Born for Lace

The Cradled Common

De: Nicci Harris

Narrado por: Mackenzie Cartwright, Troy Duran

The second book in the bestselling dark dystopian fantasy series from hugely popular dark romance author Nicci Harris, where Dahlia, a young woman raised as a “lace girl,” meant to soothe the brutal men who go to war, but when her best friend dies giving birth, she finds herself on the run with a baby that belongs to the regime, and her only hope the brutal, seven-foot Lagos.

The second book in the sizzling hot, riveting dark dystopian Cradled Common series by internationally bestselling author Nicci Harris.

Dahlia is a Lace Girl. Her role is the first mental health initiative of The Trade, successfully halving depression in The Cradle. Accompany. Relieve. Soothe. That is her Meaningful Purpose.

She is content and protected until her life changes forever when her best friend dies giving birth, leaving her caught in a civil war with two things: A baby who belongs to the regime and the name of a man who can help them escape. Lagos the Rogue is a seven-foot-one, grumpy brute who grunts rather than speaks, kills without remorse, and finds her innocence infuriating.

But, he also guards her like a rabid dog, is inked from neck to toe, the strongest, most imposing man she has ever seen, and...

He is brutally beautiful.

She can't deny his magnetic pull until she discovers he is precisely the danger she is desperately trying to escape.

For listeners who would enjoy a spicy Red Riding Hood meets Divergent, with the barren, wild backdrop of Dune by Frank Herbert. Born For Lace is a romance-driven adult sci-fi novel set in a dark dystopian society.

©2025 Nicci Harris (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Great BOOK 2!

The story beautifully explores the concept of second chances through the enchanting idea of a library filled with books representing alternate lives. The characters are relatable, and the narrative is both heartwarming and deeply reflective. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a story that inspires introspection and hope.

Really Good Story

This is a bit of a spoiler review*

We all know that Tomar was the safer choice and would have been a great father to her kids. But, he lost all points with me when he started guilt tripping her into doing what he wanted & was revealed to be panty stealing priest. It was good that he started to realize that he was becoming the thing that he hated the most.

Other than that, it was a good story and can't wait to see more.

Sometimes Meaningful Purpose changes

I have to say that I adored this audiobook especially Troy’s parts as Lagos! I was a bit thrown at first , because I was expecting more characters from the first book, but this book fit more with the dystopian theme with me. I fell in love with the heart of dahlia, and her willingness to protect sparrow. She did not expect to fall in love with Lagos anymore than he did her. If you love a book where love find its targets in a forced proximity, this is a great book to read!

Very good

I think this whole series is pretty fascinating. The story is solid, the characters are interesting & the spice is very good. My only complaint is the fmc’s voice is very breathy— verrrrrry breathy. But, if you can let that go, it’s def worth it.

I love Troy’s Voice! I will listen to anything with him in it! 😍

Fantastic! The I loved the Character Development. Legos voice is excellent what I thought it would be!

3 Unexpected Things

1. fmc narrator chose to use a shaky, slooow, breathy voice the whole book 😣
2. TROY DURAN reads ONLY 1.5 hrs of the 12.5 hrs. Frustrating to me as a fan of his.
3. The author's writing in past books is gripping & stunningly skillfull. i.e. "Kids of the District" series.
I'm 80% convinced the writing here, in parts, is AI enhanced: Particularly the 1st 4+ hrs.
You can tell when an author has used AI to write when you're reading along & realize it's a "..Word Salad."*
AI use tends "..to produce a large number of words that don’t communicate any information."*
You know the feeling, reading/ listening & it's the same thing repeated over & over using different words yet there's no progression in the story. It's mind numbing & so disappointing here.
I love everything about The Cradle. It's brilliant in it's conception & complexity. I'm just very disappointed in the construct of book 2 & it's Audible, as produced.
If you're a fan of the author/ narrators don't default to only praise & five star ratings. Constructive criticism is a vital resource to anyone that runs a business. The key word: CONSTRUCTVE