The Highest Bidder

The MacTavish Heirs

De: Arianna Fraser

Narrado por: Zee Dara, Xander Marceaux

She thought being sold in The Auction was just for one night. She was wrong.

Ethan...

I find lost things and people for the MacTavish Scottish Mafia.

Sometimes, I return them to their proper owner. Sometimes, I make them disappear.

When I'm charged with bringing back runaway Sloan Masters to her father, the instructions are disturbing: If you can't extract her, unalive her. I don't hurt women, I protect them. But I still have a job to do. When I find her, there's one more wrinkle. To retrieve her, I'll need to be the highest bidder at her auction. This pretty little runaway is expensive, but her sweet body is worth every penny. She's fascinating; secretive and fueled by fury, and she's not willing to trust me. Taming her will be the biggest challenge of my life.

I'm ready for it.

Sloan...

They call him the Scottish Demon.

His name is uttered like a curse throughout the crime world, a horror story parents tell to children to make them behave.

So when he comes for me, I can’t run fast enough. Ethan MacTavish has the body of a Greek god and the charm of a sociopath bent on world domination. I can’t tell him the secret I’m hiding, the reason my stepfather sent the Demon after me. The more I fight, the tighter he holds me. Can I trust him with my secret, or will he make me disappear, too?

The Highest Bidder is a standalone dark mafia romance with a HEA and no cheating. If you love your men morally grey, you're going to fall in love with Ethan.

©2025 STA, LLC (P)2025 STA, LLC

Kilty Pleasures

Arianna Fraser- The Highest Bidder
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Ethan and Sloan
Genre- Mafia Romance (Scottish Mob)
Length- novel
Heat- Includes some particularly hot Hoover moments (as in, he’s getting the carpet very clean…)
Series? Y. Not only is this a series, but it’s also the second generation of another series. Which you must read.
Safety? Y
Triggers- Graphic Violence, Language, Sex, Medical Stuff, Traumatic Bathtub Experience.
Tropes- Simply Mad About the Mob; Abducted Bride; Bachelorette Auction; He Kilt My Mother, Stole My Dog, and Shot My Bible; Bad Reputation; Dysfunctional Family FTW; Hot Scots; Forced Marriage; Love Me, Love My Family; MacGuyver Is a Scot.
Mewsings
Arianna is a very bad influence on me because every time I read one of her books I have to expand my harem-hizem of book boyfriends. At this point, there are so many that they’re all going to have to win the lottery and support themselves, or I’m going to have to go back to strippers and Cheetos.
However, I can’t resist Ethan and I’m trying to get Alexa to add him to my cart.
Speaking of Add to Cart, that’s what Ethan does when he sees Sloan up for auction (don’t worry- the auction is voluntary). Of course he has ulterior motives. He is a fixer of problems and a finder of lost items for his crime family, and Sloan is both.
Two abductions, many gunshots, and a forced marriage later, Sloan is exposed to the craziness of the MacTavish Family, who look at her adventures with Ethan as Just Another Wednesday. They are an eccentric family with a penchant for kidnapping their brides and, since the last generation, have been busily producing Masses of MacTavii cousins, all of whom have distinct personalities. Engaging characters are one of Arianna’s strengths; I enjoyed the MacTavii as individuals and en masse.
Ethan and Sloan are the centerpiece of the story and are too much fun to be allowed in one book. Sloan is the very definition of the word “plucky” (which is a term permitted for use regarding orphans under the terms of the Geneva Convention). She’s easy to like, doesn’t whine, and is a darned good shot. Ethan is a machine with mad skills for survivalism, tenderness, and moving on even after he’s been hit with bullets. I’d say that you can’t keep a good man down, but this man is also very good at getting down…
This story is a smooth blend of adventure, romance, and humor. Like all of Arianna’s books, I want to hoard it and call it my precioussss, but I’m willing to share this one because I’m a nice person since the court-mandated counseling.
I loved this audiobook. Zee Dara’s voice is clear and sweet, with a delightful edge of naughty. Xander Marceaux has a voice that is pure sin, and I lose my mind when he uses that sexxy Scottish accent. And regarding that hizem that I mentioned? He’s next. Kilts are mandatory.

I've got you

This was amazing!! I don't usually listen to audiobooks even though they are so fun, but I couldn't resist listening to this one. This book first and foremost, is one of my favorite Arianna Fraser books. The writing is amazing, the story is detailed and yes I have already read the book previously and left a review on Goodreads about this steamy couple. The chemistry is rich and the adventure and action that takes place here is SO exciting. But then getting to hear this book...oh. My. Gosh. This was already amazing enough but hearing it was awesome!

He takes what he has to take, he plans on keeping what he needs to keep. All of this woman is his. If it worked for the other men in the family, why not?!

I listen to audiobooks at the same time that I open the book and read along with it if I already own the book and of course I already own this one. I have heard some ok voices and ones that I nitpick on, but everyone has their preferences. This was wonderful!! Ok, first off we'll tackle that accent of our male narrator. Now that is some voice! It was the right amount of Scottish and husky male and it was no hardship for me to listen to!! Both of our narrators had clear voices and I didn't hear overly raspy or breathy tones. Both were smooth voices and ones I found fit my two leads. And again, I am going to be picky because I adore this family and this world. The voices and their styles and tones of speaking did it perfectly. This book was already the right combination of family, love, adventure, action and romance. But listening to two spot on voices portray my leads?! Icing on my cake I tell you! I loved this and this was a real treat!

Bought by Fate, Claimed by Fire

Some love stories begin with a spark. Others begin with a contract, a threat, and a man who was never supposed to care.

The Highest Bidder drops you straight into the dangerous, morally gray world of the MacTavish Scottish Mafia—and doesn’t let go. Ethan MacTavish is a fixer, a retriever of lost things, and a man whose reputation precedes him. When he’s sent to bring back Sloan Masters—with lethal instructions if she resists—he expects a job. What he gets is a complication he can’t walk away from.

Sloan is more than a runaway. She’s desperate, guarded, and hiding a secret big enough to get her killed. When survival forces her onto an auction block and Ethan becomes the highest bidder, the power dynamics crackle with tension. What starts as possession quickly shifts into something far more dangerous: attachment.

This story thrives on intensity. Forced proximity, reluctant trust, and sharp emotional clashes fuel a slow-burn romance that feels volatile and addictive. Sloan pushes back hard—sometimes frustratingly so—but her journey from frightened survivor to a woman who refuses to apologize for her strength is compelling. Ethan’s arc is just as satisfying, watching a man trained to control outcomes learn that protection isn’t about ownership—it’s about choice.

The stakes are high and the emotions higher. Plane wrecks, pursuit through unforgiving terrain, and mafia politics collide with moments of vulnerability and heat that feel earned rather than rushed. While some physical feats stretch realism, the emotional payoff more than delivers.

What really seals the deal is the chemistry—especially in audio. Zee Dara and Xander Marceaux bring Sloan and Ethan to life with grit, tension, and a Scottish growl that makes every confrontation and confession land harder.

Dark, intense, and unapologetically dramatic, The Highest Bidder is perfect for readers who love morally gray heroes, dangerous devotion, and romances forged under pressure. This is a story where love isn’t safe—but it’s worth every risk

love this book

overall amazing listen. great story equal amount intriguing and action. exciting listening great job by narrator's the accent's were awesome.

Loved The Highest Bidder Audible!

Arianna Fraser is my favorite author! I’ve read all of her books on Kindle, and happily write reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. The Highest Bidder, A Dark Scottish Romance, and one of my favorites, was just released on Audible. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I was going to react to hearing “voices” of the characters and plot I knew so well. I’m a reader rather than a listener, and I had my own idea of what the main characters would sound like. I was worried I’d be disappointed, but boy was I wrong! I have to say I was completely hooked from hearing the first words spoken. The talented voice actors truly brought Ethan MacTavish and Sloan Masters to life. Ethan, with his growly Scottish brogue, was very intense, and I had to keep fanning myself…literally! Sloan’s “voice” was realistic and had a lovely quality to it. The resilience of her character really came through. I was totally absorbed in the mayhem, madness, and love story of Ethan and Sloan all over again!