• Cornering Carmen

  • The Dragon Lords of Valdier, Book 5
  • By: S. E. Smith
  • Narrated by: David Brenin
  • Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,475 ratings)

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Cornering Carmen  By  cover art

Cornering Carmen

By: S. E. Smith
Narrated by: David Brenin
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Publisher's summary

Carmen Walker has spent the last three years of her life focusing on avenging the murder of her husband. Following leads to the man responsible, she finally has a chance to bring closure to the overwhelming pain and grief that is slowly eating away at her. Catching a ride on a business jet copiloted by her sister, Carmen heads to California to meet with her informant. But plans suddenly change when a woman on the plane is kidnapped, and Carmen is mortally wounded. She wakes to find herself aboard an alien warship heading to a distant world.

Creon Reykill's skills as a warrior are legendary among the Valdier, but he has given up hope of ever finding his true mate, believing his soul is too dark ever to be gifted with one. That all changes when a small, delicate female unlike anything he has ever seen before is brought to his world. The moment he sees her, he knows she belongs to him. His dragon will do anything to claim her, his symbiot will do anything to protect her, and Creon will do anything to chase the shadows from her eyes. He knows he has found the light to his darkness, but now he must corner Carmen long enough for her to realize that he is the only one in the universe who can heal her shattered heart. Can he convince her to give love a second chance before she risks everything - including her life - for revenge?

©2015 S. E. Smith (P)2015 Blackstone Audio

What listeners say about Cornering Carmen

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Carmen's Story Doesn't Disappoint!

I'm slowly making my way through the Dragon Lords of Valdier series, and love all the books are out in audio. I've been wanting to hear Carmen's story since I started the series, and it didn't disappoint. While Carmen's story was another perspective from the previous books and the last of the five women who were taken from earth from book one, there was at least some new and refreshing plot twists and content, making the story feel less like a retelling of the last four books. I really enjoyed Carmen's story and look forward to listening to the rest of the series.

One of the things that makes this a great series is the characters. I like the female characters are always strong and the male characters are the perfect combination of sexy alpha and caring warrior, making the sex scenes steamy, hot and romantic all at the same time. Each story has the right balance of humor, angst, action, passion and heat. A well rounded Sci-Fi romance with a solid plot.

As usual, David Brenin does an amazing job with the characters, and emotions. I've really enjoyed his performance.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Finally !!! Carmen!!!!

Carmen’s story is the last for the five girls taken in the first book. She has had the most to overcome from her past. She may be the toughest of the girls, but she is the most fragile inside. The perfect mate for her is the youngest of the brothers, Creon, who is also the darkest of the warriors. They heal each other and understand in ways no other could.

I love how each book has a slight rewind to events in the first book. Personally, it helps me recall where we are in the series and what lead to that point. It is also interesting to get in the heads of each girl and get her thoughts on the events. I love how as we get into each book, you see relationships happened much sooner than they appeared to the other people. The scene where they find out about changing into dragons has been a pivotal point in each of the books. You finally get to see what they all knew at this point and where exactly they were in the relationships. Things are not as they seemed the first time I read that scene from Abby’s POV.

I love the mixed POV and how you get into so many people’s heads! There is much to learn from this style of writing. Some of the transitions are choppy, snippets of one person jumping back to the main POV, this takes me out of the story sometimes. It is always clear who we are hearing the POV from, just not the smoothest of switches.

These books are very steamy with plenty of details to tantalize! Expect some hawt mating action and then at least one scene of smexy stuff while in dragon form. The steam suits the reads and gives the reader that sexy fix they are needing!

David Brenin is a scrumptious delight for my ears!! He has this delicious rumble in his voice when he does the warriors!! Knee melting, swooning and oh so hawt!! This is why he is in my favorite’s column and I am always eagerly awaiting his next smexy read! He has a smooth pace that flows with the energy of the read. I just cannot get enough!

I adore this series, it has such creativity and the characters are immensely entertaining. Expect this book to continue the motion of the other stories adding onto the connecting threads. We get to see some new supporting characters, Valdier Warriors who will find other human mates, a Serafin cat shifter who ends up with a very sassy mate, and oh the hints about a certain mom of dragons and wilderness dad!! Not only does this book take us deeper on our current journey, I now have several side series books added to my TBR list!! I am so happy to have found this author and that she is on the audio train!!

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Exceptional!

Loved it. S. E. Smith has a great dragon series. David Brenin narrates Awesomely! Anxiously awaiting the other books to come out in audio format!

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

BEAM ABOARD FOR ROMANCE,TEARS & SEX.. ALIEN STYLE

Carmen's story is the last of the original women to get beamed aboard the Valdier Spaceship when his brothers came to Earth to rescue Zoran (book 1) and parts of it is told in the same timeframe as the previous books but this is Carmen and Creon's story. Carmen had brutally lost the love of her life, her husband of four years, and the only thing that was keeping her sane and alive was revenge for his death. However, as Earth slowly disappeared she became lost as any hope for revenge was getting further and further away.... she'd tried escaping, begging and fighting but now she knew it was all in vain and so she had nothing left to live for.

But Carmen was wrong because the handsome Valdierian Warrior/Prince Creon was watching her..... watching while his Symbiot claimed her, his inner Dragon shouted "mine mine mine" and he was speechless that, at last, he had found his mate. However, he was going to have to tread really carefully though because he could see and feel the grief, loss and pain this broken Earth woman felt but he knew he would do anything for the ultimate prize..... Carmen.

It was another rocky, funny, hot and angst filled listen as some Earth women show these fierce Warriors that they too can be just as fierce but resourceful clever and sneaky on top and that they're all kinds of feisty when mad, soft caring and playful when in the mood and very supportive and sexy after they fall in love. And so Creon is totally clueless about how Carmen is going to change his whole way of thinking, his life and how his world will become a brighter happier place. There is still drama caused by the Uncle, a full cast of entertaining secondary characters, two abandoned Humans they rescue but there's a few twists there, revenge to be had and a dual POV romance that was sweet, tender, funny, hot and passion filled as Carmen found joy and love for the second time.

Worth a credit? Although all these books have had the same theme their stories have been different and now that all 5 of the Earth women who were initially taken have been claimed it leaves lots of Warriors all now seeking these fascinating Earth women to claim for themselves. This was a very enjoyable and well narrated Sci-FI love story with lots of humor, romance, sex and hot Alpha Warriors and it was absolutely worth a credit.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Next

This was basically the 5th viewpoint of the same story retold, but I'm excited to hear Mel's story which sounds like it will be book 6. Mel wasn't an original character so the storyline should be fresh and new. Fingers crossed for the next one!

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Wow, I just love this series

This story is almost the same as the prior ones but so much more. It's time for carmens story to unfold, and what a story it is. So worth a credit. The narrator is Fantastic. Can't wait for the rest of the books to be out on audio. Now we need the safarin Warriors stories to be available. That's going to a great series to listen to Since their own story tides well to the valdier!!!

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Very Good!

I enjoyed the audiobook as much as the Ebooks!! Narrator was excellent!! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys alien romance.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Overall, an enjoyable story

3-3.5 stars

This was an enjoyable story overall. The main reason I only rated it as 3-3.5 stars was because for the first third of the story, Carmen was the epitome of a TSTL heroine. I realize she was supposed to be suffering from extreme grief over her late husband but he died 3 years before the story started and I haven't lost a husband but her actions seemed very OTT to me. Her continual attempts to escape when she had no chance of getting back to Earth on her own were just lame and she was way to willing to do things that could kill herself and others. After the first third of the story, she was alright but not in a way that made up for her earlier actions.

Carmen used to work in security with her husband and childhood sweetheart, Scott. Scott was killed 3 years ago on a job and Carmen has been obsessed with killing the guy who killed Scott. Since the guy is a big time drug lord and isn't easy to get to, Carmen fully expects to die in this mission of revenge and she's ok with it. Ariel (from book #4) is sister to Carmen and promised to help Carmen with her revenge.

Creon is a dragon shifter from the planet of Valdier. His older brother, Zoran, is the King of their people (he's the hero from book #1) and Creon serves his people as a military commander along with his other brothers. Creon is the youngest of the brothers but he carries a heavy weight due to things that happened in the recent war.

Carmen is kidnapped from Earth along with 4 other women (the heroines from books 1-4). At the time, Carmen had been shot by a bad guy so being kidnapped by the Valdier was actually the only thing that saved her life. Carmen is extremely pissed when she wakes up to find herself not on Earth and does her best to escape the ship transporting her (many times). She doesn't have much success and ends up on Valdier. There, Carmen meets Creon and she proceeds to physically assault him and then run off. He has to capture her and this leads to a whole bunch of crap between Creon and Carmen. He realizes that she's his true mate and that he'll die if she leaves but she freaks any time someone refuses to take her home so Creon doesn't have it easy.

Creon mother helps things a bit by talking to Carmen and Creon even explains some things to Carmen as well. She doesn't care and keeps trying to escape and even risks the deaths of more than just herself with her insane desire to escape no matter what. Thankfully, this ends about a third of the way through the story and Carmen suddenly lets go of her need for revenge and accepts her relationship with Creon (can you say whiplash?). From there, things go pretty smoothly (with some notable exceptions) and things get worked out so that by the end, Creon and Carmen are happily starting on a HEA together.

This was an enjoyable story. Carmen was alright once she got past her "issues". Creon was a good hero....I was actually impressed with his ability to communicate with Carmen (since most of his brothers didn't communicate with their new mates...like at all). Creon wasn't perfect about it but he made a good effort and did what he had to to make her happy. Overall, this was a good story. Now that the 5 main heroines have had their books, I'm not sure if I'll continue the series but I liked Morian in previous books so I'm considering reading her book as well.

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great read and a must have.

I have really enjoyed this series. Great narrator, gets better with each book. Emotional rollercoaster.

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BEST OF THE SERIES SO FAR

Laughed and Cried through WHOLE Book. It is the Best One from the Series so Far. I only hate that I just found the series recently, which I have read nonstop for the last few days, to find Smith did NOT Continue on with MORE OF THE SERIES after Book Six (actually it looks as though there may be nine but I have been unable to find the title to the 8th and 9th). She is an Amazing Author. I became aware of her from her Alliance Series, but this series is my favorite and I did not think that was possible after reading The Alliance Series of hers. Too Bad Authors just don't keep the Great Series going with the characters in them. I truly loved how the characters were carried to each new book with the main characters, even more so than in the Alliance Series (which did but not as well as this one). I do however look forward to the rest if I can find them all as well as the other series that appears to have branched off from this one with at least two different series, aka species, with at least one book on each of them. OMG I just love her stories. it is very rare, and I mean very very rare, to find an author whose books just get keep better and better within a series like hers do. I mean book usually has a slow area of it, which I found in the 3rd but it got amazing after that, but THIS BOOK WAS BETTER THAN ONE AND TWO.

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