I’m so invested in Bastien and Fleur it’s not even funny. This audiobook was emotional, intense, and beautifully narrated—Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo brought the characters to life so well.

Bastien is peak morally gray, and his ride-or-die love for Fleur? I ate it up. That kind of "I’d burn the world for you" energy gets me every time.

That said, Fleur’s constant self-doubt dragged a bit for me, and the pacing felt slow until the end. Still, I couldn’t stop listening. The cliffhanger got me good—I’m already queued up for the next one.

🎧 Audiobook: 10/10
🔥 Spice & angst: Solid
📚 Mafia romance fans—don’t skip this series!

The Carver is a great follow up to The Butcher. I loved that there was more of a backstory in this book. It really made me appreciate the MMC more. I love that he tells the FMC exactly what he wants. This book had the perfect mix of spice and storyline and I really enjoyed it. I listened to the audiobook and both of the narrators did a good job. I still feel like the female narrator’s voice had some weird inflections, like she makes him seem super angry, while the male narrator’s voice seems calm. Also, I feel like her accent doesn’t line up for me for this particular character. 🖤

I would like to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for giving me an ARC (which did not sway my opinions or review).

This was fantastic. I didn't read the books but I LOVED the audiobooks. The voices were perfect. The story was great. Im so invested in the characters i want to start the next one. (to bad the audio isn't out reading wouldn't do it justice) It was longer than 100% but i figured that was the formatting in it. I have recommended it to many people already.

I received a ALC in return for my honest opinion.

(Audio)

Read book one and I felt like it definitely needed more and gave the second book the benefit of the doubt but nope DNF at 50%

All I have to say is what a ride!! This book was a quick, amazing read! I need the next one right now! This book was hot, and Bastein is very yummy. The writing was good. It’s a solid mafia type romance. The hero, Bastein, is brutal in his business but soft for Fleur and his mom. The conflict and plot were solid. The pacing was fast. The steam was hot!! I didn’t necessarily like how Bastein treated Fleur in the beginning, but I feel like we finally have the backstory that shows us why Bastien is the way he is. Plus, he redeemed himself later on. We definitely learned a lot more about Bastein’s past and his family. The narrators did another great job bringing this book to life. Their voices definitely matched how I thought the characters would sound. I received this book from Dreamscape Media and Netgalley! All opinions are my own!

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!
Narrated by: Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo

Penelope Sky is back with another dangerously addictive installment, and The Carver does not disappoint. This book is a delicious mix of danger, desire, and drama set in the shadowy underworld of Paris. Bastien—the cold, calculating, and utterly magnetic kingpin—is the kind of morally gray antihero who makes you question your standards. And the chemistry between him and the heroine? Electric.

The narration duo of Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo was chef’s kiss. Ramona captures the heroine’s strength and vulnerability so well, and Michael brings Bastien to life with just the right mix of menace and allure.

The only reason I knocked off a star is that the pacing dragged a little in the middle. I wanted a bit more clarity around the political machinations of the Fifth Republic and the Aristocrats, but that cliffhanger ending? Brutal in the best way.

If you like high-stakes romance with a ruthless hero who’ll burn the world down for the woman he loves, The Carver needs to be on your list. Just be prepared to lose sleep over Bastien.

Thank you NetGalley for this opportunity. Starts out very slow, but it does start to pick up towards the end of the book! This is my first "gang" romance book and I was here for that aspect of it. I love me a good man that will burn the world down.

Yes yes yes a million times yes … this is literally my new favorite series I can not get enough of this story and need the next book in my hands like yesterday. It’s dark it’s mafia it’s romance it’s chefs kiss!!!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley & Penelope Sky for giving me the chance to listen to this ALC for my honest opinion.

Marketed as a dark romance, this book felt more like watching a woman lose her voice. The FMC rarely makes real choices, and the MMC steamrolls ahead while she just goes along with it because he "cares."

He claims to love her strength and sass, but she mostly comes off as insecure and passive. The “sass” amounts to calling him sexy once in a while—there’s no real pushback or fire from her.

The synopsis describes only the last 5% of the book. The rest is repetitive spice and a relationship that felt off-balance. Some readers may enjoy the dominant MMC and steamy scenes, but I needed more plot, depth, and character growth.

The narrators did a phenomenal job portraying these characters and bringing emotion to the story—but overall, the book just wasn’t for me.

Book 2 in the Fifth Republic series follows both Bastien and Fleur as they settle into their new relationship. Bastien tells the listener about how he came into the family buisness at the age of 15 and all of the strugles he has endured. One thing is for certain for Bastien is his love for Fleur and when she witnesses what he is capible of she realizes that she wants no part in his world. After some reconsideration Fluer realizes that she can't live without Bastien and they pick up where they left off. Now one of the other crime families has taken Fleur to punish Adrian , her ex-husband and now Bastien is racing against the clock to save her in time. Can't wait for the other books in ther series to come out. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for letting me listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook.

This was fast paced action packed, what a ride..
This is a dark spicy mafia romance..the audio was good..

3 1/2⭐️

Book: The Carver
Author: Penelope Sky
Rating: 4.5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Wow! What a wild ride! Each book in this series just gets better & better.

I absolutely loved this one. I was hooked right from the beginning, I was looking forward to this one after the cliffhanger ending of book one.

This one has way more suspense, more tension and a deeper connection between the main characters, and a strong battle of good vs evil.

I just love these two main characters together. The fact that they care about each other unconditionally is so refreshing.

You get:
• Dark Contemporary Romance
• Spicy
• Mafia
• Suspense
• Don't Trust Anyone
• Past Trauma
• NDE

I recommend this one! Available on KU, ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen and review this book. I had to round up on my rating here but it’s truly a 2.5/5 star book. There was absolutely no plot to this book besides the smut and the last chapter of the book. I thought kingpin/mafia this was going to be a book I couldn’t put down from all the drama and action going on with some smut but it’s completely opposite with no action and only smut. If the whole book was like the last chapter, I would have LOVED the entire thing but sadly it was not. I did really like both narrators as well!

Was this a masterpiece of literature? No. Do I care? Not one bit! THE CARVER was scrumptious. Brutal criminals and smut—my favorite. Of course, by the end, I was fully invested, and then—boom—smacked in the face with a cliffhanger. Now, I have to wait for the next audiobook, curses!

Note: I listened to the audiobook. I loved the female voice actor and hated the male; he was all wrong. I said it.

In The Carver, danger lurks around every corner, and love becomes the most lethal weapon of all. After falling for Bastien, one of the most powerful and feared men in Paris—the FMC finds herself entangled in a deadly game of politics, revenge, and unresolved pasts. Her ex-husband Adrien refuses to sign the divorce, and his defiance brings the wrath of the Aristocrats straight to her door. With enemies closing in, the only one capable of saving her is The Carver.. a brutal and loyal protector who will stop at nothing to keep her safe. Twisted loyalties, explosive chemistry, and dark power plays make this a gripping, high-stakes romance you won’t put down.

⸻

✨ Tropes (with emojis):
• 💔💍 Still married to the ex
• 🧨⚔️ Enemies closing in
• 💘🛡️ Protective love interest
• 🗼🇫🇷 Parisian crime drama
• 🕵️‍♂️😈 Dangerous ex

———

This was a really enjoyable and fast-paced read—one of the first mafia romance books I’ve picked up, and it definitely delivered on the drama. While I felt the female main character fell for the male lead a little too quickly, I did appreciate his fiercely protective nature. Some of the scenes were intense (in a good way), and her hopefully-soon-to-be ex-husband seriously got under my skin.

The story kept my attention the whole time, and it sounds like there’s more to come in the next book, which I’m definitely looking forward to!

The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and really captured the emotion and tension throughout.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC!

Dark romance Secret society Touch her and …. Bastien and Fleur’s story continues in a the Carver. The story is fast paced and full of action. Bastien has been all in with Fleur but she is the one holding back. He sets boundaries on the push and pull. He is no nonsense and will not make excuses or compromise on who he is. She either accepts it or leave. They are tested throughout the story. He holds nothing back when she is in danger. We get lot more Bastien and how he became the man who rules the underworld of Paris. I am fully vested in this series. I want to know what is going to happen with his relationship with Fleur and with his brother!

~My Review🎧~
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶


~The Butcher~Fifth Republic Series Book 2~Penelope Sky~

~Dual Narration~Ramona Master & Michael Ferraiuolo~

~I'm all for a morally grey MMC but I'm just not vibing with this one & I don't really care for the fmc either. I liked the MMC in book 1 but in this one, he just seems like a whiny, immature narcissist who brags about running the city when he can't stop thinking about how others fear him for five seconds.

I also love spice in books but the spice in this one is just repetitive it feels like the same scene & words were just repeated every few chapters so even though it was high in spice it lacked in execution. Usually, a cliffhanger makes me want to continue a series but this one just didn't do it for me.

The dual narration was good & I felt like each narrator voiced their characters well! The only thing I would change is making it Duet vs Dual only because the accent that the butcher has wasn't incorporated in the FMCS parts.

~As Always Happy Reading~

In the continuation of the Fifth Republic series, Fleur has more confidence in herself and is moving forward with her divorce from Adrian. We are also given more back story about Bastien, the type of family he was raised in, and the life he was expected to lead.

The stakes are a little higher, with Bastien‘s lifestyle presenting more danger both to himself and to Fleur. As the danger gets closer, we also learn more about the hierarchy of the criminal underworld that Bastien appears to be the head of.

I think the writing is done very well. I appreciate the short length because we get to major plot points at a faster pace, which is what I am personally looking for in a darker romance. I also liked the dual narration of the audiobook. Both the MMC and FMC narrators were great and easy to understand.

While I did enjoy this, it wasn’t fully what I was looking for in this type of novel. I didn’t really buy into the relationship between Fleur and Bastien in the first book, and I still didn’t quite feel the chemistry in the first half of this one. I believe this is due to my own personal preferences (for example, I was not a fan of how Bastien treated/acted toward Fleur after the first hiccup of their relationship). I did feel the chemistry got better in the second half and I did genuinely believe that they had deep feelings for each other as they grew closer.

I am actually far more interested in the criminal underworld storyline that is going on. I think that is being fleshed out very well and with how this ends on a cliffhanger, I am interested to keep reading and find out what happens next.

I rate this at 3.5 stars.

Usually, the sequel is not as good as the first, but this one captured my attention, and I finished it in one day. Learning about Bastian's history made me appreciate who currently is. Fleur grew on me with her strong stance to remain independent.

I listened to book one of the Fifth Republic series (The Butcher), and when I saw that this audiobook was available I was intrigued enough after book one to continue the series. I would not consider this book a standalone, so if you have not read/listened to book one, I wouldn't recommend The Carver. I was glad that I got to learn more about Bastien's background and backstory... why he is the way he is, learning more about his family and upbringing. I don't really get why this book is called The Carver. I don't see the connection to Bastien and Fleur. I like the setting (modern day Paris, France), I am not a huge fan of Mafia-esque romance. Will I continue to listen to the next book in the series when it comes to audio... only time will tell. #TheCarver #netgalley