Empire of Royals #2

ALC provided by Podium Entertainment 

Author: Emilia Rossi

Narrators: Lee Daniels and Teddy Hamilton

Thanks, @podiumentertainment and @authoremiliarossi for the gifted audiobook. 

We are back in the world of Capos and Pakhans and now we understand how Mateo and Sienna’s past shaped their future: he became overprotective of his sister and she has terrible survivor’s guilt. 

But Sienna’s mind is sharp as a tack and she discreetly went to NYU for computer science and while there she honed her unparalleled hacking skills. Mateo doesn’t want her connected to the ‘family business’, so she finds herself free-lancing on the dark web as ‘The Hedgehog’. Her online persona is legendary and it takes her to Paris for a job. 

While in Paris, she decides it’s time to live a little, so when the job is done, she lies and stays extra days with all the freedom in world, backed by solid fake identities. 

With her friend Leona cheering her own, she sets off to set the town on fire and have a fling. 

This fling comes in the shape of an Irish businessman name Declan. And they have the two best days and nights of her life… until he leaves her without a word. She knows nothing about him and not even the Hedgehog can trace him.

Declan is actually Dimitri Ivanov, Pakhan of the Russian Brava, brother to her sister-in-law. And when they meet again, by chance, and he learns that ‘Emma’ is pregnant with his child, he demands a wedding. He think she trapped him, so you might imagine how this marriage will work.

But in moments of vulnerability, Emma and Declan resurface and feelings get complicated. Plus they have a baby to consider. 

And the Pakhan doesn’t know that he has the mighty Hedgehog on his side…

I LOVED this one. Sienna is an adorable, sassy, smart and loving girl whose life threw her in this world and she makes the most of it. Dimitri deep down is more Declan and when he lets himself be vulnerable with Sienna… oh the swoon! 

The audiobook is narrated in duet by Lee Daniels and Teddy Hamilton as in the previous books. Lee’s voice is melodious, cheery and so fitting to Sienna. Teddy does a great job, including a fake Irish accent! 

So far, my favorite in the series! 

Representation: Sienna’s sister-in-law uses a mobility device due to a chronic illness. Queer secondary characters (no homophobia)

Content notes( Including but not limited to): violence, gore, harm to a pet (brief). Mentions of past torture, psychological and physical abuse,  domestic violence, murder of parents, discussions about reproductive options including abortion, health scare for the baby during pregnancy, labor, childbirth 

 

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Narration