This post was originally published on Audible.com.
There are few staples of a night in more universally beloved than the rom-com. From unforgettable meet-cutes to first kisses to a classic happily-ever-after ending, romantic comedies have our hearts. If you also can't shake the feeling that love is in the air, you'll want to listen to the pitch-perfect gems in the list below. Hand selected by Audible Editor Katie, our collection of the best romantic comedy audiobooks of all time will have you swooning, laughing, and falling in love with every word.
Lauren Blakely’s Audible Original novella is packed with chemistry, brought to life by Hall of Fame narrator Andi Arndt and audio heartthrob Zachary Webber. Kristen Leonard is done being set up—she prefers the algorithms of online dating, thank you very much. But when she meets Cameron, a seemingly perfect catch who goes by the handle “Lucky Suit,” she can’t shake the feeling that something’s amiss. Can they trust their hearts over their heads? Or is Kristen suiting up for disaster? This listen is on the sweeter side—light, witty, and full of charm.
Co-written by Audible Hall of Fame narrator Andi Arndt and best-selling author Tara Sivec, Heidi's Guide to Four Letter Words is a product of everything this dynamic duo brings to the table. Andi Arndt, being a seasoned narrator, takes us for a look inside the daily workings of an audio studio. And being a Minnesotan herself, Andi nails the lived-in feel of a Minnesotan accent in her performance. And Tara! She can make you laugh on any day. With the situation we have here—a shy kindergarten teacher getting tipsy on boxed wine while podcasting about the sexy bits in romance novels—she is in fine form. Put everything together, and this sweet Audible Original is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s a love story between two people, but it’s also a love story about Minnesota, small town living, romance novels, and the joys of audio.
Peanut butter + jelly. Romance + comedy. Christina + Lauren. This writing duo remains #friendship goals, and luckily for us, they continue to deliver heartwarming, smile-inducing, laugh out loud love stories each year. The Unhoneymooners begins with a wedding gone horribly wrong: at the reception, the newlyweds and all of their guests contract food poisoning—with the exception of the maid of honor and the best man (aka the twin sister and older brother of the bride and groom). Together, Olive and Ethan depart on the nonrefundable honeymoon meant for their respective siblings, who are too ill to make the journey to Hawaii. What unfolds is a quirky, touching, and humorous enemies-to-lovers tale you won’t soon forget… probably because you’ll want to re-listen to it right away.
Sally Thorne expertly blurs the line between love and hate in her smashing debut, The Hating Game. The stakes are high in this rivals-to-lovers tale as two overachieving (and overqualified) assistants duke it out for the same promotion. Lucy and Joshua are in constant competition with each other—and then a searing kiss changes the game. Katie Schorr performs this utterly compulsive audiobook. It’s a slow burn with completely relatable (and flawed) characters, terrific banter, and plenty of humor.
Jasmine Guillory crashed onto the rom-com scene with her charming debut, The Wedding Date. After being trapped in an elevator with a sexy stranger, Alexa agrees to accompany Drew to his ex’s wedding as his plus one. This delightful meet-cute turned fake relationship catches both Drew and Alexa off guard when they wind up having a great time with each other at the wedding. Are they really going to pursue long distance and turn their fake relationship into a real one? Janina Edwards brings the bubbly and bold Alexa to life, and goes on to perform both sequels in this delightfully fun series.
The One Plus One is the beautiful, poignant, and utterly compelling new novel by the internationally best-selling author Jojo Moyes. One single mum. With two jobs and two children, Jess Thomas does her best day after day. But it’s hard on your own. And sometimes you take risks you shouldn’t. Because you have to.... One chaotic family. Jess’ gifted, quirky daughter Tanzie is brilliant with numbers, but without a helping hand she’ll never get the chance to shine. And Nicky, Jess’ teenage stepson, can’t fight the bullies alone. Sometimes Jess feels like they’re sinking.... One handsome stranger. Into their lives comes Ed Nicholls, a man whose life is in chaos, and who is running from a deeply uncertain future. But he has time on his hands. He knows what it’s like to be lonely. And he wants to help.... One unexpected love story. The One Plus One is a captivating and unconventional romance from Jojo Moyes about two lost souls meeting in the most unlikely circumstances.
Are you ready to laugh your pucking face off? Helena Hunting's Pucked series about a group of professional hockey players and their girlfriends is downright bawdy. Book 1 kicks off with Violet; her stepbrother plays in the NHL, and she’s dated her fair share of hockey players. Been there, done that. While she's immersed in a book at her stepbrother’s game (to avoid boredom), Alex Waters—captain of Chicago’s team—is slammed into the boards right in front of her, interrupting her great read. They lock eyes, and Alex is immediately hooked. What follows is a side-splitting cat-and-mouse game between two headstrong and hilarious new lovers.
You don’t need to be a sci-fi fan to get swept up by Alyssa Cole’s fun, twisty rom-com with a strong and diverse cast of narrators, including Regina Hall, Feodor Chin, and Mindy Kaling. But The A.I Who Loved Me has a thrilling, futuristic plot that certainly helps bump this listen into best-romance-of-the-year territory! We especially enjoyed the intermingling of Hall’s solo narration with scripted audio chapters—complete with dramatic sound design—that made for a standout audio experience. Trinity Jordan is a badass heroine who has a crush on her new neighbor, Li Wei, but she soon discovers he’s not quite what he seems. Even then, she can’t help but fall for his charmingly robotic demeanor and powerful desire to keep her safe. Who knew an A.I. could be this sexy?
Alice Clayton’s charming rom-com starts with a literal bang. Thanks to thin walls, Caroline is privy to the nighttime extracurricular activities of her mysterious neighbor. One particularly loud night, Caroline decides to confront the mystery man next door, and comes face to face with sexy photographer Simon Parker. The two embark on a tension-laden friendship, that’s exquisitely brought to life by Heather Smith. Clayton’s tale abounds with great supporting characters (including a cat who provides plenty of comic relief), a few compelling, career-focused subplots, and plenty of wall banging.
Penny Reid knows how to spin a side-stitchingly hilarious tale, and Neanderthal Seeks Human is an A+ listen for those looking to brighten their day. Our unwitting heroine, Janie Morris is about to get really lucky with one Sir McHotpants after a few strokes of misfortune befall her. It goes to show that everything happens for a reason! If you haven’t yet tried a romantic comedy, why not let Janie’s story and Jennifer Grace’s infectiously upbeat performance charm you into believing in a little luck, magic, and serendipity?
Let’s be honest: HGTV has made us all crave a little home renovation romance in our lives. Thankfully, Tessa Bailey delivers in the funny and steamy Fix Her Up. Georgette didn’t go into her family's home reno business. Instead, she’s a clown. Literally. She finds joy in making other people laugh, but the rest of her life needs its own renovation. Part of that fix means opening herself up to love. Enter Travis—a former MLB player whose career was cut short by an injury. Travis and Georgie are childhood friends who are both exhausted by their family’s scrutiny as they work on their own lives. Together they decide to fake date to get their parents off their backs, but neither one was expecting the very real attraction that exists between them. Performed by Charlotte North, this flirty tale will fulfill all of your home improvement fantasies…and then some.
This feel-good story is the perfect antidote to everyday stresses. Tall, dark, and handsome Reid and oh-so-sensible Willow are just friends—and neighbors—despite the fact that their insane chemistry is palpable to everyone but them. Leave it to the heroine’s matchmaker family business to get the ball rolling on their romance, in an unexpected way. The fabulous writing duo of Corinne Michaels and Melanie Harlow, plus the magic of Andy Arndt’s honey-tinged narration paired with Jason Clarke’s deep and brooding voice, deliver a realistic portrayal of this couple’s insecurities, obstinacies, and deepest desires. If you’re not swooning by the end of this listen, you may have to check your pulse.
Tangled by Emma Chase is the gift that keeps on giving. When first released, it was groundbreaking for the genre—told solely from the point of view of a man: cocky, confident, and charming playboy Drew Evans. It was also one of the very first audiobooks performed by Sebastian York, helping catapult the narrator into legend status as one of genre's the most beloved voices (with more than 300 romances now to his name). Chase’s witty debut will have you laughing and swooning as the ultimate playboy finally meets his match.
Welcome to Bridget's first diary: mercilessly funny, endlessly touching and utterly addictive. A dazzlingly urban satire on modern relationships? An ironic, tragic insight into the demise of the nuclear family? Or the confused ramblings of a pissed thirty-something? As Bridget documents her struggles through the social minefield of her thirties and tries to weigh up the eternal question (Daniel Cleaver or Mark Darcy?), she turns for support to four indispensable friends: Shazzer, Jude, Tom and a bottle of chardonnay.
Speaking of great paranormal pairings, the Molly Harper/Amanda Ronconi pairing has become the stuff of Audible legend, and it all started with this audiobook. In fact, Ronconi has become so essential to the lifeblood (pun intended) of this vampire romance series that it was no surprise when Harper dedicated one of her books to her narrator. The kickoff to the delightfully quirky Nice Girls series, as well as an equally popular spin-off series, this book has been a nonstop hit with our listeners for 10 years now, with no signs of waning.
This entertaining, fast-paced, neuro-diverse love story from Graeme Simsion is the feel-good listen you need in your life. Genetics professor Don Tillman (who has undiagnosed Asperger’s) has never been on a second date, but he knows his perfect mate must be out there. He thus begins The Wife Project and along the way, finds his most imperfect match, Rosie. You won’t be able to hit pause on this surprising, funny, and clever romance that's set in Australia. Dan O’Grady’s crisp Aussie accent will make you feel like you’re right there with Don and Rosie as they uncover the mysteries of themselves and each other.
Becky Albertalli can capture the angst, uncertainty, awkwardness, humor, and quirky nature of first-time love like no one else. In Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, 16-year-old Simon begins an email relationship with another closeted gay teen at his high school, but the emails fall into the wrong hands. Soon, Simon is being blackmailed and his junior year is at risk of imploding. This listen will make you chuckle, it will make you mad, it will make you cringe—all the things you want in a coming-of-age tale. Michael Crouch delivers beautiful characterizations for Simon and his friends—you’ll be smiling your way to the HEA.
Be warned: once you listen to this one from Pippa Grant, you’ll be packing your bags for a pirate town in the mountains of Virginia. Jason Clarke and Virginia Rose perform this mouth-watering, laugh out loud, friends-to-enemies-to-lovers tale about childhood besties turned rival bakers. Grady has loved Annika since high school, but he hasn’t heard from her for 10 years—ever since he confessed his feelings, and she left to join the Army. Now she’s back and running a bakery in Sarcasm—in direct competition with his own bakery in his hometown of Shipwreck. A quirky grandpa, a foul-mouthed parrot, and plenty of delicious donuts make Master Baker a must-listen.