A Few of Our Favourite Things from 2017

Kaetrin’s Top audiobooks of 2017

Catalyst by Rachel Grant, narrated by Greg Tremblay

The Hook Up by Kristen Ashley, narrated by Stella Bloom & Lance Greenfield

Complicated by Kristen Ashley, narrated by Erin Mallon & Lance Greenfield

Fair, Bright & Terrible by Elizabeth Kingston, narrated by Nicholas Boulton

Suddenly Engaged by Julia London, narrated by Cristina Panfilio

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas, narrated by Mary Jane Wells

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare, narrated by Mary Jane Wells

Spellbinder by Thea Harrison, narrated by Sophie Eastlake

This Time Around by Tawna Fenske, narrated by Carly Robins

2017 Favourites from Caz

When it comes to audiobook listening, for me, 2017 will henceforth be known as “The Year I discovered Greg Tremblay”. In case it’s not obvious from my reviews, the man is an outstandingly talented performer – the American version of Nicholas Boulton and Alex Wyndham rolled into one! – and I’ve yet to hear him put a foot wrong. The two audios (so far) in Rachel Grant’s Flashpoint series, and the two in Rhys Ford’s Murder and Mayhem series were highlights of my listening year.

Other highlights included the remaining books in Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series, narrated by the incomparable Rosalyn Landor; it’s such a delight to have the entire series in audio at last (albeit with two different narrators.) Then there was a new book from the wonderful author/narrator team of Loretta Chase and Kate Reading, A Duke in Shining Armor – a gorgeously romantic, witty road-trip story which sees a disreputable duke on the tail of his best friend’s tipsy – and errant – bride. Kate Reading also scored big time with Sherry Thomas’ second Lady Sherlock novel, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, a complex, brilliantly conceived historical mystery which ended with a real game-changer for Charlotte and her closest friend and confidante, Lord Ingram.

The two concluding books in K.J. Charles’ Sins of the Cities series came out in 2017 as well, and were excellently narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies. Book two – An Unnatural Vice – is my favourite, but the whole series is simply fabulous. Towards the end of the year, I was captivated by an amazing, multi-narrator audiobook featuring several of my favourite performers, Last Christmas in Paris, by Heather Webb and Hazel Gaynor. It’s a beautiful tale told in a series of letters exchanged between a group of friends during the first world war, framed by the narrative of one of the characters, now an old man, as he looks back on that part of his life. It’s intensely moving and Alex Wyndham gives an outstanding performance in a pivotal role; the audiobook made a lasting impression on me and I highly recommend it.