Just finished The Carver by Penelope Sky on audio and I need someone to sedate me IMMEDIATELY because WHAT. WAS. THAT. 😭🔥

First of all, the narrator’s voice?? Had me kicking my feet and making poor life choices in my car. Like sir, how dare you whisper threats like that directly into my ear while I’m trying to buy groceries??? I will gladly betray national security for this man, no hesitation.

He is the kind of morally gray psycho that makes you forget you’re supposed to have standards. He said “don’t touch what’s mine” and I said “ok but do YOU wanna touch ME??” 🙋🏻‍♀️

This book was giving violence, obsession, and BDE in audiobook form and I was HERE for it. Plot? Yeah yeah. Characters? Sure. But mostly? I was feral. I was unwell. I was spiritually aligned with every bad decision being made. 😵‍💫

Final thoughts: This man is the reason I can’t be left unsupervised with audiobooks. 12/10 would listen again and let him ruin my life twice.

I had such a good time listening to this audio. Man was this audio steamy and just what I needed. I was obsessed with Bastien and how he had strong vibes for the MFC. I loved that it had twist throughout this book and kept me on the edge of my seat.

The narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo was so well done.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

The Carver is a dark, deliciously twisted ride that had me clutching my pearls and my Kindle. Penelope Sky delivers a story so steamy, it practically sizzles off the page. Bastien, the French Emperor and crime lord, is the kind of morally gray hero who makes you question all your life choices—and then some.

Fleur, the heroine, is caught in a whirlwind of passion and danger, and honestly, who could blame her? Bastien is the kind of man who would burn the world down for her—and I was here for every fiery moment. The chemistry between them is off the charts, and the plot twists? Jaw-dropping.

If you're into dark romance with high stakes, intense passion, and a hero who makes you weak in the knees, The Carver is your next must-read. Just make sure you're ready to fan yourself and maybe take a cold shower afterward.

I loved Bastien in the first one, but whewwww 🥵🥵 I'm obsessed with him in this one! The touch her and ☠️ vibes are strong with him, and I'm 100% here for it. It had quite a bit of twists, and some moments, I was on the edge of my seat. I decided to listen to this one on audiobook when I read the first one on Kindle. I honestly expected Bastien to have a different voice, but I still enjoyed it due to the story itself! I'm so excited to see what's in store for the next one!!

I received this audiobook from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media to listen/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully listening to this book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC,

I am loving this series so much!!

Bastien is simply AMAZING! Getting to know more about his history and up bringing, has man him just the prefect MMC.
Has for Fleurs ex-husband ... whatever his name is... absolutely dislike him for someone who was so against Bastien because he was " dangerous " yet he is the one that puts Fleur in a very dangerous situation. the one that gets Fleur. Overall I Can't wait to continue this series!!!

It was just okay I mean it had smut and some parts were very nice. I personally think I would’ve preferred reading it vs listening to the audio book. I don’t like how the characters did their voice for each other when it was in their specific chapters. I also would’ve seen the voice actors as more French. I think it’s interesting that it’s called the carver but he’s known as the butcher in the book. I know we learned a lot about his family but none about hers I honestly thought she didn’t have a family until a specific point in the book. I don’t mind where it started or even ended I just personally prefer more substance and darker plots overall.

The Carver is book 2 in the Fifth Republic series and a continuation of Fleur and Bastien’s relationship. Told in DUAL narration with dual POV’s, I was excited to be back in Bastien’s world, or better yet, underworld. Once again, Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo did an amazing job voicing these characters. I fell back into the storyline effortlessly. Complete honesty, I enjoyed Ramona’s voice for Bastien 😏 She had such a great “male” voice, I forgot it was her narrating at times.

The Carver dives deep into Bastien’s past and how he became who he was. We get to see the relationship with his father and the fallout with his brother, which I was curious about from The Butcher. After finishing this audio, I was left wondering, what is wrong with me?! Why am I feeling bad for Adrian. He’s a cheater and a jerk, yet I felt really sad for him. He loved Fleur and wanted her back. Don’t get me wrong, there are consequences to our actions, but I struggled turning my sympathy off for him. The author nailed that manipulation perfectly 😉

Once again, we are left on a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to get book 3 in my ears. I’ve enjoyed this series so far and look forward to the conclusion. I very much want Fleur and Bastien to get their HEA, but I need one for Adrian too!

Thank you, Dreamscape Media, for the ALC via Net Galley

Dare I say this one was better than book one? Yes. Yes, I do!

I’m obsessed with Bastien and Fleur. Their story picks up right where The Butcher left off and this one had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I listened to this on audio and didn’t even realize it was over until I heard the credits. It was THAT good!

The narrators were fantastic! But the storyline? Even better! Bastien and Fleur really step into each other and embrace the lives the lives they want.

And Adrien??? I hate him. The decisions he makes just infuriate me. Maybe he gets a redemption later, but for now? I just want to see him suffer!

On to the next because I’m desperate for it!

Does this reinvent the wheel? Certainly not. But did I enjoy every delicious second of it? You betcha

The carver by Penelope Sky is the second book in The Fifth Republic series. I don't really know where to start, for being in a middles of a series this feels a little on the slow side. Coming from The Butcher to this I had a bit more expectations for the story, once again we have a great foundation, but the execution and the edit felt bit behind. We have a secret society that is not utilized until the last bit of the story. I am not sure where the title is coming from and how it connect to the story. Bastian and Fleur's story is interesting but I wish there was more depth. This book is more smut then plot and the actual plot is in the last 5% of this book. There is so much potential , that hasn't been utilized.
For the narration, still great, still wish it was a duet.
I hope we will get to see a revisit second edition of this book where we can see all this potential brought to fruition.
I hope with the third book this story will pick up as we had an interesting last 5%.
The 4 stars are for the potential of this book has for me. And the hope that we will get there sooner .
Thank you for allowing me access to ALC , I really appreciate it!

I actually liked this one more than its predecessor. It had more plot and still a decent amount of spice. I’m curious so see how it continues to play out.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to this audiobook!

So, I found out this is the second book! So I quickly ran to speed read the first! I do love this book and the smut that comes with it. I can’t think of another word for it but I really enjoyed it. It was a quick read but Bastian is now a hot character now that I love! Morally gray but learning the background you want to love him more!!!!

A quick read and fully satisfying that made me quite happy!

It’s all about the code. If you don’t respect the code or honor the code, you are as good as dead.

Book 2 in the Fifth Republic Series by @penelopeskyauthor did not disappoint!

Bastian is the ultimate cinnamon roll! In this book, you get an in-depth look into Bastians life that led him to where he is today. Adrian furthers his idiotic self into more trouble…

I can’t wait to see where this story goes next!

Thank you @netgalley for this ALC! Great listen!

#netgalley #penelopeskyauthor #fifthrepublicseries #bastian #arcreader

The second installment of the Fifth Republic is here on audio, and this listen was just as alluring and entertaining as the first book in the series. It's spicy, it's page turning, and it's fast paced. A great continuation of Bastien and Fleur's intriguing, if complicated, love story and back in dreamy Paris.

The Carver digs deeper into the backstory that was the undercurrent of the first book- the feud between Bastien and Godric. The puzzle starts to come together a bit more as we understand more of what's at play, and of course this is juxtaposed to the sexy but angsty relationship development of Bastien and Fleur. Fleur is still dealing with her confidence issues after the drama with her ex, and is still disentangling herself emotionally (and life-wise from him) all while also diving deeper with Bastien, whose world makes things hard for them too.

Bastien continues to be darkly dreamy. I loved getting to know more about this mysterious man, his rise to power, and of course all the juicy details of his drama with Godric. I also love how over the top he can be with Fleur (i mean unaliving people is the most epic sign of devotion, right?). I both empathasize and related to Fleur's low self-esteem when it comes to Bastien's interest in her- but I also got a little impatient with it too. But I'm loving how they are falling more into each other, and I can't wait to see where their relationship goes next.

The pacing did feel a bit uneven- we had a lot of page turning action at the end though, if a bit rushed in conclusion, and plenty of tension, twists, and drama. And, of course, we have another cliffhanger that has me thirsty for the next.

I continued to enjoy the narration by Michael Ferraiuolo and Ramona Master. was very enjoyable who return for book 2. While Michael isn't exactly how I imagined Bastien's voice, I found it more resonant in this book now that I came to expect it and given that we dig deeper into Bastien's heart. Ramona continues to capture Fleur 's passion and emotional depth- and her insecurity. And we have understandable French accents too.

What to expect:
-dark romance
-obsessive, possessive, jealous, protective, and delicious anti-hero
-"mine"
-secret society
-touch her and get unalived
-organized crime/mafia
-Paris setting
-he falls first
-kinky
-one night stand to more
-billionaire

This is book two in the Fifth Republic series, and I am fully in now. Bastien is dangerous, intense, and completely irresistible. He’s the kind of man who terrifies everyone else but will burn the world down for the woman he loves. I couldn’t get enough of him and Fleur together. The chemistry between them was electric, and the spice was to die for. Seriously, this one was hot.

I absolutely hated Fleur’s ex. Adrien caused more trouble than he was worth, and every time he showed up, I wanted to scream. Watching Bastien handle things his way made it even better.

Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo were perfect in the narration. Their voices fit the characters so well, and they brought the right balance of emotion and heat. I loved listening to them bring this intense story to life.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ALC.

If you're a fan of dark romance, Mafia suspense, and morally complex characters, this audiobook is a captivating listen. Highly recommended for those who enjoy stories where loyalty and love collide with raw power and danger. The Carver delivers a heart-pounding emotional ride that keeps you invested until its explosive conclusion.

Thank you, NetGalley team, for the opportunity to review this thrilling audiobook in the Fifth Republic series!

OK NOW THE PLOTS GETTING SOMEWHERE. again, this one was very spicy. The narrators did a very good job with us and I really enjoy them they each bring their characters to life so well. I enjoyed this book. It just felt like there wasn’t a whole lot of plot until the end. That ending though had me absolutely shocked. I am really intrigued to see where the rest of the series is going to go. Thank you to NetGalley for my audio arc this is my honest review.

So first I would like to say that I didn't do my homework correctly and I didn't realize that this was the second the the series. I felt like I was walking into the middle of the story- cause I walked into the middle of the story.
This was a good mind candy book. They aren't some deep fated match, he's a rich mobster in Paris and she comes from nothing. I guess there are criminal enterprises everywhere though. The first thing that happens is that they break up. I've experienced 3rd act breakups I don't think I have ever experienced first act breakups but then again, its book 2 so maybe its closer to a third act breakup. Maybe my issue is that it felt short enough that it could be part of a book rather than a whole book on its own.
the sex was just ok. I hated the way he would just walk away from her every time. That actually pissed me off and he acts like a petulant child sometimes but I guess that's just men for you these days. She's also unnecessarily independent. The girl wont let him spend money on her or take care of her, she keep trying to get him to go to McDonalds. A French billionaire is not going to eat at McDonalds and you couldn't even spend all his money if he tried. Stop being so noble and buy things already. We are living vicariously through a fictional character, put the scruples down and spend the fake bills already.

I’m fully in this with Bastien now. Like… dangerously in. The man is basically the CEO of crime in Paris, and I’m over here swooning while he casually threatens people and solves my life problems like it’s nothing.

Adrien (aka the ex I never asked for) keeps poking the bear until the Aristocrats get involved and instead of targeting him, they come after me. Because apparently being technically still married is enough to land me in the middle of a mob war. Fun times!

Now, Bastien? The Butcher? French mafia royalty with a moral compass that spins like a broken fan. He’s terrifying, lethal, and somehow the hottest man I’ve ever read. The kind of guy who’ll gut someone in the morning and tuck you into bed at night. And weirdly? I’m into it.

But if we’re being honest… plot? Barely there. It felt like 90% smut, 10% vague threats and vibes. I’m not mad, but I was definitely expecting more depth than just bedroom diplomacy and passive aggressive mafia politics. Half the time I didn’t know what was going on, but I did know what position they were in if you catch my drift.

Would I let Bastien ruin my life? Absolutely.
Would I recommend this for the plot? Girl, what plot.

This was a fun quick read, perfect for the dark romance and mafia girlies. I really enjoyed the flashbacks into the MMC background to show how he got where is currently is. It also shows some redeeming qualities and that he may not be the bad guy he lets on to be. The narrators were really guy. For me, that can be a make or break on an audiobook.
I'll have a review planned for social media which will be much more polished; link to review will be added once posted to Instagram. These are just my initial thoughts.