If you’ve been anywhere near BookTok, Bookstagram, or book-loving friends lately, you may have heard people raving about The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion.
The cozy historical fiction series by Beth Brower follows Emma M. Lion through life in 1880s London, and the audiobooks have become especially popular. All eight currently released volumes have been produced as audiobooks, narrated by Genevieve Gaunt.
There’s just one problem if you’ve been looking to read these books for free: the library waitlists can be LONG!
If you’ve been waiting weeks (or months!) for your turn, don’t assume your only other option is buying every audiobook at full price. I did some digging and found quite a few ways you may be able to listen to the Emma M. Lion books for free, or at least very inexpensively.
Quick note: Audiobook catalogs, free trials, prices, and library availability can change, so always double-check that the Emma M. Lion volume you want is included before signing up for a paid service.
How to Listen to the Emma M. Lion Series for Free:
1. Check Your Local Library First
Let’s start with the completely free option. Search your local library catalog for The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. Depending on your library system, you might find physical books, ebooks, audiobooks, or some combination of the three.
And don’t give up just because your particular branch doesn’t have them. Ask whether your library participates in an interlibrary loan program or gives cardholders access to other library systems.
You can also ask your library to purchase a title. There’s no guarantee they’ll say yes, of course, but enough patron requests can help libraries know which books are in demand.
2. Search Libby
If your library gives you access to Libby, this is probably one of the first places you’ll want to check. The Emma M. Lion audiobooks are distributed through OverDrive and can be available through participating libraries on Libby.
The downside? Availability is determined by your library, so one library might have several volumes while another has only one or two. And because this series has gotten so popular, you might encounter a lengthy hold list.
Still, place those holds! You can always use one of the other options below while you wait.
Money-saving tip: If you’re eligible for cards from multiple library systems, add all of them to Libby and compare availability. Just be sure you’re following each library’s residency and eligibility requirements.
3. Don’t Forget About Hoopla
Here’s one that could help you bypass the Libby line entirely.
Some libraries offer the Emma M. Lion audiobooks through Hoopla. Unlike Libby, where you often have to wait for another patron to return a digital copy, Hoopla titles are typically available for instant borrowing when they’re offered by your library. For example, library catalogs currently show Volume 1 available as a Hoopla eAudiobook.
There’s a catch: Hoopla’s selection varies by library, and libraries generally limit how many Hoopla borrows you get each month. You may find all of the volumes, only a few of them, or none at all.
But it’s absolutely worth checking before paying for an audiobook.
If you’re new to Audiobooks.com, check its current free-trial offer and search for the Emma M. Lion volumes before signing up. A free trial can be a great way to listen to one or more books without committing to another long-term subscription.
Just remember to make a note of when your trial ends if you don’t want to continue paying for the service.
5. Use an Audible Free Trial
Audible is another place to check, especially if you’ve never subscribed before. The Emma M. Lion audiobooks are available through Audible, including Volume 1 narrated by Genevieve Gaunt. Audible currently advertises a free trial for eligible new customers, though the exact offer and membership options can change.
Depending on the current promotion, you may be able to use your trial to listen to or purchase one of the books without paying the normal price.
And even if you’re not eligible for a free trial, keep an eye out for sales. Audible occasionally deeply discounts audiobooks, which could make buying several volumes cheaper than expected.
6. See If Everand Has the Volume You Need
Everand is another audiobook subscription service worth checking. As of this writing, Volume 1 through 5 is available on Everand, and the service advertises a free trial for new subscribers.
Before starting your trial, search the catalog for the specific Emma M. Lion volumes you need. If several are available, you could potentially get quite a bit of listening done during your trial period. Again, set yourself a reminder to cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want another monthly subscription.
7. Check Amazon Music
This one is easy to overlook! If you’re eligible for an Amazon Music Unlimited free trial, check the audiobook catalog to see which Emma M. Lion volumes are currently included and what audiobook listening benefits come with the current plan.
Amazon changes its Music Unlimited promotions periodically, so check the terms before signing up. And if you’re already paying for Amazon Music Unlimited, definitely search there before paying for an audiobook somewhere else. You may already have access to audiobook listening as part of your subscription.
8. Check Spotify Premium Before Buying Anything
Already pay for Spotify Premium? You may have audiobook listening time included in your existing plan. That means you should always search Spotify for the Emma M. Lion volume you need before buying it somewhere else.
There are some limitations to Spotify’s audiobook benefit, including monthly listening-hour limits and differences between plan types. Since the Emma M. Lion books are relatively short compared with many audiobooks, however, your included hours could potentially stretch farther.
The important thing is to use the subscriptions you’re already paying for before adding another one!
9. Watch Chirp For Cheap Emma M. Lion audiobooks
This might be my favorite option if you’ve exhausted the freebies. Chirp sells discounted audiobooks without requiring a monthly subscription. And Emma M. Lion fans recently spotted the first five audiobooks for just $2.99 each.
Sales change, so you may not see the same price when you check. But, if you love the series and want to own the audiobooks rather than borrow them, it’s worth watching for another sale.
At $2.99 each, you could potentially own several volumes for less than the cost of a single month of some audiobook subscriptions.
10. Combine Services Instead of Sticking With Just One
This may ultimately be the best strategy for listening to the entire series on a budget. Don’t feel like you have to get every volume from the same place.
Maybe you listen to Volume 1 on Libby, grab Volume 2 instantly through Hoopla, use a free trial for Volume 3, listen to another through a subscription you already have, and snag the next few during a Chirp or Audible sale.
It might take a little more effort, but mixing and matching your options could dramatically reduce what you spend on the series.
Start Listening Without Spending Much
The sudden popularity of the Emma M. Lion books is both good news and bad news: It’s fun to discover a series everyone is excited about, but not so fun when you’re number 87 in line for the next audiobook!
Fortunately, you have more options than simply waiting or paying full price. Start with your library, Libby, and Hoopla since they’re free. Then check any audiobook or music subscriptions you’re already paying for. After that, consider strategically using a free trial or watching for a deeply discounted audiobook sale.
And one final tip: Don’t sign up for four free trials at once! Use one, listen to as much as you reasonably can, cancel if you don’t want to keep it, and then move on to your next option.
That way, you can hopefully spend a lot more time hanging out with Emma in St. Crispian’s, and a lot less money getting there.
Have you read the Emma M. Lion books yet? Share your favorite volume and any tips for getting free audiobooks in the comments below.
Source: moneysavingmom.com…