The Muse

Angels and Demons, Book 2

By: Emma Scott

Narrated by: Zachary Johnson, Liam DiCosimo

Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

Cole Matheson didn't think the road to being a successful painter would be paved in gold, but he hoped there'd be fewer potholes.

Insidious self-doubt that whispers that he's no good, talentless, and hopeless has him on the brink of despair. Maybe it would be better to just give up. A midnight visitation by a beautiful creature of darkness changes everything…

Ambrosius Edward Meade-Finch surrendered to darkness centuries ago after knowing only pain and suffering during his short life. Now, Ambri makes humans dance on his strings, feeding on their desire for his own pleasure.

When his liege lord questions his loyalty and commands him to bring a human soul into their dark realm, Ambri thinks Cole Matheson seems like an easy mark. But Ambri didn't count on his goodness or the depth of his generous soul that wants Ambri just as he is. Cole never expected to find in Ambri a muse who unlocks his talent and might also be who his lonely heart has been searching for. Something fragile yet powerful grows between them, and the possibility of soul-deep love hangs in the balance—if only they have the courage to reach for it.

Fairy tale endings don't come without a price. The dark forces Ambri answers to have been promised a soul, and they're coming to collect…

From USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Emma Scott comes an emotional, paranormal love story of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of love over darkness.

The Muse is book two in the Angels and Demons series but can be enjoyed as a complete standalone.

©2023 Emma Scott Books, LLC (P)2023 Podium Audio

the ending left a little to be desired

I enjoyed this book, but once I got toward the end, I knew the ending was going to be as satisfying as I'd hoped. The HEA was fine, its the direct lead up that didn't do it for me.

Beautifully emotional, supernatural m/m romance

A beautifully written, emotional, supernatural story of love, sacrifice and redemption, with an amazing m/m romance. I loved this book!

This book follows on from 'The Sinner'. The characters in this book are the respective best friends of the characters from the first book, but it can be read as a standalone. Just beware spoilers for the ending of Book #1.

Ambri is a privileged Englishman from the 1700s who lived a sad and traumatic life before giving himself over to a demon in his final, torturous moments. For hundreds of years he has straddled the human and demonic realms, and now his masters want proof of his loyalty. He is to find a human soul, turn it to despair and hand it over to the dark side. Easy.

Cole Matheson is a gifted artist who cannot get a break. Nothing is going right for him, and he’s starting to question his talent and his worth. Cole is the perfect target for Ambri, he has already hit rock bottom and is questioning where to next when Ambri come into his life, hiring him to paint his portrait. It’s an irresistible offer, which Cole eagerly accepts.

There is a wonderful dynamic between these two. You have Ambri, who is confident, jaded and supremely sarcastic, and Cole who is sweet, kind, and good down to his soul. They ‘click’ effortlessly, and though they share a wild attraction for each other, Ambri is determined to keep his distance, he hasn’t let anybody close to him for centuries, and he’s not about to start now. But as they grow closer, their feelings become impossible to ignore. They fall hopelessly and completely, Cole’s huge heart healing Ambri in ways he never could have dreamed of. It’s a beautifully romantic journey for them, and I loved watching both of the boys so whole-heartedly embrace all that they’re feeling.

But there’s a shadow hanging over them – Ambri had a mission, and hell wants its prize. Can he protect his love? And what will he be willing to sacrifice to get the happy ending he never thought he could have?

OMG, what a rollercoaster of emotions this book is! I was so in love with the romance. Cole and Ambri are amazing together. They laugh and tease, their love is so pure yet so all-consuming, and watching them both heal from their trauma and pain was so, so beautiful!

I thought the supernatural aspect of the story was really well done. It’s a paranormal romance, for sure, but the paranormal stuff is minimal, and this is very much a character story – just with a twist. I thought that Scott’s supernatural world is well developed, and so effortlessly woven into the real world, life, and the challenges that we all face, and the story is well told.

I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Zachary Johnson and Liam DiCosimo, and they do a fantastic job bringing these characters and their story to life. I definitely recommend listening to this one!

Such a beautiful read – 5 stars.

Amazing In Every Way

Emma did an outstanding job with this story and the narrators, as per their usual, also were stellar!
The story is a bit angsty, but it's also funny, and beautiful. I loved the images it brought, I could see everything clearly in my mind. No words were wasted, not at all boring or slow moving. The spice level is mid to low but I didn't feel like it was missing or left me wanting more. I loved both of the MCs so much and was sad for everything they went through to get their HEA. It was worth it in the end and I have to say, most of the time when I get to the epilogue, I'm usually half tuned out. But this epilogue had me tuned in all the way to the last word. This book was totally worth the credit and I wish I could listen to it for the first time over and over!

Just Beautiful

Loved it through and through! I Might just have to listen to it again
Such a great listen

Demons, art, and MM romance. It was a perfect slow burn for me

a romance between a demon an an artist 🫠 that's all I needed to know to buy this audio

as an artist I loved how the struggles trying to create new work were written because it was very relatable

Liam and Zachary are two of my favorite narrators so I knew I'd love their performance and yeah, it was great!

it was a character driven, with sweet moments mixed between really emotional ones

this is my second book by this author and I hope we gwt to see more MM stories