Captivating

De: Bella Matthews

Narrado por: Aiden Snow, Desiree Ketchum, Ava Erickson

From USA Today and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes an Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating, Sports Romance.

Killian St. James was the boy I loved. Now he’s the man I love to hate.

To the world, I’m America’s sweetheart. A brand built on fairy tales and love songs that sell millions. But the truth? I’m not sure I believe in happily ever afters . . . At least not for me.

Burned-out and desperate for a break, I return to my hometown, craving quiet and a tiny taste of freedom. But instead of peace, I find a stalker in the shadows, paparazzi on my heels, and a meddling family with their own ideas about my life.

Everyone insists I need protection, and having my new bodyguard pose as my fake boyfriend makes total sense . . . Not that they asked me. If that’s not enough, did I mention that Killian is all too happy to volunteer for the job?

This MMA champion is brooding, relentless, and inconveniently perfect at keeping me safe. He’s also unimaginably gorgeous, with a quiet confidence that’s even sexier than the ink tattooed on his golden skin.

But as lines blur and sparks fly, I’m left wondering if the boy I once loved could be the man I can trust with my life . . . and my heart.

©2025 Bella Matthews (P)2025 Bella Matthews

Captivating Review

This book was more than 5 stars in audio! Both narrators captured the angst and the "hate to love you" tension wonderfully. I enjoyed how this narration brought Lilah and Killian to life- especially when they begin to heal old hurts! This was my favorite audio so far in the series and I wasn't able to press pause!

A Tension-Filled Second Chance

Bella Matthews delivers a steamy, high-stakes romance in Captivating, blending enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, and forced proximity into an emotional and addictive listen.

💔 What’s the Story?
America’s sweetheart is exhausted by fame and desperate for a break. But when a stalker threatens her safety, she’s forced to accept protection—whether she likes it or not. Enter Killian St. James, the MMA fighter she once loved and now can’t stand. Pretending to be her boyfriend keeps her out of the paparazzi’s reach, but with danger lurking and old feelings resurfacing, their arrangement soon feels anything but fake. As the threats escalate, she must decide if she can truly trust Killian—with her life and her heart.

🔥 What Worked:
✔ Intense Chemistry – The tension between the leads is off the charts.
✔ Well-Developed Characters – Their emotional journeys feel raw and real.
✔ Perfect Mix of Romance & Suspense – The blend of danger and desire keeps you hooked.
✔ Great Narration – The voice actors bring the story to life with passion and emotion.

⏳ A Small Critique:
The slow build-up adds depth to the romance, but the stalker subplot could have used more focus. While the tension between the leads is gripping, the suspense element—arguably one of the most intriguing aspects—felt slightly underdeveloped. More emphasis on the looming threat could have heightened the stakes and made the resolution even more impactful.

💘 Tropes You’ll Love:
✔ Enemies-to-Lovers
✔ Fake Dating
✔ Bodyguard Romance
✔ Second Chance
✔ Forced Proximity

🎧 Final Thoughts:
If you love slow-burn romance with explosive chemistry, protective heroes, and just the right amount of danger, Captivating is a must-listen. Even if you haven’t read the previous books in the series, this interconnected standalone will leave you craving more.

🙏 A huge thank you to Bella’s content team for the opportunity to listen to this book!

Slow burn to end all

I just finished reading this book for the second time my first time listening to the audiobook and let’s just say I am unwell this damn audiobook pulled on my heartstrings until they tear them apart just to put it back together then tear it apart all over again. What a wild ride Bella you’ve done it again. The narrators were amazing. The female narrator totally embodies Lilah. The performance was an emotional roller that had me wanting to never stop but it also stop immediately. Truly a work of art! There were a few moments I was like well shitt 🥵 ** piano scene** others that made me want to pull my hair out but all and all this audiobook was amazing!

In Love ❤️

I absolutely devoured Killian and Lilah!!! I have been waiting for these two and it was so freaking good. I was hooked and finished it in a night. Bella seriously never disappoints.

The tension between Killian and Lilah is insane. They were best friends when they were kids, but after things got twisted, they haven’t really seen each other in 10 years. Now, Lilah’s got a stalker and Killian is the only one who can protect her the way she needs.

I LOVED these two together. The love and devotion they show towards each other, even when Lilah “hates” Killian is so sweet. I loved watching Killian read Lilah and knew exactly what she needed.

I say this with every book, but I absolutely love how Bella gives us so much of the previous characters in each books. I loved seeing Nat, Brady, Cade and Scarlett as parents.

I will be very impatiently waiting for Teasing 😊

🎧 The audiobook of this was sooo good! I loved reading Killian and Lilah's story, and loved listening to it just as much! I loved how well the narrators brought this story to life! Absolutely loved this!

Favorite Quotes:

“We were everything until we were nothing at all.”

“You’ll always be my favorite once upon a time, even if you can never be my happily ever after”

“She’s a queen, but she’ll always have a tiny bit of crazy hiding beneath the crown. Test her at your own risk.”

Loved it🩷🩷

I absolutely adored this book when I read it but hearing it come to life with these narrators was amazing.
Lilah & Killian are just *chefs kiss* 💋
Highly recommend.

Fantastic

Been waiting for this one to come out. The story is perfect and the narration makes the story come alive. No multitasking for me when listening to this one even though i physically read the book I had to hear it all!

Do you believe in second chances?

Has one moment ever completely changed how you see someone? Would you be willing to give them a second chance? He was her best friend growing up but one night changed their relationship for the next 10 years. A threat to her safety brings them together again and will that give them the chance to clear the air about the past and move forward?

She’s a pop star princess and he’s an MMA champion. Childhood best friends turned enemies turned fake dating. What will their future hold?

Love audiobooks? This is one you won’t want to miss!

GREAT Narrating

I love reading this story but listening to it took this whole experience to another level. Aiden, Desiree, and Ava did such a great job of bringing this story to life. I love listening to them how they narrated in the perfect tones to bring Killian and Lilah's story to life. Like always Bella does an amazing job of creating a story, also she always pick the perfect narrators for her stories. This is a must listen book, seriously listening to Captivating, is like seeing a movie in your head. Decently a must get audiobook !

Killian & Lilah

Lilah and Killian's love story was really something special! I was so conflicted because I felt Lilah’s pain and I felt Killian’s pain when I didn’t even know the cause. I wanted to know who caused the rift in their friendship. Lilah and Killian were best friends growing up but a rift between them caused them to avoid each other for the last 10 years. Now Lilah is the world’s biggest pop star, killian is a successful MMA fighter and avoidance isn’t going to work anymore because Lilah is in danger and needs protection. I loved seeing the two of them work through their past while figuring out the present.

Bella always writes the swoony-est men and badas$$ women. She is a definitely read author and I've fallen to hard for this world she continues to write!

Killer and Princess 🩷

I already loved this book, but the audiobook knocked it out of the park! These narrators were the BEST choices for Killian and Lilah. I absolutely loved that Killian calls Lilah Princess when his own dad calls his mom Duchess 😍 This will definitely be in my audiobook rotation!