Our Year in Cria

The Mating Grounds

By: Ciree Hawthorn

Narrated by: Laura Horowitz

Quinn and Leo have been chosen to represent their zones at the Mating Grounds—a genetic diversity breeding program run by the government. Can they choose a mate before their year is up or will they be assigned to someone and lose out on their chance at a love match?

Quinn has been waiting for years to escape her father’s house. Now that she’s one of the Chosen she has the perfect opportunity to cast off her broken family and finally find happiness. When she arrives at the Mating Grounds can she open herself up to a partner knowing how vulnerable it may leave her? This may be her only chance to start fresh and make her heart whole again.

Leo has led a privileged life as the son of a Governor when his scheming father finds a way to get him chosen. As Leo settles into his new reality can he focus on his happiness or will politics continue to rule his world? One look at the girl his father would loathe has him questioning his priorities. Power or pleasure?

If you enjoy dystopian romances (like Katniss and Peeta’s), a race to partner up (are they your type ‘on paper’?) and a shot of heavy angst, then you’ll love Our Year in Cria.

Previously published as Our Year in Cria: The Mating Grounds [Episodes 1-10] on Kindle Vella.

©2023 Ciree Hawthorn (P)2023 Ciree Hawthorn

Good

I enjoyed this book. I liked the premise behind the Mating Grounds where each zone has to send two (or four if ruling zone) people- one male and one female- to spend a year together and chose a mate from a different zone from their own to have children with. The downside for me is that this is a short story with a lot of characters to remember who's who and since I am listening to it instead of reading it, it's get hard for me to keep track and remember names to their personalities and where they are from. Since each chapter is a time jump, you don't get much character development or relationship building. I liked Leo. Quinn half and half. She's an introvert and has suffered abuse, so I understand that aspect. But she was also cold and could be nasty unnecessarily.

I thought Laura Horowitz did a good job bringing this book to life and differentiating the character's voices. This is my first listen to her.

Overall: 3.5 stars
Performance: 4 stars
Story: 3.5 stars

Spill the tea darling 😉😘

Love all the books of the Mating Grounds Dystopian series!
Meet Quinn with family trauma, she was excited to be chosen for the Mating Grounds. Her character was really relatable and trying to pull down the walls she’s build. She then meets Leo, a son of a governor. He’s everything we all want in a man, respectful, kind, compassionate and patient. He falls first and loved how he waited for Quinn to open up. He was so patient and thoughtful putting ice cubes in her tea every day. It’s the kind of peristent love she needed, knowing he will always be there for her. Quinn and Leo are quite the couple that you’re rooting for! Absolutely love all of Ciree’s spicy and forced proximity novellas! Looking forward to reading more!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

1 Year

I enjoyed this story. It is an excellent subject, and one I find extremely interesting. I felt so much info was provided in too short a story. This could easily be expanded on, and it would be better. I listened to the audio version. It was hard to follow along at times. The book covers a year, so much happens in the year that there are jumps in info which I would love to have learned more of. Overall, a good story. I received a free coy of this audiobook from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review.

fascinating

Our Year in Cria by Ciree Hawthorn offers a fascinating concept—a dystopian world where chosen individuals attend a "Mating Grounds" to secure genetically diverse partnerships. This setup provides an interesting glimpse into a government-regulated future where pairing up isn’t just personal but political.

Quinn and Leo’s stories are compelling on their own: Quinn’s yearning for freedom from her broken home and Leo’s struggle between duty and desire make for an emotional listen. The characters are well-defined, and the challenges they face—like societal pressure and their personal baggage—keep you invested. However, while the plot has potential, it does feel a bit repetitive. Each book in The Mating Grounds series follows a similar structure, making the storylines predictable after the first book.

Still, if you enjoy dystopian romance with a side of drama and angst, Our Year in Cria hits the mark. It’s thought-provoking and engaging, with enough emotional depth to keep listeners interested, even if the formula doesn’t stray too far from the series’ usual pattern. A solid 4-star listen for fans of futuristic romance!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Excellent

This is an entertaining audiobook in a matchmaking scenario where males and females are considered chosen to go to this close proximity grounds to find their mate. The storyline is intriguing as the couples interact and try to find their person. The characters are well written with interesting personalities. I enjoyed this audiobook.

She was enjoying the freedom, but ignoring the pur

I enjoyed this book in The Mating Grounds series. I particularly enjoyed Leo, and the lengths he went to in order to communicate his feelings toward Quinn. Gotta admit, initially I appreciated her hesitation to pay much mind to alot of the bantering going on around her. With the family life she came from, she was simply enjoying the respite given to her. As it droned on, however, I grew tired of her insistence to keep everyone (especially eligible males) at arms length. She was going to end up in a forced pairing if she didn't stop acting better-than and holyier-thou with everyone.

For whatever reason, Leo had been taken with her from the start, and was not going to let her prickly defenses deture him. He had a sense underneath was someone special he wanted to know much better. The idea that she was just the opposite of his father's agenda was simply icing on the cake (not that he really gave it much mind).

Would he wait around while she coldly rebuffed every nice thing he did (even when he could see her physically respond to them)? Yeah, essentially while she played games! He was on a 1-year clock to pair too. Would Quinn over get tired of the game and be honest? Let her heavily guarded walls down enough for Leo to see the real her? Or were they destined to be the only unpaired Chosen at the end of a year?

It was an interesting book, especially as I have a much better understanding of the community in which the Chosen are living, including their sleeping arrangements and the overall "lack of privacy" mentality of the organizers. I received this Audible recording as an ARC, and though I got it out of sequence I'm not sure it made much difference. I definately recommend this series as it encourages an open mind and outside the box thinking. Enjoy!

Quinn and Leo

Part of the Mating Grounds, Quinn and Leo have both been entered into the Chosen. I enjoyed listening to Laura Horowitz narrate their short story. I found the story to be well written with a good storyline.

The Rich Boy and the Poor Girl

Quinn and Leo have been sent to Cria as Chosen to increase the genetic diversity of the human population. From opposite backgrounds, somehow these two are perfect for each other. A cute story - I liked how Leo called Quinn “firecracker” - with a wee bit of angst and some sweet romance. Laura Horowitz did a great job bringing this short novella to life. A great listen.

Loved it

Our year in Cria is follows Quinn and Leo's journey through their first year in at the Mating Grounds. Both from very different backgrounds Quinn grew up poor and abused while Leo enjoyed the better life as the Govnors son. The story is well written and keeps you entertained throughout the book.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Our Year in Cria!

This is a short and quick read/listen that is cute and fun. It is a sexy spin on Hunger Games but a lot shorter. The story is about Quinn and Leo who have a year to find someone to mate with. There is a lot going on in the story for the length. I did enjoy the cute story.