Brilliant Story & Narration🎧Enthralling & Intense!

I have so much love for Deborah Garland’s “Astoria Royals” series and the amazing world she created, a mafia world filled with interesting characters and storylines. Each book in the series stands on its own, so you can enjoy them in any order, and once you have enjoyed one, you will want the others because they are all fantastic. “Shattered Veil” is Balor’s and Ella’s story and wow, what a story it is, grabbing my attention from the very start, the moment they met, holding it captive straight to the end. Both meet by chance on a flight back to the states, and a layover that turns into a steamy encounter. We learn plenty in that time, how Balor only does escorts with no repeats and he thinks Ella is one, so Ella went along with it, fulfilling a fantasy. She never had the chance to tell him otherwise because he was gone before she woke up, but that would not be the last to see each other. Her father is starting a new job and secured a job for her at the same company, a personal assistant to the boss, a boss who turns out to be Balor. Balor is the O’Rourke’s tech guru, and he hires her father, Snow, because of who he is and what he can do, and it did not Balor long to see that Ella had no clue about her father’s skills. It was great to watch Balor and Ella’s relationship morph into something so much more, something neither saw coming nor even wanted. Ella was still getting over an abusive relationship and thought she’d never see him again, except narcissistic abusers don’t go away that easily. Garland weaved an intricate web, plotting a multilayered story with plenty of drama, angst, twists and turns, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. It was great to see characters from earlier books and bringing in their own unique skills and charm. Deborah Garland, thank you for another amazing story and the wild, emotional rollercoaster ride.

🎧📚🎧   Desiree Ketchum and JF Harding were the perfect cast to bring these characters to life and did a fantastic job voicing them, accents included, and delivering a perfect portrayal of each. Harding nails it as Balor, grasping every aspect of his personality, and his versatility as a voice artist truly shines in this book, swapping out accents. Ketchum was just as amazing in Ella’s role, showcasing all aspects of her personalty as well. Both were fantastic performing the roles of the side/secondary characters, too. Their pacing and tone were just right for the story and they captured all the character’s emotions, making you feel every single one. They are entertaining storytellers and their captivating performance takes this already amazing story to another level.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!