Narration: 5⭐️
Book: 4.25⭐️
Spice: 3🌶

The audiobook was such a delight with Samantha Brentmoor and Eric Nolan as the narrators, who also did the narration for Leather & Lark. So yes, they were absolute perfection as Rose and Fionn. They brought all the characters to life again, and I will definitely recommend you guys go for this version. It truly intensifies the experience.

Fionn had a carefully crafted life on the outside and in his mind. One he'd worked hard to build by pretending he didn't have a dark side. The darkness he'd tried so hard to bury after his father died, and he'd taken every step since that day to carve a separate path for himself. To convince himself that he wasn't that man and to make sure all the sacrifices his brothers had made for his sake paid off. Over the years, pretending got easier, but when Rose stumbled into his life, she unraveled this facade and the control he'd had. The illusion of the person he'd forced himself to be for years started slipping. And Rose was the one who gave him the faith to acknowledge his dark side and embrace it.

Rose was absolute chaos in the best way. I loved her relationship with everyone in Silveria Circus, who'd become her family, and the circus, her home, when she fled her abusive home at the age of 15. She knew then that she wanted to be the person who helped those who couldn't help themselves, just like she hadn't been able to until she decided to leave. But eventually, just providing the means stopped being enough, and she decided to take matters into her own hands.

However, I do wish that all of Rose's "endeavors" weren't so messy and incomplete, I guess. I'd get it if it happened once or twice while she got the hang of getting her hands dirty, so to speak, but it just happened every time, and she had to ask Fionn for his help, which didn't really go with the theme of this series. Also, her half-assed attempts were also the reason why Fionn had to take the measures he did and reach out to people he didn't want to in order to help Rose.

The romance did take a while, although there was a pull between Rose and Fionn right from the moment he found her bleeding in his clinic. He felt this fierce need to protect her, which he did, every step of the way. Somewhere along the way of protecting her and helping clean up after her crimes, Fionn started realizing that the darkness he'd tried so hard to pretend didn't exist in him was right there, which terrified him at first. Rose kept waiting for the other shoe to drop when it came to Fionn, waiting for him to see how dark and twisted she truly was and finally wash his hands off her or be disgusted with her, but that never happened even as they kept pushing the boundaries of how far they could test each other to see if the other would abandon them due to their dark, twisted ways.

Though there were feelings growing between the two of them as they lived together and formed a bond, neither was willing to act on it given their own insecurities and fear of being rejected. There was a lot of push and pull, which added greatly to the sexual tension between them. Loved Fionn's version of 'touch her and die' because boyyy… did he deliver.

The spice, as always in this series, was mind-blowing. This was also enhanced in this duet narration, which is also why I recommend the audiobook. Fionn seemed so quiet in the previous books, but oh god, this man... the things he did, craved, and said... holy hotness... and Rose was just as amazing with how unashamed she was to ask for what she wanted and also understood Fionn's deeper desires and prodded him enough for his restraint to snap.

The letters... good lord… the letters. The Kane brothers sure know how to grovel, because what was that? The planning, dedication, and fucking devotion Fionn had for Rose.

I also wish there was a bit more clarity towards the end with Fionn's work and if he'd truly grown to embrace and enjoy his new job or was it because of the deal he'd made? I wasn't exactly clear on that because he does say that he didn't want to continue doing what he'd agreed to because of all that he'd seen, but the end also has Rose saying that he's taken to his new role well.

No matter what anyone says, Barbara was the true MVP in this book; you can't convince me otherwise. Oh, and I also want to be a part of the Suture Sisters because they just have the best time.

I can't get over the stunt Rowan pulled with his costume and face paint and all the chaos that followed. That poor, adorable, silly man-guy. The bond between the Kane brothers was truly something else, and I'm going to miss that so much. The part where they have a moment of heartfelt conversation mixed with insulting and teasing was just so perfect and emotional. What I also love is how terrified these men are of their women, which made me laugh a lot. And I totallyyyy need a bonus epilogue or a novella where the Annual August Showdown becomes a team activity where the three couples compete against each other for the k!lling.

That epilogue sure did have quite the surprise in store for us, and my jaw was on the floor. I'm so ready for what's to come next.

Although I'm used to Brynne ruining food for me at this point, and I was wondering what's going to happen with the cotton candy but it didn’t really do much for me. And my reaction to it was normal. Even that questionable use of beer didn't faze me. Am I just desensitized to it all at this point??

Despite everything, I felt like there was SOMETHING that was missing in this book but I can't pinpoint what it is.