A winning narration ensures that listeners will be invested in their journey.
Narrators Mia Hutchinson-Shaw and Evan Sibley bring lots of warmth to this appealing romance. As a teenager, Zander Bouras resented the small town of Sullivan’s Glen, where his mother sent him every summer to live with his gruff grandfather. Now he’s back to sell his grandfather’s house, and the first person he encounters is next-door neighbor Penny Becker. While Zander confronts the ghosts of his past, beekeeper Penny struggles under the weight of a secret that might mean the end of her family’s farm. In alternating chapters, Sibley and Hutchinson-Shaw convincingly convey Penny’s pluck and self-sufficiency and Zander’s charm and devotion to his son. And they absolutely sell the red-hot chemistry between Penny and Zander.
A winning narration ensures that listeners will be invested in their journey.Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 4 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797196213
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: March 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
A model and a mogul get married in Vegas on a bet, and Diana Luke narrates their story with élan. While it would be easy to portray Leila Darling as a scheming caricature or Carter Bain as a ruthless businessman, Luke never crosses that line. Her portrayal of Leila is generous and encompasses the full range of her character--from the formidable professional at the top of her game to the vulnerable woman who is unsure if she can trust a man with her heart. Likewise, Luke's portrayal of Carter showcases both his business acumen and his emotional vulnerability as he opens himself up to Leila. While loosely connected to the previous Unconventional Brides volumes, this can easily stand alone.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501968471
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
After her divorce, Roberta Jewett, with her three daughters, returns to Camden, Maine, to start a new life. Such an independent move in 1916 brings difficulties with her mother, her in-laws and the townspeople. Dukes's performance, while skillful, sometimes suffer in scenes of emotional content. His pace slows, and his reading acquires the peculiar emphasis of someone trying to get instructions across to a non-English-speaking person. The effect is disturbingly laughable. When he resumes his normal pace, the story revives and personalities emerge again, but the awkwardness remains as an odd interruption to Spencer's drama of pain and love, dispelling Dukes's carefully constructed characterizations.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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