Start a War

Saint View Psychos, Book 1

By: Elle Thorpe

Narrated by: Gregory Salinas, Michelle Price

"Do you want some Goldfish crackers, Bliss?"

Those were the last words my brother said to me before he was shot execution style. A childhood code only he and I knew, and one that had a single, clear meaning behind it.

Run.

I'm not going anywhere. Not when his murderer is still out there.

To catch a killer, I put aside my life of money and luxury and take over the running of Psychos, a dive bar in the seedy underbelly of Saint View.

But Psychos delivers more than I ever could have bargained for and three men I never saw coming.

Nash, my brother's best friend. Older and more experienced, he still remembers me as the neglected child he once saved.

War, heir to a biker gang throne and searching for the man who left his mother in a coma. Bonded over a common goal, he introduces me to a world of after-hours clubs, danger, and violence.

And Vincent, the quiet new guy nobody seems to see except me. He's sweet and quirky, but there's a darkness in him just waiting to be unleashed.

With every lie we uncover, every secret we expose, the danger mounts.

Until there's only one thing we know for sure.

The killer is still out there.

And we're his next targets.

Start a War is an adult #whychoose romance, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This book contains romantic suspense/dark themes that may trigger some listeners. It is the first book in an ongoing trilogy.

©2022 Elle Thorpe Pty Ltd (P)2022 Elle Thorpe Pty Ltd

Freaking AWeSOME

This is such a well written book, omg it’s been awhile since I’ve been so into the story, it’s exciting, well worth the credit, ends on a cliff hanger, make sure you buy part 2, I can’t tell you what 2 is about haha, but…. I will, starting it now!! If 2 is as good as 1, I guess I won’t be doing anything today, I’ll be too busy listening!! Enjoy!!

Great book

Great storyline. Easy to follow along and get hooked right in. Love the characters, can't wait to listen to the second book.

Pure Bliss!

I f*ing LOVED this book. It was intense, it was interesting and I am dyeing to get to book #2. (Good thing I already own it). The narration was spot on with Gregory Salinas and Michelle Price. Excellent all the way around. Five Stars on this one!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Amazing narration

Wow just wow. Not gonna lie didn’t realize till half way though this was a trilogy and stand alone so I was stoked to know I get 2 more books. But back to the wows.. that plot twist at the end went the cliffhanger already had me downloading book 2. I could tell the story was leading up to having his other personality come to life but I wasn’t ready for it to happen in that way

Love the narration

9/10 recommend for me. I really did enjoy the story line. It was multiple POV.
What takes away from it is Bliss herself,the fmc. She borderlines on a tstl character. Some ppl love a damsel as a fmc but I hope to see bliss grow a backbone and not be this foolish little mouse that she comes off as in the following books. The duet narration really kept me interested in the story.

Book 1: Crazy Good!

Wow - I was so not expecting what this book delivered. Trying a new author doesn’t always pay off - but this time it has in spades.

Elle Thorpe is clearly a creative story teller. The writing is good, but it’s the plot and subplots that hook and reel you in.

Salinas and Price both do the characters justice.

Strange characters but good story!

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙❤️💜💚💖
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌏🌍
Character development: 😊😘😟😄🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration

The heroine: Bethany Melissa (a.k.a. Bliss) - she grew up poor and hungry in a dingy trailer park with a neglectful mother and abusive stepfather. She loved her older brother Axel though. Axel and Bliss had a code phrase they said to each other when they needed to get away. Whenever he asked her if she wanted some Goldfish crackers (her favorite snack), it meant it was time to run. Axel and his friend Nash got her rich dad to take her and got her away from that life.

The Heroes: Nash, War & Vincent - the new men in Bethany’s life.
Nash - Axel’s best friend. He is the manager of Saint View Psychos, a bar in the ghetto. He had always been protective of Bliss.
War - he was the vice president of the Saint View Slayers motorcycle club. He is the son of the president of the club.
Vincent - he gets a job at the daycare center where Bliss works. He is a quiet man and an assassin who escaped from a psyche ward, he has a condition that affects his memory, it could be dissociative identity disorder.

The Story: Bliss spent the first part of her life in that old trailer park, but once she went to live with her dad, she lived in a world of wealth and privilege after her father helped to cover up her past. She knew that she would someday marry her boyfriend, Caleb. She was looking forward to being engaged to him. When her brother called her while she was at a charity auction, she was surprised, since she rarely heard from him. He asked her if she wanted some Goldfish crackers, before she heard a gunshot over the phone.

Axel had owned a bar in Saint View called Saint View Psychos, it was a dive bar and Saint View was a slum, though it was the only place Bliss knew she could find her brother. She goes to the bar to find her brother and finds his best friend Nash who, like her brother was fifteen years her senior and was much changed from what she remembered. The next day she meets Vincent who immediately becomes a bit obsessed with Bethany’s life, especially after seeing the bruise on her face which her boyfriend put there. She meets War not long after that.

I was less than impressed with the writing on this one, it seemed like the thoughts of both Bliss and Nash were a parody of reality. Both Bliss in her wealthy life and Nash in the gritty crime ridden Saint View seemed a bit too much like people acting wealthy or acting tough and overacting at that. About a half hour into the book, I wondered if I could listen to the whole thing and the rest of the trilogy. Though I did get more involved in the story as it went on and the character of Vincent was intriguing to me so I decided to see this through.

I hate it when the heroine has too many ‘curves’ and talks about it too much or with too much definition. When this one talked about her rolls on her tummy, wide hips and chubby thighs and how her ball gown accentuated her curves, I just didn’t like it. She later talked about the stretch marks on her boob and the cellulite on her thighs. Who wants that picture in their head? Why do some authors have to put so much emphasis on the heroine’s curves fat. I say just don’t mention it.

This audiobook was done in dual points of view via duet narration. It was narrated by Michelle Price and Gregory Salinas. Michelle wasn’t my favorite narrator; her voice wasn’t very clear, and it sounded like she had a bit of a lisp. Gregory Salinas has a good voice and does a great job. He is good at doing different voices for different characters.

I FREAKING LOVE VINCENT

This book was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions! From the first page, Start a War grips you with its raw intensity, keeping you hooked with its gritty world, heart-stopping twists, and unforgettable characters. Bliss’s relentless pursuit of justice had me rooting for her every step of the way. Her transformation from a sheltered life to the brutal reality of Saint View was as powerful as it was gripping.

And then there are the men—Nash, War, and Vincent. Each one is so distinct, so well-crafted, that I couldn’t help but fall for all of them in their own way. Nash’s steadfast loyalty, War’s dangerous edge, and Vincent’s quiet, enigmatic darkness brought layers of complexity to the story. And Vincent—oh, Vincent! His character is a masterpiece of emotional depth and unexpected revelations. The moment his connection to Saint View Prison was revealed, I was floored. His journey, his pain, and his haunting intensity left me utterly wrecked in the best way.

The suspense in this story is relentless. Every secret uncovered and every shocking twist left me breathless. The killer’s looming presence was chilling, and the final moments had my heart pounding. The blend of dark romance and nail-biting suspense is perfectly balanced, making it impossible to put this book down.

Start a War isn’t just a story—it’s an experience. It’s raw, dark, and beautifully messy in all the best ways. If you’re looking for a book that will make you scream, swoon, and completely lose yourself, this is it. I’m already counting the days until the next installment. A must-read!

Yes I can

I absolutely love this book. it took me by surprise and I just love the love for a bigger body.

Addicting

Absolutely addicting. I love the story and also the way you can tell the characters apart with the narrator. I have a hard time with audio books usually because the narration can make or break the feel of the boom but this is top tier I had to finish this and the other two books in under a week