Narrator Kate Turnbull’s soft and youthful expression enhances every magical moment in Sarah Creech’s debut novel. Alternating between a sweet, whimsical delivery of the narrative and a subtle Southern accent during dialogue, she emphasizes the beautiful setting of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the fragrant, rare flowers that the Lenore women use for their supernatural perfume—which promises success to whoever wears it. Turnbull’s gentle, feminine storytelling makes this intriguing story involving practical magic and a generation of women easy on the ears. However, once the unique flowers lose their smell and a client threatens blackmail, Willow and her daughters must find a way to save their powerful perfume.
Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2014
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062363572
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
For an immersive experience, listeners might be best served by following along with the print book.
In her rendition of Aguda’s latest novel, Délé Ogundiran forgoes the sparkle and flash of a voice actor for a more traditional role as a storyteller. Yosoye is a naïve, rather provincial 23-year-old recent transplant to Lagos, where she’s just beginning a coveted internship with an uber-modern architectural firm. But her excitement about her new life is soon tempered when she winds up pregnant after a one-night stand. More sinister is that she keeps hearing about pregnant women across the city who’ve been willfully drowning themselves. While Ogundiran’s narration is a boon for listeners eager to hear the prose delivered with a Nigerian accent, she doesn’t create unique voices to distinguish among characters, and the pacing is frequently off, with too-short pauses between sections and chapters that allow the prose to run together.
For an immersive experience, listeners might be best served by following along with the print book.Pub Date: May 5, 2026
Duration: 6 hrs, 39 mins
DD ISBN: 9798349166433
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: June 30, 2026
The narration deepens the dread of three brothers escaping war only to question their sanity.
Narrator Eric Fox sharpens a historical horror tale into a breathless listening experience. Three brothers desert the Confederate Army during the Civil War and begin the journey home. Fox's steady, rugged tone grounds the brothers' march and keeps the men distinct. His narration helps the listener track shifting loyalties and deepen the sense of threat without bogging down the action. Fracassi's horror turns on atmosphere as much as plot, and the narration leans into that with measured pacing and controlled tension. At times, the restraint can feel a shade too even, but the recording heightens the isolation and makes the woods feel claustrophobic.
The narration deepens the dread of three brothers escaping war only to question their sanity.Pub Date: April 7, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 51 mins
DD ISBN: 9798890931061
Publisher: Vibrance Press
Review Posted Online: May 13, 2026
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