Suffering from a horrendous headache again yesterday and today, so I did the only thing I can comfortably do in that situation; stick on my Musicozy eye mask and listen to an audiobook while trying to zone out. Except zoning out while listening to this one was not going to happen! The quote on the front of this book suggests it's got Neon Gods and Fifty Shades vibes going on. I'd say add in 'A Touch of Darkness' and you're pretty much there!

The characters, plot and worldbuilding will all be familiar; Fae from different Courts (with Night being our focus), a human woman drawn into their world, a brooding buff billionaire and his inner circle who own a casino etc. etc. etc., but that just allows you to sink into the story more quickly. At the same time though, there are enough twists and turns in the story to keep you engaged and interested, and a good enough plot for the book to stand on its own two feet, albeit one that is driven by the characters and their relationships. 

As you'd expect, all of the characters are lookers, and while there are no truly unique characters amongst them, they are all really well fleshed out and have their own personalities that really come through. I have to admit though, one of my favourite moments is where Caden repeatedly accuses Bryn of watching too much TV, and eventually she responds that she 'used to', but now she's spending his money on buying ebooks and reading five books a week. At that moment, I had never related to a character more (apart from the bit about spending his money... sadly my book budget comes out of my own bank account...)!

For the first time in a while, I enjoyed both the male and female narrators even when they were voicing characters of the opposite sex. Yes, it would have been even better if it had been a true dual narration, but for once I can let it slide. They both brought a lot to their performances and gave the whole thing an extra boost. I mean, Aidan Snow's deep, growling voice feels perfect for Caden's character, and quite honestly made me sit up and listen from the first rumble - even my husband noticed that reaction! And, of course, he put that voice to particularly effective use in certain scenes... 🫠

As the character states, Caden is known as 'The Dark King' fore more than one reason. His tastes aren't satisfied by vanilla. There is a great build in the sexual tension and relationship throughout this book, with each scene building on the previous experience. It reads in such a way that the reader is being initiated into submission alongside Bryn, with Caden being a patient, if possessive, teacher. Even in the moments where it's not the most comfortable to read, where you're not entirely convinced that his control is there, the author addresses those concerns within the narrative, always giving Bryn a way out and stressing the importance of consent. Overall, it makes for a truly hot read, with the spice complementing rather than overpowering the plot.

One ridiculous aside... I can't help it. Whenever I hear Bryn's name, my mind automatically supplies "it means 'hill' in Welsh". Which in turn means I needed brain bleach when at one point this Bryn was played by Rob Brydon... 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣

Adding the next two in the series to my Audible wishlist!