Summer Heat, Holiday Heart: A Christmas in July Romance Audiobooks Playlist

In true rom-com form, The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a fun, funny, and delightful journey. It allows us to experience the highs and lows of the holiday season as thirty-four-year-old designer Kate Turner tackles twelve dates with twelve different men… and that’s not even mentioning the nosy neighbors, the terrible luck, and a complicated relationship with an old friend. You’ll earn a guaranteed spot on the nice list if you whip up the PDF of recipes included in your audiobook purchase to snack on while you listen to Elizabeth Knowelden’s captivating voice.

Craving Christmas cookies yet? Good — because Eliza Evans has whipped up a delicious rom-com (complete with recipes) that’s impossible to resist. Warm, fuzzy, and filled with family dynamics, Melody — a widow, mom of nine-year-old twins, and most notably not a baker — takes over the cookie committee to save Christmas for her boys. Of course, that means lots of run-ins with the school principal and prized baker Jonathan Braxton. Expect some sugar, some spice, and maybe even a dash of salt in a delicious love story that any Hallmark fan or baker will adore. Eileen Stevens provides expressive character voices, with the children’s voices feeling especially genuine and excited.

Fresh off a breakup, Callie dreads returning to her festive hometown — especially when her ex brings his new girlfriend next door. Choosing to spend the holidays alone, Callie is down in the dumps until her sister steps in with an advent calendar challenge designed to face her fears and to reignite her Christmas spirit. However, when Callie’s sister gets called away, Callie faces loneliness again — until she makes a deal with a charming local baker that might just change everything. Amy Hall perfectly captures dynamic shifts between voices and tones that keep the story lively and festive.

This spicy romantic mystery might just thaw your heart. Laurie Gilmore and narrator Regina Reagan gives the gift that keeps on giving with the fourth installment of the fan-favorite Dream Harbor series. Whether you’ve fallen in love with your first taste at The Pumpkin Spice Café or are taking your first stroll in Dream Harbor at the formerly abandoned Christmas tree farm, this opposites-attract trope proves that Christmas magic — and maybe love — is alive and well in Dream Harbor. 

Running a Christmas tree farm doesn’t always feel like a Hallmark dream to Stella — especially after she fibbed on a contest application and now needs a fake boyfriend to pull it all off to keep her farm from closing. Good thing her best friend Luka’s up for the challenge (despite the fact they’re under the watchful eye of a nosy town, a make-or-break Instagram influencer, and perhaps even fate itself). But when fake feelings start feeling real, Stella might need a Christmas miracle after all.

After her mom is coerced into inviting Hailey Morgan’s ex-boyfriend to Christmas dinner, Hailey decides to pack up her guitar in Portland and take her friend’s offer to stay in a remote cabin in Podunk, Oregon. Debbie Macomber returns to pluck at your heartstrings while Andi Arndt delivers a lyrical performance of the story of a band teacher who dreamed of becoming a professional songwriter — and a former musician who might help her rediscover those dreams. Sometimes, the right duet is the song you didn’t know you needed.

Curl up with a hot (or iced) cup of Mexican Hot Chocolate — two recipes are included for listeners — and settle in for a season where everyone is family at the Seabreeze Inn. Jan Morgan is back with the fourth in her Seabreeze Inn series, offering a richly told tale of love, loss, second chances, and a sprinkle of festive mystery woven throughout. Erin Bennett continues to make you feel right at home with a reading that feels personal and heartfelt.

What’s better than a Christmas Duke? Four Christmas Dukes. From the ballrooms of London to abandoned Scottish castles to the snowy streets of Gilded Age New York, you’ll meet four Dukes who are sure to be the talk of the ton (and that’s not even mentioning the magic love biscuits). This swoon-worthy anthology — brought to life by the velvety rich voice of Justine Eyre — is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Netflix’s A Christmas Prince.

Bookstores in books? That’s our love language. Though Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop wasn’t part of Carmen’s plan, maybe it’s exactly where she needs to be. Forced to navigate life with her perfect pregnant sister and her sister’s three children, Carmen wrestles with her own bah-humbug blues. While trying to save a failing bookshop and reconnect with her family, Carmen also faces falling for the wrong — or right — person… all before Christmas, of course. Eilidh Beaton’s crisp and immersive narrations pull you right into the story as you visualize the picturesque streets of historic Edinburgh.