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Cruel Master

Sinister Arrangement, Book 2

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Cruel Master

By: Lucy Smoke, A.J. Macey
Narrated by: Michael Norman Johnson, Sarah Puckett
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About this listen

It never mattered how far I ran - he was always going to catch me. Because I belong to him - body, mind, and soul.

My innocence is gone.
My father is dead.
And I'm no longer the girl who was forced to marry a hitman.

I'm stronger.

For the last five years I've been running from both my sisters vengeful anger, and from my husband's intense obsession.

When Gaven finally captures me, I have no other choice but to use him the same way he always planned to use me. The closer I am, the more information I have, the safer we both are. So, I'll take his punishment for leaving. I'll take his pain and his pleasure.

My wedding night might have ended in pain and betrayal, but I won't let my life end the same.

He's a killer and I'm a target. In the end, someone has to die, but who is it going to be this time?

*This is a Dark Mafia Arranged Marriage Age-Gap BDSM Romance*

©2023 Lucy Smoke (P)2024 Pink Flamingo Productions Marriage
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It's been a while since I spent time with Angel and Gaven. It's been five years since Gaven has seen his wife and now that he has captured her, he's not letting her go. Little does he know why she left! Angel is feisty as ever and has no intention of staying though she cannot help her attraction to her husband. She thinks he just wants control over her and he just wants her submission. At the first opportunity, she does escape, but what happens next is unforeseen. Will Gaven reach her in time before the inevitable is bound to happen? Lucy Smoke and AJ Macey bring all the spice and suspense into this one. Gaven and Angel are meant to be together, but the journey isn't easy. The suspense builds as the true villain is revealed. I loved everything about this one!

Michael Norman Johnson and Sarah Puckett reprise their roles as Gaven and Angel. Johnson is the tough to love Gaven with all the anger and need to break Angel voices he has. Gaven's growlie, angry disposition comes through in spades as Johnson becomes the character. Puckett is Angel, a stubborn, tough and brave woman. Her passion for her job and her man shines through Puckett's voice. These two narrate so well together, it's always a treat to hear them.

Love Gaven and Angel!

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Listener received this title free

I went in hopeful after that ending. Angel surviving five years on the run felt like the reset this story needed. Strength, independence, growth. I was ready.
The audio experience itself is genuinely strong. The duet narration is seamless and easy to sink into for long listening sessions. Sarah Puckett is the standout, bringing Angel to life with a calm strength and quiet intelligence that really lands. There is a raspy edge to her voice that adds weight to every scene. Michael Norman Johnson absolutely commits to the role. He embodies Gavin exactly as written, controlled, cold and deeply unlikeable, which in this case feels intentional rather than accidental.

Where this struggled for me was the story direction. Within the first few chapters, Angel’s hard won freedom is stripped away and the narrative leans heavily into coercion, control and repeated violations framed as romance. I read and listen to very dark romance, so it is not the content itself. It is how it is used. There is a difference between morally grey obsession and a complete absence of growth or care.

Five years have passed, yet Gavin remains entirely self centred, focused on possession rather than partnership. Even when he understands why Angel ran, it never translates into meaningful change. That lack of evolution makes the dynamic feel stagnant rather than intense.
I kept wishing for more of Angel’s life on the run. Let her build something. Let her live. Let her have experiences outside of him. There was so much potential there for a richer, more layered story.

The subplot with her sister had real promise and could have added depth and tension if given more space. A united front, a shared goal, something that shifted the power balance would have made this far more compelling.

There are moments that work. The Scarlett cameo was a highlight. The production quality never dips. But overall, this is one where the narration carried the experience more than the story did

Incredible voices carrying a frustrating story

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Listener received this title free

Brilliant narration from Michael Norman Johnson and Sarah Puckett

We start this brilliant story five years from the last book. Angel has been on the run from her obsessive husband Gaven. The misunderstanding has never stopped Gaven looking for Angel. Now finding her he needs the truth of why she ran. In the five years she has changed stronger.
One thing that has not changed it the sparks and they start a flame when these two meet again.

Master

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