Dark and Darker

ALC Review from Dana

Dare Darker (Leave Me Breathless #3)

A Black Rose Collection Novel

by Pepper North

Narrated by Chloe Ryan & Gregory Salinas

Produced by Pink Flamingo Productions

Do you want your fantasies to come true? When Mia Daniels answers “yes”, she’s sent on a collision course with her every forbidden desire. The domineering Rafael Montalvo ensnares Mia into his shadowy world. Is Rafael’s darkness everything Mia has ever needed?

*** TRIGGER WARNING: The stories in the Black Rose Collection are considered dark romance. Some aspects may be sensitive for some readers. ***

When I saw that Gregory Salinas was one of the narrators, I just had to ALC it. As always, Gregory expertly portrays the dark and dominant Rafael. I don’t think there’s anything Gregory can’t narrate perfectly. This was my first audio experience wtih Chloe Ryan. I thought she was excellent at portraying Mia. Her pitch and flow were spot on. These 2 narrators were perfectly cast for this story and made it a great listen. I highly recommend the audio version of this book.

So, this is a hard story for me to review. I enjoy reading/listening to genre’s that push my limits and allow me to (safely) experience new things. For me personally, this was way out of my comfort zone. The Dom/Sub life is a very unique one. It can be very dark, and for me this was too dark. What I mean by that is the dom/sub world can involve a lot of different things. There is a lot in this world that can push limits too far and can be [seen as] demeaning towards woman. For me, I get angered by certain demeaning behaviors. But for many people it’s thrilling. People have different desires and comfort levels. I’ve read before that women in high power positions in life where they are in control often enjoy the sub life because they like being able to relax and let go of control. I can appreciate that. It’s just for me personally the sub levels went too. This isn’t a reflection on the book itself or the writing at all, though. Pepper North did an amazing job building this world. Her storytelling ability is stellar. For me personally, I think I need to stay away from this dark of the dom/sub world. But based on the writing and story itself, this is a 5-star read/listen for sure. Honestly, I would read/listen to other books by Pepper in a heartbeat if it’s not this dark. She is definitely an expert writer. If you’re more like me and sensitive to certain sub lifestyles and requirements, you may want to heed the trigger warning. But if you like dark dom/sub books, I highly recommend you grab this one. Even though this wasn’t an audiobook I cared for, that feeling is based on personal preference and has no bearings on the storytelling or narration. Therefore, I am giving this book a well-deserved 5-stars.