Contemporary Women Audiobooks | Fiction

"Brought to you by Penguin. Step into a dark and magical world in the enchanting new fairytale retelling, perfect for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik, and M. A. Kuzniar. What if Beauty never went to sleep? In a remote castle perched atop a windswept island, a long-awaited royal heir is born. In accordance with ancient custom, a blessing ceremony takes place to bestow the princess with magical gifts – along with a terrible curse. But this is not the love story you may think you know. There is no enchanted sleep for the princess, and no handsome prince to save the day. Just three women, who together concoct a desperate plan of misdirect that changes the course of all their lives. Except dark magic cannot be tricked, and as the end of the curse edges closer, Violanna, Meredyth and Sel each has a choice to make. They can wait to find out if the worst will happen, or they can turn to face the coming storm . . . 'A wonderfully imaginative retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Spellbound weaves together atmospheric prose with enchanting characters to bring fresh new life to this classic fairy-tale' --Rosie Hewlett, bestselling author of MEDEA 'Beautifully written and atmospheric, Spellbound is a fresh, imaginative take on the classic fairytale you thought you knew' --Sophie Keetch, author of MORGAN IS MY NAME ‘A deliciously magical novel and an absolute delight to read. I devoured it!’ -- Menna Van Praag, author of THE SISTERS GRIMM ‘Immersive, magical, and of course, spellbinding… this book is sheer joy ? Naomi Kelsey, author of THE BURNINGS © Georgia Leighton 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Georgia Leighton (Author), Kristin Atherton (Narrator)

Audiobook

All The Other Mothers Hate Me

"'SPIKY, WITTY' PANDORA SYKES 'FUNNY, PACY’ GUARDIAN 'CHAOTIC, SNARKY, VERY FUNNY' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'AN ABSOLUTELY WILD RIDE' INDEPENDENT A 'HOTTEST, MUST-READ NEW BOOK FOR 2025' IN SUNDAY TIMES, STYLIST, INDEPENDENT AND SERVICE95 Maybe having a few enemies on the school run means you're doing something right… Florence knows all about failure. After a dismal end to her 2000s girlband career, she’s moping around West London, single, broke and unfulfilled. The only things she’s proud of are her increasingly elaborate nail art choices – and her ten-year-old son, Dylan. But when Alfie Risby, Dylan's bitter class rival and the child heir to a frozen foods empire, mysteriously vanishes on a school trip, Dylan becomes a prime suspect. Florence has to get her act together, find the missing boy and clear her son’s name or risk losing him forever. The only problem? She doesn’t have any detective skills, she’s not exactly popular at the school gates and she’s just found Alfie’s backpack hidden under Dylan’s bed… All the Other Mothers Hate Me is an irresistibly witty novel about fitting in, starting over and the lengths we’ll go to for the people we love. What readers are saying… ‘The hype is SO deserved!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Very funny. I didn’t want it to end!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Kept me hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Funny and poignant’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You can’t predict where this is going!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Sarah Harman (Author), Georgina Sadler (Narrator)

Audiobook

Passion Project: A Novel

""Passion Project will charm your pants off and carve itself a permanent place in your heart. Full of deep emotion and top-tier banter, this authentic, affectionate slow burn is absolutely worth the wait." -Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance "Not only a sparkling romantic comedy, but a thoughtful look at navigating grief and the hopefulness of opening yourself to new possibilities. Bennet is messy and relatable, and her chemistry with Henry is delicious, crackling, and immediate." -Trish Doller, internationally bestselling author of Float Plan If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably . . . with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where's that zest she keeps hearing about? She's a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love. When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She's not ready to date. In fact, it's been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports-not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they'll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course. As their "passion project" continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she's truly ready to move on. With emotional resonance and sparkling banter, Passion Project is a fun, flirty, thoughtful story of finding a spark-and igniting happiness."

London Sperry (Author), Alex Finke (Narrator)

Audiobook

Cat's People: A Novel

""An uplifting tale of friendship, kindness, and connection . . . This joyful story of the unlikely friendship between five strangers and one remarkable cat is a must-read for cat lovers."-Marianne Cronin, author of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a little resentment for the "crazy cat lady" label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood's stray cats. On her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-it notes left by a secret admirer in an area where her feeds her favorite stray-a black cat named Cat. Like most felines, he is both curious and observant, so of course he knows who the notes are from. Núria, however, is clueless. Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early midlife crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns Núria's favorite bodega? When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves bonding together in their desire to care for him, and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they've all been searching for."

Tanya Guerrero (Author), Elena Rey (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Proposal to Die For

"A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a marriage proposal planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two). Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth. Roped into joining Diana's "pre-bridal" retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa's lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she's warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie? As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing "boss." Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess's discovery of a body in a sauna, it's clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it's up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains-before all her plans are cancelled…permanently."

Molly Harper (Author), Amanda Ronconi (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest: A Novel

"An immersive, sultry, heart-pounding historical reimagining of the Robin Hood ballads, told through the piercing eyes of one of his spies. Jane Crowe is an ordinary peasant girl who never dreamed she would work for the infamous Lord of the Greenwood. But when she's forced out of her home, she has no choice but to turn to Robin Hood for help-and he makes her an irresistible offer. He needs a pair of eyes in the King's Houses, and quiet, unassuming Jane-who has spent her whole life going unnoticed-will be the perfect spy. At first, Jane's work for Robin seems straightforward. She whispers to him about the nobles at King's Houses and all their secrets, including the new Sheriff of Nottingham, who would like nothing more than to see Robin Hood's head on a spike. But the more Jane is drawn into Robin's world, the more she's drawn to Robin himself-a man as charismatic as he is cunning, capable of plucking at her heart as easily as he notches an arrow. As Robin's tricks grow increasingly dangerous, and shockingly violent, Jane starts to suspect that her hero cares more about his own legacy than helping the common people-and that despite his declarations of affection, he sees her as just another object to be stolen. When Robin's schemes implicate Jane in a brutal murder, she must decide: is she a prize to be won, a pawn to be used and discarded-or is she an equal player in the game between nobles and thieves?"

Amy S. Kaufman (Author), Grace Gray (Narrator)

Audiobook

To Light the Way Forward: A Shell Collector Novel

"A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life-and love-often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. "Bringing to life characters you can't help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope."-Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk's Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug's Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug's grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug's deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who's willing to take a risk-even those who never hoped they'd find it again?"

Nancy Naigle (Author), Karissa Vacker (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Other Lata

"A compulsively readable story of mistaken identity set within high society New York and the sacrifices made to keep up appearances, "as lively and refreshing as a chilled glass of champagne." (Kirstin Chen) Somewhere in New York City, Lata Murthy knows there is another person with her name living a much more interesting life. That's because Lata often receives the other Lata's emails: invites to Hampton soirees, fundraising appeals from the New York City Ballet and reminders about sample sales at Soho boutiques. Lata's own life-working in digital content, watching Food Network marathons, spending recklessly on clothes she can't afford-feels pathetic in comparison. So, one day she decides to take on this other Lata's identity and jumps headfirst into the glamorous New York lifestyle ... but not without consequences. At first, it all feels like a fairy tale. All of Lata's NYC dreams come true: she gets a higher-paying job, moves into a chic Chelsea apartment and is embraced by an elite friend group that includes Rajeev, an up-and-coming fashion designer intent on making a splash at New York Fashion Week. But Lata doesn't just catch the attention of the handsome fashion designer-she also incurs the wrath of the mysterious woman she is impersonating. And this Other Lata wants Lata to pay...but in the oddest of ways. Other Lata's blackmail seems designed to humiliate Lata in front of her wealthy new circle, and Lata has no choice but to submit to her demands if she doesn't want to lose her new friends and lifestyle. Despite Other Lata's machinations, Lata and Rajeev's romance finds ways to blossom. But when Other Lata's demands change from mischievous to illegal, Lata must find a way to extricate herself from Other Lata's control once and for all. "

Kirthana Ramisetti (Author), Soneela Nankani (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Correspondent

"Brought to you by Penguin. In her letters to family and friends we come to know the life of Sybil Van Antwerp: stubborn, cantankerous, opinionated, always steadfast in her belief in the power of the written word. But as the clock begins to tick for Sybil, the need for a few post-scripts to the life she’s led becomes apparent. Fixing her difficult relationship with her children. Taking a final chance at romance. Atoning for an old legal case which has come back to haunt her. And finally, reckoning with a devastating loss that she has spent the last thirty years holding close to her chest. 'Subtly told and finely made, The Correspondent is a portrait of a small life expanding' ANN PATCHETT 'The superbly talented Virginia Evans has written a novel of connection and daring' - ADRIANA TRIGANI, bestselling author of The Good Left Undone 'I was wowed by this deliciously brilliant book! Thank you, Virginia Evans, for a life beautifully told in letters, for creating a character whose mind struggles with her heart in a most intriguing, sympathetic, witty, and binge-worthy way' - Elinor Lipman, author of MS DEMEANOR © Virginia Evans 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Virginia Evans (Author), Carly Robins, Cerris Morgan-Meyer, Chris Andrew Ciulla, David Pittu, Jade Wheeler, Jane Oppenheimer, Jeff Ebner, Kimberly Farr, Maggie-Meg Reed, Mark Bramhall, Peter Ganim, Petrea Burchard, Robert Petkoff (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audition

"Brought to you by Penguin. **LONGLISTED FOR THE BOOKER PRIZE 2025** One woman, the performance of a lifetime. Or two. An exhilarating, destabilising novel that asks whether we ever really know the people we love Two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. She’s an accomplished actress in rehearsals for an upcoming premiere. He’s attractive, troubling, young – young enough to be her son. Who is he to her, and who is she to him? In this compulsively readable, brilliantly constructed novel, two competing narratives unspool, rewriting our understanding of the roles we play every day – partner, parent, creator, muse – and the truths every performance masks, especially from those who think they know us most intimately. Taut and hypnotic, Audition is Katie Kitamura at her virtuosic best. © Katie Kitamura 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025"

Katie Kitamura (Author), Traci Kato-Kiriyama (Narrator)

Audiobook

Gold Coast Dilemma

"From USA TODAY bestselling author Nana Malone, a romance about a Ghanaian American heiress faced with the dilemma of choosing between culture and a love connection. During an opulent publishing party, Ofosua Addo crosses paths with Cole Drake for the first time. Their flirtatiously witty exchange culminates in a kiss that etches a permanent mark on both their hearts. But Ofosua's identity as a Ghanaian heiress comes before Cole. She loves the vibrant traditions of Ghana's Gold Coast, and her hand is already promised to a man that even her overbearing mother loves. Yet, when her big Ghanaian wedding transforms from a fairy tale into a spectacle, she's thrust into a whirlwind of heartbreak and self-discovery. In the midst of it all, Cole enters her life once again, under circumstances far different from their magical first encounter. Can Ofosua and Cole's rediscovered spark overcome the weight of tradition?"

Nana Malone (Author), Soneela Nankani, Tim Paige (Narrator)

Audiobook

A Time Traveler's Masquerade

"Romance blossoms when Isla Crawford steps into McQuivey’s Costume Shop in London and is swept back in time to 1605, where she and Lord Bancroft attempt to thwart Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot. One moment, Isla Crawford is inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop trying on a Jacobean-style gown for the parliamentary Autumn Ball, and the next, she is standing in an unfamiliar garden, barefoot, coatless, and at the mercy of a fierce storm. Confused, she seeks refuge in a Tudor manor, where she discovers that she has inexplicably traveled back to 1605, mere weeks before the culmination of Guy Fawkes’s infamous Gunpowder Plot. Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, finds his orderly seventeenth-century life disrupted when a mysterious woman appears on his sister’s doorstep during a storm. Intrigued by the stranger’s quirks and bewildering speech, he feels compelled to protect her and heed her warnings about a fatal conspiracy against Parliament. As Simon is drawn into Isla’s dangerous scheme to stop the evildoers, he can’t help but also feel drawn to her. With seemingly no way to get back home, Isla uses her twenty-first-century knowledge of the past to try to thwart Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators without altering the course of history forever. She and Simon must race to unravel the threads of the treasonous plot even as they wonder how their hearts will navigate their deepening connection and the seemingly insurmountable four centuries that separate their lives."

Sian Ann Bessey (Author), Billie Fulford-Brown, Paul Fox (Narrator)

Audiobook

Contemporary Women Audiobooks in Fiction