If you adore love stories in all their forms from movies to novels, podcasts to songs, then we have the perfect round-up of romance audiobooks you should add to your “reading list”.
Let’s be real: We’re all busy, whether commuting to work, running errands, going to the gym, or caring for family and loved ones. Sometimes, it’s nice to plug yourself into a fantastic audiobook and escape to a new world.
So if you’re planning on a little escape from life and are looking for something different to listen to on your daily walk or commute to work, here are our favourite romance audiobooks to add to your “to listen-to” list in 2025.
The best romance audiobooks 2025
01
Misdirected
by Lucy Parker; narrated by Nicola Coughlan, Gwilym Lee
Did you adore Bridgerton? Have a hankering for Mr Darcy and other Jane Austen heroes and heroines? Then this Audible-original audiobook should be on your list.
Set on a TV period drama, Misdirected follows Hattie Murton who has landed a dream role in a TV adaption of “a bodice-ripping” romance series that becomes a huge success overnight – getting strong Bridgerton vibes. However, four seasons of invasive press, invested fans, and a plot shift that sees her character become…intimate with the character everyone loves to hate portrayed by her bad boy co-star sees Hattie’s real life and acting role meld into one.
Narrated by Bridgerton actress Nicola Coughlan, (Bridgerton, The Magic Faraway Tree) in a tale that is a a life-meets-fiction scenario. Only available on Audible.
You can listen for free on Audible with a 30-day trial.
02
The Yellow Wood
by Minnie Darke; narrated by Remy Hii, Aisha Aidara
If David Nicholls’ One Day, Jane Austen’s Persuasion, or even the Gwyneth Paltrow film Sliding Doors, then The Yellow Wood could be the perfect audiobook for you.
Amber Farrow was copncentratined on finishing her final year of nursing on exchange in Ausdtralia. She wasn’t expecting to meet Griffin Lee. Unfortunately, it was a case of right person, wrong time. She wanted to explore the world, he wanted to put down roots. Now ten years later she’s haunted by the thought of “what if?” After a near-fatal accident she is at a crossroads. Should she go back, or carry on?
You can listen for free on Audible with a 30-day trial.
03
Wild Hearts
by Adeline Knight
This one is for the nature-lovers and David Attenborough fans. Three years ago Bo Sullivan lost her dream job as producer of nature docu-series Wild Hearts to her one-time crush Griffin Marr. She returned home to Lord Howe Island (lucky) to stay with her twin brother Max who was battling cancer and starts a podcast.
Now, Max is in remission and the production team for Wild Hearts has landed on the shores of Lord Howe for a special series on its unique environment. Shall she try and take her revenge? Or was the job not what she thought? Could Griffin not be the villain she made him out to be? Only way to find out is to listen…
You can listen for free on Audible with a 30-day trial.
04
The Road Trip
by Beth O’Leay
A road-trip through Scotland, an adventure with your sister to a friend’s wedding, and an unfortunate encounter with your ex, is what awaits Addie in this Sunday Times bestseller.
While on the road, a car slams into Addie and her sister’s car and the driver is none other than her ex whom she broke with two years prior. He is also travelling to the wedding with a friend, but now his car is totalled. So what can they do but pill into their car and set off on one of the most awkward road trips? Will they make it to the wedding? Will they confront their history? Is it the end of the road or the start of a new journey?
The Road Trip has been adapted into a TV series available to stream on Paramount+ but Scotland has been shifted to Spain. Perfect to watch after listening to the audiobook.
Stream The Road Trip on Paramount+ FREE for seven days. Subscribe here.
05
The Cicada House
by Ella Ward; narrated by Hannah Fredericksen, Jack Twelvetree
A story about grief, healing and learning to love yourself, there’s a lot to love about The Cicada House. After inheriting a large sum of money on her 40th birhter, Caitlin decides to head off on an worldwind adventure with her husband -only for him to share he’s in love with someone else. Caitlin in a bid to get as far away as possible books tickets to the land Down Under. There she finds who she really is…and mets a handyman who helps fix more than things around the house…
Can you listen to audiobooks for free?
Yes you can! If you are a member of your local library, many offer audiobooks through apps like Libby, BorrowBox, Indyreads, and Overdrive. Check your local library to see what could be available.
Orther subscription services include audiobooks. For instance, Spotify allows 15 hours of listening on its free tier, however, Premium subscription users can listen to over 250,000 audiobooks in its catalog.
Arguably, the world’s most popular audiobook service is Audible. You can try Audible on a 30-day free trial and thereafter choose to sign up to its Standard or Premium Plus tier. Find out more on the website.
Do audiobooks count as reading?
Have you set yourself a reading goal in 2025? Well, in our opinion, listening to an audiobook absolutely counts towards reading. There are lots of reasons why someone might prefer listening to an audiobook over reading it. They might be busy looking after family or loved ones and so have little downtime. They might have long commutes in a car or love a road trip and prefer a story over the radio or a podcast. Or, they might have vision issues or conditions like dyslexia which can make reading more difficult. Regardless, engaging with a story helps broaden one’s mind. And remember, humans have been sharing stories thousands of years before words were written down!
