Within the Hollow Heart

Rivenwilde, Book 2

De: Melissa Wright

Narrado por: Mary Jane Wells

A hero in need of saving. A curse no kiss can break. The bargain that brings them together—and might bring down the kingdom.

Nickolas Brigham was meant to marry a princess. Everyone said so. His mother, mostly, but it wasn’t the time to quibble.

If he doesn't marry a woman of station soon, he’ll be tied to a fate worse than ruination. When he’s dragged bodily into a compromising situation, his only choice is to accept the aid of the doe-eyed damsel he chances upon in his attempt at escape.

But Jules is no meek maiden. She’s clever and quick, and has terms of her own: Nickolas must vow to break her curse before the fae prince comes to collect his due. Yes, only that, and the minor feat of fooling the kingdom by faking their betrothal.

Slow-burn and sweet kisses with properly stabby heroines—these regency and fairytale inspired fantasy standalones are perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Half a Soul.

©2023 Melissa Wright (P)2024 Melissa Wright

Delightful!!

Fast paced, brilliantly read story. Second book of the Rivenwild series. Hilariously in Lord Brigham's POV. I liked the first book, but the sequel is brilliant.ly fast-paced and entertaining with a few fun twists. Mary Jane Wells performs this book so beautifully that it is riveting to listen to! This is a consummate performance.

Hapless scamp with a heart of gold

This was a charming retelling of The Six Swans, told from the point of view of Nickolas, a side character in the previous book. It provides some context to his somewhat rakish demeanor and reputation in the first book, and reveals a very sweet and kind of pure soul.

His love interest Jules is smart and practical and caught in the web of a curse she’s working to break. She has with her a bird whose demeanor reveals pretty early in the story (almost from the first paragraph it’s introduced) that it is also under a curse, possesses a working intellect, and REALLY dislikes Nickolas, who is already wary of birds. This relationship, which evolves from man vs. bird hostility (behind Jules’s back because she loves them both), to man-and-bird camaraderie because they both love her, provides a great deal of the subtle humor I enjoyed in the novel.

I was left at the end still pretty confused about what is happening over on the fae prince’s side of things and whether he’s truly the villain or just another victim. I assume that his story will develop with further novels in the series.

The story is deftly narrated with a cheeky sort of humor. I have listened to other books narrated by Mary Jane Wells, and feel like her performances have become more polished over time.