The Muse

De: L.M. Halloran

Narrado por: Shaun Grindell, Charlotte North

Iris Eliot has survived a lot in her 27 years but refuses to be labelled a victim. Now, in her final year of graduate school, her dream is within reach. She's ready to put the past behind her and embrace whatever the future brings.

Until the future brings him.

Professor James Beckett, internationally best-selling author and award-winning poet, is the new head of the creative writing department at her university. Brilliant and obnoxiously sexy, he's more dangerous than Iris knows.

When Beckett sets his sights on Iris, it's not just her heart on the line or her academic and professional careers. Surrendering to the way he makes her feel will rewrite her past.

Contains mature themes.

©2017 L.M. Halloran (P)2018 Tantor

Beautifully written!

I truly enjoyed listening to this book. After listening to a bunch of mindless dribble labeled as romance, this one is more “real” than most. The author writes with eloquence and poetry, much as her main characters. I would listen again.

James & Iris Story

James & Iris’ love story took place over a four year span. He was a professor and Iris’ was his PA in her last year of college. He made sexual advances towards her until she caved. MMC was a rake and she knew it. Iris’ past was filled with trauma and tragedy. Loved the twist towards the end of the story, plenty of push & pull, heartache, heartbreak, rape, guilt, infidelity, separated more than together and second chances. Worth the read.
Disappointed because the male narrator only did the short epilogue. HEA

A book you just need to listen to!

Oh my life, where have I been? Laura is a fantastic writer, and I just can’t get enough of her words. This story was so up my alley with the main characters being a professor teaching writing and a TA doing her master's, who has him critique and proofread her work. Get ready for an angstfest. It was perfect!

Charlotte is fairly new to me, and she was amazing. She easily flipped between Beck’s British accent and Iris’s American one. No easy feat. She brought all the emotions, and I was here for every missed opportunity, miscommunication, and longing from afar. Shaun comes in to narrate the epilogue, and it was fun seeing a little of the story from Beck’s POV.

The Muse is a story that spans years and is full of heartache, but when they finally get there, it is so good. There is passion and steam and everything in between.

I cannot recommend this audio enough. You just need it in your life!

I literally inhaled it!

Loved it! Artistic, poetic, there’s drama and trauma and a great love. The banter was fantastic. Enjoyed the narration too (the male wasn’t as good but he just did the epilogue so it was ok).

A Decent down to Earth romance that puts you through a rollercoaster of emotions

Let us Begin ✏️

Overall Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ - -
Execution of Spice: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ -

Tropes/Triggers:
(You decide what is a trope or a trigger for you from this list)
- 3rd Act Break-up
- S.A. (Memories of FMC)
- PTSD
- H.E.A.
- Explicit sex scenes:
-Ch. 8 🌶️🖐️over the clothes 💖💦
-Ch. 10 🥵✌️ The fear of getting caught 🥵🥵🍆😻💖💦🍆💦
- Ch. 16 ✌️+🍆😻👅😻💖➡️🥵🍆😻


Format I read: Audiobook 🎧
Audio version: Dual Narration (Though Shaun only reads the very last chapter)
Narrators and performance:
Charlotte North:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Shaun Grindell: ⭐⭐⭐ - -
Charlotte did a great job! She really knows how to step into the mind of the character and bring her to life. Her voice is soft and sexy. Loved it all.
Shaun was supposed to do a British accent... But he sounded Australian. Other than that, he was good.


1st person POV
The POV is all from Iris's point of view

Pros of the Story 👍
- there's just something about reading about main characters who are writers, because then the author has a reason to give them a way with words. And it's just so soothing.
- This book was a rollercoaster of emotions and I LOVED the ride.


Cons of the Story 👎
- I wanted to absolutely stab Iris quite a few times. I just kept yelling at the book "Get OVER yourselves!!!"

In summary 📝

10/10 would recommend.
Here is a bare-bone breakdown of my emotions during the book 😅
Chapter 7
First kiss 🥵🥰😍🌧️

Chapter 8
🖐️ Over clothes in his car while he's driving 🥵💖💦
😱😱😱😱😱😡🤬

Chapter 10
🥵✌️ The chance of getting caught 🥵🥵🥵🌶️🌶️🍆😻💖💦🍆💦

🗣️ I was thinking event for our first time. But that will do

Chapter 13
Oh boy! Beckett sure knows how to use his words! 🥵🥵🥵🥵

Chapter 16
🌶️✌️😻👅😻💖➡️🥵🥵🥵🍆😻🗣️ This feeling, right here and now, has brought Gods from their heavenly thrones. Started and ended wars and shifted the borders of Nations. Nothing in my life has prepared me for how you make me feel Iris.
😱😱😱😱😱😡🤬😭

Chapter 17
😥😥😥

Chapter 18
I just want to hug Iris so bad this entire chapter! Poor girl!

Chapter 19
And now I want to fucking punch iris!

Chapter 24
D:

Chapter 25
Whyyyyyyy?????

Chapter 26
Whyyyy?? 😱😱😱

Chapter 27
🥵🥵🥵🤬😡🤬😡🤬
Get over yourselves!

Chapter 28
😱😱😱🥴
3 months too late -_______-

Chapter 31
😱😱😱😱😱

Chapter 32
Shit has hit the fan!
"Words are weapons too"

Chapter 34
They're finally getting over themselvessssss

Chapter 35
Finally yyyeeeeeessssssssss!!!!!!


And here are my favorite quotes:
"I'd really like blankets and tea.. with you."
Chapter 12

"Money does buy happiness." I proclaim. Closing my eyes and stretching my feet toward the vents
"No it doesn't." He says, a smile in his voice. "But I'm hoping tea might."
Chapter 12

"And did you know the goddess was considered a link between heaven and earth? That she guided souls to paradise?"
I roll my eyes. "Please tell me you're not going to say my vagina is a link to heaven."
Chapter 35

"Give me words, Little Muse. I need them. I need to know you feel what I feel.
"I'm yours James. For better or worse. I've always been yours."
Chapter 35

Im not giving anything away

I LOVED this story, after everything, I just wish it lasted a few more chapters

This Book Doesn’t Disappoint!!

Definitely don’t regret using a credit on this book. It is well written, and doesn’t follow the “normal” professor/student relationship. This book touches some deep subjects, Death, Rape, PTSD, and Abortion. The love in this book is deep, and though sad at times ends with a HEA. Narration is great, it is 97% done by the female narrator with the male finishing the epilogue. I don’t regret using a credit on this story, and would suggest it especially if you like Professor/Student love stories.

Well Written Sweet Romance

I normally don’t write reviews, but I wanted to for this novel. I felt this was a well written story and the characters were complex with several surprises. The female character was frustrating with her PTSD reactions to accepting love. But, I like how their love story unfolded. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend.

Loved that she did his voice with the accent

The story was great it was real and raw and emotional. But it was a lot of push and pull with many OWD. I didn’t like that it was such a realistic romance, it wasn’t the unjustifiable need and want. Where he fell in love with her quickly the struggle for them to actually be a couple was painful to read and ultimately turned me off the story.. the narrators were great!

Loved James and Iris

I loved how the author wrote the story and tied all the pieces together at the end. James and Iris had an amazing chemistry and love for each other.