"Passion" by Monica Walters, narrated by Benjamin Charles and Reina Mystique, left me underwhelmed. I went into it with high hopes, intrigued by the concept of Arranged Hearts and the promise of a high success rate in pairing couples. Unfortunately, the story didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Giselle King, a dental hygienist who's achieved financial stability, decides to take control of her love life after years of fruitless dating. Her longing for a perfect man leads her to an arrangement with a service called 'Arranged Hearts ', which promises a high success rate in pairing couples, hoping it will bring her the love she's been yearning for. Similarly, Gentry Fleming, a veterinarian tired of superficial relationships, also turns to Arranged Hearts in search of a devoted wife.

While the premise of 'Passion' had potential, the execution fell flat. The chemistry between Giselle and Gentry felt forced and lacked the genuine spark that makes a romance truly captivating. Their often predictable and clichéd interactions failed to surprise or engage me in their journey.

The narration by Benjamin Charles and Reina Mystique was decent, but it couldn't compensate for the lacklustre plot. They did their best with the material, but the story needed more depth for their talents to shine through.

Additionally, the drama that unfolds in their relationship feels contrived and unnecessary. Instead of adding tension or excitement, it only served to highlight the weaknesses in their connection. Giselle and Gentry's impatience and quick decisions, if portrayed as a result of their deep-seated fears and insecurities, could have made them more relatable and likable, and their character growth could have been more robust.

Overall, "Passion" didn't leave a lasting impression on me. The idea of Arranged Hearts was intriguing, but the story could have delivered more emotional depth and authentic romance. It's a two-star read for me, one that I wouldn't be inclined to revisit.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this book.

What I like about the book:
I love the cover. The premise of the book is cute and adorable, married at first sight. I liked how both families were accepting of the whole “ marrying a person you don’t know” thing. I loved how they reconciled and overcome the issues while she was going through her custody battle.

What I didn’t like about the book:
I didn’t really like the Gentry character, just something about him rubs me the wrong way. I also didn’t love the way he mentioned sex so much as if that’s all there is to a relationship or marriage. I didn’t like how Giselle kept bowing down to her father’s kids when she knew in her motherly instincts she wasn’t wrong to have found love. Also the male narrator, he just sounded overly dramatic.

Overall I’d rate this audiobook a 4. It was very cute, it just had a few quirks.

DNF @13%
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Audio and ALC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't like the main male character because he's an arrogant asshole. I can't take his arrogance for one chapter which was his first chapter. The FMC seems good but I don't want to see her with him. It seem like a good premise with the arrange marriage concept but I can't stand the MMC for one chapter. I'm out.

I absolutely loved this book! The characters were relatable and captivating. I appreciated that they even though they were both successful in their respective roles, they had both been unsuccessful when it came to dating the traditional way. Being married at first sight and seeing them have such an amazing connection was beautiful. This book had the right amount of spice and depth. The narrators for this book really added to the story and made it come to life. Looking forward to reading and listening to the other books in the Arranged Hearts series.

I had a decent enough time.

I really enjoyed the concept of Arranged Hearts, even if it marriage off jump. I appreciated that he was a simp for her from the beginning as well. I know instant attraction isn't always the best, but I apprecaite that this was done well.

The narration was really well done, and I really enjoy Benjamin Charles and Reina Mystique. They did their thing.

I think my issue is with plot. I know that there are some really relaxed parent agreements and everything, but I had a harder time with Gabrielle and they way custody was handled with her kids. But I know that was mostly a me thing, and that overall the story is a nice escape from real life.

Thank you to Dreamscapes and Netgalley for an early audio copy.

I wanted to love this SO MUCH because that cover is stunning and the whole premise sounded really fun but I’m so disappointed that I really didn’t enjoy it. I did however really like the narrators on the audio book - they were incredibly easy and enjoyable to listen to and did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life.

There was a note at the beginning to say that this story would be very dialogue heavy which I didn’t notice or mind but I did find it very description heavy and way too wordy. I think this book needed another edit because there were just too many unnecessary words and descriptions, for example ‘I kissed him/her on the lips’ was mentioned an unbelievable amount of times which could have been ‘I kissed her/him’ because the ‘on the lips’ is implied.

I also think Giselle was way too good for Gentry. She was kind, independent, a lovely mother and empathetic but Gentry was egotistical, arrogant, had a mad wandering eye and honestly, was pretty selfish. My last point is that the spice was so odd - I really don’t want to hear about how engaging in oral sex was like eating a good chicken neck or any body part being digested and regurgitated.

I would recommend it if you love an insta-love story, a whole lot of drama and an arranged marriage vibe.

Passion by Monica Walters is a captivating and heartwarming romance.

Giselle and Gentry are so well-developed and relatable, and I found myself rooting for their love story to unfold in the most perfect way possible.

What I loved most about this book was the unique concept of Arranged Hearts and how it brought Giselle and Gentry together. Their journey towards finding true love was filled with twists, turns, and obstacles that kept me on the edge of my seat. The chemistry between the two characters was palpable, and I couldn't help but get swept away by their love story.

Thank you @dreamscape_media @authormonicawalters @netgalley

Thank you Netgalley and dreamscape media for the free ALC.my opinions are being left voluntarily. I loved this and wanted kore and kore gladness part of a series I know I'm gonna gobble them all up. I liked the arranged marriage part and romance was hot. I'm not miscommunication hut this books was so so good.

I recommend this to those that enjoy romance

5/5☆

Loved this book it was so relatable and sweet if you like married at first site this is the book for you

I like how the story explains why the characters are insta-lovey, and it was one of the few instances that I actually understood & liked the insta-love trope. However, all around, this book was just alright. I think the author’s writing style just wasn’t conducive to my reading preferences, but I didn’t hate her writing. It was just too simplistic. I also liked the main characters, but I wanted a little bit more from them. For instance, I really wanted to know more about Giselle’e car accident and any PTSD that came from it. I also wanted a bit more of a backstory for Gentry. I liked this book, except for Clayton. I hate that guy.

Deliciously campy, over the top, and super steamy!

I do enjoy arranged marriage stories in contemporary romance books. I love seeing each authors take on such a unique dynamic.
I love getting to know these really dynamic characters and their unique relationship. I kinda know of friends that would try this dating company lol.
Nonetheless it gave me all the dramatic vibes from a tyler perry movie, with some super steamy scenes.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Monica Walters, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley.

This audiobook is narrated by Benjamin Charles and Reina Mystique. I'm unfamiliar with both of the narrators. They did a great job. Mr. Charles has a deep sexy voice that suited the character well.

This book is part of The Arranged Hearts Series by multiple authors including the novels: Allure by Iesha Bree, Tension by C. Monet, Surrender by Kimberly Brown, Desire by Kay Shanee, and Embrace by Mya.

This starts with content warnings and I always appreciate that from an author. This can easily be read as a stand-alone if the reader doesn't want to commit to the entire series.

The basic premise of this novel is the love interests are connected by a dating service that arranges meet your spouse at the altar marriages. I used to watch the TV show, "Married at First Sight" so I was super excited to read a romance novel with the same premise. This flew through the arranged part and got right to the marriage. Giselle is a single mom with 2 children. She survived a major car accident and decided to have children with a best friend rather than wait for marriage. Gentry is a veterinarian with his own practice who likes thick and curvy women. He likes Giselle on sight.

The couple seem to have instant chemistry but the action of the book is focused outside of their relationship. Romance is a genre rife with tropes and the trope used to cause friction in the relationship between Gentry & Giselle felt a bit tropey. I fully bought and liked them as a couple, just the nonsense romance trope went on a tad too long for my tastes. This was very spicy and I'd definitely read another novel by this author.

Thank you to Monica Walters, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞s: July.30
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•arranged marriage
•single mom
•instalove
•black romance

The narrator did a great job and highly recommended the audiobook. This story will take you on a rollercoaster ride. Loved this book from start to end. I'm not a fan of instalove trope but I am glad I was able to get the ALC or this book.



Thank you, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook for my honest review.

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
4.5 🌟
-
I have been patiently waiting for the audiobook, and I have it. Giselle lowkey pissed me off when it came to Clayton and not putting him in his place and allowing him to control her when it came to the kids. I wanted her to grow a backbone and put her foot down when it came to Clayton! Gentry is everything you could ever dream of in a strong black man. And I love he stood ten toes behind Giselle but also didn't let Clayton play in his face.
The narrator did a great job and highly recommended the audiobook.
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•arranged marriage
•single mom
•instalove
•black romance
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 July.30
-
Thank you, Netgalley, and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook for my honest review.

This was okay. I'm not that fond of insta-love and that's how this book felt. It definitely still felt entertaining and engaging. The couple was cute, but it got boring quick because it seemed like they really fell into each other super quick. I understand they had an Married At First Sight type of arrangement, but realistically I would've liked for them to grow into each other at a better pace. The source of the conflict was her baby daddy and I felt like it dragged. It felt so unnecessary and toward the end of the book I felt kind of detached.

I picked this one up on a whim because I was intrigued by two Black professionals using a matchmaking service for an arranged marriage where the couple doesn’t meet until they are at the alter. That being said, for a book that is less than 200 pages, this book had chemistry, heat, and a whole lot of MESS.

I immediately loved both Giselle and Gentry, and I thought that their chemistry felt very natural and not forced. However, I wanted to beat the hell out of Giselle’s best friend/baby daddy. He was stressing me out most of the story, and I just wanted to throw him into a volcano so Giselle and Gentry could get to their HEA. In the end, it was worth it though!