Severed by Vengeance

The Severed Signet, Book 1

By: Elle Maldonado

Narrated by: Janine Granda, Bryant Walker

Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

She was mine.
Made for me.
Born to ruin me.

Evangelina:
I lived my life surrounded by luxuries, love, and attention.
While at the mercy of lies, death, and deceit.
I was tired of being just a pretty face.
The woman who always had to prove her worth.
When tragedy tears yet another gash in my heart, he was there to help mend my grief.
But there was a mystery hidden behind those alluring diamond eyes.
A whisper of ghosts and trauma from his past.
Red flags I knew I shouldn’t ignore.
Yet I couldn’t help the feelings blossoming within me or the fire that scorched my skin under his touch.
Derek Cain held promises of love and protection.
But what if he was who I needed saving from?

Derek:
As a child, I knew nothing but hate and pain.
I was a soulless, unlovable bastard bred into a killer.
Bound by blood to the world’s most obscure and elite society of global puppeteers.
For years, I fantasized about taking revenge on the man who’d abandoned me.
And when his time finally came, that’s when I saw her.
His weakness.
Detective Evangelina Cruz was mine to taint, use, and ruin.
Until the lines of vengeance and obsession blurred.
And she consumed my every thought.
Though my secrets would destroy her, I’d bathe the world in blood before letting her go.
Would the love we forged in darkness prevail in the light of truth?

©2023 Elle Maldonado (P)2024 Elle Maldonado

Abssolutely Devoured!

This was my first book - and won't be the last book - from Elle Maldonado and Bryant Walker!

THE STORY - oh yeah loved EVERY MOMENT - the banter, the plot, him falling for her - UGH YES!
NARRATIOn - yes yes and SO MUCH yes! As my first Bryant book I loved his voice and I have always LOVED Janine's voice for this character!

Such a sweet, drama filled, SPICY audiobook - make sure to add this to your wishlist!

🥵I loved this one!🥵

Let me take just a minute to say 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙖. I think I found my new favorite mafia book! I mean, seriously, y'all. 𝙴𝚕𝚕𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚘 created a magnificent story. She hooked me instantly and the ride was literally wild.

Let's talk about hit man Derek Cain. Can we say 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒚!? He sought vengeance against his bio dad but what he found was so much more.

Evangelina "Eva" Cruz is a diabetic, kick 🍑 female detective trying to uncover crimes, especially one close to her. Things take a turn for her though when she meets Derek Cain.

Derek....that man is obsessed with Eva and 👏🏼I👏🏼was👏🏼there👏🏼for👏🏼it! Lord. 🤤 That man can 🔥the 🌎 down for me at anytime he wants. I loved the intensity of his personality. From the moment he met Eva to the very last word, his protectiveness and all the sexiness rolled off the page.

The narrators for this one are both new to me. I have to tell you, I loved them! I loved how they portrayed these characters. The intensity of mafia, the cluster of being a detective, the chemistry that flows between these characters....you can 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 it as they breathe life into Derek & Eva. I am adding them to my list of favorites and can't wait to listen to more from them!

This story has so much sizzle, so much banter, so much angst within it. I loved everything about this soul stealing novel & can't wait for more from this author!

Excellent Story & Narration🎧 Riveting & Twisted!

I enjoyed this book immensely, the story hooked me in right from the start and captivated my attention the entire time. Elle Maldonado is a “new to me” author and consider me impressed, even more so when I heard this was her debut novel. She is a gifted author with a creative mind, her storylines and characters are original and easy to connect with. Derek Cain is out for vengeance, to get the man who ruined his life, his biological father, and plans to end his life. Then he sees an opportunity to take his vengeance even further, on someone who meant something to his father, Evangelina “Eva” Cruz, and he plans on making her his and then ruining her. Except not everything goes as planned, and the unexpected happens. Eva is a police detective and Derek is a trained killer, a hit man, but he is a smooth operator and he finagles his way into Eva’s life. Adding to the excitement is when one of Eva’s informants, who is in deep trouble, brings that trouble to her door. A possessive and over protective Derek gets involved, and he comes head to head with the Russian Bratva. Eva on her own is in way over her head, especially when she has nobody to turn to, at work or at home. I loved the mystery behind Derek, would have loved some more details of his younger days, but this is the first book, so maybe that is yet to come. The chemistry between Eva and Derek is smoking hot and burning through the roof. These two were opposites in so many ways, good vs. evil, but they were drawn to each other. Derek hits her with so many truths, and life as she knew it was no more. Can she accept that and how will she deal? There is never a dull moment in this book, it is a cleverly plotted dark and twisted story and has plenty of drama, angst, action, mystery, thrilling take you to the edge of your suspense, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. The world building and character development is great, and so are some of the secondary characters. Elle Maldonado, thank you for this fantastic story and the wild ride. 

🎧📚🎧 Janine Granda and Bryant Walker did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life and did so with a complete understanding of who they were portraying. They took their roles and made them their own, sounding believable and just as I pictured they would sound. Granda nailed it as Eva, grasping every aspect of her personality and was as fierce in the role as Eva was in the book. Walker’s Derek was spot on and he too nailed it as the smooth talking bad boy. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling each one. These entertaining storytellers are talented voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen.

Played out like a movie

𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐨
Narrated by Janine Granda and Bryant Walker
Produced by Blue Nose Audio

❥This story hooked me from the very beginning! I mean that first scene makes you think “wtf is going on here?!” 😂

❥Eva is a detective and Derek is this hot af tattooed bad boy. The tension between them was so good! 🤌🏼

❥There was violence, spice, & cute swoon worthy moments. I wasn’t aware this was the author’s debut novel but I was impressed and enjoyed the writing! Will definitely continue this series!

❥The narration of this book was great! I got lost in the story and felt as if it was playing out like a movie in my head. Janine Granada & Bryant Walker played their roles perfectly. They were new to me narrators and they didn’t disappoint!

ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀꜱ ʙᴇꜰᴏʀᴇ ᴅɪᴠɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ.

Dark, Delicious, and Absolutely Riveting!

If you are a fan of dark mafia romance, you are going to absolutely love this audiobook! Abandoned as a child into a cruel and neglectful system, Derek Cain’s eventual adoption was not the salvation he had hoped for. Instead, he was thrown into a world of ruthless power and bred to be a heartless killer. And when he finally takes his revenge on an uncaring father, the unexpected appearance of Detective Evangelina Cruz changes the course of his life forever. Neither of them expects to fall for the other, and a relationship for them seems near impossible. To say their journey to love is complicated would be the understatement of the century. But it definitely makes for some very interesting and entertaining reading. The world building in this story was phenomenal, and the characters are incredibly layered and nuanced. I just loved this story from start to finish! It was dark and delicious and absolutely riveting! And I can’t wait to see where the author goes in book two!

The narration for this story by Janine Granda and Bryant Walker is absolute perfection! Janine Granda’s portrayal of Eva is nothing short of fantastic, which is no surprise to me. I have been a huge fan of hers for quite a while now. She brings a sense of vulnerability and honesty to her performance that makes it impossible not to connect and to feel this character’s turbulent emotions as if they were your own. Bryant Walker was a new voice for me, but after this performance, I am very excited to hear more from him. His performance as Derek was so passionate and real and multifaceted, flawlessly portraying the emotion and the trauma that drives this character. You cannot help but feel all of that right along with the character. Together, these two talented narrators bring this wonderful story to life with their impactful and truthful performances, making this title an absolute must-listen!

Dark Forbidden Romance

Severed by Vengeance by Elle Maldonado is a dark romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Janine Granda and Bryant Walker. This is the first book in The Severed Signet series.

This is the first book of Elle's that I have read, and it won't be my last. I really enjoyed the relationship between Derek and Evangelina. I liked that they had an instant connection, but it was a slow-burn romance. I love when we get both characters points of views. It really brings the story to life.

I can't wait for the next book in the series Tempted by Blood to be released on audio so I can get Silas and Leni's Story.

Bryant and Janine did an amazing job on the narration. They both really know how to bring a story to life. I look forward to listening to more of their work in the future.

I would recommend this book if you're looking for a dark forbidden romance.

Loved this story!

This was my first book by Elle Maldonado but it will not be the last. She delivered everything my mafia, morally grey loving heart desires. And Elle can write the spice! Whew, when it hits…it hits!

Derek Cain… insert swoon here… This man! Everything about this man is hard…his heart, his muscles, his…. He is fueled by his desire for revenge on a father he never knew, that is until he meets the Eva, the object of his revenge. Then, he is only fueled by his desire for her. Derek doesn’t only claim that he would burn down the world or k!ll anyone that hurts Eva, he does and does it with a smile on his handsome face.

Eva is a strong, capable woman with a sense of duty and family. Unfortunately, even the most seasoned detective can be blind to the darker side of those she loves the most. She gives her heart to Derek to only have it shattered with the discovery of his hidden secrets. Will he be able to win her back? You will have to listen to find out.

Janine Granda and Bryant Walker were wonderful in their performances as Eva and Derek. They were able to portray the love and desire with perfect accuracy. I can’t wait to listen to more from both of these top tier voice actors.

EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT!

Reading this book has nothing on this AUDIO! The narrators were perfect and I loved every second of it 🖤.

I WANT MORE

I want more. It felt like a movie and so deeply detailed and I loved it.

Great Dual Narration

This was a great cop/criminal romance with mafia vibes and dual POV. The tension and spice were perfect!
I thought this was a great dual narration. I love Janine’s voice! Her male voice was good and that’s all I ask for in a dual narration!

Bryant Walker is new to me but enjoyed his voice! I would definitely listen to more from either narrator!!