Audiobooks Like My Oxford Year

Julia Whelan narrates her own novel with the kind of intimate authority that only an author-narrator can bring — every comedic beat and romantic beat lands exactly as written, and the Oxford setting gives the 10-hour contemporary romance a specificity of place that elevates it above the generic. Whelan's voice is warm and self-aware, and the humor is consistently timed. Ten of the recommendations are narrated by Whelan herself, a direct showcase of her range as a narrator, with the full list built around the same smart, emotionally honest contemporary romance register.

10 audiobooks for fans of My Oxford Year

  1. 1
    Thank You for Listening cover

    Thank You for Listening

    Thank You for Listening

    by Julia Whelan

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.43 ABR Score (106.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.99 Goodreads (100.9K) ★ 4.71 Audible (6.0K)
    11h 16m listening time • Released 2022

    Julia Whelan narrating her own story about an audiobook narrator is perfectly cast magic—she understands the intimate power of voice in a way that makes every scene resonate.

  2. 2
    Just for the Summer cover

    Just for the Summer

    Part of Your World • Book 3

    by Abby Jimenez

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, Zachary Webber

    4.79 ABR Score (1.1M ratings)
    ★ 4.34 Goodreads (1.1M) ★ 4.8 Audible (16.8K)
    10h 5m listening time • Released 2022

    Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber bring such natural chemistry to this premise that you'll forget how ridiculous the setup is—they make you believe in the curse, the plan, and everything that unravels between them.

  3. 3
    You Loved Me Once cover

    You Loved Me Once

    by Corinne Michaels

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.31 ABR Score (27.4K ratings)
    ★ 4.05 Goodreads (12.1K) ★ 4.57 Audible (15.3K)
    8h 27m listening time • Released 2021

    Julia Whelan's dual narration captures the raw vulnerability of a woman caught between saving others and saving herself—Michaels' emotional gut-punch lands harder when spoken aloud.

  4. 4
    After I Do cover

    After I Do

    by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.12 ABR Score (306.1K ratings)
    ★ 3.93 Goodreads (304.3K) ★ 4.45 Audible (1.7K)
    9h 21m listening time • Released 2022

    Julia Whelan captures the messiness of a marriage in crisis with such nuance that you feel every doubt and desire Lauren grapples with. A smart exploration of what commitment actually means, told with genuine emotional complexity.

  5. 5
    One True Loves cover

    One True Loves

    by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    Narrated by Julia Whelan, Taylor Jenkins Reid

    4.09 ABR Score (746.8K ratings)
    ★ 4.02 Goodreads (745.8K) ★ 4.36 Audible (967)
    8h 53m listening time • Released 2023

    Julia Whelan's dual narration captures the gut-wrenching impossibility of loving two people at once, turning what could be melodrama into something genuinely heartbreaking and true.

  6. 6
    Remain cover

    Remain

    by Nicholas Sparks, M. Night Shyamalan

    Narrated by Ari Fliakos, Julia Whelan, Nicholas Sparks

    4.03 ABR Score (50.3K ratings)
    ★ 3.81 Goodreads (48.7K) ★ 4.46 Audible (1.6K)
    8h 55m listening time • Released 2025

    The dual narration between Fliakos and Whelan captures something genuinely moving about two people discovering connection across grief—and Sparks reading his own work adds an intimate layer that anchors the supernatural elements in real emotional stakes.

  7. 7
    Forever, Interrupted cover

    Forever, Interrupted

    by Taylor Jenkins Reid

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    3.80 ABR Score (220.8K ratings)
    ★ 3.64 Goodreads (219.8K) ★ 4.26 Audible (974)
    9h 10m listening time • Released 2022

    Julia Whelan's narration transforms this gut-punch of a love story into something you won't recover from quickly. Reid masters the art of making you fall for a relationship you know won't last, and Whelan's voice makes every moment ache.

  8. 8
    Funny Story cover

    Funny Story

    by Emily Henry

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.57 ABR Score (1.3M ratings)
    ★ 4.19 Goodreads (1.3M) ★ 4.64 Audible (18.7K)
    11h 23m listening time • Released 2024

    Julia Whelan's narration turns what could be a standard rom-com into something genuinely moving—she nails the emotional whiplash of heartbreak and unexpected connection with real warmth and wit.

  9. 9
    Book Lovers cover

    Book Lovers

    by Emily Henry

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.47 ABR Score (1.6M ratings)
    ★ 4.09 Goodreads (1.6M) ★ 4.58 Audible (19.2K)
    11h 23m listening time • Released 2022

    Julia Whelan's narration transforms this rivals-to-lovers mystery into something genuinely funny and sharp—her delivery of Nora's sardonic wit lands perfectly, making every page-turn moment hit harder.

  10. 10
    Beach Read cover

    Beach Read

    by Emily Henry

    Narrated by Julia Whelan

    4.27 ABR Score (1.7M ratings)
    ★ 3.97 Goodreads (1.7M) ★ 4.45 Audible (15.1K)
    10h 13m listening time • Released 2020

    Julia Whelan's narration captures the electric chemistry between two writers at odds with themselves, making this the rare romance where the banter lands as sharp on audio as the emotional gut-punches land deep.

How We Rank Audiobooks

Rankings are driven by listener ratings and review counts from Audible and Goodreads. Books with high ratings across a large number of listeners rank higher — a 4.5 with 50,000 ratings says more than a 4.8 with 200.

Unlike most book lists, we weight audiobook-specific factors: narrator performance, production quality, and how well a story translates to audio. A great book with a poor narration isn't a great audiobook.

We don't accept paid placements or prioritize new releases. These rankings reflect what listeners actually enjoy, not what's being promoted.

Rankings update periodically as new ratings come in and new titles are added to the collection.

Read our full ranking methodology →