D.G. ~Shameless Reader~
Book blogger, audiobook lover and shamelessly honest reviewer. Mostly read fantasy, mystery, romance, UF and YA but all genres welcome.
This is where I fell in love with Robert Petkoff
**3 stars for the story plus 1 bonus star for narration**
This narration was so delicious that I was 67% into the book when I realized that if I'd been reading it, I'd probably have DNF it. The plot was exciting and the main characters were not terrible but the dialogue was sometimes corny and the romance was not at all the kind I enjoy (man chasing woman while they bicker constantly.)
Anybody who has read my review of the previous book knows I had serious reservations about continuing the series. And alas, all my fears were founded. Again, we have in this book a man with an instinctive compulsion to be with a woman but this is not reciprocated. He has NO CHOICE and if he's not with her, he suffers tremendously. She, however, can leave him whenever she wants without suffering. Maybe some women fantasize about having a man completely in their power but I'm not one of them. I want a man who chooses to be with me, not a slave without any choice in the matter.
To be fair to Kaderin, if a stranger shows up one day to tell me I was his fated bride, I would run in the other direction too. I don't object that she had misgivings about the situation (who wouldn't?) but that he had not alternative but to pursue her or be deeply unhappy forever (and in the case of an immortal, this is a terrible thing indeed.)
You would think that with so many issues against the plot, I wouldn't have enjoyed it but I was so enthralled by Mr. Petkoff's yummy narration that I had a ball with it. His performance of the characters - specially the men - was perfect and his accents were so freaking good that I had heart palpitations the first time I heard a (male) Scottish character. Mr. Petkoff didn't demure from performing the love scenes as they were written - there was moaning, groaning, gasping, panting, you name it. His interpretation was so well done that most of the time I was fanning myself as I was listening.
So you can bet the farm that I'll continue this series as long as Mr. Petkoff is the narrator. I wonder how bad the books will have to get before I stop listening!