What a way to kick off the year! The first quarter of 2025 delivered some absolutely incredible audiobooks that had me completely captivated. From steamy contemporary romance with perfect dual narration to atmospheric gothic tales and cozy fantasy gems, these winter months gave us listening experiences that I’m still thinking about.
I listened to dozens of new releases during these chilly months, and the fifteen audiobooks below are the ones that truly stood out. They offer the perfect combination of exceptional storytelling and outstanding narration that make for an unforgettable audio experience!
Whether you’re looking for something to warm you up on cold winter nights or planning your spring listening list, these new audiobook releases are sure to become your new favorites of 2025!
**The marked links and book covers on this page are affiliate links. If you use them to purchase something, I earn a fee at no additional cost for you. Disclosure**
January 2025: Starting the Year Strong
The Favorites
By Layne Fargo
Narrated by Christine Lakin, Louisa Zhu, Amy Landon, Elena Rey, Valerie Rose Lohman & 6 more
Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
The Favorites has been making waves! To me, it tasted more like Literary Fiction than Sports Romance, but nevertheless, this book and the amazing audio production instantly drew me in. I loved how the different voices were arranged for the audio and I dig a complex and difficult heroine like Kat Shaw. Also, if you ever followed professional ice skating, you know that none of the drama in this book is over the top compared to real life!
Perfect for: Listeners who enjoy Romance-adjacent stories, are interested in ice skating, and/or just love BIG DRAMA!
The Afterdark
By E. Latimer
Narrated by Amanda Cordner, Emily Nixon, Thom Nyhuus
Length: 10 hrs and 48 mins
The Afterdark was a surprise hit for me. It’s deliciously creepy but in a cozy way! We switch between Holland’s and Evie’s point of view. Holland is very driven and tries to reach her goals at the boarding school. Evie was never supposed to be there. I loved the vibes of this book so much, the friendship, the emotions, the longing… and the forest.
Perfect for: Fans of nature horror (which I found out I am!) and anyone else who enjoys queer, suspenseful Young Adult books!
The Starlight Heir
By Amalie Howard
Narrated by Anais Inara Chase, Ramiz Monsef
I mostly picked this up because I’m a fan of Anais Inara Chase audiobooks, but I have also enjoyed anything I’ve read by Amalie Howard so far. And The Starlight Heir blew me away! This is a delicious Romantasy full of court intrigue and I loved the concept of a bladesmith heroine.
Perfect for: Any and all Romantasy fans!
Immortal
By Sue Lynn Tan
Narrated by Natalie Naudus
Length: 14 hrs and 26 mins
Sue Lynn Tan’s Celestial Kingdom is such an amazing world to me and I’m so excited we get to return there in this standalone novel! Liyen is the ruler of her country but she is supposed to follow all the rules. As those rules come directly from the gods, I found it particularly fascinating to find out how Liyen would manage to get what she wants for her people.
Perfect for: My fellow fans of Natalie Naudus narrations, and anyone who thinks “God of War” is an excellent title for a Romance hero! (… because it is)
The Note
By Alafair Burke
Narrated by Catherine Ho
Length: 9 hrs and 30 mins
I found The Note to be an intensely captivating listen as we, layer by layer, peel away the facades of these three friends and their relationship(s). This was my first book by Alafair Burke but given her long backlist, I will absolutely change that!
Perfect for: Anyone craving a quick and intense Thriller audiobook!
Death of the Author
By Nnedi Okorafor
Narrated by Liz Femi, Anthony Oseyemi, Jason Culp, Chris Djuma
Length: 16 hrs and 12 mins
A book-within-a-book that blends the line between writing and being written, Death of the Author is a masterpiece of metafiction that manages to combine the razor-sharp commentary of Yellowface with the heartfelt humanity of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Surprisingly funny, deeply poignant, and endlessly discussable, this is at once the tale of a woman on the margins risking everything to be heard and a testament to the power of storytelling to shape the world as we know it.
Perfect for: Any reader who loves a well-crafted Fiction novel!
February 2025: Mid-Winter Gems
Famous Last Words
By Gillian McAllister
Narrated by Emilia Fox
Length: 13 hrs and 5 mins
This Thriller pulled me in instantly! The premise is intriguing: A happy new mom who has everything, then her loving husband takes three hostages. Her life is turned upside down in the span of one morning. And the book itself 100% delivers! I was intensely invested in finding out what exactly was going on with Luke and how Cam dealt with it all. This novel beautifully hands you one puzzle piece after another.
Perfect for: Fans of Thrillers that follow a different path, that don’t feel sinister but look beneath the surface.
Greenteeth
By Molly O’Neill
Narrated by Catrin Walker-Booth
Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
Greenteeth blew me away! This is a beautiful Historical Fantasy novel about friendship and overcoming the biggest challenges for your family. Catrin Walker-Booth pulled me right in with her atmospheric and warm narration from the point of view of Jenny Greentooth, the monster in the lake, who saves a witch from drowning.
Perfect for: Fans of unusual fairytales and cozy Fantasy.
This Inevitable Ruin
By Matt Dinniman
Narrated by Jeff Hays
Length: 28 hrs and 40 mins
What can I say about Dungeon Crawler Carl? Either you know it and love it, or you just don’t know it yet! Fans of audiobooks – even those who rarely turn to Science Fiction or Fantasy – are drawn in by Jeff Hays’ outstanding narration of this gripping series. This Inevitable Ruin is book 7 (time for Faction Wars), and I don’t know how Matt Dinniman does it, but the books just keep getting better and better. I laughed out loud, I cried. I can’t wait for book 8!
Perfect for: Fans of good audiobooks and anyone enjoying Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Hungerstone
By Kat Dunn
Narrated by Perdita Weeks
Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
On the one hand, Hungerstone is an atmospheric Gothic novel that plays with Vampire themes inspired by Carmilla. On the other hand, it’s a very intimate portrait of a smart and strong-willed woman who has to live her life inside the tight confines of her time. I was mesmerized by this book and Perdita Weeks’s amazing narration!
Perfect for: Fans of Feminist Fiction!
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com
By Kimberly Lemming
Narrated by Hazel Addison
Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
Kimberly Lemming’s newest book is a wild ride! And if you expect just one sexy alien… you are in for a surprise 😉 I love how this author manages to write a funny and swoon-worthy Romance while embedding it in impressive world-building that’s never on the nose and never makes you go “ugh, exposition…”. And Hazel Addison, who also narrated the Mead Mishaps series by Kimberly Lemming, is the perfect voice to bring this author’s words to life.
Perfect for: Romance listeners who are looking for an all-around good time!
A World Worth Saving
By Kyle Lukoff
Narrated by Will Malloy
Length: 8 hrs and 51 mins
The premise of this book sounded so intriguing, but I rarely listen to middle grade and didn’t expect that A World Worth Saving would pull me in. But, oh boy, did it ever! I was instantly hooked and invested in A’s journey, who is such a lovely kid and whom I rooted so hard for. The book does such a great job at being a classical quest story, while building a fascinating world that connects Jewish mythology with the current oppressive and dangerous political climate.
Perfect for: Any reader interested in Trans stories and fans of hopeful, uplifting middle grade adventure fantasy!
March 2025: Outstanding Spring Starters
Just Our Luck
By Denise Williams
Narrated by Emma Ladji, Teddy Hamilton
Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
Just Our Luck is such a fun and adorable Contemporary Romance! The author went for a different type of heroine here. Sybil relies primarily on luck and isn’t interested in living just to work. Her family doesn’t understand her and keeps criticizing her. In Kieran she finds someone who ticks entirely differently from her but still accepts – and adores – her exactly as she is. It felt so satisfying to see Sybil succeed! I loved the narration that turned this great novel into an incredibly entertaining, steamy listening experience.
Perfect for: All my fellow Contemporary Romance audiobook fans who love a mix of sweet and spicy!
Homegrown Magic
By Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos
Narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker, Dani Martineck
Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
Homegrown Magic is an adorable cozy Fantasy, read by two of my favorite narrators of queer audiobooks! Dani Martineck voiced Yael, the only kid to a very rich family who feels suffocated by the expectations put upon them. Jeremy Carlisle Parker voiced Margot, a young woman whose family was destroyed by Yael’s family. Margot has plant and potion magic and tries to keep the remnants of her family’s business running. Then Yael stumbles (back) into her life.
Perfect for: Anyone who loves well-narrated queer cozy Fantasy, free of hate but full of magic and love!
Song of the Dark Wood
By Sheila Masterson
Narrated by Aoife McMahon, Dermot Magennis
Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
After this wholesome start, my third audiobook recommendation for this month is full of darkness and rage! Inspired by the fairytale of Red Riding Hood, the setting is a village that borders the realm of the dead. And to keep the peace, young women are sent to the Wolf. Once they have given him their virginal blood, they return in a red cape. It’s Rowan’s turn next. But she learns that good and evil don’t work as she had been told. Aoife McMahon did such an amazing job at bringing out Rowan’s rage and emotions!
Perfect for: Fans of dark romantasy and everyone who prefers stand-alone fantasy books.
Winter 2025 Listening Trends
What I noticed during these first three months and how it connects to what’s happening in audiobook publishing right now:
- Full-cast productions everywhere! The Favorites is just the beginning of a year full of exciting audio plays. And it makes perfect sense that we are seeing more of these elaborate (read: expensive) productions because audiobook sales keep growing faster than any other format. So, publishers are investing in these premium productions.
- Cozy fantasy is absolutely dominating! Travis Baldree has given us a genre that we’ve all been craving. Books like Homegrown Magic and – to some extent – Greenteeth are perfect examples of this trend that’s been taking over BookTok and bestseller lists. I love that publishers are giving us magical escapism without all the darkness. We clearly need this! What I’m really noticing is how well these stories work in audio with those warm, intimate narration styles.
- Romantasy still owns everything! My picks like The Starlight Heir and Immortal are exactly what’s selling like crazy right now. Fantasy books with a central romance storyline and Happily Ever After are basically printing money for publishers, and the audiobook versions often outsell print. I’m amazed with the unique and captivating stories we’re seeing in this genre and I can’t wait to discover everything this year has in store for us romantasy fans!
- Thrillers getting more complex! Books like Famous Last Words show how the genre is evolving beyond just action into real psychological depth. I love that publishers are investing in narrators who can handle those nuanced emotional performances, not just dramatic tension.
- Genre-blending is the new normal! The best audiobooks refuse to stay in neat little boxes anymore, and honestly, that’s exactly what I want as a listener! Publishers clearly get that we don’t want to be limited to one genre when a book can be amazing in multiple ways.
Ready to dive into any of these winter gems? If you want to know how and where to pick up these amazing audiobooks at the best prices, check out this list of my favorite audiobook apps!
Looking for more audiobook recommendations? Here is my Best Audiobooks of 2025 guide for quarterly roundups throughout the year!
Eline Blackman (pronouns: she/they) fell in love with books as a child – with being read to and reading herself. 10 years ago, she bought her first Audible book. It was love at first listen! An average of 250 audiobooks per year has become the new normal and you will rarely see Eline without a wireless earbud. Romance and Fantasy are the go-to genres for this audiobook fan.