SPICE: 3🌶, RATING: 3.5⭐️, VIBES: Betrayal, bounce back, and baguettes in France

I read this in one sitting because I had to know what happened. Our leading lady? Absolute queen. Gets cheated on, says au revoir to that loser, and finds her power (and a swoony new guy) in France. The man gives off “good-time-only” vibes at first, but plot twist—he falls hard. Trust is built, sparks fly, and I was fully hooked.

Listened to the audiobook as an ARC, and while I adored the narration, I did wish I had a bit more backstory—like how these American-accented babes ended up in France?

I was thrown by the title of the book...it didn't seem to fit the story.

Well I guess today is the day for finishing books heheheheh. My goodness this one had insta love and for me that is kinda not my thing but knowing what type of book this was I cut it some slack. Probably more like a 3.5 rounded up on the rating. It is an incredibly fast read so easily done in one day. And it is interesting enough to keep you turning those pages. I must say it also got dinged on points because that ending was so freaking abrupt. Like I felt like it was the ending of a chapter and not a book. But overall for the type of book it hit all it needed to be a good read. Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC of The Butcher.

This started out strong for me.. pretty much got right to the point. I liked that Bastian immediately went full protective mode towards Fluer. I do, however, wish that we could have seen a little more of what he does with the Fifth Republic and why he is the most dangerous man in Paris.

Towards the end, Bastian was a little too aggressive for my taste. It almost felt like Fluer got herself into an abusive relationship and that really gave me an icky feeling. I’m not really sure if I want to continue the series for this reason. The book also ended VERY abruptly.

I listened to the audiobook, and really enjoyed the narrators.

#TheButcher #NetGalley

One Night stand, turned insta lust and obsessed mafia boss. Spice was early and often. Narration was great.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going into it, but some things fell a little flat for me. Overall it was a quick listen and a good time.

The lack of chemistry between Bastien and Fleur really stood out to me, I didn't feel like there was a real connection between them - even if the sex was hot LOL. And maybe it's just me but I would have liked to see more "butchering", ya'know? I was hoping for a little more action, a little more "touch her and die", a little less of the MMC being an insufferable jerk to the FMC.

All of this to say, I will be reading book two.

I listened to this from NetGalley and this review is all my own.

First of all the FMC was so whiny and childish and immature the whole time. Major eye roll.

I went into this expecting some serious like morally grey MMC behaviors with some butchery and whatnot. We didn't get any of that, how disappointing and frustrating.

This was a DNF for me….

I rarely DNF but this one just wasn’t for me

I love a really good dark romance but this wasn’t it.

The book had tons of spice so if you like that you may be interested in this I love some spice buuuuut for me there was just not enough Plot in between those moments

Felt more like erotic or pornographic Esq than a dark romance.

I just struggled to connect

The narrators themselves were fine

I had really high expectation for this book, I assumed with he title this would be a darker book but it wasn't that. I also assumed this was romance and I'd call this more erotica which isn't my thing. Fleur is married to a very wealthy man who loves her or so she thinks till she finds out he has cheated on her. Moving out and trying to move on from her life Fleur finds out her husband won't let her go. After her horrible marriage Fleur has no desire to be in a relationship till she se's Bastian.

Bastian see's Fleur and wants her like he hasn't wanted a woman before, and once he get's her he has no desire to let her go. Bastian is the Butcher and many in Paris know who he is and what he does. but Fleur is different. As Bastian try to move forward with Fleur, Fleur's husband has other plans and Fleur isn't sure she can open up to another man after what her husband did to her.

I liked this book but I was hoping for more. We get the beginning of a really good storyline but too much is focused on things I wished it wasn't and too much isn't focused on other aspects of the story I wish it had. For a second I actually really liked Fleur's husband but her is a jerk. I liked Bastian but I wished we had seen more of his personality in this book and more of who he truly is. I also really like the story if Bastian's family and the villain. We see the start but not enough(but this is only book one to be fair). All in all not a bad book but I was hoping for more. I finished it pretty quickly and I think the storyline is really going to get good with the next books.

*Thank you Netgally and Dreamscape Media for this ARC

Huge thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC!

Michael Ferraiuolo and Stacy Gonzalez did more than just narrate; they worked wonders, bringing the story and its vivid characters to life. I was captivated by this dark, enchanting world of crime, heartbreak, and intense passion. The narrators’ dynamic chemistry takes listeners on an emotional journey, pulling you into the narrative.

The Story Begins: A couple is on the brink of divorce due to infidelity. Fleur, the main female character, still somewhat tied to her marriage, encounters Bastien, the main male character, at work, and the sparks are undeniable. Their attraction is magnetic, even as Bastien becomes possessive and eager for commitment before her divorce is finalized.
Prepare for a cliffhanger ending that will leave you eagerly awaiting book 2 to see how their story unfolds!

If you love morally complex heroes, strong heroines, and stories that blend danger with desire, "The Butcher" should be your next listen!

ALC provided by Dreamscape Media, Netgalley and Penelope Sky.

I wanted to really love this book. It was ok the smuttyness was definitely there!

Characters were good though not fully developed on the first book. although do not plan to continue the series.

Bastian was a great MMC definitely a golden retriever Zaddy 😅

wish we got more from Fluer.

The overall plot was very anti climactic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC!

Penelope Sky is back with another sizzling, addictive story, and The Butcher absolutely delivers. From the moment I hit play, I was completely sucked into this dark, seductive world of crime, heartbreak, and unexpected passion. The story kicks off with emotional devastation—betrayal at its worst—and spirals into an intense, magnetic connection between two people who shouldn’t work… but do, oh so perfectly.

Michael Ferraiuolo and Stacy Gonzalez are the dynamic duo. After loving them together in The Death series, I was thrilled to hear they were narrating this one, and once again they did not disappoint. Their chemistry, delivery, and emotional range elevate the entire listening experience. Every scene was perfectly paced and dripping with tension.

Yes, there’s a bit of a cliffhanger at the end—but it’s the kind that makes you more excited than frustrated. No confusion, just pure anticipation for what’s to come next.

If you love morally gray heroes, fierce heroines, and stories that walk the line between danger and desire, The Butcher is an absolute must-listen. Bring on the next book—I’m already obsessed.

ALC provided by dreamscape media and Penelope Sky

I love a good dark smut book, but this one just wasn't it for me. Honestly, I like the premise, but I didn't like the execution. The idea was cool, but I expected much more drama and darkness from the description. Also, the ending felt flat, like when it the audio ended, I was like "oh that's it." I expected more of a climax like his brother kidnapping her or something happening with her ex. Nope, just her accepting the relationship hesitantly. Also, if I never hear the word "channel" again to refer to a woman's vagina again, I would die happy.

I did really enjoy the male narrator, and I think for a different book, I would have enjoyed the female, but without having matching accents, it took the immersion if both of them being French away. Also, in my copy, the first chapter started, then a dreamscape intro, and then the first chapter restarted.

The Butcher was....ok.
The premise sounds good in theory, but it kind of misses the mark.
I found Fleur to be too whiney for my taste, and although Bastien seemed totally hot I actually think the narrators didn't do either justice.
I did really think I would love it but I think it was almost too fast-passed and I wanted to get to know more...or have more time for deeper connection with the plot and characters.
Overall I will give it a solid 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audiobook ARC

2 stars.

"The Butcher" by Penelope Sky is a dark mafia romance that I wish I had enjoyed more. One of the only things that happens here is that Bastian and Fleur hook up over and over and over and over again... that's basically it. I love me some spice, but there is so much more spice than plot here. And, there's so much more spice than intimacy and connection between the two of them! They could have been literally anyone, there was virtually no spark between them, just a physical relationship. I like it when characters really feel connected to one another on a deeper level, too, but there's none of that here. Now, this book ends on a cliffhanger, so I am going to have to assume more plot and connection happens in the next story, but as far as this book goes, the plot is scant at best. The writing is....not my favorite, and that's me being kind. There is *a lot* of cringeworthy dialogue here, lines where I audibly said "eewwww" and "ugggghhh"... SHE CALLED IT A FORKLIFT. A FORKLIFT!!!!!!!!!!!! The gasp I gusped when I read that! I also didn't particularly like the audiobook narrators, which is unfortunate. Stacy Gonzalez has been fantastic while reading other books, and I would go as far as saying she's one of my favorite narrators in general, but her accents are not good here, and it's not like she has good writing to back it up. I didn't love Michael Ferraiuolo, either. There's not a lot of action, there's not a lot of excitement... just a lot of hooking up. I am all for a trashy telenovela/soap opera-esque romance, but this just isn't it. I *might* pick up the second book because I am a glutton for punishment, but we'll see...

Thank you to NetGalley, Penelope Sky, and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This book was ok. It reminded me of the L.O.R.D.S. series and that is why I listened to it. Sebastian is not as hardcore as I expected him to be. I know there will be a second book and I hope it gets better.

A huge thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC of The Butcher

This was my first book by this author and unfortunately I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Now at first I thought I didn't really love the book but after a couple of chapters, I realized the problem for me was the narration. I think if I read this physically I would have liked it more but the narration juts took me out of this story. I do think the narrators did a fairly decent job with what they were given but it just didn't do it for me.

There also is virtually no plot. I understand wanting to read books that are all smut, no plot at times but I feel as if the description didn't really inform me that that was what I was getting myself into to so I just wasn't prepared for that. And there was no butchering. I was waiting for him to be a secret butcher or something but it just never came. Also the ending took me by surprise, I was under the impression that this was going to be a complete story, just to discover that the story continues in another book.

I was really hoping for a dark romance with a sexy morally grey MMC and high stakes action, but unfortunately this fell a bit flat for me.

The book itself has tons of spice, so definitely be mindful of that if that bothers you. To me it felt like too much of the book relied on the intimacy and the rest wasn’t built up enough to be engaging.

There was a lot of potential and I wish there would have been more to connect with the characters and the overall storyline.

The narrators did a great job, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for the ALC!

The Bucher is the first book in the Fifth Republic Series. Fleur is trying to divorce her cheating husband when she meets Bastin at the bar that she works at. Bastin is also know as the Butcher and he enforces the laws of the underworld of Paris. While Fleur is looking to start over and is not lookng for a relationship she can't help but fall for Bastin and all of his charms. The Butcher is a steamy and quick audiobook that anyone will love. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Im sorry to say I did not like this as much as I wanted to. I found the female narrator/voice actors interpretation of the fmc to be a big turn off. She was way to defensive and sounded like she had a victim mentality in the way she spoke. If I would have read this instead of listen to it I think it would have been better. I don’t know if this is exactly what the writer wanted and the voice actor was actually really good at her job so I feel really bad for saying this.

Regarding the story I found it interesting. Not deep enough or intriguing enough for me to continue the story but it was okay.

I thought this book was kind of choppy. The romance was good. Matador were good. 3 stars

Many thanks to Net Galley and Dreamscape Media for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.