4.5 🌟
Spice: open door
Format: ALC

This would be a great book for someone looking to dip a toe into dark romance. Our MMC is definitely morally gray, but his ability to be soft for Ava left me in a puddle. I loved the whole secret society thing, it was super intriguing. The audio is fantastic freaking tastic. Duet narration, dual pov, round of applause for the narrators because wow. I devoured it in one sitting and am already so excited for the next one!
While it may not be overly dark, still check triggers! I absolutely loved Damian, but he is not a golden retriever hero, he is morally gray so not everyone will love him.

4.5⭐2🌶️

This is my first skyler mason book. Her writing was quite good. It was dark Academia with secret society.

I really didn’t like damian. he was cold,calculating and unnecessarily too Controlling. But he redeem himself in the end. Ava was strong,smart but too naive. She got caught in the secrat socity where man rules and she will be the virgin sacrifice for damian. The book was amazing i finished it in 24 hours.

The audiobook was was phenomenal. When i saw Corvin king as the male narrator i was sold.🔥🔥 He can make me listen anything. The whole book was more enjoyable because of him.

"Big thanks to Netgallary for the audiobook arc "

Let me start by saying that the narrators did a great job with the story and it's characters. The Pince of Power was a good secret elite society standalone romance story. From the moment Damian laid eyes on Ava he knew there was something special about her, he just didn't know how special she would become to him. Damian is the new head Prior, and he needs a virgin sacrifice now that Ben is out of the way. Ava wants to uncover the secret behind Thorncroft and her desire to help her friend Rhett puts her in the lion's den. Damian will stop at nothing to make Ava his and as much as she fights it, she can't deny her attraction to him. Their story is one that has secrets, threats, deaths, betrayal, jealousy, possessiveness, consorts, romance, love, steamy scenes and ends with a HEA. The next book gives us Hunter and Lucy's story which I look forward to reading.

Thank you Netgalley, Skyler Mason, and Victoria Editing for ALC/ARC!

I devoured this, I love a good secret society dark romance! Especially one where he falls first. This has everything I was craving; touch her and 💀, obsessive MMC, banter, betrayal, amazing smut.
Not only was the story great, the narrators did a phenomenal job! I loved listening to them both, they brought this story to life. The duet style worked so well.
The author did a great job presenting the new couple for the next stand alone as well. I can't wait to continue this series!

I picked this book up at 8 p.m. last night and I. Did. Not. Stop. I was lucky enough to receive both the ARC of the book and the audiobook, and let me tell you, being immersed in a story like this is an experience you do not want to miss.
If you're into dark romance, this book was made for you. There's a whole menu of trigger warnings, yes, I read them like appetizers before the main course, and they only added to the delicious sense of danger. There’s something thrilling about opening a book and knowing it's going to leave you gasping. Skylar Mason’s writing is razor-sharp, her plotting absolutely top-tier. I love when a book lets me think I’ve got it all figured out, only to twist the knife in a way I never saw coming.
The story centers on a secret society where the entry price is… a virgin sacrifice. Of course, it’s men pulling the strings, and of course, our FMC, Ava, is caught in the middle. Ava is a smart, book-loving student who’s too clever for her own good. She has morals, boundaries, and a will of steel, until she meets Damian. He challenges everything she thought she knew about herself. Is she really as pure as he hopes? Or as she thinks?
Damian is controlling, cold, and calculating, but how could he not be? His life has been scripted by his powerful family and the twisted organization he's destined to lead. He’s determined to hold all the power in the world. Then Ava stumbles into his orbit, and he decides to pull her under. She doesn’t know his world, but he’s going to drag her into it, inch by inch, heartbeat by heartbeat.
And the audiobook? Phenomenal. I’ve liked a lot of voice actors, but Corvin King? I fell hard. His voice could make me love words I normally hate. Seriously, I would listen to him read a grocery list and swoon. The entire narration cast brought this story to life in a way that made it even more unforgettable.
Also, shoutout to the author for not making Ava some clueless damsel. She’s sharp. She knows something’s wrong. And she still walks into the fire.
So if you're craving danger, spice, forbidden love, and a dark secret society, grab this book immediately. It drops on July 5th and the best part? The audiobook releases the same day. Do yourself a favor: get both. You’ll thank me later.

Once I saw Corvin mf King’s name… I already knew this was gonna be SWALLOWED UP!!

This right here? THIS WAS A TRIP- Literally finished this in one sitting ‘cause I could NOT pause this for anything whatsoever. I burnt my lasagna over this.
That’s how disconnected w/ the world I was ☠️
And I forgot to cook a side dish, but enough about my mishaps…

This was so soo sooo good, like I read this after Terror At The Gates- And I was still obsessed.
Banger after Banger fr.

Although, it did have questionable parts lmfaoo. Omfg, I love Damien, but the way he’s so possessive over her kinda gets outta pocket. Jaw was dropped, dislocated, and on the floooooooor ☠️☠️☠️
*When he THREATENED to get her ________ , so she wouldn’t be able to leave him???? JAIL. PRISON. HELL. Omfg, and she still stayed. A trooper fr. She said that’s my man and I’m gon’ stand beside him 🙂‍↕️ But same girl lmfaoo.

But other than that- This was HOT HOT HOT 🥵 Literally droooooooolin’ over Damien. It doesn’t help Corvin 👑’s voice alwaysssss does it for me. I’m so down bad, I hate it. It’s like anything he narrates can do no wrong in my eyes 😔

Anyways… Quotes to convince you to read this ‘cause pls. Do yourself a favor!!

“Let me worship you.”

“I’m keeping her. Even if it means igniting a war within the 400 itself.”

“God help anyone who tries to take her from me.”
*I LOVE A POSSESSIVE MAN.

“There’s a handprint here. Mine. I do this because you’re mine. Mine to protect, mine to adore, and mine to punish.”

“PRECIOUS GIRL.”

“But you can take it & I’ll be so proud of you afterwards.” 💦💦💦 WET.
*Praise kink ACTIVATE.

Mans is just DOWN OUTRAGEOUSLY BAD FRFR ⤵️

“What is it about her? Why does my body ache for her like it’s starving, like it’s only just realized what it’s been missing this whole time.”

“She’s a weakness. Because it’s not just that I’d burn the whole world to the ground for her, but I’d burn myself w/ it if it meant keeping her safe.”

“Her words shatter something in me, not out of pain, but in reverent. I bury my face in her neck and breathe her in like she’s oxygen. Like she’s absolution. She doesn’t even know what she is… Not a sacrifice. Not a doll. A light in the dark, the world made of flesh. I never worshipped anything in my life, until now.”

Overall… Read this. Do me, yourself, the author, your mom, your ancestral lineage a favor & read this ☠️
Both narrator were so amazing & hot, love them!!
s/o to Rachel Leblang & Corvin 👑!!!!