Rating: 8 out of 10
Spice Level: 4 out of 5
Cover: A-
Audiobook Narration: Excellent delivery by Grayson Owens & June deBorahae
Synopsis
The Auction is a suspenseful, dark mafia romance in which a young woman raised in isolation is sold at auction on her twenty-first birthday to Brotherhood, a criminal organization her father betrayed 18 years prior. Lincoln Knight, a mysterious masked billionaire rumored to be more dangerous than the Brotherhood, has secured her sale. Trapped in his secluded mansion, she must decide whether to escape or surrender to her growing attraction to a man whose secrets and true nature may be far more complex than the mask he wears.
Strengths
The ending left me emotionally charged. Set in isolation with dark gothic vibes, serious daddy issues, and an addictive read. The chemistry between Imogen and Lincoln feels easy and passionate, with sex scenes that are as plentiful as they are delectable. The choice to make the audiobook a duet narration was a win! It’s far more enjoyable when the voices are played by the correct character actor.
Weakness
After that cliffhanger, waiting for the next book is going to kill me!
Verdict
Hot damn, that started off dark and kept going. Spicy and a bit uncomfortable, but I think in a good way? There is no room for kink shaming with this one, so if you don’t like the idea of being owned, this one is not for you. It claims to be a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but I also get Batman, which I don’t hate. (8/10)
Tropes
Masked Hero
Billionaire Vigilante
Age Gap
Forced Proximity / Gilded Cage
Beauty and the Beast Retelling
Caregiver / Hurt-Comfort
Touch Her, and You Die!
Trigger Warnings
Cliffhanger
Human Trafficking / Slavery
Non-consensual / Dubious Consent
Graphic Violence
Kidnapping / Captivity
Childhood Trauma
Explicit Sexual Content
Thank you to Sadie Kincaid, Harlequin Audio, and NetGalley. I received an advanced review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Order Your Copy
Aber Stoat Books (print)
Bookshop.org (eBook)
Libro.fm (audiobook) 🎧
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From the Publisher:
Publisher: Mira Books / Harlequin Audio
ISBN: 9780778306085 / 9781488238215
384 pages / 11 hours 41 minutes
Narrator(s): Grayson Owens & June deBorahae
Fiction | Romance | Billionaires
Fiction | Romance | Suspense
Fiction | Crime
Fiction | Thrillers | Suspense
Fiction | Gothic
Fiction | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
Description:
The queen of dark mafia romance, Sadie Kincaid, returns with a brand new series - now in duet narrated audio! The Auction delivers electric duet narration featuring Grayson Owens and June deBorahae.
In this scorchingly sexy and suspenseful dark mafia romance, Beauty and the Beast meets organized crime in a tense slow-burn between a woman determined to survive and a man who would do anything to save her.
I was trained to be a pawn, but I will rise as a queen.
My life has never been my own. After the death of my parents, I was saved by my grandfather, with the promise that he would turn me over to the Brotherhood on my twenty-first birthday.
I was kept away from the outside world so I could one day be sold to the highest bidder—pure and unsullied. Penance for my parents’ alleged crimes.
That’s how I come to be sold at an auction.
And who buys me but the reclusive billionaire, Lincoln Knight?
Some say that he’s a monster, more dangerous than any of the evil men from the Brotherhood. That he wears a mask to cover his scars. But I believe he’s hiding more than just his face behind his mask.
My fate is sealed when he takes me to his crumbling mansion deep in the woods. I’m trapped. Entirely at his mercy.
I have to escape.
But something here isn’t what it seems.
Lincoln isn’t what he seems. Maybe he’s not a monster at all. I’m drawn to him in a way that I can’t explain. Until I discover that his secrets go far beyond his mask.
He’s everything I’ve been taught to fear, but what if everything I’ve ever known has been a lie?
Perfect for readers who love:
Scorching hot spice
Masked men
Morally grey alpha heroes
Determined heroines
Gothic vibes
Fiery slow burns
Beauty and the Beast, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights inspo
God of Malice, Ruthless Creatures, and The Kiss Thief
possessive romance
jealous possessive romance
obsessive / stalker romance
dark possessive romance books
OTT possessive alpha romance
Author Bio:
Sadie Kincaid is a dark romance author who loves to read and write about hot alpha males and strong, feisty females.
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