Nate

A Dark Protector Novel

By: Celia Aaron

Narrated by: CJ Bloom, Joe Arden

Length: 6 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's Summary

I rescued Sabrina from a mafia bloodbath when she was 13. As the new head of the Philly syndicate, I sent her to the best schools to keep her as far away from the life - and me - as possible. It worked perfectly. Until she turned 18. Until she came home. Until I realized that the timid girl was gone and in her place lived a smart mouth and a body that demanded my attention. I promised myself I'd resist her, for her own good.

I lied.

Author's Note: This is a full-length, standalone romance set in the the world of Dark Protector.

©2017 Celia Aaron (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

A REALLY ENJOYABLE MAFIA ROMANCE

Celia Aaron wowed me with her dark Acquisition Trilogy so I wanted to hear more from this talented author and this Mafia romance sounded great.. which happily it was. Now Boss of the powerful Philly Syndicate handsome thirty-three yr old Nate Franco was on the edge.. he had to uncover a dangerous rat before it was too late, make mob alliances instead of enemies and ignore his lust fuelled feelings and thoughts for his eighteen year old tempting ward. He’d rescued thirteen yr old Sabrina from a bloodbath, sent her away to Boarding School for five years for her own good and hadn’t made plans to see her again.. but his sweet little ward had grown into a beautiful sexy woman.. and she’s determined to drive him mad.

Sabrina had always loved Nate but she’d waited, she’d dreamed, she’d fantasized and she’d planned it all out.. and now it was time to entice, to tempt, to lure and to let the sexy stubborn Nate know that she, and her v card, were all his. All Nate had to do was to reach out and take them.. but the violence, the blood on his hands, the constant threats from his enemies and the dangerous world he’d become part of were invisible chains stopping him from claiming her. So, with eyes and a heart for only one man, a very determined Sabrina upped her game.. but there was a twisted Russian Bratva Boss who had dark plans for Sabrina.. and all of them were evil.

This wasn’t the dark romance that I was expecting but it did have a few fleeting scenes that I squeamishly delighted in as the villains of the story paid the ultimate bloody price. Nate was a loveable good-hearted bad boy with a witty charm and his possessive protective alpha side came out early on because, even before he’d given up his futile fight to resist Sabrina’s many charms, their souls had connected five years previously. It has insta-chemistry, steam, passion, villains, heroes, drama, action, suspense, a very determined stubborn feisty heroine and the violence was sporadic. Throughout, Sabrina and Nate were loyal, solid, caring, trusting and were perfect for each other. I really really enjoyed this entertaining listen and the dual POV narration was perfect.

Worth a credit? Yes.. it was well-written, entertaining, hot, had humor and was action-packed.

Totally recommend

What a fantastic story. I love how Sabrina just goes after what she wants and how unapologetic she is. I was grateful that the author didn't drag out the will he wont he. I hate that. Great book. The narrators are always amazing and they didn't disappoint.

Do not like the female narrator

I debated listening to this one because I have difficulty listening to anything all the way through with this female narrator. I attempted it because I like the author, and the male narrator. My opinion of the female narrator has not changed, tho she's not as shrill here as she has been, still overly frantic, struggling thru her parts.

Nate and Sabrina💥

I enjoyed this one alot more than the 1st book. The back story and was more developed and the side characters were great. I loved Nate in the 1st story, so it was no surprise that I enjoyed more of him and I really liked Sabrina's attitude and strength. I def recommend this one!

A mixed bag

Narration: Joe Arden - always awesome, should have been more of him throughout the entire book. The female voice was okay. At times she started to drone on, and her inflections were not as polished as Joe's. His accents were great and didn't bring me out of the story.

Story - Mob, Danger. Sex - always kind of fun. However in the story Sabrina was 18 and Nate was over 30(?), he hadn't seen her in 5 years and he was suddenly in love with her. She had been in love with him since she was 13. It's bordering on creepy as he apparently was her guardian who hadn't seen her in 5 years., None of that really makes sense. So some 'just go with it' vibes with the plot I guess. I totally believed his lust for her but not so much love for her, their relationship was pretty thin.

So after I think about it, yea, Joe Arden was the best this about this audio book.

A good mafia romance

While this book can be listened to as a stand-alone it is helpful if you’ve read/listened to Dark Protector first. It will give you more back story about Nate.

Nate & Sabrina!

Book 2 of this series lets us into Nate's world. We met him in Dark Protector, and there he added not only his skills, but he was a source of sarcastic humor, giving some darker scenes a little levity. This book, he is all business, now that he has taken over the Philadelphia mafia. It's several years later, and he has proven himself to be a worthy opponent you do not want to mess with. Now at 18, Sabrina, a girl he saved 5 years earlier has come home, and she has her sights set on him. Whether it's the love of her hero or true attraction, their chemistry is real, and Nate does his best to hold back. But should he? With danger lurking, and her inexperience he wants her safe, but is that what she wants? I enjoy Nate and Sabrina, though at times felt Sabrina's immaturity. Nate is definitely a force to be reckoned with, his strong need to protect and remain in control is evident and Celia builds his character so well. He still has a sense of humor, bringing that necessary levity to tense situations. Sabrina is stubborn, yet you have to admire a woman going after what she wants. It's a great addition to this series, and I can't wait for David's story!

CJ Bloom and Joe Arden are so perfectly cast for this book. Bloom has a young voice, and she can portray any emotion. Sabrina harbors many different ones, and Bloom brings it all to her character. Arden as Nate could not have been a better pick. Unlike Conrad who was very gruff, Nate has a softer demeanor on the outside, and Arden's voice has the perfect elements. He can bring that softness, yet can have the voice of steel when needed. Loved the narration team for this story.

My Two Pennies

Nate is the Boss, the man you don’t want to get on the wrong side of and guardian to Sabrina. If you’re looking for a story that is filled with suspense, action and sexual desires fulfilled then this is the book for you. The turns this story takes had me hanging on each word and left me questioning others actions. Great read and I will definitely be looking into the other standalone’s in this series. This was my first and I can confirm that reading them out of order you’re still up to date on the events and don’t feel as though you’re missing any pieces to the puzzle.

Female narrator....

Her voice is so grating. Especially her male voice. Seriously, everything she says as Nate is sharp / angry sounding, etc even in more tender moments. She’s got one inflection in her voice - irritating.

Joe Arden is great.

So far the best

So far this one is the best of the series. I love Nate and Sabrina, but I also enjoyed Nate in the first book of the series. In the first book he was the hired hand and this one he is the Boss and Sabrina is the girl he protected. She is sassy and has her eyes and heart set on getting Nate. This wouldn't be a true mafia series without the drama that would naturally come with a crime boss. Narration is awesome, great pairing of Joe Arden and CJ Bloom. I intend to finish out the series with book 3.