The Bookie
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Darkest Flame
- Dark King, Book 1
- By: Donna Grant
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Denae Lacroix is a beautiful MI5 agent on a deadly mission. Sent to the Scottish Highlands to spy on the mysterious Dreagan Industries, she discovers too late that she's been set up - as human bait. She is an irresistible lure for a man who has not seen or touched a woman for centuries. He is a man with a destiny - and a desire - that could destroy them both. It's been 1,200 years since Kellan has walked among humans - and there's no denying the erotically charged attraction he feels for Denae. But as a Dragon King, he is sworn to protect his secrets.
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When in danger, have sex?
- By Skipper on 12-29-14
- Darkest Flame
- Dark King, Book 1
- By: Donna Grant
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
This narrator has to be joking
Reviewed: 06-30-25
The narration is so bad. At least for Danae, the FMC. Why? Is there no QAQC for audiobooks? Good grief. Its horrendous..
If tou can get past that, the story itself has plot holes the size of Idaho. And if you manage to get past even that, the romance is incredibly superficial. The relationship is based exclusively from the first moment on s*x. Nothing more. The tension is nonexistent.
So this is a DNF for me
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Legend of the Highland Dragon
- Highland Dragon, Book 1
- By: Isabel Cooper
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In Victorian England, gossip is often as precious as gold. But the Highlanders are a more mysterious bunch. And if anyone found out what Stephen MacAlasdair really was, he'd be hunted down, murdered, his clan wiped out. As he's called to London on business, he'll have to be extra vigilant-especially between sunset and the appearance of the first evening star.
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Couldn't Finish
- By Cheryl on 03-27-14
- Legend of the Highland Dragon
- Highland Dragon, Book 1
- By: Isabel Cooper
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
Difficult to engage with the story
Reviewed: 06-29-25
The story was pretry good overall. And maybe I needed to read it in print rather than listen to really engage with it, but it was a struggle. Particularly early on. I missed the part where the author explains the backstory of the villain and hero, who the villain was and why he was after the MMC. I even backed up because I knew I missed something important and it mostly droned by again.
Perhaps it was the writing style, combined with the old-fashioned dialogue, as well as a big splash of the narrator's personal style of conveying dialogue, but so much of this story just floated in one ear and out the other.
The narrator is good, don't get me wrong. His accents are superb. But something in his tone and delivery just became background noise rather than actual words to pay attention to.
Anyway, its not a bad book. Not a bad author or narrator, I don't think. Just a bit difficult to hold my attentiin sadly.
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Mother of Death & Dawn
- War of Lost Hearts, Book 3
- By: Carissa Broadbent
- Narrated by: Dan Calley, Esther Wane
- Length: 21 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people's fight for freedom grows more treacherous. But within the walls of Ilyzath, Max's mind is a shadow of what it once was . . . leaving his past a mystery and his future at the mercy of Ara's new, ruthless queen. Meanwhile, in the Fey lands, Aefe has been dragged back into this world by a king who vows to destroy civilizations in her name. But even as her past returns to claim her, her former self is a stranger.
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Great story & narrators, but I slow it down
- By Cindy B. on 11-11-23
- Mother of Death & Dawn
- War of Lost Hearts, Book 3
- By: Carissa Broadbent
- Narrated by: Dan Calley, Esther Wane
Such a good series
Reviewed: 06-27-25
Keeps your attention from start to finish. I really enjoyed listening to this series. Good books. Good narration (the male narrator was a bit better in this one, or else I just got used to him). Very enjoyable read.
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What Lies Beyond the Veil
- The Of Flesh & Bone Series, Book 1
- By: Harper L. Woods
- Narrated by: Ava Lucas
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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For nearly four-hundred years, the Veil has protected us from the Fae of Alfheimr. In their absence, our lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. I’ve spent my entire life tending to the gardens next to the boundary between our worlds, drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame. All of that changes the day the Veil shatters, unleashing the fae upon our world once again.
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A YA book for YA audiences
- By Mother Of Cats on 10-25-22
- What Lies Beyond the Veil
- The Of Flesh & Bone Series, Book 1
- By: Harper L. Woods
- Narrated by: Ava Lucas
Not for me
Reviewed: 06-27-25
Dnf. The story starts strong but then its all innuendo and predictablity. There is no depth. I am genuinely not sure what the characters are even doing except traveling (where?) together. The mountains? Why? I dunno.
The story goes from random people attacking the FMC to dialogue that has very little going on, usually just talking about s*x.
The FMC is abused by nearly everyone, at least starting out. She is mostly ok, but it bothers me how little she thinks of her own life. Also, how when people she knows well die, she's a bit bothered but then making wisecracks about s*x almost immediately. Not how grief works.
The MMC is not terribly interesting (but he is super hawt, we know that much). And he is possessive, protective and generally snide. Otherwise, I don't know anything about him.
It does look like there will be lots of dom stuff. Its just not interesting anymore. Fifty Shades did no favors for the romance novel industry.
So with that, I'm out.
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Children of Fallen Gods
- War of Lost Hearts, Book 2
- By: Carissa Broadbent
- Narrated by: Dan Calley, Esther Wane
- Length: 19 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Tisaanah bargained away her own freedom to save those she left behind in slavery. Now, bound by her blood pact, she must fight the Orders' war—and Max is determined to protect her at all costs. But when a betrayal tears apart Ara, Max and Tisaanah are pushed into an even bloodier conflict. Tisaanah must gamble with Reshaye's power to claim an impossible victory. And Max, forced into leadership, must confront everything he hoped to forget: his past, and his own mysterious magic. All the while, darker forces loom—far darker, even, than the Orders' secrets.
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Great book but Max’s voice actor is so hard to listen to
- By Samantha Chase on 12-31-22
- Children of Fallen Gods
- War of Lost Hearts, Book 2
- By: Carissa Broadbent
- Narrated by: Dan Calley, Esther Wane
Carissa Broadbent is just mean
Reviewed: 06-22-25
Poor Tisaanah and Max. Poor Aife and Caduan. Even Nura breaks my heart. They all really went thru the grinder in this one. Even tho I am rereading this series (on Audible for the first time) its still gripping, and emotional, and just plain distressing at times.
But the 2nd book in a trilogy is often like this. The author has to drag their cast into hell before they can possibly grow and change for the better in the finale. It was a tough listen, but exciting all the way thru. Heartwrenching at times, bittersweet other times, and often very acrion packed.
Onward to the finale now. Even returning to this series, I am excited to experience everything Tisaanah and Max must go thru to have a chance at their peaceful garden.
My biggest beef with this series (on Audible) is the male narrator, whom I not-so-affectionately think of as Breathy MacBreatherson. He makes my teeth grind. I listen almost solely thru ear buds and if I didn't already struggle with misophonia, this heavy breathing, whispery man would give me a new complex. I cringe just thinking about it. If the books weren't included on Audible Plus right now, and I didn't already know how good the series is, I might not be able to deal with this guy's reading. The worst part is that his voice is actually nice. I don't know if the recording studio had his mic all wrong or if he is using some weird voice for affect, but... Ugh. The female narrator, as ever, does a phenomenal job. But the dude kinda ruins Maxantarius for me.
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Daughter of No Worlds
- The War of Lost Hearts, Book 1
- By: Carissa Broadbent
- Narrated by: Dan Calley, Esther Wane
- Length: 15 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life. Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.
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I couldn’t finish it
- By Kinsey on 05-26-22
- Daughter of No Worlds
- The War of Lost Hearts, Book 1
- By: Carissa Broadbent
- Narrated by: Dan Calley, Esther Wane
Great series
Reviewed: 06-15-25
I read these in ebook format when they were first published. They were good then. Now, because they are temporarily included with my Audible membership, I am reading them again - and I generally never read a fiction book twice. Never as good the second time thru.
But this one is. Its a unique plot and world, highly detailed and engrossing. Better yet, the characters all have immense depth, and its easy to lose yourself in Tissanah and Max's worlds. Easy to suspend disbelief as their minds, hearts and magical powers grow and shift thruout the narrative. The romance feels as real as any true relationship. Its awkward at times, comical, raw, and moving without being grotesque and over-the-top like so many books are these days.
Just FYI: This is a dark series , dealing with hard topics like slavery, cruel death and s.a. Its not an easy read full of magical butterflies and fields of wildflowers... Oh wait, yes it is actually. Just not only butterflies and wildflowers.
My biggest beef with the audio vsn is the male narrator.The female reader does a phenomenal job, but he...well, as other reviewers have noted, is breathy and has a strange cadence and expression.Its incredibly offputting and kind of ruins Max's chracter. The male narrator sounds rather effeminate in the way he reads and Maxantarius is anything but.
Regardless, its still worth reading, especially for mature audiences. As some of the topics covered are not for the faint of heart. Highly recommend, if not this audio edition, the series overall.
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The One and Only Crystal Druid
- Unveiled Series, Book 1
- By: Annette Marie
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
- Length: 8 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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I'm not your average girl. My best friend is my switchblade. My favorite hobby is using it on the cruel, the abusive, and anyone who gets on my bad side. I'm a convicted murderer with a chip on my shoulder and a dangerous lack of restraint. And then there's Zak. His rap sheet makes mine look tame. The bounty on his head is worth more money than I'll ever make, and the deadly fae that shadow his every step wield more power than I'll ever know. He's the Crystal Druid, and his first mistake was setting foot on my turf. His second was saving my life.
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UGH!!!
- By Rae on 10-21-21
- The One and Only Crystal Druid
- Unveiled Series, Book 1
- By: Annette Marie
- Narrated by: Cris Dukehart
TSTL female lead, but otherwise entertaining
Reviewed: 06-08-25
Saber never grew on me. If anything, her increasingly obstinate, unreasonably aggressive and blithely idiotic demeanor thru-out the story only solidified my dislike to flat out disgust. Seriously, she is insufferable as a person, but worse, she is useless as a main character. At least in this book. All she serves to do is to drag others into trouble that they then must save her from. Time and again. The only scene in which she does anything besides 'grip her switchblade', snipe and quip at others, and whine about the situation she got herself into, is when she is fighting a foe armed only with a boxcutter. Anyone with more than a boxcutter? She's all mouth and useless little switchblade. Nothing more.
On the other hand, the druid is ok. Interesting, with a bit of depth at least. The fae, too, are interesting. I am curious where all that is heading (and the next few books are available without spending a credit) so I will read on. But, yeah, if Saber disappeared and a new FMC showed up in the next book it wouldn't bother me at all. In fact, that would be really nice. If this series cost a credit? There is no way I would go on.
Maybe Saber will have a redeeming character arc later? I sure hope so. Her compassion for animals is literally her only redeeming characteristic so far. Lets hope...
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The Marquise and Her Cat
- Fairy Tale Kingdoms Series, Book 1
- By: Shari L. Tapscott
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies, Lucy Rayner
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Etta's happy with her simple life in the mill, but when her aunt passes and leaves her a very peculiar cat, everything goes awry. Now, determined to find her place in the world, Etta's learning to hunt, having audiences with a king, and falling for a man who's keeping something from her. Beau's happy at sea until his father passes and leaves him with an odd last request. Now he's setting up shop in a small town, searching for ogres, and, inconveniently, falling for the miller's sister - who just happens to be taken with someone else.
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Master Puss in Boots,
- By 🐺 SCARLET PIMPERNEL 🐺 on 09-02-19
- The Marquise and Her Cat
- Fairy Tale Kingdoms Series, Book 1
- By: Shari L. Tapscott
- Narrated by: Matthew Lloyd Davies, Lucy Rayner
Such a sweet and fun story!
Reviewed: 04-10-25
This was a nice escapist fantasy romance. Very sweet, clean, and innocent. I loved it. A happily-ever-after little adventure for any age.
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Of Beast and Beauty
- Daughters of Eville, Book 1
- By: Chanda Hahn
- Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Everyone dreams of marrying a prince - except for me. I am nothing more than a pawn in my adoptive mother's diabolical plot against the seven kingdoms. I was the chosen tool, her sharpened blade that would cut the deepest into the heart of the kingdom of Baist. But like all deadly weapons, my wedding is two-edged sword that could cost me my soul. For I am Rosalie, one of the adopted daughters of Lady Eville, and it is my duty to enter into a loveless and hate-filled marriage with the narcissistic Crown Prince of Baist.
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OF BEAST AND BEAUTY
- By 🐺 SCARLET PIMPERNEL 🐺 on 11-08-19
- Of Beast and Beauty
- Daughters of Eville, Book 1
- By: Chanda Hahn
- Narrated by: Jesse Vilinsky
That ending was... Odd
Reviewed: 04-07-25
Clearly I nmissed some things somewhere in the book, but I won't spoil it. Just... What on earth was that ending? The big fight was disjointed and somewhat ridiculous. The very end was just blah.
Initially the story waz interesting and easy to follow, but the last few hours felt like a different story or something. The romance was unbelievable. They went from mortal enemies to madly in love, and I have no clue how they got there.
I had planned on going on with the series, till the last hour. Not anymore.
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The Contract
- By: Melanie Moreland
- Narrated by: John Lane, Tatiana Sokolov
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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A tyrant by day, a playboy by night. That's the reputation that precedes Richard VanRyan. He lives life the way he wants, no concern for the opinion of others. He cares for no one, is completely unrepentant, and has no desire to change his ways. Katharine Elliott works under Richard as his PA. She despises him and his questionable ethics, but endures all the garbage he sends her way, because she needs the job.
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The Arrogance
- By Kindle Customer on 11-12-16
- The Contract
- By: Melanie Moreland
- Narrated by: John Lane, Tatiana Sokolov
So so
Reviewed: 04-05-25
I couldn't finish. All the tension was gone with an hour and a half left. Everything seemed resolved. Why keep reading? It was just meh.
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