Love it!

Captive Hearts, the first book in Deviant Hearts, is brilliantly composed, gritty, and real. I'm absolutely impressed by the writing and the storyline, it's engaging, and the characters are utterly captivating.

The narration by Dan Calley is fabulous; I thoroughly enjoyed his performance. He injected emotion into his telling, giving life to the characters, literally bringing the story to life.
I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.

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interesting

sexy and interesting.. this narrators voice was a lot of fun to listen to.. it was sexy and did very good with the emotions going on in this story.very good

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Billy and Dashiell

Billy belongs to Frankie when Billy is assaulted Dashiell comes to His aid. Frankie gives Dash a job as thanks for helping. Billy and Dash start as friends but it soon becomes more. Really enjoyable

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Captive and in love 😍

Billy has been lured in a ver dangerous situation. He endures it because of love, misguided but love after all. He would do anything for the ones he loves. Unthinkable things. Until Dashiell, he took it like a champion. Their love is forbidden, impossible yet so strong it saves them both. Dark but oh such a great romance.

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A tough listen but worthwhile

This is one tough listen. Seriously. I’ll give a trigger warning because the violence is, frankly, violent. And although mostly behind closed doors, there is a bit that is on the page. In other words, this book is not for the faint of heart or those for whom abuse is a trigger. If you’re not one of those people, this book has a lot to offer.

It’s gritty. Really gritty. I’m a fan of realism and this book delves deep into the psyche of several different men. Dashiell is the character we’re introduced to first. He’s out for a night on the town with his buddies when he comes upon an assault going on in a bathroom. He doesn’t hesitate, just wades in with both fists. The man he’s saved? A waif named Billy Grace. When Billy’s boyfriend offers Dashiell the job of bodyguarding Billy, he agrees. The money’s good, to be sure, but he’s also intrigued by this young man. What’s his story? Why is he with an older man with thinning hair and a paunch? Not that opposites don’t attract, but Billy is ethereal while Frankie is bordering on vulgar and, given the amount of money he’s offering for his lover’s protection, a very wealthy man.

Billy might be old enough to take care of himself, but in some ways he’s naïve. He treats Dashiell like the hired help he is and it takes him a long time to realize the older man is kind. Dashiell might have started out doing the minding for the money, but the men quickly find they have a lot in common. They bond, although Dashiell wants to feed Billy while the younger man knows he can’t put on an ounce or there will be hell to pay. Actually, there’s hell to pay on a regular basis. But Billy puts up with the abuse because he feels he has no choice. Once I found out why, I felt tremendous empathy. He’s in a no-win situation. Would I be willing to put up with what he does? I’d like to think not, but sometimes we have to make tough choices.

As I said, the abuse is unrelenting as the story unfolds. There is a lot going on in this book and I wasn’t always sure who were the good guys and who were the bad ones. Life is like that sometimes. Billy learns he can trust Dashiell, but the question is whether he can break free from the ties that are binding him to the horrible Frankie. The book is a romance, so at least that much was guaranteed. Did my heart break getting there? It might have.

Dan Calley narrated this book and I was glad. He also narrated the Jack Pyke series ‘Don’t’ and he does a superb job for those as well. His deep London accent and gruff voice take some getting used to, but he does really well with these gritty stories.

This book is the first in a series and I’m desperately hoping the others will come to audio as well. Enjoyable if difficult listen.

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2 people found this helpful

Captivating

This was the first book I read from this author and I loved it very much. It is a beautiful story about two lost men who find each other by coincidence. It is a difficult relationship as one man is supposed to be the bodyguard of the person he falls in love with and who is owned by a criminal. The stolen moments they have are not enough anymore and once they realise they have fallen in love they will have to form a plan to escape and keep their lives in the process. It is a captivating story and quite addictive and couldn't wait to have it on audible. It took me some time to get used to the narrator as to me he sounded a bit like Vinny Jones. But after some chapters I realised he was the exact voice needed for this amazing book. And this book is the first of a series which I all read and was impressed with this writer.

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Gripping story

Two people in an impossible situation. As we find out Billy is beholden to Frankie and can't leave him. Dashiell comes to work for Frankie, who is some type of unsavoury criminal, for Billy’s sake. I liked the pace of the story, it felt natural. There is a forbidden love vibe about it whilst being thrilling. Kept me hooked.
I loved Dan Calley’s narration for the most part. Frankie was wonderfully menacing. There were times I couldn’t quite distinguish whether it was Billy or Dashiell speaking but this was not enough to detract from the excellent story.

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A great thrilling ride...

Firstly l loved listening to this story that takes place in London (mostly) narrated by a British guy. The whole feel of this thrilling story was uplifted by Dan Calley bringing the characters to life.

Having read this story already l knew it was an exciting and angsty story, however listening to it gave it an extra layer of excitement. The relationship between the dashing Dashiel and the sweet yet vulnerable Billy is very tense at first , but as time goes by and the danger around them from living with the mafia grows so does their attraction.
I enjoyed listening to this fast paced story that had the right amount of intrigue, danger and an abundance of sexual tension.
Now I'm excited to listen to the second book in this series.

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Wow, that was intense...

🌟🌟🌟🌟 4.5 stars
🔥🔥🔥 Heat Level: 3.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration: 4.5

Wow, that was intense...

This is a highly detailed, intense and raw journey into the life of a despicable and disgusting criminal, "his" boy and the unexpected savior that changes everything!

I'd put if listening to this one as if heard it was intense and boy it was but in a way that makes you invested, raw and on the edge of your seat. The characters are so vivid and real, you feel every blow. In a hard, unyielding situation, Billy is so strong, to not have lost himself to darkness. Dashiell becomes his savior and light in more ways than one.

This story does contain a lot of violence and criminal activities as is the world of the story but it was very confronting at some points but AE doesn't shy away from reality and delivers something so raw, yet beautiful as hope and love, that above all else fuels Billy and Dashiell into risking everything and fighting to break free of their dire situation.

The epilogue is great (& needed) to bring the light back into the story and give us a nice HEA.

Dan is a new narrator to me and at first, I wasn't too sure but when he voiced Billy and the bleakness ever-present, I could feel the emotions even more. A great performance with so many nuances and emotions, both big a small you can't help but take notice. Great work!

Thanks for reading!

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as good as the ebook

The story is always 4 or 5 stars, because if I wouldn't like the story as ebook, I wouldn't listen to the audiobook.

The performance from the narrator is also very important for me. I can't listen to a lot, because my English as a non-native-speaker isn't so perfect to follow a whole story over hours, when the narrator speaks too fast or too sloppy. Normally I have to SEE the person, who is talking to me in English. It took me a little bit, to come into the narrator, but at the end, it worked. I only have to take a few breaks between. I'm just not yet finish with the book, but I listen enough to give a review.

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:

5* - very very good
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often re-listening
it's like an A

3* - it's more then a one-time-listening.
it's like a B

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