Contemporary Women Audiobooks | Fiction

"Brought to you by Penguin. From the No.1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins comes the heart-warming and charming final chapter of Veronica McCreedy's story. 'Emperor penguins defy the odds, and I shall too.” Still fiery and feisty at eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy, the very first Penguin Ambassador, is determined to prove that nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it. Eileen, Veronica’s ever-patient assistant, is content taking care of other people. But when a new adventure calls, it makes her question everything... Ten-year-old, penguin-obsessed Daisy can’t wait to be reunited with Mrs McCreedy in her huge house by the sea for the school holidays. When they discover that the local Sea Life Centre is under threat, the unlikely trio are determined to save it and the penguins that live there. Inspired by the penguins and fuelled by Darjeeling and finger sandwiches, they embark on an epic fundraising walk. But soon, their mission becomes so much more and it might just lead each of them to a new beginning... PRAISE FOR HAZEL PRIOR ‘Beautifully written by a born storyteller’ LORRAINE KELLY 'Funny, bittersweet and wholly original' DAILY EXPRESS ‘Veronica McCreedy will capture your heart’ TRISHA ASHLEY ''This adorable tale will put a smile on your face' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘A glorious, life-affirming story’ CLARE MACKINTOSH © Hazel Prior 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Hazel Prior (Author), Lesley Harcourt, Nicolette McKenzie (Narrator)

Audiobook

The English Teacher

"A Chicago Tribune and Publishers Weekly Best Novel 'A domestic drama with the adrenaline-fuelled beating heart of a thriller' - Elle From Lily King, author of Writers and Lovers, The English Teacher is a compelling drama about the fragility of a life built from ruins and the need to protect it. Fifteen years ago, English teacher Vida Avery arrived alone and pregnant at the elite Fayer Academy. Living on the campus off the coast of New England, she worked to become a beloved fixture of the school - and to shelter herself and her son, Peter, from a painful secret she left behind. Then she accepts the impulsive marriage proposal of ardent widower Tom Belou, and the prescribed life Vida has constructed begins to come apart. As Peter bonds with Tom and his new step-siblings, Vida retreats further into the books she teaches. To embrace life and a chance at happiness, she will have to face the nightmares of her former self - and shed the pain she has held onto for far too long."

Lily King (Author), Christina Moore (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Sunflower House: A Novel

"This program features multicast narration. Family secrets come to light as a young woman fights to save herself, and others, in a Nazi-run baby factory—a real-life Handmaid's Tale—during World War II. In a sleepy German village, Allina Strauss’s life seems idyllic: she works at her uncle’s bookshop, makes strudel with her aunt, and spends weekends with her friends and fiancé. But it's 1939, Adolf Hitler is Chancellor, and Allina’s family hides a terrifying secret—her birth mother was Jewish, making her a Mischling. One fateful night after losing everyone she loves, Allina is forced into service as a nurse at a state-run baby factory called Hochland Home. There, she becomes both witness and participant to the horrors of Heinrich Himmler’s ruthless eugenics program. The Sunflower House is a meticulously-researched debut historical novel from Adriana Allegri that uncovers the notorious Lebensborn Program of Nazi Germany. Women of “pure” blood stayed in Lebensborn homes for the sole purpose of perpetuating the Aryan population, giving birth to thousands of babies who were adopted out to “good” Nazi families. Allina must keep her Jewish identity a secret in order to survive, but when she discovers the neglect occurring within the home, she’s determined not only to save herself, but also the children in her care. A tale of one woman’s determination to resist and survive, The Sunflower House is also a love story. When Allina meets Karl, a high-ranking SS officer with secrets of his own, the two must decide how much they are willing to share with each other—and how much they can stand to risk as they join forces to save as many children as they can. The threads of this poignant and heartrending novel weave a tale of loss and love, friendship and betrayal, and the secrets we bury in order to save ourselves. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press"

Adriana Allegri (Author), Barrie Kreinik, Dallin Bradford, Saskia Maarleveld (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Unexpected

"‘A novel that comes with a whole different way of thinking – it takes in a rich wide queer world of angelfish and allomothers, and it's a story of real love between friends' Daisy Hildyard, author of Emergency 'A heartwarming depiction of female friendship as a bond stronger than any other' The Times 'Loved this clever and funny novel’ Anna Mazzola 'Wonderful… all sorts of common assumptions about motherhood and family are turned on their head. It’s brilliant on friendship, identity, longing and resilience' Daily Mail 'An excellent book club choice! If anyone is looking for a very unique novel that explores motherhood, female friendships and raising a child from a different perspective, this is your book!' Tea Leaves & Reads Book Club ‘A thought-provoking and unputdownable story about the interconnectedness of female friendship, love, romance and family’ My Weekly ********************************************************************************* Kessie and Robin have been best friends since they were small. Now they’ve reached their mid-thirties, and biological clocks are ticking loudly. But Kessie is single, Robin’s partner is ambivalent about trying for a baby, and single parenting sounds almost impossible. When one of them gets pregnant, the other finds herself helping out to an extent that neither had expected. How far is a supportive friend supposed to go? What do you do when you feel like a mother to a child who isn’t yours? Are there alternative ways to conceive of a family? ********************************************************************************* A funny, addictive and poignant novel about what happens when the lines between friendship, romance, and family begin to blur. For fans of Meg Mason and Dolly Alderton. 'Funny and heartwarming' Closer ‘Wiles writes with humour, tenderness and wisdom' Marianne Levy 'An intelligent, thought-provoking, tender and very real exploration of friendship, pregnancy and the changing face of modern parenting' Susannah Wise 'I didn't want this novel to end…offers a brutally honest portrait of motherhood in its joys and despairs. Radiant' Donna Freitas 'This novel reminds us that chosen families are as complicated, messy and thick with love as biological ones' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan 'Original, thoughtful, stimulating and highly readable' Vesna Goldsworthy Readers love Ellen Wiles 'Absorbed from page one' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A fantastic read. I was completely gripped throughout' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Communicates a difficult topic with incredible insight and poetic language. I became completely absorbed by the characters' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Loved the characters and the way the story was told through them' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"

Ellen Wiles (Author), Gemma Whelan (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Shall Be Monsters

"Brought to you by Penguin. A dark, lyrical fantasy blending the world of the Fae with the stories mothers tell to keep their daughters safe - and the consequences of disregarding the truth, no matter how sinister. Gemma lives with her mother in an isolated antique shop in Michigan, near a small patch of woods that conceals an enchanted gateway to fairyland. She knows she's not supposed to go into the woods - her mother Virginia has warned her multiple times about the monsters that lurk there - and yet defiantly, curiously, she goes anyway. Virginia understands her daughter's defiance. She knows the lure of the woods all too well. Her own mother warned her about the monsters that resided there, and she also did not listen. Until a witch cursed her true love, Ash - Gemma's father - into the form of a beast in the days before Gemma's birth. And if Virginia cannot break the curse before her daughter turns fifteen, Ash will eat Virginia's heart and Gemma will belong to the witch. So Virginia will do whatever she can to protect her daughter - even if it means stealing Gemma's memories away. But everything changes when Gemma inadvertently gets too close to the truth, and the witch steals Virginia away instead. Now it is up to Gemma to venture deep into Fae lands to try and rescue her mother and break the curse. Told in alternating viewpoints between Gemma and Virginia, this lyrical novel is not only a tale of a girl's fantastical quest through a darkly magical fairyland, but also an examination of the complex bonds of love and resentment that lie between parents and their children. © Alyssa Wees 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

Alyssa Wees (Author), Valerie Lohman, Zura Johnson (Narrator)

Audiobook

Fire

"Brought to you by Penguin. On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn’t always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness. Did what happened to Freya as a child one fateful summer influence the adult she would become – or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being? In Fire, John Boyne takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question: nurture – or nature? © John Boyne 2024 (P) Penguin Audio 2024"

John Boyne (Author), Anna Friel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Pony Confidential

"An NPR 'Book of the Day' In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humor, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he's ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder he knows she didn't commit. Pony has been passed from owner to owner for longer than he can remember. Fed up, he busts out and goes on a cross-country mission to reunite with Penny, the little girl whom he was separated from and hasn't seen in years. Penny, now an adult, is living an ordinary life when she gets a knock on her door and finds herself in handcuffs, accused of murder and whisked back to the place she grew up. Her only comfort when the past comes back to haunt her is the memory of her precious, rebellious pony. Hearing of Penny's fate, Pony knows that Penny is no murderer. So, as smart and devious as he is cute, the pony must use his hard-won knowledge of human weakness and cruelty to try to clear Penny's name and find the real killer. This acutely observant, feel-good mystery reveals the humanity of animals and beastliness of humans in a rollicking escapade of epic proportions."

Christina Lynch (Author), Blair Young, Erin Moon (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Maui Effect

"A dazzling romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Sara Ackerman. They say opposites attract, but are they meant to last? 'Iwa Young's life is high in the Maui rainforest. As a field biologist, she's happiest in the company of trees and birds and waterfalls. When a developer arrives with plans for a so-called eco resort in the middle of a forest full of endangered species, 'Iwa puts all her energy into the fight to protect it. But a chance encounter threatens to distract her. His name is Dane Parsons, a big-wave surfer from California. 'Iwa has a few unbreakable rules, and at the top of her list: never date a surfer. Dane is part of an underground group of big-wave riders, and his connection to the ocean runs deep. When he meets 'Iwa, he can't get her out of his mind. But 'Iwa wants nothing to do with Dane until he offers to help protect her beloved forest and waterfall. Always on the hunt for the ultimate ride, Dane suddenly glimpses something even greater. In this thunderous love story, we travel deep into the Maui rainforest and hop across the globe from Hawai'i to California to Portugal, chasing waves the size of nine-story buildings-where the unthinkable is always just one breath away. Don't miss THE GUEST IN ROOM 120, Sara Ackerman's enthralling new novel with dual-timelines intertwining a 1905 mystery surrounding Jane Stanford's mysterious death in Honolulu and a 2005 writer's quest to uncover the truth at the same historic hotel... More captivating stories from Sara Ackerman: - The Unchartered Flight of Olivia West - The Codebreaker's Secret - Radar Girls - Red Sky Over Hawaii - The Lietenant's Nurse - Island of Sweet Pies & Soldiers"

Sara Ackerman (Author), Jennifer Robideau (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Magnificent Ruins

"In this "rare feast" of a novel, an Indian woman inherits her estranged family's ancestral home-and their long-buried secrets (Rachel Lyon, author of Self-Portrait With Boy). Lila De is on the verge of a career breakthrough when she gets a call from her mother in Kolkata, informing her that she's inherited her family's sprawling estate-so she returns home after a decade with no contact. Her extended family isn't so easy to win over, and to make matters worse, Lila is caught between her old boyfriend and her occasional lover-her star author-who suddenly wants to define the relationship. As Lila come to terms with both past and present, suppressed family secrets emerge, culminating in a shocking act of violence. Lila has no choice but to finally address her family's inherited custom of keeping everything under the surface. Perfect for fans of Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane and All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews, The Magnificent Ruins is an unforgettable novel about the millennial immigrant experience and the desire for belonging."

Nayantara Roy (Author), Deepa Samuel (Narrator)

Audiobook

Duchess Material

"When her student goes missing, an independent bluestocking must seek the help of the arrogant duke who spurned her in this sizzling tale of romance that has "sparkling banter, gentle mystery, and plenty of swoonworthy moments"-for fans of Netflix's Bridgerton series (Publishers Weekly). Phoebe Atkinson is what society might call unconventional. Instead of marrying well like other women born to wealth, she chose to be a schoolteacher. Not to mention she lives in a leaky flat in an unfashionable part of town rather than stay in her parents' mansion. But when her most promising pupil goes missing she has only one option: beg her sister's best friend, the powerful Duke of Ellis, for help. The last thing William Margrave ever expected was to inherit a dukedom. But now that he has it, he's determined to act the part perfectly-and that includes marrying the perfect duchess. A bluestocking Bohemian schoolteacher is decidedly not duchess material. But he can't resist her plea for help regarding her missing student. As they fall further into the mystery, William discovers that he never got over his childhood crush on Phoebe... A "rising historical romance star." -Booklist, starred review"

Emily Sullivan (Author), Zara Hampton-Brown (Narrator)

Audiobook

All the Other Me

"Perfect for fans of The Rehearsals by Annette Christie and What Might Have Been by Holly Miller, All the Other Me is a poignant story of what it means to come to terms with who you are—and who you can be. Isabelle Duprees is one of Forbes’ most powerful self-made women and has built a reputation as one of New York’s savviest investors and sharpest advisors. With a penthouse overlooking Central Park, an open invitation to any event she wishes to attend, and a weekly date with a man who won’t ask too much of her, Isabelle’s carefully curated life is exactly what she wants. Until it isn’t. After her estranged sister shows up, circumstances—and too much champagne—have Isabelle Googling herself, only to discover three other women her age, with the same name, birthdate, and familiar features. Too curious not to follow this rabbit hole, Isabelle and her sister embark on a road trip that leads them back to their hometown—and possibly each other. On the way, they seek out all the other Isabelles and find each one of them living a life that could have been hers if she’d made different choices."

Jody Holford (Author), Kelli Tager (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Christmas Village

"USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains returns to Somerset Lake, North Carolina, with a heartwarming Christmas story about a midwife and her ex-fiance who face high stakes when they must team up to compete in the neighborhood house decorating contest, in this trade paperback that will help get readers in the holiday spirit. Once upon a Christmas, she gave him her heart. This year, he'll have to win it back again . . . When Lucy Hannigan returned to her childhood home in Somerset Lake, one of the first things she did was join the local book club. And thank goodness, because now that Lucy's first Christmas without her mother is bearing down upon her, she can use all the help and support she can get. Especially when she has to take in a tenant and the only person interested is Miles Bruno, her ex-fiance. Lucy's friends keep teasing her about the way Miles is trying to make up for his mistakes but forgiving and forgetting isn't coming easily to Lucy. With bills piling up and her mother's finances in disarray, however, Lucy isn't in any position to say no. As the small town prepares for the holidays and competition heats up in the Merriest Lawn decorating contest, Lucy can't help feeling like a Scrooge. Her mom loved the holidays and won the contest each year, but as much as Lucy would like to carry on the tradition, she isn't sure she has it in her to deck the halls this holiday. Yet when Miles shows up with tons of tinsel, dozens of decorations, and lots and lots of lights, Lucy begins to wonder if maybe the spirit of the season will finally mend her broken heart."

Annie Rains (Author), Thérèse Plummer, Vas Eli (Narrator)

Audiobook

Contemporary Women Audiobooks in Fiction