Monarch

By: Sophie Lark

Narrated by: CJ Bloom, Aaron Shedlock

Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In a desperate bid to get out of town, twenty-seven-year-old virgin and bookstore nerd Elena Zelenska becomes the world's most unlikely mail-order bride. Her gamble pays off when she's swept off her feet by Lorne Ronson, handsome single father and (gasp!) actual published author. Elena's new fiancé seems almost too good to be true. Her life is turning into a fairytale, especially once Lorne starts building her a castle in the woods. But when Elena arrives in Grimstone, her fairytale turns darker.

The castle in the woods is a macabre labyrinth of hidden chambers, and Lorne is no Prince Charming. In fact, he might just be a monster.

Isolated far from home, Elena's only ally is Atlas Covett, owner of the Monarch hotel. Massive and stern, even Atlas' employees are terrified of him. He becomes Elena's unexpected protector, offering sanctuary from the darkness that threatens to consume her.

As Elena's bond with Atlas deepens, her jealous fiancé exerts his control in increasingly twisted ways. Elena must find a way out before the castle he's building becomes a prison she'll never escape…

Lark Notes:
Halloween is my favorite time of year. Even though I'm a huge baby, I can't seem to resist true crime, thrillers, and movies that keep me up all night. Monarch is my love letter to Spooky Season, a romance-thriller mashup for those of us who crave the dark and scary, as long as we know there's a happy ending somehow. – Sophie

"Monarch" is a dark contemporary romance and a complete standalone. Listener beware: it has spicy scenes and triggering content not suitable for all.

©2024 Sophie Lark (P)2024 Sophie Lark

gothic vibes

I freaking love this series. The Gothic creepy vibes are so good! I especially loved Elena and Atlas in this one. Atlas seems so intimidating but I was drawn to him instantly. He's so protective and exudes power. Elena seems broken but the woman is utterly amazing and really fights for what she wants. Her love for Ivy and how she tries to protect her warmed my heart. However I was skeptical of Ivy at first. With all the creepy vibes I wasn't sure which direction her character was going - creepy kids get me every time 😂 - loved seeing her development though. Lorne the man who bought Elena was just SOMETHING ELSE. The audio was perfect. The accents played in well and sold me on these characters. Such a good suspenseful gothic dark romance!

Yep, Romantic thriller

This book goes right along and then takes some sharp turns. Then towards the end jumps right off the cliff and as the reader I just follow along. This was a little lighter on the spice.

A Perfect Blend of Romance and Chills

As the veil between worlds thins and the air turns crisp, there’s something undeniably magnetic about curling up with a book that brings both a flutter to your heart and a chill to your spine. If that is what you are looking for, this book is exactly that—a masterful concoction of eerie suspense wrapped in the warmth of a blossoming romance.The romance is rich, simmering with an almost irresistible tension. Sophie Lark has an undeniable gift for writing characters whose chemistry leaps off the page, entangling you in their emotions. There’s a delicious slow-burn to the suspense of this story. The balance between romance and horror is meticulously crafted, ensuring that neither overshadows the other but rather complements perfectly. I have enjoyed listening to other books by Sophie Lark and this book doesn’t disappoint. Sophie has a knack for infusing each scene with emotion—whether it’s fear, passion, or hope. The storytelling feels effortless and the characters real. The narration was spot on. Definitely worth the credit.

Perfect Spooky Season Read

Sophie Lark is an auto-buy author for me. She does the dark, creepy and gothic vibe so well. And Aaron Shedlock is one of my favorite MMC narrators. This story is one that will stick with me for a while and will definitely be a relisten this time of year, Elena's biggest fear is also my own. I loved her and Atlas' story and the addition of Ivy. 5/5

Captivating

I really loved this book. Great October read. It kept me captivated. the voice actors did a great job

Loved it!

I’m loving this series. Just the right amount of everything and perfectly revealed. So much fun to read.

A staple for Spooky Season!

Sophie Lark's latest installment in the Grimstone series is a chilling delight. I devoured the audiobook, but following along with the Kindle edition, with its captivating illustrations, only enhanced my reading experience.

The storytelling is beyond masterful, as the author draws you in with a seemingly straightforward plot, only to twist it in unexpected ways that leave you both awestruck and perplexed.

This series will become a yearly tradition for me, offering the perfect blend of suspense, tragedy and dark romance. If you're looking for a spooky read to curl up with this Halloween season, look no further!

Love!

I really enjoyed this! I think the first was still my fave but this was such a wonderful story. The narration was also amazing! I loved the deep growls voice of Atlas too!

Good and scary

This is a tale of looming dread. The identity of the villain is clear from the start, yet that only serves to make the book scarier as the inevitable confrontation edges closer and closer. When it finally hit, I nearly stopped the audiobook from the visceral fear, as it hit one of my phobias pretty directly. There were a few details that got glossed over that perhaps should have been explored, and I would have liked to see the final confrontation with the villain directly rather than hearing about it later. For someone who is generally kind of chicken about scary stories (aka, me), this succeeded at scaring me just about as much as I could take.

Totally hooked!

I absolutely loved this book, and the narrators brought the story to life in a completely captivating way!