Speak

Rayne-Moore University, Book One

De: Ruby Darling

Narrado por: Heather Firth, Joe Arden

Raven Monroe

I think I always knew I was going to die young. Like I had this… silent, invisible clock ticking down to my final moments plastered above my head. Maybe that’s why I was so reckless, crazy. Why I sought after adventure. Why nothing scared me… Except, there was always this… feeling I couldn’t shake that something was in the darkest parts of every corner, under every bed, closet, or room, like a ghost watching me. Waiting to take me. My own, personal reaper.

But it was always only during a lightning storm that I could see the outline of my reaper. No scythe. Just a tall, faceless shadow in a hood, staring at me in the dark…

That was the thing though. It was never the storm itself that scared me. Never the loud booming of thunder. Never the howling wind or the way the windows rattled. Never the sound of rain pounding against said windows. It was just that goddamn lightning.

Seems fitting, I suppose, that I’d die before my twentieth birthday during a freak lightning storm of the century… I just always thought I’d die while doing something dangerous—F*ck it. I’d even take a boring death like simply dying in my sleep from a brain aneurysm or even an early onset heart attack.

Anything.

I’d take any other way other than this...

©2024 Ruby Darling (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing

WTF did I just read!!!!

Wow! I devoured this in 1 day and loved it! Wish there more than five ⭐️ to rate. Check your TW for sure! The audio was amazing cuz Joe Arden is panty dropping as always. The plot had me like DAMN 👀. Sex, sex, sex and more sex 🥵.
Great job Ruby!

Phenomenal

Absolutely loved this book!! The narrators were perfection!! The story was phenomenal and Spicy and the plot kept me hooked.

All the Stars!

Ruby Darling you have created a masterpiece. And brought it to life with Heather and Joe Absolute perfection!
OMG this was incredible start to finish. Im on the edge of my seat for the rest of this series. The plot! The characters! The spice!
All Perfection! Of course check your TW before diving in. Keep your liferaft close because its worth the plunge.

A dark romance why-choose that is plot driven and satisfying

Thank you to Blue Nose Audio for this ALC.

Audiobook magic comes in many forms. It’s in the familiarity of the voices you’ve sought a sense of escapism from, combined with a storyteller who can build a world and write characters you fall in love with, flaws and all.

Heather Firth and Joe Arden’s acting chops, alongside Ruby’s writing, bring Rayne-Moore University and its cast of characters into a delicious dimension in the audiobook Speak.

I had previously eyeballed this story, so I had an idea of what to expect story wise. To recap for you:

Raven suffers a traumatic event, causing her ability to speak to collapse. She is treated for years by Dr. Damon Archer, a psychiatrist, who secretly pines for her. Upon release, and as a 24 year old, Raven wishes to return to Rayne-Moore University to finish her degree, find answers, and enact her own revenge. There she meets Jonas Anderson (a collage aged football player) as well as Maverick Harrington (a professor).

Each man is spellbound by Raven’s dark magic, her lovable quirkiness, and her delicious sense of sexy humor.

Heather voices Raven, and she was immediately the performance I was most eager to hear. Much of Raven’s POV is her inner monologue, and as the story progresses it is clear she has a growing desire to communicate by way of signing and speaking. Heather’s voice in Raven’s POV is impeccably Raven; slightly raspy yet melancholic. She is pure poetry in the prologue alone: the traumatic scene and thereafter really striking a visceral chord with me as a listener. I listened to it multiple times.

It is important to note that while Raven is “voiceless”, make no mistake that she is unable to communicate. These three men in particular connect with Raven on a level that feels destined. When Raven eventually signs and attempts to speak…well, Heather makes this feel real and insistent. Raven begins to find an urgency and a desire to vocalize. Heather found her voice and it truly feels as if she is lending Raven her own wings by way of this performance. I am itching to get Heather in my ears for book two, because Raven is ready to fly.

Damon. Jonas. Maverick. On page, I was drawn inexplicably to all three. When Joe performed some of this LIVE in his online discord, I just knew he was going to find the heart of these men and voice the hell out of them.

Expectations, exceeded.

I really enjoy Joe in a book with multiple male main character POVs; one of his voice acting flexes is his effortlessly he exchanges dialogue between multiple male characters so distinctly and with such believability. Damon is precise, and obsessive, yet so tender. Jonas is the golden retriever with a dominant side that will make your pulse race. It’s no surprise that Joe’s take on Maverick is my personal favorite. The slight southern sauce Joe pours into Maverick’s character is a dance between decadent and dangerous. For reference, go ahead and give chapter 25 a listen. Of all the voices, Maverick’s always finds its way to burrow in a little deeper.

This book is the first why-choose I’ve read where I’ve adored all of the main characters with equal amounts of love.

Raven is a brilliantly written FMC and Heather gave her exactly what she needed to soar in her darkness. The men? Their devotion and ability to see this woman is a true testament of soul-gripping love (and lust) that burns by way of Joe’s performance. Joe also gives a brilliant performance as Chase in one of the most chilling chapters I’ve ever heard.

Wild Ride!

Raven was left for dead but she survived and since then she hasn’t spoken a word. Now, she’s returning to Rayne Moore University to take back control of her life and uncover the truth.

From the moment she arrives, Raven draws the attention of three very different men, a smitten football player, a dark and broody professor, and a doctor who’s followed her there with intense devotion. All three are possessive, protective, and willing to do whatever it takes to make her feel seen, safe, and desired. Each offers her something she’s been missing and together, their chemistry is absolutely electric.

Narrators Heather Firth and Joe Arden deliver a phenomenal performance, capturing every ounce of passion, tension, and vulnerability in Raven’s tangled relationships.

If you’re craving a why choose romance packed with heat, secrets, and surprising twists, this is a must listen.

Dark Why Choose Romance

Speak by Ruby Darling is a dark why choose romance that I listened to on audio narrated by Heather Firth and Joe Arden. This is the first book in the Rayne-Moore University duet.

This is the first book of Ruby's that I have read, and it definitely won't be my last. I was pulled in from the first chapter and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I am loving the chemistry between Raven, Damon, Jonas, and Maverick. I can't wait to see how everything will play out in their relationship. I really enjoyed getting Raven, Damon, Jonas, Maverick, Chase, and Tyler's points of views throughout the book. It really brought the story to life.

The book ended on a great cliffhanger that left me begging for more. I can't wait for the next book in the series Stutter to be released on audio.

OMG Heather and Joe were absolutely amazing on this book! They both really know how to bring a story to life and make you feel everything the characters are feeling. I don't think you could have casted this any better.

I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a dark romance, why choose romance, or romantic suspense.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was not just a book!!! This was a whole freaking experience!!!!

First off Joe and Heather went above and beyond with this!!!! The fact that Joe was multiple people and they all sounded so different you would think it was 3 different narrators!!! Is nuts to me! Now the emotion Heather brought?!?! Being that our FMC is mute and majority was all internal thoughts. Pure talent!!!!

Now Miss Ruby has me hooked in the prologue!
She starts running in hot and there’s no slowing down this entire book!!!!!

We have a mute FMC out for revenge and her 3 men
a freaky af, football playing golden retriever
a obsessed, meticulous, stalking doctor
And a unhinged, at war with himself professor

And it being a duet means of course it has to set things up for book 2, which I am about to read right now!!

Phenomenal

I can just see it now. Speak. A major motion picture. Okay, fine, for now I’ll settle for the audiobook. My brain already plays it like a movie in my head.

Have you ever read a book and had a specific voice in mind for the main character? Just me? Well anyway, Heather Firth IS Raven. She sounds exactly how I pictured she would sound. Heather made a phenomenal Raven, absolute 10/10 performance.

Oh Joe. So many different male voices, and I think he hit it out of the park. Our guys: Damon, Maverick, and Jonas all have very distinct differences and we couldn’t have asked for a better narrator than Joe to bring our leading men to life. Not to mention the many supporting characters he gave voices to as well.

Seriously Speak. is one of my favorite books. I am so beyond blown away with this audio book. 10/10

Ruby Darling….just amazing as always.

OBSESSED!!!!!

The way this duet will CONSUME you!!!

Speak is book 1 in the Rayne-Moore University duet. This is a dark why choose romance. Make sure to check the trigger warning.

Ruby, I adore you and your beautiful brain that creates these incredibly deep characters and this emotion filled world.

Raven is our FMC and she goes thru something so traumatic that she can't talk anymore. After being sent away (and getting a super fine therapist that also follows her wherever she goes laugh) is back for her revenge at the scene of the crime, Rayne Moore University.

Jonas is absolutely mine and I claim him from now until forever 😂 he is adorably unstable and I am here for it.

Damon is the therapist that will stop at nothing for his patient, and is very dirty 😂

Maverick gives all the Daddy vibes and the professor student aspect, ugh. I ate it up!!!

But it's so much more than these characters that I love. Ruby created such an intriguing, emotion filled world with plot twists you won't see coming and a FMC that gets the revenge we all wish we could get on the ones who hurt us.

Ruby Darling is an absolute GEM of a human being and her writing is PHENOMENAL! THIS IS DEFINITELY A MUST READ!!!!!!

and the audiobook!?!?!?! I can't even put my feelings into words 😂

Yes!

New favorite audio of 2025. Just wow! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Perfect story and fantastic narration. A why choose for the ages. Worth all the credits!