Love and other cages by Emilia Ares.
Narrated by Will Collyer and Emilia Ares
I did enjoy listening to this audiobook. I did like the cover. I liked Mina and Oliver. I got into it straight away. Although the chapters were long I did enjoy it. I did find it difficult to read in some places. Very emotional. But Emilia wrote it very well. I did feel for Mina. I wanted to jump in. I also felt for Oliver. Omg. The ending. Wow.

I initially gave this book 4 stars, but considering I have thought about it daily since I finished it, I think it deserves 5 stars! I find myself thinking back to the book and the characters, longing to keep reading to find out what happens next. I feel like I got to know the characters very well throughout the two books and I am glad I went back to read the first book before starting this ARC, it provided great context for Love and Other Cages. This was not easy to listen to because of how brutal and descriptive some scenes are. The whole situation is scary and unimaginable. But I also feel like that is what made this book unique. The writing was great. The first part of the book dragged on a bit, but flew by after I hit about 60%! I loved Mina's relationship with her mom, not many books include a close relationship between teenagers and their parents. I loved the way they talk to each other and their sweet Russian words and phrases. I enjoyed the narrators, it was awesome to listen to Emilia Ares narrate her own book! It helped because the Russian was actually correct when she spoke. I hope there will be more books in the series, I can't wait!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had a hard time getting into this one, but I’m very glad I stuck it out. Apparently, there is a book before this one, but this can be read as a standalone. I’d recommend reading the first one for character development. The FMC and MMC are very interesting, especially considering they’re still in high school. Their bond is pretty solid and they are thrown into a ton of situations that adults shouldn’t even have to deal with. They are amazing and resilient. I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something different. The narrators were excellent!

"Love and Other Cages" is a generally compulsively-readable young adult novel, perfect for teens who want a thriller with a side of romance. I wasn't aware this was book two in a series until after I'd finished reading it, but it did perfectly well as a standalone novel. Mina, a responsible high school senior working toward her quickly approaching independent life, finds all her plans turned upside down when she is swept into the world of an underground crime mob.

This is a dual POV novel, alternating between Mina and Oliver, Mina's boyfriend. While this dual POV kept things interesting, I struggled a bit with some sagging pacing in the middle. After having been swept into the story quite quickly with peak action, I found myself bogged down in a repeated cycle of Mina agonizing over her tortured capture, followed by Oliver's panicked search for her. Both were legitimate parts of the story, I just felt like it was stuck on repeat before eventually kicking free and picking back up again. Coming in at over 15 hours on audio, this book definitely could have benefitted from some tighter writing. After plodding through that, there's an abrupt and unfulfilling end. Is there a sequel coming? Fans of series will certainly be cheering for that — otherwise, this is going to best find its home with those that like their endings open to interpretation. I'm not one of those people, so this one landed at 3.5 stars rounded down for me.

There is some spice in this book, along with some sexual assault — not anything overly graphic but enough that I would probably want my teen to be on the older side (16+) before reading it.

This is the second book in the series, and while it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend starting with book 1. It was *so* good—why miss out on that?

I just want to scream (in the best way possible)! The cliffhangers are driving me crazy. Yes, I’m completely hooked, but come on—how much more can I take?

At first, some parts felt a bit far-fetched, but as I kept reading, everything started to click. Suddenly, I was questioning everything—what if this person is actually that, and what if she really is ____. And just when I thought I had it figured out, you hit me with another cliffhanger! This book was a wild ride and a great story.

Although Oliver got on my nerves a few times, Javi is the true ride-or-die friend that Oliver needs! I can’t wait for book 3.

I want to start by saying that the duel narration was very well done and made the story really come alive. I also want to let readers know that this book two and while it can be a stand alone there is a lot of background knowledge that I feel is missing if you don't read the first book This is a very well done YA thriller/ romance. The storyline is very intense and has a lot of interesting moving parts. It ends on a cliffhanger that really has the readers longing for more. Overall a good read.

The book is written well and the story is gripping. It can be read as a standalone but I did feel like I was missing a little bit of background since I haven’t read the 1st book in the series. Also, it’s only 3 stars because the book ended in a cliffhanger and I’m not sure how it’s going to end, but going by the characters and plot I would give it a 3.75.

Huge thanks to Net Galley and the author for this ARC.

I received this audiobook from NetGalley for review.

Fast paced, gripping, and completely enthralling. This book grabs you by the shirt collar and will not let you go.

4⭐️ 1.5🌶️
This was an interesting story about the Russian mafia and secret agents. It had me confused, but wanting to know more. The ending has me needing book 2! Mena, and Ollie deserve a happy ending, and I hope they get one!

Thanks NetGalley for allowing me access to the ARC of this book.
ACTUAL RATING: 3.5

I don’t know if it is unfortunate that this is the second book of the series or not, because I didn’t mind the opening of this book (　・∀・)

Come 30% when I remembered to update my digital reading journal/notes, and started looking this up, that I see that this Love and Other Cages is the second book. Well, why did I read this in NetGalley? the title and the cover got me.

I am impressed with how the world is built in this book though. I am intrigued as to why this underground Russian group is invested in taking Mina. The torture she has been in, yeah, those need trigger warnings, because the writing is vivid.

FULL REVIEW in Goodreads. Link added

This book feels hard to describe. For one, I didn't know that this was the second book in a series, so after a few chapters I went back to read book 1 before continuing to read this, which I recommend, because this book picks up literally within minutes of book 1 ending. The plot of this is pretty wild and you definitely have to suspend your disbelief. I think what I am struggling with the most is that this book does not feel like it could stand alone as a story. Things did happen, the plot progressed, but it again ended on an extreme cliffhanger. If you didn't read book 1, it would really be lacking, in my opinion, because so much of the set up and character explanation/backstory happens in book 1. At the same time, I feel like the writing style was good, and I genuinely really enjoyed the audio as the narrators were phenomenal. I think I would continue this series because I am curious what might happen next...but if I am just talking about this book on it's own, it was just okay.

Unfortunately after listening to this for most of the afternoon and evening I am calling it quits at around the 50% mark. I didn't realise this was a sequel to another book when I requested this title (which evidently I have not read). Even though this book can be read as a standalone, I feel that to really get the best from it you need to have read the first book as it seems to start straight in on the action from what is presumably the end of the first installment. Due to this, I've struggled to get to know the characters and their motives/relationships and truly feel the situations that Oliver and Mina find themselves in throughout this book.

I did enjoy the audio narrators, the book is read well and you can feel the angst the characters are suffering. The voices are clear, concise and carry the story with conviction.

I will look into getting both books in the future as physical/ebooks as I feel that the first book would give me more of an insight to really enjoy this installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book follows the life and love of Mina and Oliver as Mina is abducted by a crime family far across the world, and Oliver is left to pick up his own pieces and the pieces of his suddenly broken business. There is a lot of turmoil and violence and longing in this story. It does move a little slower than I’d like, and didn’t quite grab me like a different genre really would, but I think those who do revel in thriller/mysteries will find this a lot more appealing than I personally did!

The writing and audio performance were very evocative and well done, but I feel like I was missing a lot of context with these characters because I wasn’t aware it was the second book in the series. It was marketed to me as more of a standalone. I do wish I had known to read the first book before this one. As I said earlier though, the audio performances were truly great.

I saw this on Netgalley for free review and thought I'd give it a try. I had to DNF unfortunately. I gave it a good go getting about 60% into the story and I just couldn't go anymore. The characters aren't very interesting, and the story isn't very believable. It might have helped if I had read the first book, but from what I've heard, you can read as a standalone. Do not let my opinion sway you as you may like it, however the story just wasn't very thrilling enough to keep my attention.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216844512-love-and-other-cages?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=hSScFF8Fqh&rank=1

This took me a while to listen to but it was so good! I do think you need to read the first book to fully understand but I definitely want to listen to more of this. Mina and Oliver have such a bond and I loved hearing from both sides. I also really enjoyed towards the end of the book where they end in the same place. For being a young adult mystery thriller, this has some really dark themes and I think a teenager over 16 would really enjoy listening to this. Netgalley has given me a tough task of waiting for book 3 as this ends on a fantastic cliff hanger but thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

3.5⭐️

I enjoyed the dual POV and particularly Minas story! The way it all connected at the end was predictable but I enjoyed how we got there. I didn’t know this was book 2 and feel that would have been a good place to start for context however this book did well as a standalone. I recommend listening to the audiobook , the author reads the story which is nicely done.

Thank you NetGalley and bookbuzz :)

While reading this, I was trying to decide what it reminded me of and then it came to me Red Sparrow. Yes we are back with Mina and Oliver and their budding relationship however they don't get a chance to enjoy this when their world imploded. This books was full of actions and twist & turns for the characters - which is depicted by the different storylines for Mina and Oliver. They both have different desires for the outcomes and do these outcomes align .... you will have to read to find this out. The ending had me on a cliff hanger and I need the next installment to see what happens.

3.5 ⭐️

Love and Other Cages is the second book in this unnamed series and continues from where Love and Other Sins left off. Following Nina's abduction, she is thrown into a world and is tested on many levels, while Oliver spends his time trying to find Nina. It was such a different story from book 1 that it took me a bit to get over my initial impression (What is happening?!? I thought this was a teen romance? Am I reading the right book?) and finally get into the book. I was gifted this advanced listener’s copy of the audiobook. It was dual narration, the author narrating the Nina's POV. I enjoyed listening, both narrators did a good job. I did feel like the female narrator seemed a bit off with her male voices, like she was speaking through a clenched jaw, but it wasn't horrible. This ends in a cliffhanger, so no HEA yet.

~~What I liked~~
-Much like her first book, this book was easy to read (listen to) and well written. There were quite a few more characters than in the first book, so I did have to pay a bit more attention (or 'listen better') to determine who was who.
-While it did take me a while to get into the story, and get over my false assumptions about the storyline, I did enjoy what happened in the book. I was expecting a bit more of a teen romance, like in book 1, but this was more like Marvel's Black Widow crossed with a more subdued version of Liam Neeson in Taken. Not what I was expecting, but decent never the less.
-The cover is so pretty and was originally what made me interested in reading the book. I know it has nothing to do with the actual story, but it got me to read it.
-This is a plus for me, as I'm sure many readers don't care as much, but I don't like YA books that constantly remind me I'm reading about a teen. I think it has a lot to do with how well I can relate to the characters. Constant reminders of their age via mentions of school or behavior make it harder for me to enjoy the book because I feel so separate from the characters. This book was enjoyable because aside from a mention of school, the characters seemed more 'ageless'. A young age, but still relatable.

~~What I didn't like~~
-This felt like two different books that had been spliced together in alternating chapters. It lacked the cohesiveness that I got in book 1. This was Mina's story, then Oliver's story, then back to Mina, then to Oliver, on repeat.
-Speaking of book 1, I know this isn't really anyone's fault in particular, but I didn't know this was a continuation of a series when I first picked it up. Had I not done my own sleuthing I would have never known this fact and would have been properly confused about the events in this book.
-Between book 1 and this book, I really struggled to get over the dramatic shift in the plot. I wasn't expecting it and took a while to get over it. Maybe that is why there wasn't much notation that this was a continuation from the previous book. But it isn't a standalone either...
-Mina and Oliver are only together for a hot minute in the book, then spend the remainder apart. This really hurt the romance aspect...so much that I would say there wasn't any romance.

Overall, this was ok, but unfortunately I don't think I'll be finishing the series. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. It was an easy to listen to, fast paced story. I feel like it was quite a cozy book because the story, although exciting and dramatic, was never stressful or too much.
The characters were great, I felt like I really got to know the two main ones.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something easy but engaging