Short audiobooks are amazing to get you out of your reading slump or to stay entertained during a drive! But it hurts to spend an entire Audible credit on a 3-hour audiobook instead of, say, a 13 hour one. That’s why I want to share with you some fantastic novellas that are included in your Audible subscription or that you can listen to for free with Kindle Unlimited!
Less than 5 hours long but full of fast-paced story, emotions, and action, these short audiobooks will keep you perfectly entertained!
**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**
Why Short Audiobooks are so Awesome
In the days before I found out about unlimited audiobook subscriptions, I was pretty focused on audiobook length. I felt I needed to get as many hours of entertainment as possible for every Audible credit.
So, the minimum for me was 9 hours. But preferably more than 10! And I missed out on a lot of great books that way…
Fortunately, these days, we don’t have to pay the full price for each audiobook – or not even pay for each one individually at all! Which means we can fully enjoy short audiobooks now.
The world of novellas and short stories is amazing. In a reading slump, it can be difficult to commit to a story and really give in to it. Short story audiobooks are perfect for those times because they are fast-paced and have a different flow that makes it easier to dive right into it without the feeling of committing to an epic plot.
But these short audiobooks are also good choices for driving! You can easily finish them in a day while being well entertained on your road trip to and from your destination.
The following list is a mix of audiobooks I have listened to and recommend, as well as the best short audiobooks with the highest ratings on Audible!
15 of the Best Short Audiobooks in Audible Plus
If you have an Audible subscription, you automatically have free access to the Audible Plus digital library! It includes thousands of audiobooks that you can borrow without any extra cost.
Related article: How to get More out of your Audible Membership
Coming Home
Kennedy Ryan (Author), Wesleigh Siobhan (Narrator), Jakobi Diem (Narrator)
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Coming Home is a beautiful, heartwrenching second-chance Romance written by award-winning and bestselling author Kennedy Ryan.
It is read by the amazing Wesleigh Siobhan and Jakobi Diem. They bring out all the emotions in this story of two people who always knew there was something there but never quite managed to get together until it seemed “too late”.
I had a wonderful time listening to Coming Home, and for me, it’s one of the best short audiobooks!
Catchers
Ben Rock (Author), Bob DeRosa (Author), Billy Gardell (Narrator), Herizen Guardiola (Narrator), Mary Lynn Rajskub (Narrator), Nicki Micheaux (Narrator), David Patrick Kelly (Narrator), full cast (Narrator)
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If you are looking for a chilling and thrilling short story, Catchers is just the thing for you!
Elaborately produced with a full cast, this book is inspired by Horror movies of the 80’s. And Audible reviewers are loving it!
An older man, soon to retire, and a young vet student investigate reports of bloodthirsty beasts…
The Summer Melt
Emily March (Author), Andi Arndt (Narrator), Dave Gillies (Narrator)
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The Summer Melt is a sweet romance set in a small town. The perfect pick for a road trip this summer!
Listening to Andi Arndt is always a pleasure, and Dave Gillies has a sexy Scottish accent that listeners love!
Related article: The Best Free Road Trip Audiobooks
The Weirdies
Michael Buckley (Author), Kate Winslet (Narrator)
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The incredible Kate Winslet reads this fun and unexpected audiobook by Michael Buckley.
The Weirdies is a wonderful choice if you’re going on a trip with a young person or if you just want something light and different for yourself!
Deep Hole
Don Winslow (Author), Ed Harris (Narrator)
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Going by the amazing ratings, you can really say Deep Hole is one of the best short story audiobooks on Audible!
Read by the awesome Ed Harris, it explores surfing in Rhode Island. There’s lots of wry humor, emotion, and a general laid-back attitude that draws listeners in.
Lucky Suit
Lauren Blakely (Author), Zachary Webber (Narrator), Andi Arndt (Narrator)
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Lucky Suit is one of the best short audiobooks for Romance fans!
Lauren Blakely is always good for a straight-shooting heroine. And her hero in this fun mistaken identity Rom-Com is absolutely adorable! Even more so thanks to Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber, who are always a pleasure to listen to.
The Set Up
Falguni Kothari (Author), Soneela Nankani (Narrator), Vikas Adam (Narrator)
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The Set Up is one of my favorite short audiobooks in Audible Plus!
This is an utterly charming and funny Romantic Comedy about an Indian-American woman who keeps being set up with the same guy.
I absolutely loved this dating story and the narration by Soneela Nankani and Vikas Adam, who are both so great!
Once Upon a Haunted Moor
Harper Fox (Author), Tim Gilbert (Narrator)
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Once Upon a Haunted Moor is an atmospheric Mystery novella with a gay romance. It is the first part in a series of The Tyack & Frayne Mysteries that are all also included in Audible Plus.
Tim Gilbert did a wonderful, emotional narration for these two men and their search for a missing child.
The Neil Gaiman at the End of the Universe
Arvind Ethan David (Author), Neil Gaiman (Narrator), Jewel Staite (Narrator)
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This pretty odd Sci-Fi short story is a must for Neil Gaiman fans! It’s wonderfully narrated by the man himself. And the story is… Well… it’s something different and full of unexpected twists and turns!
I absolutely adored The Neil Gaiman at the End of the Universe and can wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s really one of the best short story audiobooks!
The Very First Damned Thing
Jodi Taylor (Author, Narrator)
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The Chronicles of St Mary’s is a fascinating time-traveling Fantasy series, and the author herself has recorded a short story prequel, The Very First Damned Thing.
This is a great introduction to the series for those who haven’t listened to it yet and a wonderful treat for those who have!
The Five-Year Hitch: Not Quite a Love Story
Melissa de la Cruz (Author), Rachel Boston (Narrator), Daniel di Tomasso (Narrator)
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The Five-Year Hitch is an excellent production with duet narration and sound effects. In podcast interview form, two people talk about how they kept getting together and breaking up again.
Rachel Boston and Daniel di Tomasso did a fun narration, and I had a great time listening to this unexpected love story.
Dispossession
Tayari Jones (Author), Gabrielle Union (Narrator)
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Dispossession is a very powerful and moving short story about a mother, her regrets, her conflicting thoughts, and her emotions in regard to her now-adult son, who avoids her.
This very emotional audiobook is narrated by Gabrielle Union who completely captivates you and makes you feel every line of this outstanding short story!
Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues
Molly Harper (Author), Amanda Ronconi (Narrator), Jonathan Davis (Narrator)
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Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues is a cute Paranormal Romance novella set in the Mystic Bayou.
The entire Mystic Bayou series about a town of supernatural beings is included in Audible Plus, and they are among the most popular audiobooks for listeners here!
Amanda Ronconi and Jonathan Davis perfectly bring the characters to life!
The Dispatcher
John Scalzi (Author), Zachary Quinto (Narrator)
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The Dispatcher has a breathtaking 80,000 ratings on Audible with a 4.5 star average rating!
I’m pretty sure that this is the most popular audiobook of all in Audible Plus and definitely one of the best short audiobooks.
Zachary Quinto reads this Science Fiction Thriller, and I absolutely love the entire Dispatcher series. It’s different, fun, captivating, and so perfectly narrated!
Related article: 13 Weird and Spooky Audiobooks that aren’t Horror
The Mountain and the Sea
Kwame Dawes (Author), Paula-Anne Jones (Narrator)
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The Mountain and the Sea is a romantic tale about letting go of the past and embracing the present. Set on the lush Jamaican coast, the poetic prose brings to life the warmth of the sands, the spice in the foods, and the passion of a Caribbean love affair.
It is read by Jamaican narrator Paula-Anne Jones.
Related article: The Best Audible Originals that don’t cost an Audible credit
10 of the Best Short Audiobooks in Kindle Unlimited
The following short story Fiction audiobooks are all free with Kindle Unlimited. Read more about how to listen to audiobooks with Kindle Unlimited!
Evidence of the Affair
Taylor Jenkins Reid (Author), Julia Whelan (Narrator), George Newbern (Narrator), James Daniels (Narrator), Dara Rosenberg (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
Taylor Jenkins Reid is the bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six which is on this list of the best audiobooks.
In Kindle Unlimited, you can find her novella Evidence of the Affair. The story is told in the form of letters between a man and a woman whose spouses are cheating on them. I was utterly captivated and absolutely loved the (pretty unexpected) ending!
This is, without a doubt, a must-listen short audiobook that is so amazingly narrated!
Undercover: Into Shadow collection
Tamsyn Muir (Author), Susan Dalian (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
The author of Gideon the Ninth joined several other outstanding Fantasy and Science Fiction authors for the Into Shadow collection of Horror and Dystopian short stories.
In Undercover, a woman takes on the job of being the bodyguard of a ghoul!
The Wedding Setup: A Short Story
Sonali Dev (Author), Soneela Nankani (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
Sonali Dev is a bestselling author of Romance novels, and I always immensely enjoy her books.
The Wedding Setup is a beautifully written, heartwrenching second-chance love story, and Soneela Nankani excels at bringing out all the emotions in this beautiful short story audiobook!
The Black Pages (Black Stars)
Nnedi Okorafor (Author), Naomi Ackie (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
The Black Stars collection features speculative fiction by popular Black authors.
In The Black Pages, a young man meets a supernatural being in Timbouctou, where they explore Mali’s history.
Readers and listeners are absolutely enthralled, and this is one of the best short audiobooks in Kindle Unlimited!
A Wedding Thing: The One
Shea Serrano (Author, Narrator), Larami Serrano (Author, Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
If you’re married or in a long-term relationship, treat yourself to the wonderful novella A Wedding Thing by Shea and Larami Serrano!
It’s a very raw and emotional story that I believe every person in a long-term relationship will feel.
The Serranos talk about love and romance but also about the very real and serious problems you might have to face when you want a family. I enjoyed A Wedding Thing very much!
Rummage
Ife-Chudeni A. Oputa (Author, Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
Rummage is an award-winning poetry book. It tells the story of a young woman growing up and going through different periods of her life.
The storyline is straightforward and easy to follow (even for me, as someone who rarely listens to poetry), and the poems are profoundly moving and emotional.
This is a very special audiobook you should give a chance, even if you don’t usually listen to poetry!
Close to the Bone
Kendra Elliot (Author), Christine Williams (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
Get your chill on with this Thriller in novella-length!
Close to the Bone is the start to the Widow’s Island Novella series about the FBI agent Cate Wilde who returns to her childhood home – Widow’s Island – and teams up with Tessa Black, the local deputy, to solve the case of a teenager’s skeletal remains.
Ark: Forward Collection
Veronica Roth (Author), Evan Rachel Wood (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
Ark is the first book in an Amazon exclusive series of Science-Fiction short stories. Each book is narrated by a famous actor from a Sci-Fi or Paranormal TV show.
In the first book, a young scientist remains on Earth to finish cataloging plants while the rest of the planet is evacuated.
It’s read by Evan Rachel Wood from Westworld.
Everything My Mother Taught Me (Inheritance collection)
Alice Hoffman (Author), Brittany Pressley (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
Everything My Mother Taught Me is the first part in the Inheritance collection, five stories about secrets, unspoken desires, and dangerous revelations between loved ones.
Readers and listeners are enthralled by this story of twists and turns.
In the Heart of the Fire: Nameless
Dean Koontz (Author), Edoardo Ballerini (Narrator)
Listen for free with Kindle Unlimited**
New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz offers an exclusive series of short stories in Kindle Unlimited.
In the Heart of the Fire is the first part of Nameless, a riveting collection of short stories about a vigilante nomad, who was stripped of his memories and commissioned to kill.
The audiobooks are read by Audie Award-winning narrator Edoardo Ballerini.
I hope you’ll have a great time with these short audiobooks! And if you’re looking for more ways to get the most out of your Audible credits, check out my list with Romance audiobook box sets to get 3 or even 4 audiobooks for one Audible credit.
Kindle deals can slightly differ between international Amazon websites. The lists on this blog are based on Amazon.com. If you live elsewhere, you might be sent to your local Amazon. Please don’t be disappointed if your marketplace has different prices. Sometimes, a US “Listen for Free” might cost a little elsewhere, while other deals might, in turn, be cheaper on your Amazon. You can only download Kindle audiobooks from your local Amazon website.
Pin these Short Audiobooks for later:
I found some great books to listen to while at work from this. thank you!
So happy to hear that 🙂 Short audiobooks are great!