Hypnotised by his scorching gaze, I found myself unable to turn away. I waited. Hoped. As though for a judgment or deliverance.
Kasia Bacon
When I First Saw Red
Format:
Audiobook.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
RED:
Lázhien’s human. A common Imperial soldier. And my soulmate.
How could fate get it so wrong?
The demon in me craves this bond with every shred of his being. He pushes me to accept it. This time I won’t yield to his demands.
LÁZHIEN:
Red’s a lust demon, a whore and a stuck-up snob.
The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. Pain in the arse. And he hates my guts.
I’d be an idiot to pursue him. Yet something about him compels me to make him mine.
A tug-of-war between Choice and Fate won by LOVE!
Point of view:
First Person. Alternating between Lázhien & Ōkkanȏ’s perspectives.
Rellim’s Thoughts:
Note: While part of the Order Universe and specifically the Soldiers & Mercenaries series this can be read on its own. Honestly. Nothing happens that eludes to other storylines/events.
Kasia Bacon is already the queen of short stories & novellas. To have her storytelling for four hours is absolutely fantastic. She also used some of that time to ramp up the steam level because Lázhien & Ōkkanȏ (Red) are amazing together. Frequently.
There’s so much more to this story though. Bacon offers an intense fated mates trope while still honoring consent between both of our heroes. While they initially fight that fate has brought them together, they get to know each other and find that they are quite suited. Overcoming Red’s past hurt proves to be the biggest hurdle. I also loved Ranélle’s interference to get these two together.
I’m a sucker for epilogues, but I truly loved this one. It’s always nice when the couple gets a solid HEA.
Narration:
Cornell Collins does a terrific job here. I mean, I already know I love listening to his narrations but this was perfection. He gives all the characters their own unique voice including several different accents. When Lázhien & Ōkkanȏ are having a conversation it sounds like a cast instead of a single narrator. Absolutely brilliant.
About the author:
A linguist and an avid reader with a particular fondness for fantasy and paranormal genres, KASIA BACON lives in London with her husband. When not tearing her hair out over a translating project, she writes stories about the shenanigans of emotionally constipated assassins and sexy Elves. Otherwise, she can be found shaking her loins at a Zumba class, binging on anime or admiring throwing knives on Pinterest. A lover of MMA and Muay Thai, she also enjoys nature and the great outdoors. She dreams of becoming independently wealthy, leaving the city and moving into her wooden mini-manor—located in the heart of stunning forests resembling those of the Elven Country depicted in her tales.
You can connect with Kasia Bacon here:
About the narrator:
Matthew Lloyd Davies is an AUDIE Winner-Humour (yes that’s the ‘award winningly funny’) 2018 and 2017 finalist with three EARPHONES awards and a ONE VOICE award nomination. mldAudio has recorded over 250 titles in the last six years.
mldAudio is on the narrator roster of Audible, Simon And Schuster, Tantor Audio, Harper, Highbridge, Brilliance and Bee Audio among many others. Cornell Collins is the pseudonym for a ‘racier’ kind of book.
(Rellim’s note: As a rule, I don’t post pseudonyms, but this bio is copied directly from Davies’ website.)
You can connect with Matthew Lloyd Davies/Cornell Collins here:
My Favorite Quotes
It turned out I did have a type all right. A stuck-up, demonic courtesan I couldn’t afford was it, apparently. – When I First Saw Read by @kasia_bb #Audiobook narrated by @mldAudio #CornellCollins #MM #Novella #FantasyRomance #Military #OppositesAttract
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Despite not wanting the human myself, I didn’t need to add the experience of the ultimate failure—being cast off by my fated soulmate—to my already impressive history. – When I First Saw Read by @kasia_bb #Audiobook narrated by @mldAudio #CornellCollins #MM #Novella #FantasyRomance #Military #OppositesAttract
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Hypnotised by his scorching gaze, I found myself unable to turn away. I waited. Hoped. As though for a judgment or deliverance. – When I First Saw Read by @kasia_bb #Audiobook narrated by @mldAudio #CornellCollins #MM #Novella #FantasyRomance #Military #OppositesAttract
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