I got through it halfway and lost the audiobook from my Netgalley shelf app.
Although the book was fairly good, the audio was amazing. The plot and storyline gave me the Broken Bonds series vibe.
I will give it 4 stars. Liked it and will recommend it.

I really enjoyed this single narration audiobook. The narrator did a great job with the different voices/characters and situations.

The book itself lacked a little of world building and background story between the mates. I am still very interested and intrigued with how this story will continue!

Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t for me. I thought the narration was good. I just wasn’t a fan of the writing and the story didn’t capture me. Huge thanks to the audiobook publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book.

This book was amazing. The narrator really brought it to life for me. But the writing? Top notch. Such a great book.

Goodreads: March 3, 2024.
Youtube short: March 11, 2024 (link will be added once published)
Tumblr: March 3, 2024

If you want a book that has a pretty cover and is predominantly smut this is for you. There is a plot… but the plot is a sub-plot to the smut 😅

The book has a good plot BUT like I said the plot is secondary to the relationships in the book. Which again if that’s your thing then pick up this book you’ll love it.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was on my radar because I've read Laurel K. Hamilton books and the idea of multiple "mates" didn't scare me off. If I remember correctly, her main character has over 8 partners who all equal the same amount of nookie time. I just felt like this was a blatant grab for fans of those books. This is never winning any awards, and it's not great, there are many issues I can no longer ignore or write off as exotic (alpha male bull) but I admit I did read that when I was younger so there will be an audience for this. I just don't think I'll read any more from this author. Regardless of the talent.

I received an audio arc from NetGalley for review.
I quite enjoyed this book which was outside my normal type of Romantasy. I thought the characters were engaging and the story was pretty easy to follow but I do wish we got more backstory. I’ll also say I TOTALLY saw the shocking twist coming with the FMC’s friend. I won’t say more so not to completely spoil it. But all in all, I’ll definitely read the next book!

I want to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this audiobook. Witch, I will be giving my honest and sincere review.

Slow burn: 💘 5/5
Spice: 🌶 3/5
Slowburn: 😮‍💨 4/5
Haters to lovers: 😡/🥵 2/5
Mates: 5/5
Magic:✨3/5
Politics: 🏛 2/5
Worldbuilding: 🏗 1/5 it's not intense at all

4,5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For the lovers of she's my mate, your mine, golden retriever boy, dark boy, shifters etc etc… trigger warnings ⚠️ Violence descriptive torture scenes , bad language, adult scenes & parents death. ⚠️


She's a 10 but she has more mates than a hand can count…

Kiarra is isolated from the world a freedom feels like a distant memory 6 years she's been under the punishments of the King, I felt for the main character right away. It's impossible not to after all the pain she's going through. She's strong and doesn't show weakness to do anything that threatens her. The world it's fairly similar to ours but they live under a Kings rule with all kinds of mystic species Shifters, Witches, Demons & Dumans.

Kiarra finds herself in a peculiar situation and it's non other than 5 friends she grew up with. They are mad at her but above all she their mate.

We have 5 completely different personalities and its going to make you giggle, kick, and gasp.
There where quotes that I loved.

“…Don't lie to me or yourself. I felt it. I felt you. That kiss was…”
Everything. It was everything and more. No words can describe the feeling of being surrounded by him. I feel safe and warm. I feel cherished and cared for and, for just a moment, slightly less broken.”

“You taste like sunshine and destruction, wrapped into one. It's fucking delicious.”

Honestly I'm getting the physical choppy as soon as possible I need to mark down my favorite scenes and quotes. The cover is so beautiful.

I'm not saying much more. But if you like The Bonds That Tie Series by J.Bree you will eat this up in no time. I was sad that was over.
The Narrators were absolutely 💯 amazing I loved them Scarlett Everdeen; Chase T. Walker.

Once I got past the amount of times King is mentioned in the first few chapters I started to love it. Reverse harem. Alpha’s. Magic. Ugh I loved it.

Five whole ass stars. I loved this. The Bonds That Tie is one of my favorite series, and dear heavens, this is sooo much like it. I CRIED. Listen to me. I. DO. NOT. CRY. I might tear up, but the bonding scene in this made me blubber like a baby. My husband came home in the middle and was like -slowly backs away- 😂😅 So, yeah, reverse harem/mates is my thing and this touched all the right places.

I really liked the blend of different magics in this book. I liked the idea of them knowing each other as children and being separated too. I liked the narrator a lot but the story itself felt a bit unoriginal.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I was not sure what to expect from this book and was pleasantly surprised by how it sucked me right in. I want to know more about the world this book takes place in and all the supernatural beings in the book. I am looking forward to the next book in this series and that cliffhanger was really well done.

I like that the story is a RH but between childhood friends that she left behind so there is already a past relationship there, with the new mix of betrayal because they think she left them. I feel like if you are reading this first book, get ready to read the next ones, because you’ll want to know what happens after the ending. I thought the spice level was nice for the first book, they had great chemistry, and I can see the next books being more in depth. The narrators did a good job on the story and it looks like the other two audiobooks are scheduled to come out within the next couple months with multiple voice actors, so I’m thinking the next books have multiple POVs. I’m excited!
To wrap up, I liked the story and can’t wait to hear the rest of it.

I really tried getting through this audiobook but I just could not stop cringing at the narrator her voice. One narrator for all the characters ? This could have been done so much better.
I read a lot of dark romance books but this book was too much for me. Five guys, One girl ?
It’s one thing if the girl would have given her consent but in this case she did not and it’s pure abuse.
The characters were far too dramatic, aggressive and abusive. I DNF’d the book, I just couldn’t finish it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC to me in return for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

I enjoyed this audio but it's definitely more plot driven then character driven. There's not much character development but I'm hoping that happens in the next book. Blood and Ruin is fast paced and the narrators, Scarlett Everdeen and Chase T. Walker, are easy and comfortable to listen to. They bring the characters to life and their voices flow well, seamlessly going from one scene to the next. The storyline is easy to follow but definitely feels more like a setup book. There are two other books in the series so it makes sense that this one would feel more like a prequel to the main events. I look forward to reading the next one and hope it's a little slower with more room for character growth. I liked the alphas and that they were different types of shifters -- it gave them a bit more dimension and made the story different from some of the other why choose fated mates romance stories out there. I'm always here for fated mates especially when it seems like they're enemies but they're really just fighting their feelings for whatever reasons. Our MC has a bit of a martyr complex but it's not that insufferable due to her powers and the fact that she has survived so long without losing herself so she knows she can keep surviving. I think there are a lot of good elements to the story and am interested to see what happens next. This is a good fit for people who like why choose romance, shifters, magic, fated mates, drama and plot driven stories.

CW: torture/violence on page, captives, harassment.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an ALC from Dreamscape Media via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Shifters, dated mates, deathbed declarations of love?? This book had it all 😍

This book was fast paced; from page 1 there was action and plotting and deceit. The transitions between action-heavy scenes was seamless and felt very natural.

I didn’t see the twist at the end coming! Love when that happens.

I really loved the FMC. She reminded me of myself in some aspects; she was so empathetic and willing to help others, even at her own expense. Her choices really resonated with me overall.

I’m super interested in learning more about the guys, their powers, and seeing their relationships evolve with that ending. I can already tell it’s gonna be a good time 😈

I would have liked just a bit more background info in regard to their relationships in the past. It’s referenced that they were close but that’s about it, which jumps straight to now where they’ve “always loved her.” I feel like it would have been just a little more convincing if the backstory was more detailed.

I can’t wait for the next audiobook to be released! I’ll absolutely be reading them all.

I am still waiting for the plot to make a presence. After I finished this, I was left furrowing my brow and scratching my head. The world building was minimal to nonexistent, 60% of the book was the FMC being tortured or trying to perfect the miscommunication trope. You're telling me that your 5 best friends make a reappearance and are hot, steamy, broody men that would BURN THE WORLD for you and you refuse to let them help an ounce? No.

This book has potential with promising elements (and for that I am being generous with my rating) but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. By the end, I was left with more questions than answers.

Thank you Dreamscape media and Netgallery for the audio arc of Blood and ruin.
I was interested in this book because the cover really caught my eye and the reverse haram fantasy vibe from the description appealed to me.
In terms of the actual story I was a bit disappointed. The beginning felt like it was throwing in every trope that could be named while also sounding like the guy from spongebob with glass bones. Once the story started to pick up I enjoyed the premise of it and my curiosity was peaked to see further along but I just felt like this whole book did not get anywhere.
The spice between the fmc and the 5 alphas had a good start but theres bery little spice in this book overall. Which for the story lacking usually would expect more from the smut side but did not deliver on either front for me.
This audiobook had great quality and was easy to listen to. Unfortunately, the story itself did not flesh out in a way that was appealing to me. I struggled to get through this, and once the story seemed like it could get better, it fell flat and seemed like the story ended where it started.

This had some interesting parts, especially Kiarra's ability to heal from pretty much anything. I admired how she kept sacrificing to help others and was strong even after all the torture she endured.

The world building isn't really there, so I don't totally understand what types of paranormal creatures exist or why Kiarra's stepfather is so powerful. Also, calling him King when he's not a king was super confusing.

The narrator did a good job and I liked the snippet of the male narrator we got to see.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the copy.

Just long enough to get me interested! gimmeee the whole series nowwww! (:

Publisher's summary
Six years ago, my world was ripped from under me, and I was taken to Cardinal Three, a place where pain has been my endless companion. Witches, demons, shifters, and humans all live under one rule: King's. What he says goes. So trying to get the hell out of here hasn’t been easy. No one leaves without his permission. In fact, no one leaves at all—that is, not alive.
But I have a plan, one chance to get out of this nightmare once and for all. One month is all I need, one month to stay off King's radar and get the last few items needed for the spell I’ve been working on. Shouldn’t be that hard, right?
But turns out King has his own plan, one that involves trading me off to the five shifters of Manhattan. With King's ultimatum, I have no choice but to go through with it. But I’m still getting out of here, no matter what. Or so I thought. Turns out the five shifters are my mates…and also the boys I left behind six years ago.
Blood and Ruin is a paranormal romance and the first installment in the Blood and Ruin trilogy. The FMC will not have to choose between her five love interests, but the story is action packed and contains violence, adult themes, bad-language, and content some may find upsetting.

Thanks NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for the arc of this book!

Blood and Ruin
By: Rumer Hale
Narrated by: Chase T. Walker, Scarlett Everdeen
Series: Blood and Ruin Series, Book 1
Release date: 02-27-24