Broken Souls

Little Hope Series, Book 3

De: Ariana Cane

Narrado por: Jason Clarke, Angelina Rocca

A romance writer, scared of physical contact due to her traumatic past, has just become a new neighbor to a giant firefighter. How will it go?

“You are bad for my sanity.”

Alicia: The only thing I’ve ever wanted was to forget what happened that night so I could move on with my life. An impossible feat, considering the demons of the past refuse to let me go. Jumping head-first into the unknown seems like a good place to start.So I move out of my childhood home and away from the pain lurking around every corner. It would have been a great start if not for my new next-door neighbor, who slightly resembles a Yeti. His attitude does little to convince me he’s not.

Mark: The only thing I’ve ever wanted was to help those unable to help themselves. Something I’ve had a lot of experience doing ever since childhood. A simple life without drama is all I yearn for. And I almost had it…That is, until my new neighbor moves in next door. The one that screams in the night, hides bodies in her backyard, and bewitches my beastly dog. Ignoring her is the best option.So how come I find myself saving her every single night?

A firefighter who dedicates his life to saving lives with no one around to save his, and a writer desperate to create worlds where her demons can’t touch her. What’s common between them? The pain they hide.

They say you shouldn’t let the past define you. But when the past becomes all you are, sometimes you just need a blank page....

This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones. This slow-burn, strangers-to-enemies-to-lovers, contemporary romance is filled with angst, yearning, and finding peace.

Each book contains a story about a different couple. No cheating. No cliffhangers. HEA.

TW: SA in the past (not from MMC). Strong language.

©2022 Ariana Cane (P)2024 Ariana Cane

This book brought out all the feelings

This book brought out all the feels while listening. Angelina Rocca and Jason Clarke really blew me away with their performances in this story. Angelina really brought the vulnerability of Alicia and what she suffered through. Jason was perfect as Mark with the way he helped Alicia with so many things.

My heart hurt for Alicia and the awful experience she had so many years ago. She was trying her hardest to move past it but there was just something holding her back. She decides to move out on her own hoping that would push her forward. She wasn’t expecting so many things to go wrong after moving into her house.

Lucky for her, Mark lives next door and was able to help her with more than she bargained for. Mark felt this pull towards Alicia and he just couldn’t stop coming to her rescue. After a little while, he was willing to help her with more than just her house.

I loved how Mark was with Alicia. He really helped heal her in more ways than one. I really loved how everything worked out the way it did in the end.

This was my first book my Ariana Cane but I will definitely be going back to the other books in this series. I really enjoyed this one.

Jason Clarke is so good!

This is my first book by this author. I definitely should NOT have started in book three of this series. While it can be read as a standalone like I did, I think I would have benefited more if I had read books one and two first. There is a lot of talk about Alicia’s brother.

Despite that, I enjoyed the romance between Mark and Alicia. Trying to move on with her life after a past trauma, she moves out of her parent’s home and into an apartment. That’s where she meets Mark, her neighbor, and his dog, Ghost.

Both Mark and Alicia have pain in their pasts, but both seem to soothe each other’s souls. Alicia comes alive when she is with Mark. There is a third act breakup that has to do with the prior books. It makes sense for the story, though.

I listened to the audiobook narrated in dual format by Angelina Rocca and Jason Clarke. Jason is PERFECT for Mark. What is he not perfect in? LOL
It took me a little bit to adjust to the female narrator, though, but I got used to her tone by the end.

Thank you to Home Cooked Books for the ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amazing

I really loved this story the angist between Alecia and Mark was amazing and I really loved listening to there story! Angelina & Jason did an amazing job playing then! I would definitely recommend this book!!

Loved this journey for Mark and Alicia

OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
•Storyline: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧/5
•Spice Level:  🌶🌶/ 5
•Swoon level: 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠/5
•Re-Listen/Re-Read: Yes
•Platform: Audiobook and Ebook
•Trope: Firefighter, mental health, next-door neighbors, Grumpy-sunshine vibes, protective hero.


• Thoughts:
Here I am once again picking books based on narrators.. I know, right?! It's not a bad thing. Konda loke going in blind on a book just because of the cover of the book. Yep, I'm guilty on that one as well. In this case, it was narrators, and I am not upset by it. Not only do these narrators deliver a spectacular performance, but the storyline and emotion from this book, ugh, it was beautifully written. And double bonus i just discovered a new to me author.
I will say this can be read as a standalone. However, in my opinion, I think you may get even more of a connection to Mark and Alicia by reading the series in order. I fully intend on going back to the beginning and then listen to Broken Souls again. Infeel all of these characters that are talked about in Broken Souls has a story to share. I am not kidding. I am so curious about each and every one.
Anyways, back to Mark and Alicia. Alicia is a fighter! She is bound and determined to take back her life after a horrific and I mean horrific trauma she went through 8 years ago. Your heart just goes out for this character. She moves into a house next to her hot neighbor who awakens something inside her. She is not afraid of Mark. Now Mark has his own childhood scars, no matter how much he wants to, he simply can not stay away from Alicia. This story is full of emotional healing, taking back your life, and working through trauma. I absolutely loved this story!
This story does touch on sensitive topics. Please check your trigger warnings before reading.

NARRATOR THOUGHTS: Jason Clarke and Angelina Rocca
•Dual Narration
•Listening at a 1.5 speed.
Absolutely a fantastic performance! Jason and Angelina both do an incredible job pulling the emotions from Mark and Alicia!! I already love these two narrators, but hot damn they were finaminal!

•Recommend:
I will always encourage people to read what makes them happy. If it sounds good, read it! My reviews are just that, my opinion. Happy reading, friends.

Heavy Topics Handled with Care

Broken Souls is my favorite in the Little Hope Series by Ariana Cane. I was super curious to see how Alicia's story would play out when it came time for her book in the series. With the FMC being a survivor of SA, I knew the topic would need to be handled with care. Ariana Cane did just that. Getting to experience Alicia fight through internal battles with the support of the MMC, Mark was beautiful. Hard topics were given proper attention and there were plenty of comedic moments that showcased opportunities for light to shine through the darkness. Performance wise, Angelina Rocca was the perfect selection for Alicia. She narrated the struggles of the FMC beautifully. Jason Clarke was another solid choice for narration and balanced both the strength and softness of Mark.