First, this is a dark, dark romance - - like fifty shades on steroids dark. If you have any triggers, this novel will hit them with graphic detail. Read or listen at your own risk.

Arden and her friend Clover have experienced the tragic loss of their high school friend in a car accident. Arden’s mental health is already fragile due to a kidnapping several years before and her memories of the night are blurred. Fast forward a couple years to their freshman year of college where they are reunited after Arden’s second stint at intense therapy. Their campus grounds were once a place of witchcraft and the story is now the lore of the community. But, as the girls adjust and Clover’s brother, Tempest, gets in the mix something much bigger and scarier than a little witchcraft is discovered.

The audiobook of the novel was well done. The narrators did a great job of capturing the voices of Arden and Tempest. At times the male to female voice inflection was distracting but overall the story was able to keep moving. Good pacing.

The novel itself was good. The dark scenes were extra dark but not overly distracting to the flow of the story and did a fair job of developing the characters. The threads of story were well woven but some issues unresolved, so if you read the novel as a stand-alone be prepared. Overall a well done really dark romance where the villain is a villain through and through. 4 stars.

Review based on a Advanced Audiobook provided by Dreamscapes Media and NetGalley. Thank you!

I made it 70% of the way through this book and had to DNF. The story was going no where for me and I found both main characters annoying. Ardyn goes back and forth so much and I don't see any reason why she would develop feelings for Tempest. I've read quite a bit of dark romance, but I don't see the appeal to this relationship. I also felt that the occult subplot was unnecessary and took up way too much time. I will say that I enjoyed both audiobook narrators. There voices complimented each other and showed emotional range in their performance.

This one was not for me. The FMC was extra flakey, and just seemed to make really dumb choices throughout. The MMC was so toxic I think I need antibiotics. She forgives him for some ridiculously unforgivable things, while he decides she’s just not like other girls. There was no resolution at the end of the story, and none of the side characters seemed to matter much. If you were a fan of Haunting/Hunting Adeline, I actually think you might like this one. Again, it just was not for me. The first spicy scene gave me the ick so bad I had to chew gum to get the taste outta my mouth. A for effort, but it’s not my cup of anything.

This story is so dark and the trigger warnings should be minded. That being said fans of H.D. Carlton will fall in love with Ketley Allison's writing. There was no redemption or changing tempest and honestly that's the way I liked it. I enjoyed every second of this ride and the narrators did a spectacular job capturing the characters

Wow! What a an intense, dark, twisted and spicy book! This author is new to me and will certainly be on the lookout for more books. This book was like a thriller love story where I had sweaty palms and anticipation for where the story will take me next. Unexpectedly different but good! Arden and Tempest both have a dark past and may contain scenes which some readers may find uncomfortable. The narrator grew on me, overall a good narrator and good story. Would recommend

When the first review I read couldn’t give it a spice rating cause the were uncomfortable, I KNEW I had to pic it up!!

I was not disappointed!

I’ll give it to that reviewer, the romance is definitely not for the faint of heart and I 100% urge you to read all of the trigger warnings before diving in.

As for me, I LOVED it!

2 years after being in a traumatic accident, Ardin desperately tries to move on with her life by going off to college. She soon realizes it’s the same school as her best friends gorgeously broody brother, Tempest. She has had lingering feelings for this mysterious man since she was little and now seems like the best time to make her move. Down the rabbit hole we go!

I can not recommend this audiobook enough! Liam Dicosimo did such an amazing job bringing Tempest to life. Liam paired with Veronica Landon gave me all the grumpy sunshine vibes I needed.

3.5 Stars
This novel is for fans of super dark romances.

Ardyn had always had a crush on Tempest, her BFF's older brother. Now that she's going to the same college as Tempest, she wants to prove to him that she's not the same little girl he had known years ago. But Ardyn doesn't know that Tempest is part of a gang that does the unimaginable. He has killed and tortured numerous people. Can Ardyn handle being in Tempest's world?

I wish the characters were fleshed out more and had more development. Especially with the side characters and the relationship between Ardyn and Tempest. They didn't feel real enough. Other than that it was a good read. I would only recommend this to fans of dark romance and those who don't mind rougher play. (There were a few iffy and WTF moments.)

***Thank you to NetGalley, Ketley Allison, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

I... um... wow...

Jesus Christ.

Well, I think the only thing I can say that is remotely pleasant about this book is that it was certainly like nothing I've ever read before.

The characters are stupid. Like genuinely stupid. Ardyn, which is a weird name, by the way, has no sense of self-preservation but not in a suicidal way. She enjoys being raped. I'm not one to kink shame, but I draw the line at anything illegal. Rape is illegal, and Ardyn never gave consent, and she definitely should have revoked it. Understood consent should never be valid. Just because someone doesn't say no does not mean that they're saying yes, especially when you're choking them so hard that they can't speak. And Tempest? Also a weird name. Who names their kid that? Probably someone who also names their kid Clover. Tempest is a rapist and murderer. Yeah, those things exist, but Jesus, that kind of person should not be the love interest. Being traumatized does not redeem someone from the horrible things they've done.

I can't tell you what this book was about other than sex. A crime ring? I think so. I mean Tempest kidnaps Ardyn and fucks her while she's tied to a chair (the mechanics of which I do not understand). Temptest was SOLD?

To be perfectly honest, I've read better fanfiction on Wattpad. The fanfiction I've read at least has well-established characters and a plot someone can follow.

This book was horrifying. I genuinely had to stop listening for a while just to collect my thoughts.

I haven't picked up any kind of dark romance in a while so I was really excited to check out this ALC. You get Best friends Brother, Secret Society, and a little supernatural thrown in too. The dual narration was fantastic and I particularly enjoyed the MMCs narrator, they played into the villain role incredibly. The FMC narrator was also fantastic in portraying a young woman who battled to find her own bad ass while still being incredibly innocent. I did find myself speeding up the FMC narration several times, but when it’s at the normal pace, it did add a lot of suspense.

The story grabs you and you want to see where it will go, however I think the ending leaves you hanging a bit. Dark and sexy, but feels unfinished. I'm not sure if there are plans for another book, but it feels like there were still a lot of loose ends that needed tying off.

There is a whole witchcraft (maybe supernatural - it's never clear what was real and what wasn't) element that seems superfluous. I don't think it added much to the story except to give the sister an outlet for her grief.

The relationship between the MCs is toxic to say the least and I'm not sure how believable the ending is once all the major secrets are revealed between the two of them. Yes, the MMC is a villian through and through and has no redemption (which is fine, I love that he doesn't actually change) but it's hard to believe the FMC would accept and forgive all of his misdeeds from the last 3-4 years.

Overall the narration was great, dual POV with great emotion. The spice was dark and dirty which was a great add to the storyline.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC.

I wanted more of this book! when i heard 'epilogue' I was like, 'Wait! What? I want more!' This book was great. It is a dark erotica. So as always check the trigger warnings before you read.

First off, let's talk about the audio part. The narrators were great and they fit the characters so well.

I liked that there wasn't a redemption arch for Tempest. He is unapologetically him and I think that worked for this book. I don't think ever lead main male character has to be 'good' of have a redemption arch.

I would have loved to see more of Clover and Arden's friendship. Or what happened with Clover in the end.

Overall, great book.

When it comes to dark romance books there many avenues an author can take, this one was no different. The romance was quite well done, enough smut to make it live up to its name but not so much if felt overpowering. The buy in for the audience initially was done as following the time jump personalities were already established. If anything to critique I did wish for some more background on the mafia underbelly and the development of occult subplot. As for the narrators of the audio version I listened to, I very much enjoyed their narration and recommend others to give it a listen!

Cruel Promise

Plot: 1
Writing: 1
World Building: .5
Characters: 1
Themes: .5
4/5

Spice: 4/5
Narration: 4/5

What you can expect:
- Gothic vibes (spooky, paranormal in a college setting)
- Gaslighting
- Light blood play
- Kidnapping

I'd recommend this for those who liked books like Haunting Adeline, Heartless Heathens, or Satan's Affair. It's dark, twisted, and hot.

The audiobook was easy to listen to and quick to get through. I'm not the biggest fan of the male narrator doing the FMC's parts. It's really tough to do that right so it's not the biggest deal but it took me out of the story at times. Otherwise the dual narration was good.

The gaslighting in here by Tempest is insane. He's such a dick. It's hot. lol (dark girlies will understand). This book is NOT for everyone. It's a dark romance with triggers so if you're not used to dark romances, don't start here!

**SPOILERS**
Ok, replaying the kidnaping as a spicy scene is a way to help Ardyn cope with everything. S/M is sometimes used for r@pe victims so role play the scene and take back control/healing. So it wasn't Tempest glorifying Ardyn being a little kidnapped girl, I think that's a misunderstanding.

I received an advanced listener copy from Netgalley and Dreamscape Media. This is my honest review.

First I really enjoyed Tempest, both the name which I love and his character. The storyline with Mila is pretty unique and one I haven’t read yet, refreshing! So kudos to the author for creativity.

If you don’t like dark romance or have triggers than don’t read this and then come give a bad review. Just don’t. This is a dark book for people who like dark books. I took a star off because I actually wanted more story, and I’m hoping there’s another book that raps up the vultures and follows up with Rio and Clover. I also would have preferred more university scenes with other students and maybe less pre university storyline.

Overall an enjoyable read and if there’s another book I’ll definitely be reading it!

Ps for all the reviews complaining about the rape scene, Ardy knew it was Tempest the entire time so she deliberately goaded him. While it’s true his thoughts indicate he would do it even if she said no, she did in fact say yes out loud

Ok, I don't love it, but I don't hate it. It felt like everything AND the kitchen sink were thrown into this book. I was a bit lost why this was labeled a paranormal romance since you only received tiny bits and pieces of "Hey, my friend does wiccan things." Without spoiling it, it wasn't until the end I then said, "I guess... it's paranormal..." This is where I dropped it to 4 stars.

Now the spice and the dark romance were everything! I do love morally grey men, and Tempest Callahan delivered! Now this is where it lost another star - Ardyn. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE women who give into these men, BUT Ardyn's story semi-sort of didn't make sense to me. She was shielded from the world and only had the two friends taken to her security baby sisters, but when she "turned" bad girl, she was like, "Oh Tempest, I love all these bad things you do to me!" That part didn't transition smoothly for me.

But as I mentioned, I don't hate it. I just think there was so much going on, and a few parts were rough around the edges. (No pun intended. lol)


Now for the Audiobook, I LOVED these two narrators together; it's felt age appropriate for the characters and all around a great match! But I feel that speed-wise, the male narrator is faster than the female, which is fine, but as someone who listens to audiobooks at 1.5 - 2 times speed, it was difficult at times since the male narrator is sped up faster than the female voice so I had to keep playing with the speed settings while listening to the Audiobook.

This was DARK! Cruel Promise was super dark and super sexy. The trigger warnings should definitely be taken to heart. Tempest was a deliciously rough character - I can’t even say morally grey! - but I loved the possessiveness. Ardyn had already gone through so much after being kidnapped as a young child, and she has many flashbacks. Her character evolves dramatically over the course of the book, and I loved her story. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to review this audiobook.

The female narrator was excellent. The male narrator had a nice voice, but it was a little smoother than I expected for such a tough character.

I very much enjoyed this! I was pleased that the villain STAYED the villain and it was the FMC that accepted him for who he was rather than trying to (or unintentionally) changing him. The spice was awesome and the story was engaging. The narrators captured my idea of the characters very well and portrayed great emotion!

My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook.

This is mafia twilight and I did not know until like 60% in if magic was real in this universe or not. This has your standard dark romance fare; real bad boy says/does real gross stuff, horrifically traumatized girl loves him even though she absolutely should not, hot sex ensues.

Audiobook: 5/5

The audiobook narration was *chef’s kiss*. It doesn’t get any better than a dual POV with two narrators.

Spice rating: 5/5
(Spice scale: 1 Kissing, no sex implied or stated, 2 Closed door (sex implied or stated but reader not present), 3 Open door (on page sex), euphemistic language, 4 Explicit 1-3x, 5 Explicit and repeated > 3x or; on page kink)

Tempest Callahan!! Cruel Promise is a forbidden best friend's brother romance set in dark academia, equally atmospheric and mysterious. Deliciously dark and twisted, Tempest was everything I wanted in an anti-hero and more. Dominant and manipulative, he was cold and heartless, caught in a dangerous world and unapologetic for the way he lived his life. When Ardyn showed up at Titan Falls University, she flipped his world upside down, leading to questionable decisions that could have destroyed everything.

Ardyn Kaine, the fractured heiress locked away in a gilded cage, guarded and protected, struggled with social isolation and nightmares, merely trying to survive after the loss and trauma from her past. Innocent yet fierce and determined, she enrolled at Titan Falls to find freedom and regain her independence in an effort to prove she was no longer delicate and fragile. She always had a crush on her best friend's older brother, Tempest, but she wanted to remember the lost boy he once was, not the morally corrupt man he had become.

Tempest and Ardyn were two broken souls, shattered by the past. Overprotective and possessive, Tempest claimed Ardyn as his own and stopped at nothing to keep her safe. He simply craved her. She was his obsession and his downfall. I loved how they pushed each other to the limits, teasing and testing, but he never broke her. She was addicted to him and falling for the villain but she still wanted to show Tempest the good that was left inside him.

"I'm not going to stand on the outside and watch him go down in flames. I want to be beside him when he burns."

I loved how Ardyn brought a calming presence to Tempest. Yet everything between them was intense and heated, dirty and filthy, pain mixing with pleasure and creating the sense of control Ardyn had lost. Good mixed with evil until they became indistinguishable. But even though the fire between them was undeniable, I never really felt they had any emotional connection beyond that.

Elements of witchcraft and the occult were woven into the plot, adding a dark, gothic, mysterious edge. At times, the rituals overwhelmed the romance and slowed down the flow of the story but they also intensified the happenings within the college grounds. Hot professors were more than what they seemed, depraved and indifferent through murder and sacrifice and a secret society with rules of its own explored the depths of inhumanity. Check the extensive trigger warnings before reading.

The narrators, Veronica Landon and Liam Dicosimo, perfectly captured the essence of Ardyn and Tempest, holding my rapt attention throughout. Ardyn's strength and Tempest's darkness came through their words and I can't imagine anyone who could've carried this out better in their narration. I simply devoured every word they spoke.

** Special thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available June 27, 2023

Cruel Promise by Ketley Allison, narrated by Veronica Landon and Liam Dicosimo, is a haunting and chilling audiobook that delves deep into the twisted and macabre realm of love. This gripping tale explores the darker aspects of human relationships, weaving a web of suspense, manipulation, and despair that will leave listeners questioning their sick love of liking the depravity and gut-wrenching details of the story.

Veronica Landon and Liam Dicosimo's narration is nothing short of mesmerizing. Their voices drip with a haunting intensity, perfectly capturing the raw emotions and disturbing complexities of the characters. The seamless interplay between the two POV narrators adds an eerie depth to the audiobook, immersing listeners in a disquieting atmosphere that lingers long after the story concludes.

Prepare to be unsettled as the ominous and foreboding tone of Cruel Promise permeates every chapter. Love is not portrayed in its conventional form; instead, it takes on a sinister and twisted nature, shrouded in secrets and veiled motivations. The characters' journey through the shadows of their desires and obsessions creates a sense of unease that intensifies with each passing moment.

Within this chilling narrative, flawed and tormented characters come to life, grappling with their own inner demons and engaging in a treacherous dance of manipulation and betrayal. As their dark secrets are slowly revealed, listeners will find themselves entangled in a web of intrigue, unable to resist the wicked allure of this twisted love story.

Cruel Promise is an audiobook that is not for the faint of heart. It challenges traditional notions of love, delving into the depths of darkness with unflinching determination. With its gripping storyline, exceptional narration, and chilling atmosphere, this audiobook is a must-listen for those who crave a bone-chilling, twisted tale that lingers in the depths of their psyche.