Audiobook Lovin 2017 Presents: Dannika Dark Spotlight Feature

Hi Everyone!

I wanted to do a feature on Dannika Dark as I not only do I love her books but her audiobooks are phenomenal! Her books are narrated by Nicole Poole and I adore her! Both have been our guest since our first Audiobook Lovin 2015 and we are extremely appreciative and thankful! I had the pleasure of chatting with Nicole for this year's Audiobook Lovin', click here to listen and learn more about Nicole! 

Dannika has a new series CROSSBREED and I have enjoyed getting to know the new characters and a certain vampire that was all about his privacy and came off a bit aloof when we first met him in the MAGERI SERIES. No worries, if you have yet to read the MAGERI Series series, you can start with this series and then work your way to the MAGERI Series! 

What I LOVE about Dannika's books is that while they are all in the same WORLD, each series and each book is uniquely different! There is also a little bit of everything for everyone. 

“WE ALL HAVE SECRETS, RAVEN. DARK ONES. EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.”

Ravenheart

(Crossbreed Series, Bk #2)

By Dannika Dark

Blurb:
Two weeks after joining Keystone, Raven Black is ready to take on the world as a criminal hunter for hire. If only her partner wasn’t a bloodsucking Vampire with a penchant for getting under her skin. Despite her lavish surroundings, Raven misses the freedom of life without rules. And Keystone’s next assignment is about to test her self-control in more ways than one. 
Dead bodies are popping up in the human district, and all signs point to a Breed serial killer. In order to catch him, Raven and Christian embark on a mission that takes their partnership into uncharted waters. Lives are at stake. Can Raven trust her instincts, or will she fall into a web spun from lies and deceit?
Time is running out in this pulse-pounding tale of dark secrets, murder, and forbidden desires.

Purchase at Amazon | Audible | Tantor 

Audio Book Review: Complicated by Kristen Ashley

Complicated
by Kristen Ashley 
Narrated by Lance Greenfield & Erin Mallon 

Blurb: 
Exclusively written for Audible, available only in audio. From the New York Times best-selling author of the Rock Chick series comes a story of love, murder, and second chances....

When small-town Nebraska sheriff Hixon Drake meets Greta Dare, the connection couldn't be stronger, but the timing couldn't be worse.

Dealing with the fallout of a divorce he never wanted and setting up a new home for his kids, Hix becomes that guy, that one he never wanted to be, and puts a stop to things before they can even start. Protecting his kids and himself is his only priority.

Greta, on the other hand, has found the place for her and the brother she adores that's perfect for them - a sleepy little town in Nebraska. She's learned from life that there are no hopes and dreams. The only thing to look forward to is peace. And that's what she works hard to build for herself and her brother. Right up until Hix walks into her life.

Hix can't fight the pull and stay away from Greta for long. And Greta's finding it hard not to hope for something more with all the promise that is Hix.

But when the first murder that's happened in over five decades rocks his small, sleepy county, Hix has got to learn to trust again, convince Greta to take a shot with him, and at the same time catch a killer.

In other words, things are definitely...Complicated.

Available for purchase at 

Viviana's Review: 
I have loved all the books I've read/listened to by Kristen Ashley and this one is among them! When I first learned Kristen was doing an exclusive story for Audible I was all giddy because, well, this is KRISTEN ASHLEY! Kristen is a truly gifted story teller! The Narrators ROCKED! This story is full of heart, a strong, independent and smart heroine, a hero that is not only sexy and yummy but isn't an a$$ yet very Alpha Male as we come to expect from Kristen's males! This is definitely a MUST LISTEN!!


I mean check out this sampler.....

That intro leaves you wanting more! We want to know why he is in such a rush to get out when he is obviously affected by this woman so much so that there is a connection from the very beginning! Then you want to know how this is all going to play out! And the pages keep turning and you are engrossed by the characters, their lives and the hope that everything is going to work out. While we know romance will have the HEA, its the journey to get there that we are intrigued about.


Narrator's Review: OMG! LOVED THEM!! This is the first I listen to anything narrated by Lance and I'm so looking up all the books he's narrated! They rocked it as they both provided all the characters with their own unique tones and voices and performed the story beautifully!

Overall, WONDERFUL story that Kristen Ashley fans and new readers will LOVE!!

Rating: 5 Stars - Perfection!

Disclaimer:
I  voluntarily reviewed this audio book from Audible. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Cover Reveal: Royally Endowed by Emma Chase

Squeeeee! I've been dying to see what the cover would be for the third book in the ROYALLY Series by Emma Chase! Now the wait is OVER!! Feast your eyes on this LOVELY!! 

Royally Endowed
(Royally Series, bk #3)
by Emma Chase

Blurb

Logan St. James is a smoldering, sexy beast. Sure, he can be a little broody at times - but Ellie Hammond's willing to overlook that. Because, have you seen him?

Sexy. As. Hell.

And Ellie's perky enough for both of them.

For years she's had a crush on the intense, protective royal security guard - but she doesn't think he ever saw her, not really.

To Logan, Ellie was just part of the job - a relative of the royal family he'd sworn to protect. Now, at 22 years old and fresh out of college, she's determined to put aside her X-rated dreams of pat downs and pillow talk and find a real-life happily ever after.

The Queen of Wessco encourages Ellie to follow in her sister's footsteps and settle down with a prince of her own. Or a duke, a marquis...a viscount would also do nicely.

But in the pursuit of a fairy tale ending, Ellie learns that the sweetest crushes can be the hardest to let go.

Logan St. James grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, in a family on the wrong side of the law. But these days he covers his tattoos and scars with a respectable suit. He's handsome, loyal, brave, skilled with his hands and...other body parts.

Any woman would be proud to bring him home to her family.

But there's only one woman he wants.

For years he's watched over her, protected her, held her hair back when she was sick, taught her how to throw a punch and spot a liar.

He dreams of her. Would lay down his life for her.

But beautiful Ellie Hammond's off limits.

Everybody knows the bodyguard rules:

Never lose focus, never let them out of your sight, and never, ever fall in love.

 

Release Date:

August 14, 2017

PRE- ORDER NOW

AMAZON | AUDIBLE | AMAZON UK | AMAZON AU | iBooks | B&N

      



While this can be read as a standalone, why would you want to? You still have time to read the first two books in the series!! You won't regret it!! You'll fall in love with each of the heroes and wish the heroines were you friends!  Learn more about each of the previous books and listen to an audio sampler below!



ROYALLY Series

Bk #1

Available for purchase at 

         

Read my review here 

LOVE Audiobooks?
Check out the audio clip below! 

Bk #2

Available for purchase at 

         

Read my review here 

About the Author

Emma Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the hot and hilarious Tangled series and The Legal Briefs series. Emma lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children and two naughty (but really cute) dogs. She has a long-standing love/hate relationship with caffeine.

You can find Emma at

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Audible

Newsletter

Reader Fan Group

Audio Book Review: Royally Matched by Emma Chase

Royally Matched
(Royally Series, Bk #2)
by Emma Chase
Narrated by Andi Arndt and Shane East


Blurb: 

Some men are born responsible; some men have responsibility thrust upon them. Henry John Edgar Thomas Pembrook, Prince of Wessco, just got the motherlode of all responsibility dumped in his regal lap. He’s not handling it well.
Hoping to help her grandson rise to the occasion, Queen Lenora agrees to give him "space" - but while the Queen's away, the Prince will play. After a chance meeting with an American television producer, Henry finally makes a decision all on his own:

Welcome to Matched: Royal Edition.

A reality TV dating game show featuring twenty of the world's most beautiful blue bloods, all gathered in the same castle. Only one will win the diamond tiara; only one will capture the handsome prince's heart. While Henry revels in the sexy, raunchy antics of the contestants as they fight for his affection, it's the quiet, bespectacled girl in the corner - with the voice of an angel and a body that would tempt a saint - who catches his eye. The more Henry gets to know Sarah Mirabelle Zinnia Von Titebottum, the more enamored he becomes of her simple beauty, her strength, her kind spirit...and her naughty sense of humor.

But Rome wasn't built in a day, and irresponsible royals aren't reformed overnight. As he endeavors to right his wrongs, words take on new meanings for the dashing Prince. Words like duty, honor, and, most of all, love.

Available for purchase at 

         

Viviana's Review:
When I first learned of the premise of the second book was I was concerned that it was going to be like the BACHELOR TV show, which I don't like. NOW... I know that Henry has a reputation already from book 1, Royally Screwed and its mentioned again here. HOWEVER, being told of this behavior vs. "seeing" it as we read this book, especially since he is the hero would not have sat well with me. The good news? We get to see a different side of Henry AND the situation with the "Matched: Royal Edition" TV show was handled brilliantly.

I really enjoyed getting to know Sarah and Henry as they get to know each other! Emma, the author, does a beautiful job with showing you, the reader, the development of their friendship that blossoms into a romantic relationship.

I really loved Sarah as a character. She was smart, strong, independent and had a wicked sense of humor. While many dismissed her as "meek" because she was quiet, she proves that she is anything but meek.

I had a soft spot for Henry from the beginning of the series. He's the younger brother that is loved but isn't held at a high standard of leadership until the moment he will take the throne. The truth is though that he is a natural born leader but people don't give him credit or believe he is able to lead. He must overcome his own demons in order to rule and win the heart of the woman he loves.

Narrator Review: 

Andi Arndt and Shane East are a fabulous team! Each provide the characters with their own tones, accents and personalities. They each narrator the chapters of the character (Andi for Sarah's chapters and Shane for Henry's) and how I WISH they did performed in Tandem Narration. This would have made an already awesome story and performance even better! 

Overall, a great story that readers will enjoy and want more of! Looking forward to see what comes next for this series!

 

Rating: 4.5 Stars - I REALLY LOVED IT!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: Royally Screwed by Emma Chase

Royally Screwed
(Royally Series, Bk #1)
by Emma Chase
Narrated by Andi Arndt and Shane East

Blurb:

Nicholas Arthur Frederick Edward Pembrook, Crowned Prince of Wessco, aka “His Royal Hotness,” is wickedly charming, devastatingly handsome, and unabashedly arrogant―hard not to be when people are constantly bowing down to you.

Then, one snowy night in Manhattan, the prince meets a dark haired beauty who doesn’t bow down. Instead, she throws a pie in his face.

Nicholas wants to find out if she tastes as good as her pie, and this heir apparent is used to getting what he wants.

Dating a prince isn’t what waitress Olivia Hammond ever imagined it would be.
There’s a disapproving queen, a wildly inappropriate spare heir, relentless paparazzi, and brutal public scrutiny. While they’ve traded in horse drawn carriages for Rolls Royces and haven’t chopped anyone’s head off lately―the royals are far from accepting of this commoner.

But to Olivia―Nicholas is worth it.

Nicholas grew up with the whole world watching, and now Marriage Watch is in full force. In the end, Nicholas has to decide who he is and, more importantly, who he wants to be: a King... or the man who gets to love Olivia forever.

Available for purchase at 

         

 Viviana's Review:

Okay, I'll be honest that what drew me in first was the cover! Come on! When this cover was first shown, it was a fresh and new 'look'. This model was new to the book cover world! You can't blame me!!! Then I read the blurb and I was intrigued! LOVED IT! This was an awesome story that readers will love listening to.

I loved the characters and Olivia rocks it as the heroine! She told it like it is and it didn't matter that he was a prince and heir to the throne! Then we have the secondary characters! Witty and sincere! You ended up hoping that they will reappear in following books and that maybe, Emma will decide to tell their story in a novella (hint, hint!)

Sigh... Nicholas, Nicholas, Nicholas! The first born who is meant to be king. While honoring traditions and being the leader his family and a nation expect him to be, his true passion doesn't lie with the throne. When a breath of fresh comings in the form of Olivia he needs it to breathe! Throughout the entire time, I wondered how things would play out to cause the conflict that would cause the Hero & Heroine to split and then how they would reunite. I really LOVED how things played out!

Narrator Review: 

Andi Arndt and Shane East rocked it! Their performance was spot on! I know its been said that readers have "auto buy" authors, but the same can be said for narrators. Upon hearing Shane, wow! I immediately looked up what else he has narrated and began adding it to my "MUST LISTEN" list! Add Andi and what a package! They both enhance a story that is already really good! 

Overall, this was a great listen and story. This story stands out among the crowded genre! Highly recommend this!!

 

Rating: 4 Stars - LOVED IT!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Audio in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley

Midnight Soul
(Fantasyland, Book 5)
by Kristen Ashley
Narrated by Tillie Hooper

Blurb:
Against his will, Noctorno Hawthorne, an undercover vice cop, finds himself embroiled in magic, mayhem and parallel universes. Too late, he meets an amazing woman only to find she’s destined for his identical twin in another world.

And things aren’t going real great there.

Noc is recruited to help save that world.

What he doesn’t know is his destined love resides there.

Franka Drakkar wears a mask. A mask she never takes off to protect herself in a world of malice, intrigue and danger.

When Franka meets Noc and he discovers her secrets, convinced she carries a midnight soul, having shielded herself from forming bonds with anyone, she struggles with accepting his tenderness and care.

When Noc meets Franka, over wine and whiskey, her masks slips and Noc knows it’s her—only her—and he has to find a way to get her to come home with him.

And then make her want to stay.

Available for purchase at

      

Viviana's Review:

OMG! Did not disappoint! MIDNIGHT SOUL was a story the readers wanted and yearned for! I can only image the number of emails and social media messages Kristen must have received inquiring about Noc and Franka! Kristen delivered 100% and then some! This was truly a story for the fans/readers. 

While some will that the previous books in the series could be read as a standalone, I'd suggest you read the whole series. Especially before starting MIDNIGHT SOUL. In order to get a true sense of everything that has occurred from the main series arc to the growth and development of all the couples in the series. All the previous couples make an appearance and contribute to the story and I LOVED getting to know more of each of their story.

Franka has been a character we met in the first book and many would say she was the definition of "evil" and "mean" but there always seemed to be an underlining sadness to her. You wondered if she was truly so self-centered or if there was more to it. Kristen does a phenomenal job in creating a character that readers fall for and hope that they get their story.

One of the many things I LOVED about this story is that this is Franka's & Noc's story. There isn't a BIG BAD creature about to end the world or fill in the blank. What you have is two individuals learning more about themselves as well as each other. One is convinced evil lives in their heart, the other sees what is truly there and is convinced that with time and patience, so will everyone else. 

Without giving anything else, there are several parts throughout that had me laughing out loud. One was when Frank first sees a high heel shoe and when she tries them on. The other, Franka's arrival in New Orleans. She had the same 'first impression' as I did. It was completely on point!! Again, this is classic Kristen Ashley and showcases her writing skills!!

Narrator Review: Tillie Hooper was truly the perfect choice for this series! She brings an extra layer to the already wonderful characters. She does a great job of providing unique tones, voices and accents to each and every character and this series has a vast array of characters.

Overall, this was truly a wonderful addition and conclusion to the series. Kristen provides her readers with an inside look to each of her beloved characters and closure. I highly recommend this series as it provides the reader with a breath of fresh air to the genre, strong heroines, sexy alpha heroes and imaginative and entertaining stories. 

 Rating: 4.5 Stars - I Really LOVED IT!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Audible in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

Audio Book Review: Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley

Broken Dove
(Fantasyland Series, Bk 4
By Kristen Ashley
Narrated by Tillie Hooper

Blurb: 

Far too young, Apollo Ulfr lost Ilsa, his wife, the love of his life and the mother of his two children. The grief of her loss does not settle in his soul; it solders to it. But when he discovers there is a parallel universe where his wife may have a twin, he feels there's hope and sets about bringing her to his world, so he can have her back.

But Ilsa Ulfr of our world is married to the parallel universe's twin, Pol, who is not a good man. Not in any way. She's on the run from him, and the last thing she wants is to be transported to a fantastical world and be forced to take his side as his wife, even if he is not Pol. And Apollo finds the broken Ilsa nothing like his beloved, and further wants nothing to do with her. But darkness is looming, and evil is amassing. Apollo must protect his land and keep his family safe, including the new Ilsa.

Available for purchase at 

            

Viviana's Review: 

This one was going to be an interesting read due to the nature that the hero (H) Apollo lost the "love of his life" and is aware of the different worlds and that they have twins. He's purpose in bringing Ilsa from our world to his is to basically "get back" (I don't want to use the replace, but it comes across that way from the previous books) what he has lost and hoping it will be the same. We, the readers, KNOW that there are vast differences between the "twins" from each world. Knowing both of these things, I wondered how things would "work out" between the Hero and heroine. Part of this is trusting the author and I so totally trust Kristen Ashley! She doesn't disappoint and her writing style is one that captures the readers' attention and makes them want more.

Both the Hero and heroine grow as characters throughout the entire story. As we have seen Apollo and gotten to know a bit about him in the previous books, I really enjoyed that we got to know Ilsa from our world at the beginning and the "how" we got to get to her know. This also established that she was very different from what everyone knew of the other Ilsa. It's also done respectfully for both the Ilsa of that world and ours.

This is the only story where one of the twins has died, everyone knows and now we have a spitting image of her in the new Ilsa. However, with that said, there are several slight differences between the women's appearances and the story to explain to the similarity is a good one.

BROKEN DOVE was a bit of a slow burn until some meddling occurs and things begin to move at a faster pace. Maddie (as the Ilsa of our world is now known as) gets to know the Apollo of the other world and come to terms that they are not the same person.

The overall danger we learned about in the previous books, continues in this story and helps the plot move forward. There are struggles and emotional moments where Maddie is conflicted about how things are progressing and Apollo's true feelings for her (i.e. I'm not HER! I'm not your dead wife - like any woman would, right?). There is a situation where Apollo's reaction is seen as very harsh and even a tad over the top, especially him knowing of Maddie's past with abusive males. Yet, Kristen, the author, uses every moment, every event, every word to grow the characters and move the story along.

The Narrator's Review: 
The wait to ensure Tillie Hooper was available and had sufficient time to narrate the remaining books in the series was right on! Totally worth it! She brings life to characters you will fall for. Providing each character with their own tones, voices, accents, etc. When characters from previous books appear, you will recognize them easily.


Overall, this was a great "ending" to the series and overarching arch of the story. Things were tied up nicely and we all got to see what has been "up" with all the previous couples. Things were not solved too easily nor were there any things left open/unexplained. The good news is that we still have one more story and its about people we all have been curious about!

Disclaimer:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Audible in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.