Spring brought some absolutely incredible audiobooks that had me completely captivated! These warmer months delivered everything from gripping thrillers to cozy fantasy gems, plus some seriously impressive voice acting that elevated already compelling stories into unforgettable listening experiences.
What I love about spring releases is how they seem to capture that sense of renewal and possibility. Authors are taking bigger risks. Publishers are experimenting with new formats. And narrators? They’re bringing their absolute A-game to stories that range from whimsical romance to intense pandemic-era horror.
The audiobooks below represent the cream of the crop from dozens I listened to during April and May. Each one offers something special, whether it’s outstanding narration, innovative storytelling, or – most often – that perfect combination of both that creates audio magic!
This post is still a work in progress. Make sure you come back for my favorite June audiobooks!
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April 2025: Spring Awakening Listens
Iron Tongue of Midnight
By Brittany N. Williams
Narrated by Savy Des-Etages
Length: 9 hours 28 minutes
This book is the conclusion to Brittany N. Williams’ gorgeous The Forge & Fracture Saga. I found it to be an amazing Historical Fantasy series that beautifully weaves together elements of the Middle Ages and Shakespeare with the lived realities of Black and queer people and then finishes it off with elves and other magical elements.
Now, a narrator change during a series is always an issue. The first two books are read by the wonderful Patricia Allison from Sex Education. But Savy Des-Etages taking over for the last book works well here as the character is a bit older, more battle-experienced, and this narrator’s voice fits this growth well. You might want to take a small break between books 2 and 3 so the narrator change is easier to handle. But trust me, it is so worth getting this series!
This audiobook isn’t available on Audible at the moment (maybe because it’s published by Spotify). But you can get it on Hoopla, LibroFM, or Everand.
Perfect for: Fantasy fans who love diverse representation and Shakespeare-inspired stories!
Grave Situation
By Louisa Masters
Narrated by Michael Lesley
Length: 17 hours 28 minutes
I can appreciate a really solid stand-alone Romantasy, and Grave Situation with its mix of whimsy elements and high stakes hit the spot!
We have a magical academy for dragon-riders and magic wielders that has some parallels to Fourth Wing, which I loved. We have a really cute M/M Romance between a mage and a healer. And we have a very dangerous conspiracy!
This book was so entertaining and fun, and I greatly enjoyed the narration by Michael Lesley whose voice and narration style never fails to deliver and who fits the character of Talon perfectly!
Perfect for: Romantasy fans who love magical academies and gay romance!
The Stand-In Dad
By Alex Summers
Narrated by Candida Gubbins
Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
The Stand-In Dad is such a beautiful found family novel! David, a gay man in his 50s, takes on the task of supporting Meg, who is preparing for her wedding to her girlfriend. She believed her parents would support her, but they pulled back.
This is such a warm and cozy story about finding community and people who love and accept you fully.
Perfect for: Readers who love found family stories and LGBTQ+ representation! The perfect audiobook for Pride Month in June.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zang
By Kylie Lee Baker
Narrated by Natalia Naudus
Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
This book had me in a chokehold! Revisiting the scary early days of the COVID pandemic creates an all too familiar eerie atmosphere that’s the perfect backdrop for Cora trying to find out who killed her sister. Then Cora herself gets into the crosshairs of an extremely prolific serial killer.
Natalia Naudus brought out Cora’s despair so well and turned this into a truly captivating horror audiobook that I could not turn off!
Perfect for: Horror fans who appreciate atmospheric tension and stellar narration!
May 2025: Spring into these Audiobooks!
These Vengeful Gods
By Gabe Cole Novoa
Narrated by Milo Longenecker
Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
I was utterly captivated by this gripping stand-alone YA Fantasy! Our nonbinary main character Crow is a fighter and gets chosen for the Tournament of the Gods, a brutal fighting competition that allows them to leave the flooded area where the poor people live to visit the City of the Gods.
Milo Longenecker was a new-to-me voice and does such an amazing job at bringing Crow to life!
Perfect for: YA Fantasy fans looking for diverse representation and compelling tournament storylines!
Dying to Meet You
By Sarina Bowen
Narrated by Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, Sarah Mollo-Christensen
Length, 12 hrs and 33 mins
You know I love a good Thriller audiobook, especially when I can not guess the killer until the big reveal! And Dying to Meet You offers exactly that. Sarina Bowen is such a great author, not only of wonderful Romance novels, but also of gripping Thrillers.
I was rooting so hard for Rowan, the single mom who was just broken up with in the worst way… only to find her ex brutally murdered, putting her at the center of the police investigation.
The book’s main characters are read by Kathleen Early, Caitlin Kelly, and Sarah Mollo-Christensen, who are all extremely skilled voice actors and bring out all the suspense and emotion of this novel. I could not put my headphones down!
Perfect for: Thriller fans who love complex female protagonists and expertly crafted mysteries!
Audre & Bash Are Just Friends
By Tia Williams
Narrated by Jordan Cobb, Torian Brackett
Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
Tia Williams writes breathtakingly good adult Romance. Her venture into YA Romance manages to feel much more light-hearted while still being just as amazingly well crafted and emotionally sensitive.
Audre is the daughter of Eva from Seven Days in June, and she is… just friends with Bash. Audre is a bit of an elitist. She excels in school and has big plans for college. But she also wants to make sure she doesn’t miss out on anything. So she hires Bash to help her loosen up.
This is not directly a love coach kind of trope, but I’d call it the YA version of it. Jordan Cobb and Torian Brackett are perfectly cast to fill Audre and Bash with life and bring out all their teenage emotions!
Perfect for: Fans of Tia Williams and anyone who loves YA Romance and friends-to-lovers stories!
Time Loops & Meet Cutes
By Jackie Lau
Narrated by Cindy Kay, Raymond J. Lee
Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
Jackie Lau’s take on the Groundhog Day trope is simply wonderful! She brings in several elements that I haven’t seen before, including a friend going through the same thing as our heroine Noelle, and an explanation of how this weird thing even happened in the first place!
Noelle’s and Cam’s love story is so moving. I almost teared up when Cam kept remembering small things about Noelle that he shouldn’t have been able to recall. Soul mate connection! I loved the narration by Cindy Kay and Raymond J. Lee, who made this wild tale of the ever-repeating day so extremely real.
Perfect for: Romance fans who love unique takes on familiar tropes!
June 2025: Late Spring Gems
Coming soon!
Spring 2025 Listening Trends
What caught my attention during these blooming months, and how it connects to the bigger audiobook landscape:
- YA getting bolder and even more diverse! Books like These Vengeful Gods and Audre & Bash Are Just Friends show publishers are still investing in authentic voices for teen stories, and I’m so glad to see it. Also, nonbinary protagonists from traditional publishing houses, yay! The YA audiobook market is exploding because these stories actually reflect real teenage experiences. And the adult genres need to start catching up…
- Cross-genre authors dominating! Sarina Bowen jumping between romance and thriller? Smart move. Audiobook listeners are incredibly loyal and support and follow authors through different genres.
- Found family themes everywhere! From The Stand-In Dad to These Vengeful Gods, publishers clearly understand that chosen family resonates deeply with audiobook audiences. We’re craving stories about connection!
- Timey-wimey romance is having a moment! Time Loops & Meet Cutes is perfectly timed! Publishers are opening up to more paranormal and sci-fi elements in romance, just look at Audible Plus recently adding Cora Bastone’s Better Luck Next Time to their catalog. These aren’t just Groundhog Day retellings anymore. Authors are getting wildly creative with temporal and multiverse mechanics and publishers are eating it up because listeners can’t get enough of the “what if” possibilities.
- “Climate fiction” (cli-fi) exploding across all genres! Stay tuned for my review of It’s Not the End of the World.
Find out which audiobook subscription is the best fit for you based on your listening habits!
Looking for more audiobook recommendations? Check out my complete 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.