AUDIO Review: Sweet Venom by Rina Kent

December 10, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

 

SWEET VENOM
Series: Vipers #2
Author: Rina Kent
Genre: Dark Romance
Release Date: December 2, 2025

From the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Rina Kent comes a dangerously dark stalker hockey romance.


Can I outrun his merciless obsession?

I accidentally witnessed a brutal murder.
I froze, pretended I saw nothing, hoping I could leave it behind.
But my plan backfired, and my life spiraled downward.
Now, I’m the target of cold-blooded revenge.
Jude Callahan isn’t just a hockey god—he’s a devil no one dares to cross.
My existence disrupts his stardom, prestige, and possible serial killer career choice.
And he’s set out to make me pay for that moment of silence.
No matter how much I run or hide, he finds me, watching from the shadows.
Like a predator.
I thought he’d stop at the stalking.
Or even better, he’d kill me and finally end my misery.
But Jude has other plans.
He says I can’t die. I have to pay for my sins.
And just like that, he drags me into his depraved world, kicking and screaming.

Tropes:

  • Hockey romance x secret society
  • Antihero x Good girl
  • Enemies to lovers
  • He stalks her


This book can be read on its own but for better understanding of the world, it’s recommended to read Beautiful Venom first.

AMAZON

Please let me go.”
He shakes his head once, tsking as he pushes into me. “Don’t beg yet. We’ll get there… eventually.”

The way this audio had me in a complete chokehold for 3 days should be illegal. ILLEGAL I tells ya. But can you blame me when our lord and savior, Teddy, is narrating Jude? And I mean, JUDE. JUDE. Oh the man you are, Jude.

I don’t give a fuck who your type is. From now on, I’m your only type.”

I did a combo of ebook and audio with this and I’m so glad that I did, because this is a book you need to experience in audio. It just packs a different kind of punch when you get to experience Jude through Teddy. Trust me on this.

Yeah, well, you can have neither my heart nor my soul.”
“I will have your fucking everything, sweetheart.”

Now as for the story, while this is a standalone in an interconnected series, I do no recommend reading it out of order. You just won’t have the same level of appreciation for the story or the characters. So do yourself a favor and read Beautiful Venom first.

While I was super excited to read Jude’s book, admittedly I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Violet. After a peak into her in Beautiful Venom, I was afraid she may be too demure for my liking. And I am so happy to say that she surprised me in the best of ways. There were so many layers to her that the more the onion peeled back, the more I liked her.

If you’ve read Beautiful Venom, then you already know the dark connection with Violet and Jude. I won’t ruin it for you by telling you what it is but it landed her on Jude’s revenge list. He’s been stalking her for months, and now he’s prepared to finally do something about it. Except Violet is nothing what he expects because she welcomes his revenge. Violet was a dichotomy of strength and weakness. This is a woman who grew up in hell but didn’t let that rot her. There’s this layer of sweet and caring in her that on anyone else would seem almost cliche, but worked here.

And Jude? I LOVED Jude.

Yes, yes… oh God.”
“I can be your god, Violet. I’ll be your fucking everything.”

But I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that another secondary character took this book from a solid 4 straight to a 5 star read for me and that was Preston. The sheer chaotic madness of this man just carried the book.

I devoured this story but that ending has me wheezing for the next book. WHEEZING. I need it. With the kind of desperation I cannot even describe to you. 

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Audio Review: Bonds of Hercules by Jasmine Mas

November 19, 2025 by · Leave a Comment

BONDS OF HERCULES
Series: Villains of Lore #2
Author: Jasmine Mas
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Release Date: October 28, 2025

Available for the first time in audio, the highly anticipated sequel to the viral sensation, Blood of Hercules , this audiobook features multiple narrators! Pre-order Bonds of Hercules today!

I’ve awakened my powers, and things are not well.

When I turned twenty years old, I discovered I had horrifying secret powers, got trapped into marriage with my enemies, accidentally joined a cult, and signed up for a bloodthirsty Gladiator Competition. To make matters worse, my terrifying husbands are trying to seduce me, and my old mentors are acting really strange.

Now, someone is killing Olympians—and it’s not Titans. Things are spiraling out of control.

I’m fighting for my life and drowning in secrets.

It doesn’t help that Titans are mutating and getting stronger. Chthonics are also revolting against Olympians and ghosts from my past are coming back to haunt me.

Everybody better beware.
Things are about to get very messy.

Get ready for Bonds of Hercules from bestselling author Jasmine Mas.

Perfect for listeners who

Kickass Heroine “Who did this to you?” Extreme Enemies to Lovers Morally Gray Alpha Heros Greek Myths and Gladiator competitions

AMAZON

If I cannot move Heaven, I will raise hell.”

I have never felt so conflicted about rating a book. I finished the audio over a week ago and I have sat on my rating since. Did I love it? Not really. Did I hate it? Also no. Where do I even start?

Let’s talk narrators. About 90% of the book is in Alexis POV and I loved the female narrator. I do wish that it was duet audio because the male POVs were so rare, I would have loved to hear them more throughout the dialogue in Alexis’s POV. We also finally get a POV from Achilles, which I was really hoping for. Alas, Patro totally killed the vibe for me. My issue was that I absolutely LOATHED his character and the turn he took. The betrayal cut extra deep because I never really felt like they made up for it. Not even close. He just continued to be absolutely insufferable until the bitter end. And the male narrator for Patro didn’t help because it made him sound even snootier than he acted. Le sigh.

The story was entertaining, but it also felt too long for the amount of true plot we got. I felt the story go one way in book one, and then it took a completely different turn in this book which I still don’t know how I feel about. On the one hand, considering how much I LOATHED a certain two characters, I’m glad. But on the other hand, I feel bamboozled and I’m still bitter about it.

Alexis was great and I loved Nyx. I also fell so hard for Poco, the fierce cuteness was unreal. I also loved some of the twists, especially at the end. While I do wish we got a fully satisfying conclusion, it was clear there are more books to come in this world, and I’m excited for it. Though I have no idea how these particular male characters will ever redeem themselves in my eyes, I will definitely be reading the next book.

The spice and romance was very much a slow burn and I do wish that the payout felt worth it. I wanted more time with them, and while I was fully immersed and consumed with the story, I couldn’t help but wish we got a touch more spice for all the waiting we had. But I can’t complain too much because I still very much enjoyed it.

So now you see why I’m so conflicted, because while certain parts of this book I loved, some of it I just couldn’t vibe with. The signature humor that Jasmin writes definitely helped, because it made the audio that much more fun. But I just can’t connect with the turn the story took in the conclusion. It’s a dichotomy of feelings because on the one hand after the direction some characters took, I get it. I just wish that they didn’t take that turn. Alas, it is what it is. Would I recommend it? Sure! It was a fun audio and I’m definitely looking forward to the next book. Do I wish it ended differently? I really do.

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Audio Blitz & Review: The Learning Hours by Sara Ney

November 3, 2017 by · Leave a Comment

THE LEARNING HOURS 
Series: HOW TO DATE A DOUCHEBAG #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sara Ney
Release Date: September 26, 2017

He’s not a douchebag; but that doesn’t stop his friends from turning him into one.

MY FRIENDS WANT ME TO GET LAID.

So much so that they plastered my ugly mug all over campus, in bold printed letters:

Are you the lucky lady who’s going to break our roommate’s cherry?
Him: socially awkward man with average-sized penis looking for willing sexual partner. You: must have a pulse. He will reciprakate with oral. Text him at: 555-254-5551

The morons can’t even spell. And the texts I’ve been receiving are what wet dreams are made of. But I’m not like these douchebags, no matter how hard they try to turn me into one.

THIS ISN’T THE KIND OF ATTENTION I WANT.

One text stands out from hundreds. One number I can’t bring myself to block. She seems different. Hotter, even in black and white.

However, after seeing her in person, I know she’s not the girl for me. But my friends won’t let up–they just don’t get it. Douchebags or not, there’s one thing they’ll never understand: GIRLS DON’T WANT ME.

Especially her.

 AMAZON | AUDIO | iBOOKS | B&N | KOBO


He’s seated at a table in the far corner when I spot him from the door. He’s not hard to miss—not with his purple t-shirt in a sea of black and yellow, and wavy mussed hair.

He’s slouching, hunched over his table.

Defeated. Tired.

My stomach rolls with nerves, nerves that have me rooted to the spot in the doorway, watching him.
Just watching.

For the entire four minutes I stand here, he sits immobile, studying his laptop, eyes moving along the screen, completely transfixed by whatever he’s reading.

Learning.

“Just go over there,” I whisper to myself, blowing out a puff of pent-up air.

I put one foot in front of the other and begin toward him, spine ramrod straight, steeling myself, prepared for another argument.

Twenty feet.

Fifteen.

Eight.

Two.

“Hi.”

No reply.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” I lay my hand on the back of the wooden chair across from him, intending to pull it out.

He stiffens but doesn’t lift his head. “Yes I mind.”

“Would you mind if I sat at the table next to you?” I’m pushing his buttons, looking for a reaction, but he only spares me a brief glance.

Shrugs. “Free country.”

I bite my lip to hide a smile, glad he didn’t tell me to take a hike…

I’m quickly learning that Rhett Rabideaux isn’t most guys”

This is quite possibly the happiest my ears have ever been. Because this audio? This audio book was EVERYTHING.

Now this particular picky reader doesn’t typically like audio books. Either the pacing annoys me or the narrators do. There’s too much monotone, too much overacting, and all the more nitpicking on my end. But this book? This was the icing on the already perfect cake. As much as I adored reading this book, listening to it made me fall in love with it even more.

Rhett Rabideaux may not be prince charming but he’s something else entirely: he’s real. He is who he is, and makes no apologies. He’s polite and sincere.”

Josh Goodman’s delicious voice in my ear narrating the part of Rhett was pure perfection. And here I thought it will never get better than Rhett.

I’m a huge fan of NA romance, but the good kind are getting harder and harder to find. This is the book that tops all NA books I’ve ever read to date. This story was incredible. It was sweet, and touching, and so different that I simply couldn’t help but swoon super hard over it.

Muffy Newtown is now easily one of my favorite female narrators. She did this heroine so much justice. It was like listening to a movie while having the scene roll through your mind’s eye. I simply don’t have enough good things to say about it. This was, hands down, my favorite audio book to date.

And this book was, hands down, my favorite NA romance to date. I love a book that mixes things up and isn’t afraid to go out of the typical cookie cutter formula, and that’s exactly what Sara Ney did here.

This was the happiest 10 hours of my giddy ears’ life. Truly.

Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives colorfully, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.

She lives with her husband, children, and her ridiculously large dog.

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