Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book as an audiobook. I loved the narrator made the story really easy to listen to

This one was a mixed bag for me. I loved our heroine Because she’s fiery and determined… but the romance didn’t quite hit for me. The action definitely picked up though, and the narrator did a great job keeping things engaging. Still a decent read and enjoyable if you’re into fantasy with high stakes.

I had a tough time with this and kept putting off listening to it. It was hard to follow in places and I didn’t love the berserker thing. Also the romantic development was clunky.

3.75⭐️

The Stolen Bride is the thrilling sequel to The Wrong Bride, continuing Gena Showalter’s enchanting and dangerous world of berserkers. This installment follows Clover, a fierce and determined heroine, as she’s forced to make an impossible choice: save her beloved sister or the powerful King Viktor Endris, a man she’s unexpectedly developing deep feelings for.

While this book can be read as a standalone, readers will get more out of the story if they're familiar with the lore and emotional groundwork laid in the first installment. There’s a noticeable uptick in action and intensity in The Stolen Bride, with high-stakes moments that keep the pages turning. However, the romance between Clover and Viktor feels slightly less developed than in the first book, as their relationship sometimes takes a back seat to the plot’s fast pace.

The audiobook, narrated by Nina Yndis, adds another layer of immersion. Her rich, expressive voice brings Clover’s strength and vulnerability to life, and she delivers the emotional highs and lows of the story with nuance and power. Yndis’s performance enhances the drama, making this a great listen for fans of high-stakes fantasy romance.

I wasn’t sure about this book at first. But ended up listening to it all day. Hopefully Juniper gets her happy ending also. I need to go back and read the 1st book in the series.

Second inseries
Story wasn't engaging for me.
It was a okay read might be better for someone else.
Narration was ok.
Voluntarily reviewed.

I loved the first book, but as not a fan of the second. I just didn’t like the characters as much. And it just could not live up to the first one.

I was only given this book six days before published and sadly was unable to finish in time but I
liked it on par with book one.

Thank you for the chance to review! I thoroughly enjoyed this audio! The narration was spot on and I couldn’t wait to jump in every day! I need more and I can’t wait!

I would give this 2 and a half stars. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me, firstly I didn't realise it was the 2nd book in a series, secondly I was confused by the plot for a lot of the book and lastly I didn't connect to the characters. I'm sure it could be a great book for others, positives was I enjoyed the narrator.

“The world will end, but our love & peace will endure.”

Another fun addition to the series!!
*Sad we didn’t get to see our previous couple, but this was still a good time 🤍

I esp loved the take on female Berserkers- Clove was such a mood & even though we barely got much time w/ Juniper, her personality was already a fave!!
*I have to say, I still love Callen a bit more lol.

The plot twist at the end… Gagged. I saw it coming, but not the overall reveal!! That part did shock me. Overall, I enjoy this series & wonderfully if we’ll ever get one w/ all 9 Kings 👀 And maybe a continuation from our last story!!
Nina Yndis did an amazing job narrating this 🫶🏽

*ALC Review*

The Stolen Bride by Jill Monroe & Gena Showalter.

Thank you to the authors and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this ALC.

I enjoyed the world building and character development of this story.

The narrators were phenomenal. I will recommend this audiobook/novel to my audience!

How did I go from begging for more in the series to not even wanting to finish this one? I loved the first one I gave it four stars! this one? Two stars feels generous. This is so vastly different from the first one. What the hell is going on in this world this is such a jumbled mess of collided worlds It was hard to distinguish what was happening. I don’t know if I’ve ever hated a female character as much as I hate this one. This narrator made so many extra noises, the gasping the ohs the ahs I hated it. Which is crazy because before I’ve given this narrator five stars for just the narration alone her narration in this was horrendous compared to the other work. I’ve heard from her, which leads me to believe it’s the writing. I hate leaving bad reviews for books I got on ARCS but this thing was just horrendous. Thank you to NetGalley for my audio arc. This is my honest review.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first. It was a fun time, I liked the main characters and the story. The narrator on the audiobook also was very enjoyable to listen to.

While I did not read book 1 of this series, book 2, The Stolen Bride, is captivating. I received an audio version of the book to review and am thrilled to say it is a must read/listen! Strong characters and character development, amazing scenes, and enthralling action, all perfectly enhance the slowly developing love story between Clover and Victor. And who has read a good Berserker fantasy in recent decades? Not I. It will catch your attention and keep you hooked through every battle, every enemy, every unpredictable plot twist!

3.75 Stars 🌟

I was given the opportunity to listen to the audio ARC of this book and did not even realize that it was Book 2 in the series until later. I rushed to Goodreads to see if I had read the first book - The Wrong Bride - and was surprised to realize that I had.

This audio book was narrated by Nina Yndis and I enjoyed listening to the story. The premise surrounds our FMC Clover Deering who is kidnapped and dropped into a different dimension with the instructions to find a certain King and make him turn evil. Piece of cake, right?

The MMC happens to be the Beserker King Viktor who just happens to be a bit mad. The story had many funny moments because the premise was truly zany. There are beserkers fighting against their beasts, shifters - who have given into their beasts and lots of prophecies thrown in for fun.

Clover and Viktor are thrown together and it is fun watching their relationship develop. It becomes even more interesting when we discover that there is more to Clover than we first thought. Throw in lost twin sisters and an evil goddess and things go from there.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ARC. This book will be out for publication on June 17, 2025.

I received an advanced copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Clover is a dog groomer who gets kidnapped and dropped into the realm of a Berserker King. She just so happens to have Berserker (aka sentinel) lineage and a missing twin? If she works with Viktor to defeat his former best friend turned enemy, she can find out more about her history. Viktor has an invisible evil lady whispering in his ear and spends half his time pulling his hair out due to her machinations. Viktor is really possessive and growly but also a little bit insane, and Clover keeps waffling about whether or not she likes him (spoiler: she does). They're a perfect match.

I would like to know more about the politics and history of the shifters and berserkers and whatever else exists in this universe because they all come from a fallen star I guess? Clover isn't my favorite character, but it's mostly because she's one of those with a constant running monologue and that is a personal dislike. I think the basis of this story is cool, and while nothing really went according to plan, it wasn't terribly surprising. I think this is a good read for people who like fantasy-lite romance because there are fantasy elements, but other than turning into a berserker and some portal magic, it's not a ton of fantasy. These characters are adults but this felt like a YA novel to me. Not in a bad way, just that the lost twin, the back and forth over whether or not she likes the boy, and the dialogue felt a little more like what I've experienced in YA.

It was pretty easy to listen to, and the narrator did well. Although because I listened and didn't read this as a visual book, I spent a good bit of the first couple chapters thinking we were talking about 'turtle' shifters rather than 'turo (sp?) shifters because the sound in my car is a little wonky 😂

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the audiobook!
3.5/5

The narration was top-tier! It felt like I was listening to a movie or Broadway play. The voices were so animated and filled with emotion. And the different accents really made the characters, especially Viktor come alive. And the quick pace made you want to keep listening.
I loved the interactions between the Viktor, the grumpy berserker, and Clover, a quirky stubborn woman who uses tricks she learned from her pet spa to keep her reluctant ally calm. I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did, but their witty banter and undeniable connection that they were trying to resist made for epic laughs and heart warming romance.
Lots of twists and turns that kept me turning the page. A very fun read! I also really appreciated that this book could be read as a standalone, even though it was book 2 in the series. I'll definitely have to go back and read book one.

The world this story built was so cool. There were parallel realms, shifters/berserkers, alpha male, he falls first energy. Just everything. This a story to read if you want a fun, engaging read with great characters and fantasy storyline without too much painful world building.
The narrator did a good job overall, there were a few times where her accent came through and I almost wish she would have read the story in her accent instead of an American accent. I think it would have been a cool addition to the story but overall it was good.

3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ this was an adventure story more than a romantic one. There was insta love that I know we can expect with fated mates but I didn’t feel like there was much chemistry with Clover and Viktor. I really liked Viktor, he was a simple strong and immortal berserker/man who was haunted by evil. Clover was a little pushy and I struggled to like her at times. I LOVED the found family and the TWIST! I liked the other dimension aspect to the story but I wanted more information on how the world was different from earth.

The narrator did a very good job with Victors accent and I enjoyed listening to the whole story.

No spice 🫑

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook ARC