Broken Souls

Little Hope Series, Book 3

De: Ariana Cane

Narrado por: Jason Clarke, Angelina Rocca

A romance writer, scared of physical contact due to her traumatic past, has just become a new neighbor to a giant firefighter. How will it go?

“You are bad for my sanity.”

Alicia: The only thing I’ve ever wanted was to forget what happened that night so I could move on with my life. An impossible feat, considering the demons of the past refuse to let me go. Jumping head-first into the unknown seems like a good place to start.So I move out of my childhood home and away from the pain lurking around every corner. It would have been a great start if not for my new next-door neighbor, who slightly resembles a Yeti. His attitude does little to convince me he’s not.

Mark: The only thing I’ve ever wanted was to help those unable to help themselves. Something I’ve had a lot of experience doing ever since childhood. A simple life without drama is all I yearn for. And I almost had it…That is, until my new neighbor moves in next door. The one that screams in the night, hides bodies in her backyard, and bewitches my beastly dog. Ignoring her is the best option.So how come I find myself saving her every single night?

A firefighter who dedicates his life to saving lives with no one around to save his, and a writer desperate to create worlds where her demons can’t touch her. What’s common between them? The pain they hide.

They say you shouldn’t let the past define you. But when the past becomes all you are, sometimes you just need a blank page....

This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones. This slow-burn, strangers-to-enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance is filled with angst, yearning, and finding peace.

Each book contains a story about a different couple. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA.

TW: SA in the past (not from MMC). Strong language.

©2022 Ariana Cane (P)2024 Ariana Cane

Jason Clarke is so good!

This is my first book by this author. I definitely should NOT have started in book three of this series. While it can be read as a standalone like I did, I think I would have benefited more if I had read books one and two first. There is a lot of talk about Alicia’s brother.

Despite that, I enjoyed the romance between Mark and Alicia. Trying to move on with her life after a past trauma, she moves out of her parent’s home and into an apartment. That’s where she meets Mark, her neighbor, and his dog, Ghost.

Both Mark and Alicia have pain in their pasts, but both seem to soothe each other’s souls. Alicia comes alive when she is with Mark. There is a third act breakup that has to do with the prior books. It makes sense for the story, though.

I listened to the audiobook narrated in dual format by Angelina Rocca and Jason Clarke. Jason is PERFECT for Mark. What is he not perfect in? LOL
It took me a little bit to adjust to the female narrator, though, but I got used to her tone by the end.

Thank you to Home Cooked Books for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book brought out all the feelings

This book brought out all the feels while listening. Angelina Rocca and Jason Clarke really blew me away with their performances in this story. Angelina really brought the vulnerability of Alicia and what she suffered through. Jason was perfect as Mark with the way he helped Alicia with so many things.

My heart hurt for Alicia and the awful experience she had so many years ago. She was trying her hardest to move past it but there was just something holding her back. She decides to move out on her own hoping that would push her forward. She wasn’t expecting so many things to go wrong after moving into her house.

Lucky for her, Mark lives next door and was able to help her with more than she bargained for. Mark felt this pull towards Alicia and he just couldn’t stop coming to her rescue. After a little while, he was willing to help her with more than just her house.

I loved how Mark was with Alicia. He really helped heal her in more ways than one. I really loved how everything worked out the way it did in the end.

This was my first book my Ariana Cane but I will definitely be going back to the other books in this series. I really enjoyed this one.

These two narrators are PERFECT!!!

"You turn a nightmare into a dream."

OMG....I knew this was going to be good with Angelina Rocca and Jason Clarke narrating but they exceeded my expectations (which were high because they are favorites). For months I sat and waited for this book because I knew who was narrating it and let me tell you the wait was awful but totally worth it. Out of all the popular narrators these two are my absolute favorites. I cannot imagine any other narrator giving life to these two.

You know that saying, "right place and right time"...that is how I would describe Mark and Alicia. While neither one of them was looking for anyone at the moment they meet each other, their meeting is the best thing that could happen to them. These two had my heart hurting for both of them pretty much through the entire book. Mark doesn't understand his worth nor can he see that where he comes from is not what defines him, it is the man he is today that does. Alicia and the lack of self respect she has been living with for the past eight years....I wanted to reach inside of the book and bear hug them both. Mark is a fierce, fierce protector of Alicia and she needs that from someone other than her overbearing brothers (Oh Justin!). Alicia shows Mark the affection he has never known and to see this huge man get rocked to his core...that is always a plus for me.

Ariana Cane has done it once again with a story that will reach right inside of you and pull on those pesky heartstrings. I don't know how she continues to give her readers stories of such magnitude...especially this one. She has a knack for tastefully writing about the subjects she does. To me her writing style differs and I know that is what keeps me anticipating every single book she writes and Broken Souls was no different. Mark, Alicia, and Ghost were so enjoyable. Getting to watch these two heal each other and be able to love one another...beautiful.

Loved this journey for Mark and Alicia

OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
•Spice Level:  🌶🌶/ 5
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Re-Listen/Re-Read: Yes
•Platform: Audiobook and Ebook
•Trope: Firefighter, mental health, next-door neighbors, Grumpy-sunshine vibes, protective hero.


• Thoughts:
Here I am once again picking books based on narrators.. I know, right?! It's not a bad thing. Konda loke going in blind on a book just because of the cover of the book. Yep, I'm guilty on that one as well. In this case, it was narrators, and I am not upset by it. Not only do these narrators deliver a spectacular performance, but the storyline and emotion from this book, ugh, it was beautifully written. And double bonus i just discovered a new to me author.
I will say this can be read as a standalone. However, in my opinion, I think you may get even more of a connection to Mark and Alicia by reading the series in order. I fully intend on going back to the beginning and then listen to Broken Souls again. Infeel all of these characters that are talked about in Broken Souls has a story to share. I am not kidding. I am so curious about each and every one.
Anyways, back to Mark and Alicia. Alicia is a fighter! She is bound and determined to take back her life after a horrific and I mean horrific trauma she went through 8 years ago. Your heart just goes out for this character. She moves into a house next to her hot neighbor who awakens something inside her. She is not afraid of Mark. Now Mark has his own childhood scars, no matter how much he wants to, he simply can not stay away from Alicia. This story is full of emotional healing, taking back your life, and working through trauma. I absolutely loved this story!
This story does touch on sensitive topics. Please check your trigger warnings before reading.

NARRATOR THOUGHTS: Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca
•Dual Narration
•Listening at a 1.5 speed.
Absolutely a fantastic performance! Jason and Angelina both do an incredible job pulling the emotions from Mark and Alicia!! I already love these two narrators, but hot damn they were finaminal!

•Recommend:
I will always encourage people to read what makes them happy. If it sounds good, read it! My reviews are just that, my opinion. Happy reading, friends.

Amazing

I really loved this story the angist between Alecia and Mark was amazing and I really loved listening to there story! Angelina & Jason did an amazing job playing then! I would definitely recommend this book!!

So Sweet

Broken souls a small town, messed up past romance. i don't really know the genre to this nook except the small town. I didn't know what to expect with this book, to don't read reviews, (funny right) I was surprised at how i liked it, especially when i thought i wouldn't.

I liked the beginning when he would keep coming to her aide. I liked how Mark treated Alicia when she would break down. i didn't like when Alicia referred to the past like it was her fault. I don't think there was a reseal in this book, what a pitty. I loved how M.ark was there for was there for it all with Alicia. I'm obsessed with this book.

Angelina Rocci & Jason Clarke did such a splendid job. They voiced a beautiful world, WTG!

Deeply emotional!

This was my first book by Ariana Cane. I listened to the audio version of the book narrated by Angelina Rocca and Jason Clarke. The narrations were perfect for this kind of dark and very emotional story. The pacing was perfect.

This story was worthy of a box of tissues. Alicia and Mark are both damaged souls. They have both been through a lot in their lives. Alicia was a victim of s. assault years before and has struggled ever since. Mark sees himself as trailer trash. This really was a pretty dark book, but it being written with so much compassion for the characters was a bright spot. Alicia makes enough progress with her issues throughout the book, that you do begin to see the sun at the end.

The love in the book really stood out. Mark loved Alicia to the moon and back. He was a very likeable character, even if he didn't like himself very much. The two definitely brought out the best in each other.

Thanks to Home Cooked Book Promotions for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

Absolutely loved this one!

I absolutely loved this story! It pulled me in from beginning to end and had me engaged from the first few paragraphs of the story! Alicia has been through a horrific/terrible experience and was raped years ago and is still dealing with the aftermath. She is trying to move forward but her demons have her in their grip hard and she still has nightmares. She wants to move on and so has made the decision to move out of her parents/family home and into her own place and finally convinced her family to let her do it. The book starts with her moving in. Mark is her next door neighbor and he is a firefighter and a grump. Alicia and Mark do not exactly get off on the best first foot as he is coming off a long shift and trying to get some sleep when the fire alarm goes off in Alicia's place and he breaks down her door in order to put out the fire before the fire department shows up. Mark wants to help people though he doesn't like to let people in either. He shows back up to help fix her door and he can see that there is something more going on with Alicia based off of the way she reacts and interacts with him and the others that he sees. Mark continually shows up to help rescue Alicia as things continue to go wrong in her house and it forces a little more interaction between them than they otherwise would have gone for. Mark gives Alicia a feeling of safety, which is something she has not had around a man/someone since the night she was raped. I love watching Mark and Alicia get to know each other and build a relationship and Alicia being able to feel things she hadn't felt since before that night. It allows her to move forward and become stronger. I loved Ghost, Mark's dog as well and the role he plays in the story. This story was really well written and while it could be triggering for some readers I thought all sensitive topics were handled and dealt with really well. This one deals with the demons but also the healing. I truly loved both Mark and Alicia and will definitely be coming back to New Hope. This was my first book in the series that I've read, though it is the third book in the series and I was able to read it just fine, I will definitely be reading the previous books in the series and the ones after. This was just very well written and really engaging and I can't wait for more of these characters!
The narrators did a phenomenal job with the characters, emotion and action in the story to really bring it to life. You could tell who was talking by the differences in the narrators voices and they really showcased the emotion and acted out the story in their voice, it wasn't just read. I loved it!
I voluntarily reviewed an ALC copy of this book provided by Home Cooked Books.

Excellent narration

💙🎧 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌🎧💙

𝔹𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕤 𝕓𝕪 𝔸𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟𝕒 ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕖
𝔾𝕚𝕗𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕪 @homecookedbookspromos
Narrated by Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca.

This is what I would classify as a #traumance
Both characters have painful pasts (check TWs for SA, but there’s lots more). FMC Alicia is scared of physical contact and living on her own for the first time. She just so happens to move in next door to MMC Mark, a big ol’ beefy firefighter who has bad a rough go of it himself and a hero complex. Yes, please.

Tropes:
✔️Small-town
✔️Stangers to lovers
✔️Slow burn

Jason Clarke is one of my favorite narrators so as the saying goes, if he’s narrating it, I’m listening. His voice can get me to overlook details in books I may have otherwise been side-eyeing because he’s just that good. Angelina Rocca is another fabulous narrator and together they really brought the emotional aspects of this story to life. I binged this book in one sitting, staying up til 3am to finish, and I rarely do that. This is all due to Clarke and Rocca.

Was this book perfectly written with completely flushed out characters and no hint of *magical dick syndrome*? 🤔 If I’m being honest, no, but sometimes I am just here for the vibes and the Broken Souls audio came through with the vibes. If traumance is your vibe, of course!

#bookreview #audible #audiobooks #slowburn

Beautiful story with amazing narration

Mark and Alicia both have trauma, hidden pain and want to find some peace in their minds/hearts/life. Their initial meetings are not great…but as Alicia needs to call on Mark for various things they begin to form a bond. They are so good for one another and have more in common than they thought. Their banter, dialogue and chemistry is amazing! A really beautiful love story filled with healing, moving forward and love. Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca deliver a beautiful performance. They gave the characters perfect voice, personality and emotion. Thank you Home Cooked Books for the complimentary copy.