Captivating

De: Bella Matthews

Narrado por: Aiden Snow, Desiree Ketchum, Ava Erickson

From USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes an Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Sports Romance.

Killian St. James was the boy I loved. Now he’s the man I love to hate.

To the world, I’m America’s sweetheart. A brand built on fairy tales and love songs that sell millions. But the truth? I’m not sure I believe in happily ever afters . . . At least not for me.

Burned-out and desperate for a break, I return to my hometown, craving quiet and a tiny taste of freedom. But instead of peace, I find a stalker in the shadows, paparazzi on my heels, and a meddling family with their own ideas about my life.

Everyone insists I need protection, and having my new bodyguard pose as my fake boyfriend makes total sense . . . Not that they asked me. If that’s not enough, did I mention that Killian is all too happy to volunteer for the job?

This MMA champion is brooding, relentless, and inconveniently perfect at keeping me safe. He’s also unimaginably gorgeous, with a quiet confidence that’s even sexier than the ink tattooed on his golden skin.

But as lines blur and sparks fly, I’m left wondering if the boy I once loved could be the man I can trust with my life . . . and my heart.

©2025 Bella Matthews (P)2025 Bella Matthews

Captivating Review

This book was more than 5 stars in audio! Both narrators captured the angst and the "hate to love you" tension wonderfully. I enjoyed how this narration brought Lilah and Killian to life- especially when they begin to heal old hurts! This was my favorite audio so far in the series and I wasn't able to press pause!

A Tension-Filled Second Chance

Bella Matthews delivers a steamy, high-stakes romance in Captivating, blending enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and forced proximity into an emotional and addictive listen.

💔 What’s the Story?
America’s sweetheart is exhausted by fame and desperate for a break. But when a stalker threatens her safety, she’s forced to accept protection—whether she likes it or not. Enter Killian St. James, the MMA fighter she once loved and now can’t stand. Pretending to be her boyfriend keeps her out of the paparazzi’s reach, but with danger lurking and old feelings resurfacing, their arrangement soon feels anything but fake. As the threats escalate, she must decide if she can truly trust Killian—with her life and her heart.

🔥 What Worked:
✔ Intense Chemistry – The tension between the leads is off the charts.
✔ Well-Developed Characters – Their emotional journeys feel raw and real.
✔ Perfect Mix of Romance & Suspense – The blend of danger and desire keeps you hooked.
✔ Great Narration – The voice actors bring the story to life with passion and emotion.

⏳ A Small Critique:
The slow build-up adds depth to the romance, but the stalker subplot could have used more focus. While the tension between the leads is gripping, the suspense element—arguably one of the most intriguing aspects—felt slightly underdeveloped. More emphasis on the looming threat could have heightened the stakes and made the resolution even more impactful.

💘 Tropes You’ll Love:
✔ Enemies-to-Lovers
✔ Fake Dating
✔ Bodyguard Romance
✔ Second Chance
✔ Forced Proximity

🎧 Final Thoughts:
If you love slow-burn romance with explosive chemistry, protective heroes, and just the right amount of danger, Captivating is a must-listen. Even if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, this interconnected standalone will leave you craving more.

🙏 A huge thank you to Bella’s content team for the opportunity to listen to this book!

Slow burn to end all

I just finished reading this book for the second time my first time listening to the audiobook and let’s just say I am unwell this damn audiobook pulled on my heartstrings until they tear them apart just to put it back together then tear it apart all over again. What a wild ride Bella you’ve done it again. The narrators were amazing. The female narrator totally embodies Lilah. The performance was an emotional roller that had me wanting to never stop but it also stop immediately. Truly a work of art! There were a few moments I was like well shitt 🥵 ** piano scene** others that made me want to pull my hair out but all and all this audiobook was amazing!

Loved it🩷🩷

I absolutely adored this book when I read it but hearing it come to life with these narrators was amazing.
Lilah & Killian are just *chefs kiss* 💋
Highly recommend.

In Love ❤️

I absolutely devoured Killian and Lilah!!! I have been waiting for these two and it was so freaking good. I was hooked and finished it in a night. Bella seriously never disappoints.

The tension between Killian and Lilah is insane. They were best friends when they were kids, but after things got twisted, they haven’t really seen each other in 10 years. Now, Lilah’s got a stalker and Killian is the only one who can protect her the way she needs.

I LOVED these two together. The love and devotion they show towards each other, even when Lilah “hates” Killian is so sweet. I loved watching Killian read Lilah and knew exactly what she needed.

I say this with every book, but I absolutely love how Bella gives us so much of the previous characters in each books. I loved seeing Nat, Brady, Cade and Scarlett as parents.

I will be very impatiently waiting for Teasing 😊

🎧 The audiobook of this was sooo good! I loved reading Killian and Lilah's story, and loved listening to it just as much! I loved how well the narrators brought this story to life! Absolutely loved this!

Favorite Quotes:

“We were everything until we were nothing at all.”

“You’ll always be my favorite once upon a time, even if you can never be my happily ever after”

“She’s a queen, but she’ll always have a tiny bit of crazy hiding beneath the crown. Test her at your own risk.”

Absolutely DEVOURED this audiobook!

This audiobook is narrated in dual narration by Desiree Ketchum and Aiden Snow with Ava Erickson reading the Kroydon Chronicles snipits. I absolutely love these narrators and this story so naturally I have completely ignored everyone so I could devour this audiobook this morning.

I loved Lyla and Killian’s book. I devoured this when I read it and now listening to the audiobook. I love how this second generation has been written. I had absolutely no clue what was coming in this book and there were so many surprises. New second generation characters we haven’t seen much of and this story that…

I went through a gamut of emotions in this book as Bella brought us another story that was on the angstier side. I loved how Killian treated Lilah through this whole book. Her best interests were at the forefront of his mind and it just made you adore this big, bad MMA fighter getting to see his softer side. And Lilah is such a strong character, sometimes almost to her own detriment but she has such a great support system that help her through everything.

I couldn’t get enough of this book. I absolutely love the world Bella Matthews has made in Kroydon Hills and how I cannot get enough of these characters.



🎤 Bodyguard
❤️ Enemies to Lovers
🎤 MMA Hero
❤️ Pop Star Heroine
🎤 Fake Dating
❤️ Touch Her and Die

Swoon !

I absolutely loved this performance. The voices match the character. The story is such a cute read and it has it wait don’t all! Laughter and tears. But it’s worth the listen

Killer and Princess 🩷

I already loved this book, but the audiobook knocked it out of the park! These narrators were the BEST choices for Killian and Lilah. I absolutely loved that Killian calls Lilah Princess when his own dad calls his mom Duchess 😍 This will definitely be in my audiobook rotation!

Killian's voice makes me swoon!

oh gosh, I am absolutely obsessed with Killian's voice. It is exactly what I was expecting to hear when I started the audio. gives me the BEST shivers. I read this first before I did the audio and the anticipation to wait to hear certain scenes in his voice made it super worth it when he reached that scene. Made me shiver and kick my feet.

Lilah still isn't my all time favorite but she is Killian's other half. Her voice narrator did do her justice.

I rated it a 4 star because when it's two voice narrators instead of one for the entire book, it grates on my nerves when it's not done in duet style. There is no reason the male narrator should be doing the female dialogue when there is a female narrator on the audio and vice versa. Still loved the book though.

Phenomenal

So, I will start this off by saying I cannot give you all the words I sent to Bella when I was done reading this book, but I will give you one PHENONMENAL!!! Killian St James is just OMG PURE SWOON!!!! If I could write my own book boyfriend, I think it would be Killian! I mean his father is Cade St James need I say more, but on top of it his mother is Scarlett Kingston St James, this woman will always be my hero! Let's talk about the book. Lilah returns home from her tour with her twin brother Noah after threats to her life, she begs for some alone time but her best friends can't stay away, Maddox, Maverick, Jamie and the man of her dreams Killian. From the moment these two interact on page, you know there is fire between them, but we have no clue just how combustible they are! Bella has not only brought us one of the best love stories imaginable, but she has also brought us back into the lives of some of our favorite characters, including Lilah's parent's Nattie & Brady and so many more but you will just have to read to see. You will not be disappointed, whether you are looking for hot couples, swoon worthy men, the strongest women/heroines or a group of friends unlike any others, this book has it all! The narrators did an incredible job bringing Lilah & Killian to life!!