Ellie Heydon has narrated 24 audiobooks on Listento.it by 16 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.4★ across 1,455 ratings. The most-rated is Anne of Green Gables.
Anne of Green Gables
Summary
With all of the pluck and charm of its eponymous young hero, Rachel McAdams (The Notebook, Spotlight, Midnight in Paris) delivers a spectacular reading of Montgomery's beloved bildungsroman. In moments both funny and bittersweet, McAdams' voice is imbued with the spark that has made Anne a much-loved symbol of individualism and cheer for over a century. In this story of "kindred spirits", McAdams' touching and heartfelt narration proves she is just that - bonded on a deep level to this shimmering classic. When aging brother and sister Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert decide to adopt an orphan boy to help with chores around their farm, Green Gables on Prince Edward Island, neither is prepared for the feisty and imaginative redheaded girl who is mistakenly brought to them instead. Nor are they prepared for the way in which she will change their lives. Through a series of hilarious misadventures, Anne's uncompromising spirit makes her a striking presence in the close-knit village, bringing new friendships, first crushes, and, for her foster parents, a love and openness unimaginable before her arrival.
Public Domain (P)2016 Audible, Inc.
The Happy Couple
Summary
Me and Will. Will and Me. A perfect match. He said he would always be there for me, but it’s been a year since he drained his coffee, walked out the front door and vanished. Did he leave me? Or did something terrible happen? I’m scared someone finally found out about what happened on the drive home that night... I lie awake at night trawling the internet for rental properties, desperate for an escape. Until I see my husband’s gorgeous face smiling back at me from a photograph on the fireplace in someone else’s home, and something inside of me snaps. At the house, I find no trace of him and the woman who lives there has no idea who I am. But I’m certain she’s hiding something behind the locked door upstairs. I know that if I want answers, I have to stay. You might think that what’s inside that room is the answer to all my questions and the end of all my pain. But it’s only the beginning… Nail-biting and completely gripping, The Happy Couple will make you question how well you really know the ones you love. Perfect listening for anyone who adored The Wife Between Us, The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl.
©2020 Samantha Hayes (P)2020 Bookouture
One in a Million
Summary
Everyone wants that special someone.... Annie Higgins has given up on love: she’s too busy trying to get her own business off the ground. But - infuriated by the advertising agency across the hall making fun of her job - Annie accepts their crazy challenge: to make a random stranger Instagram-famous in just 30 days. And even when they choose Dr Samuel Page PhD, historian and hater of social media as her target, Annie’s determined to win the bet - whether Sam likes it or not. But getting to know Sam means getting to know more about herself. And before the 30 days are out, Annie has to make a decision about what’s really important.... Funny, real and heart-meltingly romantic, Annie and Sam’s story is My Fair Lady for the social media age - and the perfect summer listen.
©2018 Lindsey Kelk (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Date Night
Summary
Returning early from a disastrous date night with my husband, I know something is wrong the moment the wheels crunch the gravel drive of our home. Inside, the TV is on and a half-eaten meal waits on the table. My heart stops when I find our little girl is alone in the house and our babysitter, Sasha, is missing.... Days later, when I’m arrested for Sasha’s murder and torn away from my perfect little family, I’ll wish I had told someone about the threatening note I received that morning. I’ll hate myself for not finding out who the gift hidden inside my husband’s wardrobe was for. I’ll scream from the rooftops that I’m innocent - but no one will listen. I will realise I was completely wrong about everything that happened that night.... But will you believe me? Twisted and absolutely unputdownable, Date Night exposes what goes on behind the closed doors of a happy home and the dangerous truths we ignore to protect the ones we love. Perfect reading for anyone totally gripped by The Wife Between Us, Friend Request or Gone Girl. Reviewers adore Samantha Hayes! "Oh my freaking god! What a fabulous and intriguing read...this is definitely the best book I’ve read.... I absolutely loved this shocker of a book...left me stunned, as to the why, well you are just going to have to read the book and see.... One of the most exciting psychological thrillers I’ve read all year...just buy it you won’t be disappointed I promise." (The Book Review Café, 5 stars) "A brilliant and gripping thriller! It’s very fast-paced (I was racing through to find out what happened)!" (Cloud of Thoughts, 5 stars) "Writing that gets the hairs standing up on the back of my neck.... A fast-paced psychological thriller of the finest order...chillingly good." (nigeladamsbookworm, 5 stars)
©2019 Samantha Hayes (P)2019 Bookouture
Empire in Black and Gold
Summary
Empire in Black and Gold is the first novel in Adrian Tchaikovsky's critically acclaimed epic fantasy series The Shadows of the Apt. The days of peace are over.... The city states of the Lowlands have lived in peace and prosperity for decades: bastions of civilisation and sophistication. That peace is about to end. In far-off corners, an ancient Empire has been conquering city after city with its highly trained armies and sophisticated warmaking.... And now it's set its sights on a new prize. Only the ageing Stenwold Maker, spymaster, artificer and statesman, can see the threat. It falls upon his shoulders to open the eyes of his people - as soon a tide will sweep down over the Lowlands and burn away everything in its path. But first he must stop himself from becoming the Empire's latest victim. Empire in Black and Gold is followed by the second book in the Shadows of the Apt series, Dragonfly Falling.
©2020 Adrian Tchaikovsky (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd
Friends Like These
Summary
A gripping thriller about fake friendships and the truth that lies behind the Facebook page, for fans of The Girlfriend and Friend Request. We all know someone like Becca. She has the job everyone wants, a designer wardrobe, a hot-shot lawyer boyfriend, holidays to exotic locations. And she flaunts her perfect life all over social media. It drove her colleague Lizzie mad, but she couldn't stop looking. They were never really friends - and yet Lizzie knew everything about her. Or did she? When chance and a terrible mistake pull Lizzie back into Becca's orbit years after they lost touch, she'll realise that you can't always believe what you see online...and that finding out the truth might be the worst thing you can do. There's no such thing as a perfect life. Only a perfect lie.
©2018 Sarah Alderson (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Nine Coaches Waiting
Summary
Mary Stewart transports her listeners to mid-century Savoy for a plot of danger and deception, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym. A classic tale by one of the world's most beloved authors. Linda Martin understands what is to be lonely: her parents died when she was young, and she was raised in an orphanage. When she is hired as a governess to the orphaned young Philippe, Comte de Valmy, Linda finds a kindred spirit in the lonely little boy. But Philippe is the heir to a vast estate in Savoy, and his dangerously handsome uncle may be willing to kill to ensure that Philippe never inherits it. Mary Stewart's wonderful novel of suspense and intrigue set in the idyllic countryside of Savoy. A classic tale by one of the world's most beloved authors.
©1958 Mary Stewart (P)1958 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Tuscan Secret
Summary
An absolutely gripping, emotional, World War II historical novel Il Mulino. An old crumbling mill, by a winding river, nestled in the Tuscan mountains. An empty home that holds memories of homemade pasta and Nonna’s stories by the fire, and later: the Nazi invasion, and a family torn apart by a heartbreaking betrayal. Anna is distraught when her beloved mother, Ines, passes away. She inherits a box of papers, handwritten in Italian and yellowed with age, and a tantalizing promise that the truth about what happened during the war lies within. The diaries lead Anna to the small village of Rofelle, where she slowly starts to heal as she explores sun-kissed olive groves, and pieces together her mother’s past: happy days spent herding sheep across Tuscan meadows cruelly interrupted when World War Two erupted and the Nazis arrived; fleeing her home to join the Resistenza; and risking everything to protect an injured British soldier who captured her heart. But Anna is no closer to learning the truth: what sent Ines running from her adored homeland? When she meets an elderly Italian gentleman living in a deserted hamlet, who flinches at her mother’s name and refuses to speak English, Anna is sure he knows more about the devastating secret that tore apart her mother’s family. But in this small Tuscan community, some wartime secrets were never meant to be uncovered.... A stunning tale, inspired by true events, about how the tragic consequences of war can echo through generations, and how love can guide us through the darkest times. Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale and The Letter by Kathryn Hughes will be captivated. This book was previously published as Tuscan Roots.
©2019 Angela Petch (P)2019 Bookouture
The Choir on Hope Street
Summary
The best things in life happen when you least expect them. Nat's husband has just said the six words no one wants to hear - 'I don't love you any more'. Caroline's estranged mother has to move into her house, turning her perfectly ordered world upside down. Living on the same street, these two women couldn't be more different. Until the beloved local community centre is threatened with closure. And when the only way to save it is to form a community choir - none of the Hope Street residents, least of all Nat and Caroline, expect the results.... This spring, hope is coming!
©2017 Annie Lyons (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
The Spare Bedroom
Summary
Listed today: Fun and friendly professional just arrived from London seeks room in central location, double bed preferred, ex-boyfriend optional extra. Armed with a super-sized backpack full of optimism, Jess sets off in search of sun, sea and a much-needed new beginning. Things don’t get off to a good start. Instead of sunshine, she’s met with torrential rain. Her job prospects are as dismal as the weather and that friend-of-a-friend she was meant to stay with has fallen through. Just as Jess is homeless, jobless and wishing she’d gone for the waterproof mascara, she runs into the last person she expected to see. Sam. The ex she never got over. Jess always believed that one day fate would bring them back together. Now he’s here, more gorgeous than ever. Before she knows it, Jess is accepting Sam’s offer to stay in his spare room. But while she may have been less than truthful about the mess she’s in, there is also one rather important thing Sam has neglected to mention. Suddenly Jess isn’t just living with her ex, but with his new girlfriend too. All of that baggage she thought she left behind may have caught up with her.... A touching, funny, and uplifting look at how finding and losing love can lead you to discover yourself along the way. Fans of Mhairi McFarlane, Sophie Kinsella and classic rom coms like My Best Friend’s Wedding will love Elizabeth Neep’s wit and warmth.
©2020 Elizabeth Neep (P)2020 Bookouture
The Missing Pieces of Nancy Moon
Summary
Begin a journey in the footsteps of the mysterious Nancy Moon and piece together the secrets of one extraordinary long-lost summer.... To unravel the story of that long-lost summer, she had to follow the thread.... Florence Connelly is broken-hearted; her beloved grandmother has just died and her marriage has collapsed. But things change when she opens a box of vintage 1960s dress patterns, discovered inside her grandmother's wardrobe. Inside each pattern packet is a fabric swatch, a postcard from Europe and a faded photograph of a young woman wearing the hand-made dress. Why did Flo's grandmother never speak of this mysterious woman - Nancy Moon? Her life in tatters, Flo decides to remake Nancy's dresses and to head across to the Continent to re-create Nancy's Grand Tour of 1962. As she follows the thread, Flo begins to unravel an untold story of love and loss in her family's past. And perhaps to stitch the pieces of her own life back together....
©2020 Sarah Steele (P)2020 Headline Publishing Group Ltd
The Bluebird Girls
Summary
Hampshire, 1939, and three young women are about to get the break of a lifetime. Rainey Bird, Ivy Sparrow and Bea Herron all love to sing. For Rainey, music has been a solace during the upheaval of starting a new life with her mother, away from her abusive dad. Bea finds a confidence when she sings that she cannot get from anything else. Ivy sees it as her best chance of making a life away from Gosport and a dead-end job. The three of them sing in a choir run by the strict but kind Mrs Wilkes. The choir provides a couple of hours of stardust each week, away from school and work and family worries. When war breaks out, though, dreams must be put on hold. It seems that local pantomimes and charity shows are as far as the girls will be able to go, despite Mrs Wilkes' faith in their talent. That is, until a mysterious stranger arrives with a proposition that just might change their lives....
©2019 Rosie Archer (P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited
The Psychology of Time Travel
Summary
In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project - and future of time travel - in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team - erasing her contributions from history. Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother Granny Bee was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped? Traversing the decades and told from alternating perspectives, The Psychology of Time Travel introduces a fabulous new voice in fiction and a new must-listen for fans of speculative fiction and women’s fiction alike.
©2019 Kate Mascarenhas (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC
Puffin Sleepy Tales
Summary
Brought to you by Puffin. Help busy young minds wind down and switch off before bed with this relaxing audio collection. Developed with The Children's Sleep Charity, and parent-tested, Puffin Sleepy Tales are specially designed to help children aged 7+ feel calm and positive at the end of a long day. They're the perfect relaxation tool for the hour before bed, and can be listened to before or after a bedtime story, as part of your nightly routine. Read slowly and soothingly, each tale is 15 minutes long, so you can put your audiobook sleep timer on with no need to return to the screen. Stare up at the night sky, take a walk through nature or brew your own happiness potion. With rich, calming sound effects and gentle breathing exercises, these tales will help get your child in the right frame of mind for sleep. So dim the lights, take a slow deep breath, and get ready for a good night's rest. Includes 10 relaxing tales: 'The Winter Stones', 'The Famous Fish', 'The Old Workshop', 'The Night Balloon', 'The Weaver's House', 'The Incredible Reef', 'The Garden Wall', 'The Sunset Beach', 'The Happiness Potion' and 'The Night Sky'. The Children's Sleep Charity offered information and advice around the development of this product. Search for 'Ladybird Sleepy Tales' and 'Penguin Sleep Tales' to see more stories for all age groups.
©2019 Puffin (P)2019 Penguin Audio
We'll Meet Again
Summary
The sequel to The Bluebird Girls, following the fortunes of singers Rainey Bird, Ivy Sparrow and Bea Herron as they do their best to keep up morale at home and abroad, entertaining troops in the dark days of WW2.
©2019 Rosie Archer (P)2019 Quercus Editions Limited
The Forces' Sweethearts
Summary
Gripping, emotional Second World War saga for fans of Annie Groves, Shirley Dickson and Soraya Lane. 1943, and The Bluebird Girls are at the top of their game. They are touring with ENSA, visiting army bases across the world in order to boost the morale of the brave boys fighting in the desert and the jungle. The hours are long and the travelling uncomfortable, but Bea, Rainey and Ivy wouldn't be anywhere else for the world. Then tragedy strikes the group and their little show business family. Their manager, Blackie, and Rainey's mother, Jo, find themselves with heavy new responsibilities, and the change in circumstances causes the girls themselves to reconsider their lives. For years, singing onstage has been their only dream, and they have made so many sacrifices to get where they are. But now other possibilities - relationships, babies - are on the horizon. Could this be the end for The Bluebird Girls?
©2020 Rosie Archer (P)2020 Quercus Editions Limited
Thunder on the Right
Summary
From one of our most beloved authors, Mary Stewart, comes a thrilling tale set in a France as beautiful as it is deadly, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Barbara Pym. High in the rugged Pyrenees lies the Valley of the Storms, where a tiny convent clings to the beautiful but lonely mountainside. Jenny Silver arrives seeking her missing cousin and is devastated when she learns of Gillian's death following a terrible car accident. But Jenny's suspicions are aroused when she's told the blue flowers ornamenting her cousin's grave were Gillian's favourite. Jenny knows Gillian was colour-blind - and so starts her mission to uncover what really happened to her. The growl and roar of thunder rolled and re-echoed from the mountains, and the sword of the lightning stabbed down, and stabbed again, as if searching through the depths of the cringing woods for whatever sheltered there.
©1957 Mary Stewart (P)2019 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
Victory for the Bluebird Girls
Summary
The heartwarming final chapter in the Bluebird Girls series. As war finally draws to a close and the lights come back on across Europe, what will victory and peacetime bring for the South Coast's favourite singing trio? In their rise to fame over the course of the war, Bea Herron, Ivy Sparrow and Rainey Bird have faced down bombs and looked tragedy in the eye. They have also found love, created their own families and had careers that they never thought possible. With peace finally on the horizon, what will the new world hold for them?
©2020 Rosie Archer (P)2020 Quercus Editions Limited
A Tuscan Memory
Summary
In a tiny hamlet nestled in the Tuscan mountains, farmers gather after a hard day in the meadows, and children’s laughter rings across the square: But one little boy does not join in their play. Behind his deep brown eyes hides a heartbreaking secret.... Ninety years later. When elderly Giselda Chiozzi discovers a lost little boy, curled up asleep in the beech forest outside her grand but empty home, she can’t help but take pity on him. It’s been a long time since she had a visitor. Waking up to her kind smile and the warming smell of Italian hot chocolate, Davide soon blurts out what drove him into the cold Tuscan night: He’s different from everyone else, he’s never belonged anywhere, and now his beloved mother is ill. With her heart full of sadness for this lost child, Giselda promises to help Davide trace his family history - she knows better than anyone that connecting with your roots can ground you in the present and hopes it will make Davide realize that home is where he truly belongs. Together the unlikely pair discovers the story of Davide’s great-grandfather Giuseppe Starnucci, a young boy who spent his days milking cows, helping with the harvest, and hammering horseshoes in the forge. But after a terrible incident that changed his life forever, Giuseppe also ran away. Forced to become a man before his time, Giuseppe joined the treacherous pilgrimage all Tuscan farmers must make from the mountains to the plains, sacrificing everything to ensure the survival of their families. Engrossed in the story, Davide is slowly starting to heal when he and Giselda discover a shocking secret that Giuseppe took to his grave - and which now threatens to tear apart Davide’s family for good. Will Davide let the pain of the past determine his future, or can he find the courage, love, and loyalty within him to return home...and even if Davide himself finds peace, will it be too late for Giselda? Inspired by true stories of rural Italian life, perfect for fans of Dinah Jeffries, Rhys Bowen, and anyone who’s ever longed to stroll beneath the cypress trees and taste the fresh mountain air of Tuscany. Previously published as Now and Then in Tuscany.
©2020 Angela Petch (P)2020 Bookouture
The Wartime Nanny
Summary
"The Nazis are everywhere now. We must leave Vienna. It might be that soon our letters won’t get out anymore. Can you help, dear sister? Please, ask for us. Send news, and quickly. Please." London, 1938. Sixteen-year-old Natalie Leeman makes the heartbreaking decision to leave her family behind in Vienna and travel to England to join her cousin Leah in service. Natalie is placed with a wealthy suburban family, the Caplins, as a nanny to their energetic six-year-old. At first, Natalie is delighted by the huge house and beautiful gardens, but things aren’t as perfect as they seem. While Natalie dotes on their child, she is increasingly wary of Mr. Caplin, whose gruff manor and fascist politics scare her. And then there are those still waiting at home - Mama and her two sisters, as well as a blossoming romance with her English tutor that had only just begun. But when Vienna falls under Nazi rule, Natalie begins to fear for her family, especially her vivacious, tomboy little sister Libby. Then rumors of a possible escape route from mainland Europe called the kindertransport begin to swirl - can Natalie help her family escape the Nazis before it’s too late? Perfect for fans of The Alice Network, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and Before We Were Yours.
©2020 Lizzie Page (P)2020 Bookouture