning to end." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "EXCELLENT. I so enjoyed this novel, one of the best I've read this year. An emotional rollercoaster." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I couldn't stop reading and devoured it in one go. 5 stars from me!" Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absolutely loved it… My heart was in my mouth!" Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Beautifully written… Exciting, soulful and steeped in history." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A story of adventure, tragedy, love, betrayal, hope, redemption and new beginnings… Kept me engrossed right from the start, with plenty of twists and turns." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A fabulous read that will keep you captivated from the first page." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Enthralled… a story of love and loss, courage and compliance. Excellent and amazing." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Beautiful… a great read." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "A love story that spans class and continents… One of those books that calls you back if put down for a moment.Enthralled from page one." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Move over Ms. Heyer, Ms. Cookson… there's a new kid on the block. Clare Flynn rocks." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Stunning. What a fantastic book! I really loved this story and was gripped from the first to the last page." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Clare Flynn (Author), Annette Chown (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Missing Wife: Completely gripping and unputdownable domestic suspense

"There's a cost to keeping secrets… Everyone knows about the fight between Kathleen Walsh and her sister on the night she disappeared. For six months, no one has heard from Kathleen. Not her bullying husband, not her teenage son, and not her devastated sister Siobhan. But then Kathleen's purse is found by a walker high up on the rocky Irish sea cliffs. The only thing inside is a torn scrap of paper with the words 'HELP ME'. For Siobhan, it's a chance to find her sister and fix the mistake she made six months ago. But not everyone in the tight-knit community welcomes Siobhan's interest in the disappearance, and after a tense exchange with Kathleen's old colleagues, Siobhan starts receiving chilling threats. She won't stop the search, but has she made a terrible mistake? When Siobhan's daughter goes missing, she realises the lengths someone will go to hide the truth. Now they're going to learn how far she'll go to save her family… A twisty and gripping page-turner from the USA Today and #1 Kindle bestselling author. The Missing Wife is the perfect for fans of The Couple Next Door and The Wife Between Us. Readers love Sue Fortin: 'The best book I've read in months… I could hardly put it down.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'From the start I was hooked… This book blindsided me, not once but a few times.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A fast-paced story which I couldn't put down with plenty of twists and turns. Highly recommend.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Wow! Five stars, well earned.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'From the first page to the last I was captivated and intrigued… I was shocked by a LOT. I found this book extremely hard to put down!' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This book will have you turning page after page! Full of suspense and surprises. Definitely a quick read as you get sucked in.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Loved it!! Couldn't put it down!!' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A real page-turner. I couldn't stop reading.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Outstanding… Twists and turns, ups and downs. Each page captured you and wanted you to read more.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'One of those 'just one more page' books, that stays with you.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I LOVED this book… I can't recommend this highly enough.' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Sue Fortin (Author), Jacqueline Milne (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Artist's Apprentice: A totally captivating novel of love and art before WW1

""Captivating… Had me hooked throughout. Brilliant." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ In this heart-wrenching and utterly spellbinding story of love and artistic ambition, a young woman fights to be true to herself in a world where duty, money and class jeopardise her dreams. England, 1908: Alice Dalton never intended to rebel against her aristocratic parents. But after her father's failed attempt to arrange a marriage for her with Edmund Cutler, son of a wealthy stockbroker, she flees the family home humiliated - and determined to make a life for herself as an independent woman, however hard that might be. When a chance opportunity leads to her taking a position as a stained-glass artist's apprentice, Alice is stunned when she meets the man she'll be working for: the hateful Edmund Cutler. It seems he too has turned his back on his family and has followed his passion for art, and at terrible cost. But as they work together, mixing paints and composing their stained-glass window commissions side by side, she finds herself softening towards him, and can't ignore the sparks that fly between them. With family conflict brewing and war on the horizon, soon Alice finds that loving Edmund proves the hardest fight, and greatest adventure, of her life. A gripping historical novel for fans of Fiona Valpy, Rhys Bowen and Lucinda Riley. The Artist's Apprentice was previously published as The Colour of Glass. Readers are utterly captivated by The Artist's Apprentice: "Wow - what a book! A joy to read." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I loved it from start to finish." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Held me enthralled from the first to the last page." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absolutely loved this." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Absorbing, fascinating and beautifully written." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Loved it! Her best yet." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Fantastic. What a great book. Incredible." Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wonderful, touching, compelling…" Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I dare you not to fall in love.' JJ Marsh, Author of the Beatrice Stubbs series"

Clare Flynn (Author), Annette Chown (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Well-Trained Lady

"Everything has changed. Except her heart. Arabella Godwin is an Incomparable in London Society—elegant, wealthy, and meticulously trained. Yet, she has nothing to show for her efforts aside from her pretentious reputation and a collection of disappointed suitors. When her plan to secure a promising offer of marriage is temporarily delayed, she must bide her time in the company of an estranged childhood friend—the much-too-endearing, but regrettably untitled, Augustus Brundage. As the friends’ tattered relationship returns to familiarity, Arabella must prevent herself from fully regressing into the carefree, impressionable young lady who once foolishly trusted Augustus with her heart. To make the same mistake again would ruin everything she has worked for—and certainly more. But can a heart be so easily trained? Heat Level:Mild/Sweet"

Jess Heileman (Author), Janna Fox (Narrator)

Audiobook

May Contain Nuts

Gill Oliver (Author), Gill Oliver (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Little Blue Door: Little Blue Door Series Book 1

"Can a lost past lead to a beautiful future? A passionate love story – a heart wrenching discovery. Melodie Pelletier is drawn back to the idyllic island of Corfu, a place bursting with wonderful family memories. She visits the popular fishing village of Agios Stefanos, a place with an outpouring of warm welcomes and even warmer seas and sand. While travelling, Melodie meets a handsome man with an intriguing young daughter. But Melodie doesn’t want a holiday fling; it’s not in her nature. After deciding to avoid the intriguing pair, their paths collide once more. But there’s something else going on, a secret that Melodie could never have expected to uncover. It will change her life forever. Who holds the key to Melodie’s past, and who will open the door to her future? The Little Blue Door is the first in a trilogy of escapist contemporary women’s fiction and family saga. If you like raw emotions and a sexy slow burn romance set to the beautiful backdrop of Greece, then it’s time to fly off to Corfu with Francesca Catlow's Little Blue Door series."

Francesca Catlow (Author), Daphne Kouma (Narrator)

Audiobook

Sisters of Fortune: A Novel of the Titanic

"April, 1912: It's the perfect finale to a Grand Tour of Europe—sailing home on the largest, most luxurious ocean liner ever built. For the Fortune sisters, the voyage offers a chance to reflect on the treasures of the past they've seen and contemplate the futures that await them. For Alice, there's foreboding mixed with her excitement. A fortune teller in Egypt gave her a dire warning about traveling at sea. And the freedom she has enjoyed on her travels contrasts with her fiancé's plans for her return—a cossetted existence she's no longer sure she wants. Flora is returning to a fiancé, a well-to-do banker of whom her parents heartily approve. Another man—charming, exasperating, completely unsuitable—occupies her thoughts, daring her to follow her desires. Youngest sister Mabel knows her parents arranged this Grand Tour to separate her from a jazz musician. But Mabel has little interest in marrying at all, preferring to explore ideas of suffrage and reform—even if it forces a rift with her family. Each sister grapples with the choices before her as the grand vessel glides through the Atlantic waters. Until, on an infamous night, fate intervenes, forever altering their lives . . ."

Anna Lee Huber (Author), Emily Sutton-Smith (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Darker Shade of Noir: New Stories of Body Horror by Women Writers

"Joyce Carol Oates assembles an outstanding cast of authors—including Margaret Atwood, Tananarive Due, and Megan Abbott—to explore, subvert, and reinvent one of the most vital subgenres of horror. Featuring brand-new stories by: Margaret Atwood, Tananarive Due, Joyce Carol Oates, Megan Abbott, Aimee Bender, Cassandra Khaw, Lisa Lim, Elizabeth Hand, Valerie Martin, Raven Leilani, Sheila Kohler, Joanna Margaret, Lisa Tuttle, Aimee LaBrie, and Yumi Dineen Shiroma. While the common belief is that “body horror” as a subgenre of horror fiction dates back to the 1970s, Joyce Carol Oates suggests that Medusa, the snakehaired gorgon in Greek mythology, is the “quintessential emblem of female body horror.” In A Darker Shade of Noir: New Stories of Body Horror by Women Writers, Oates has assembled a spectacular cast to explore this subgenre focusing on distortions to the human body in the most fascinating of ways."

Joyce Carol Oates (Author), Bianca Amato, Eva Kaminsky, Lynnette R. Freeman, Nancy Wu (Narrator)

Audiobook

Glory Bishop

"Glory Bishop lives her life in pieces. At work and with her friends, she reads novels, speaks her mind, and enjoys slow dances and stolen kisses with her boyfriend, JT. But at home, Glory follows strict rules and second-guesses every step. Though she dreams of going to college and living like a normal teenage girl, her abusive mother has other ideas. When JT leaves to join the navy, Glory is left alone and heartsick. The preacher's son, Malcolm Porter, begins to shower her with lavish gifts, and her mother pushes Glory to accept his advances. Glory is torn between waiting for true love with JT or giving in to the overzealous Malcolm. When a stranger attacks Glory on the street, Malcolm steps in to rescue her, and her interest in him deepens. But the closer she gets to him, the more controlling he becomes. Glory must eventually decide whether to rely on others or to be her own savior."

Deborah L. King (Author), Dara Brown (Narrator)

Audiobook

Ladies' Lunch: and Other Stories

"'For almost six decades Segal has quietly produced some of the best fiction and essays in American literature . . .' —The New York Times Beloved New Yorker writer Lore Segal, at ninety-five years old, is a national treasure. Working at the height of her powers, in this story collection she turns her gimlet eye and compassionate humor on aging and life in the slow lane. From the master of the short short comes a collection of sixteen new stories featuring old friends who have loved and lunched together for over forty years. These erudite, sharp-minded nonagenarians offer startling insights into friendship, family and aging. Can the group organize a visit to one of their number in her new, and detested, assisted living situation? Is this a fabulous party with old friends, or a funeral reception? And does who was sleeping with whom, way back when, still matter? In story after story, Segal's voice is always hilarious and urbane, heartbreaking and profound, keen and utterly unsentimental, as she tackles aging's affronts."

Lore Segal (Author), Callie Beaulieu (Narrator)

Audiobook

[German] - Die Zeit der Birken - Die große Estland-Saga, Band 1 (Ungekürzt)

"Die Frauen vom Birkenhof. Schleswig-Holstein, 1977: Die Liebe zwischen Gesine und dem Pferdetrainer Grigori endet jäh, als er plötzlich spurlos verschwindet. Doch eines Tages stößt Gesine auf Hinweise über seinen Verbleib, die sie nicht nur tief in die Vergangenheit ihrer Familie, sondern auch in die Abgründe europäischer Geschichte führen. Estland,1938: Charlotte verliebt sich Hals über Kopf in den jungen Esten Lennart. Doch ihre Eltern würden diese Verbindung niemals billigen, und so halten sie ihre Beziehung geheim. Als Charlotte ein Kind von Lennart erwartet, brechen die Wirren des Zweiten Weltkriegs über sie herein, und die Liebenden werden getrennt. Historisch fundiert und hochemotional erzählt: eine große Saga um die Geheimnisse einer Familie."

Christine Kabus (Author), Jasmine Kadisch (Narrator)

Audiobook

Contemporary Women Audiobooks in Fiction