Infallible

Serendipity, Book 3

By: Charlene Namdhari

Narrated by: J. Tipstone, Connor Hayes, Simone Lewis

Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

This love triangle is best enjoyed after book one and going in with an open mind.

"Sometimes the wrong choices take us to the right places."

My past: I was 18 when I first gave away my heart. A love so profound, I didn't understand it.

My present: I never had to prove she was mine until he makes an appearance. Tall, dark, and older.

My future: Should I walk away and not look back or stay and this time let destiny guide my heart?

Note: triggers—contains MM/MFM scenes. While each book can be listened to as a stand-alone, the Serendipity series has a crossover of characters and might be enjoyable if listened to in order.

©2021 Charlene Namdhari (P)2023 Blue Nose Publishing

Swooning for Lorenzo

This one is by far my favorite of the Serendipity series! I fell head over heels for Lorenzo, and eventually Rayden too. However, I never did warm up to Zena. I just didn't like her from the very beginning. The whole story is a serious thrill ride.

More twists & turns than I expected

I’m still trying to wrap my mind around my thoughts. I had a few moments of “Whaaaaaat?”, “Huh?”, & also “I’m so confused right now!” But no worries…patience is a virtue and all that…everything was aexplained in its own time, & the level of devotion these characters possessed shed light onto the craziest of situations & circumstances.

There were a few different time frame changes that brought this book to life. We experienced Rayden when he was 18, so we saw a point in his life when he wasn’t the jaded by love man we knew from Intoxication. His reason for his jaded nature, having loved and lost more than once, as well as his level of devotion was shown and explored.

Zena, Rayden’s lost love, has lived a hard life. She’s grown up on the streets & every thing she is today is completely self made. The problem…this makes for a bad equation of selfishness & a dominance that she can’t really harness.

Lorenzo was a surprise. I felt like I wasn’t supposed to like him, but there was something about his cool demeanor towards Rayden & Zena, even though he was basically a Mafia Don. He showed a side of a made man that we don’t often see, but as they are human, they have human emotions & interactions.

This book took several twists and turns that I feel like I should’ve seen coming, but at the same time, some surprised me. The intense love poured out onto the pages & when hearts broke, I felt it. The intimate encounters were scorching hot & some just solidified the fact that you can’t always dictate the love in your heart.

I loved the glimpse into the life of the Princeton family at the end, & I loved how they bantered with each other showing a different kind of love forged through harsh & troubling times.

Audiobook Review:
Connor Hayes delivered another great performance as Rayden & completely immersed me in the emotions of a man torn through loss. This was my first listen to Simone Lewis & J. Tipstone, I believe. Both did a stellar job of embodying their characters. Simone did great portraying a scared turned severely jaded woman. And J. Tipstone’s portrayal of a heartless mafia boss to a man accepting & mending broken pieces in others was incredible.

AMAZING!!!!

out of the three books so far, Infallible has been my favorite. I totally did not see the twist coming at all!!! so freaking Amazing! loved all the characters! I highly recommend the series!

Whew! Totally unexpected!

This book! The voice actors! The emotions! The passion! The twists! It was all SOOOO GOOOD!!!

This book truly is best read after books 1 & 2 and without reading the synopsis or any spoilers. So I’m going to keep this review spoiler free.

The plot was intriguing and the twists were unexpected but very enjoyable. Poor Rayden has had so much heartbreak in his young adult life, some of it during this book, but he perseveres and finds his true self. Lorenzo is powerful and strong but finds himself softening once Rayden and Zena stumble into his life. Zena keeps finding herself in the middle.

True love finds a way through patience and unconditional acceptance with a little nudge. 😉

The audiobook performances were fantastic. This was my first time hearing all three narrators and I was impressed! J. Tipstone in particular did amazing with the Italian accent for Lorenzo and the passion he conveyed through multiple scenes really brought them to life.

So good…

Every book gets better and better and the twists, turns, and surprises are more shocking than the ones before. We finally learn about Zeena and what really happened after her “accident”. Rayden is forced to face some hard truths about himself and the ones he loves. It was great seeing him battle with the hurt and damage done from the past to better help him see his future. There are a lot of assumptions and miscommunications in this book that add to the drama, so be prepared to want to hurl your headphones across the room during some scenes.

Narration: multi-cast, dual-style, first-person present tense POVs.

Overall: 5

Spice: 3.5

Humor: 2

Drama: 4

Darkness: 4

Plot Summary: The story starts in the past, on Rayden’s 18th birthday. While most 18-year-old guys are looking to get laid (and Rayden is), what they don’t usually expect is having to work a job that isn’t theirs to help the girl he hopes will confirm she is his girlfriend.

What transpires is a series of life altering events that snowball over the years, bring us back to when Zeena sends a secret message to Rayden through Ashrika. After his recent heartbreak over Siana, he is more determined than ever to figure out what happened and how Zeena can be alive after she died in a horrific car accident.

When Rayden and Zeena come face to face for the first time, he not only learns where she has been and what she has been up to all this time but comes to realize the love he thought he had for her, was misplaced and misguided, leaving him with a choice that will lead to another broken heart, or to the love he has always wanted.

Favorite Quotes: Live every moment to its fullest because it might not be there tomorrow. Someone who loves me truly is a rare find, and if I find that person, then that’s the one for me. I have to hold onto that hand no matter what and no matter who that hand belongs to.

I can’t promise not to make you cry, baby, but I will kiss away your tears. I can’t promise not to make you angry, but I will hold you until you calm down. I can’t promise not to leave you, but only if you ask me to go. And I can’t promise not to hurt you, but I will try until I die.

Love doesn’t judge or criticize, but it sure as fuck lets you feel so alive that you breathe in toxic air, lets you get lost in another wise cruel world that will have no impact on your emotions, lets you want to smile forever, even if your jaw aches.

Complex Characters, Situations and Feelings

Book 3 of the Serendipity series, you need to read them in order, try not to read too much in advance, have an open mind but check your trigger warnings.

Each book in this series makes me think more and more. It takes more risks and pushes my boundaries. I looked at the trigger list and had to google, then I thought "how are these all going into this book? how will this work?" but it totally did. This one is definitely darker than the first 2 and if you're not into mafia and morally grey charaters/situations, this one might not be for you.

I spent half the book thinking one thing and trying to fit all the history provided into what I knew from the first 2 books. I then spent the next quarter of the book questioning every perception and instinct I had from the start. This author is really good at making you look at situations from all angles, you have to have that openness to everyone's point of view to be able to understand the feelings and the choices made along the way.

The last quarter of the book just made me alternating between swooning and raging and wallowing. My heart broke for them all at various times, I wanted to smack them upside the head sometimes too. These characters and situations are all so complex it isn't until you have all the pieces that you truly understand how everything fits together. It was quite the ride!

The audiobook was performed by Simone Lewis, Connor Hayes and J. Tipstone. All three of them did an amazing job. Simone was great as Zena. She went across the emotional spectrum from fear to lust, contentment to rage, genuine to manipulative. Connor as Rayden was just as enticing as his performance in book 1. I loved listening to his chapters. Rayden went through a lot over the course of this book and the other 2 so it was great to see it all fit together. J. Tipstone gave me some seriously creepy vibes in the beginning as Lorenzo. He was a scary dude, but the more the story progressed, the more complex the character became, the more I loved being inside this character's head because it felt so real.

I was provided with an advance copy of the audiobook. These are my honest opinions.

Amazing Story & Listen🎧Gripping, Intense & Twisted

Charlene Namdhari pens another amazing novel set in her “Serendipity” series, and it is another mind-blowing experience. I say experience because that is exactly what her books are. She takes her readers and/or audiobook listeners for a ride, and not only an emotional rollercoaster ride but a wild one too. She is a gifted author with a creative mind and both her stories and characters are complex with lots of layers. This third book of the series is Rayden Princeton’s story, who appeared in “Intoxication”, the first book, and left me wanting to know more about him. And wow, the twists and turns in this book are amazing. The book had me at the prologue, grabbing my attention and holding it hostage the entire book. Rayden had a thing for Zena, who is a few years older than him and worked in a club owned by Lorenzo, a made man. It is best to go into these books knows as little as possible, but these three lives are woven together like no other, a triangle like no other. Lorenzo is ruthless, but he needs to be in his mafia world. Zena and Rayden want each other, and so does Lorenzo, who always gets what he wants, but does he want to keep them? The writing, plotting and world building are exceptional, as are the character growth and development. I liked how the story is told, broken down through the years, with their ages specified. There is never a dull moment in this book, the drama is non-stop, it is high in angst, emotions, mind-blowing twists, some thrilling and suspenseful moments and steamy romance. Charlene Namdhari, thank you for another incredible story and ride.

🎧📚🎧And for the fantastic narration, J. Tipstone, Connor Hayes and Simone did an amazing job portraying the characters, humanizing them with their individual personalities, giving each a voice that was fitting and believable. Tipstone nailed it as Lorenzo, the hardened mafia boss with an alphatude. Hayes as Rayden was perfection, as was Lewis as Zena, capturing all their emotions and projecting them into their performance, making you feel each one. These entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the amazing listen

Startlingly

Infallible is such a startlingly and extraordinary book. An age gap love triangle story and so much more, this book will stun you!! It was unbelievable and rocked me to the core. I am speechless at the depth of the entire storyline. I enjoyed trying to figure out the angles and plot while Charlene Namdhari pulled me deeper into her tangled web.

Rayden, Zena and Lorenzo's journey is a roller coaster of intense and raw emotions, powerful drama, suspense, intrigue, pulse-pounding highs and torturous lows. It's heart wrenching and sizzling. I enjoyed this book immensely …. beware, everything isn't always black and white or right and wrong. J. Tipstone, Connor Hayes and Simone Lewis delivered a jaw-dropping reading experience that evoked emotion, allowing the listener to connect to their characters on a deeper level

#AudiobookObsessionReviewer🎧

Nothing Wrong With This Adventure

The very definition of INFALLIBLE is being incapable of making mistakes, unable to error, or be wrong. This exemplifies the very story I read in so many ways. What is right, can’t be wrong...right!

The story involves and revolves around 3 very different characters. A dark and brooding mafia man, a young and naive student, and the woman that seems to connect and \ or sever them all. A chance encounter turns three worlds upside down. Truths, secrets, and lies of omission are their foundations.

Love is definitely unexplainable in this story. It defies all odds. It defines everything.

While I don’t want to give anything away, I’ll state with absolute certainty and heartfelt belief that this story will capture your book heart. This author broke me, in good ways and bad. She delivers a storyline I didn’t anticipate, but one that seeped into my soul. Be open to reading without judgment or expectations. You’ll walk away with an extraordinary experience.

The narrators were able to allow me to enter the story. Their inflection of feelings and moods were enjoyable. The narrator brought Rayden and his being to life for me.

Mafia Love Triangle

Lorenzo, Rayden and Zena...the story I never expected...at least the Lorenzo piece.

You've been introduced to Rayden, the other love interest in book one and you've been informed about his first love Zena, dying in a car accident....but when Rayden get's a mysterious call from someone claiming to be Zena and then a cryptic message passed on he is determined to figure out the truth.

I really enjoyed the trio of Connor Hayes, Simone Lewis and J. Tipstone, each narrator brought unique qualities to each POV chapter. Connor tackled the broad range of emotions Rayden experiences from anger, sadness, passion, betrayal and everything in between. And the scenes of dialogue between Rayden and Lorenzo were perfection. Simone had an uphill battle because I was holding a grudge against Zena, I'm not sure if anyone else felt that way even not knowing what actually had happened in the past. But Simone did a wonderful job portraying Zena. The deep timber of J. Tipstone was perfect for Lorenzo, he was able to put so much feeling into his words.

Just buckle up for the ride and check those triggers.