Audiobook Review: Decadent Dreams by Nicole Garcia
- KA
- Sep 25, 2017
- 6 min read
Have you met Nico and Phe yet? No? You really should. I adored their story.
Nico My dreams haunt me. I feel as if I am falling into a pit of impending doom, but even that has not prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions that flood over me when I'm near Phoenix. I have to keep my distance from her. I need to. It's the only thing I can do to keep from getting hurt again. Staying away from her proves to be a much harder task than I could have ever imagined. She's not only my assistant, but she's half my age. She gets under my skin and irritates the shit out of me, yet, one smile, one laugh, and I'm melting into a puddle at her feet. Falling in love with her is a bad idea, a very bad idea, because she just may be the one person who breaks my heart for good this time. Phoenix Nico is my boss. He's demanding, bitter, brooding, and a downright bully at times. But, all that doesn't deter me from him at all because I can see kindness and compassion in his eyes. I know the secret he's keeping from everyone and why he's so guarded with his heart. I don't care about his secret, nor do I care that he's twice my age. What matters is the undeniable attraction we feel for each other. If only he can just let go of the past and see what's right in front of him.
PURCHASE LINKS
Written by: Nicole Garcia
Narrated by: Kai Kennicott, Wen Ross
Length: 10 hrs and 25 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07-12-17
Publisher: Nicole Garcia
Genre: Contemporary Romance
REVIEW
Rating:
Story - 5 stars
Performance - 5 stars
Overall - 5 stars
When Nico’s partner decides to hire him an assistant without his knowledge or consent, he isn’t happy. He doesn’t need or want an assistant but then he meets Phoenix and the attraction he feels is a wake-up call. Phoenix is a short, quiet beautiful girl. He shouldn’t be interested in her, he’s too old, she’s too sweet but he can’t help the attraction. And the feeling is very much mutual. Nico has secrets and keeps his heart locked behind a solid wall, can Phoenix breakthrough? Phoenix can handle Nico, he may think she’s weak but he’s wrong, she’s a spitfire that will do what it takes to gain his respect. Can they work together and overcome their differences? Can they resist the attraction they feel?
First things first. You know that old adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’? Well, when I saw the cover for this book it didn’t scream at me that I needed to read/ listen to it. It’s a nice cover but it made me think of a historical romance and I have to be in the right frame of mind for that, of course, I was wrong. I’m so happy I took a chance on this book because it is a standout listen for me this year.
I adored this book, and so much more than I expected to. I was hooked very early on. I pressed play knowing I only had a short time, I figured I’d listen to a chapter or two to get a feel for the book and narration and then I’d put it away until I caught up on a few other books I still needed to listen to. Well, that didn’t go according to plan, once I started I was hooked. There was no way I was going to be able to interrupt the flow of this story. I was invested in the characters and their story. I wanted to know what was going to happen. Although this starts as an office romance it’s so much more than that. In fact, only the first portion of the book is set in the office. It’s a contemporary romance with a twist. It has moments of suspense that will have you holding your breath. You’ll cheer and you’ll cry. It really is the complete package. Nicole Garcia really blew me away with this book, she writes characters that you can’t help but become invested in and a storyline that will keep you on your toes. This book is so incredibly well written, I cannot wait to read more.
This book proved me wrong so many times, above you’ll note the cover situation, well the same happened with the plot. I started listening and was like, yeah, an office romance, let’s see how this is going to play out. It was cute, Nico was grumpy and Phoenix didn’t take his crap, I just knew I was going to love it. And then things escalated, something happens to Phoenix that turns the story completely upside down and back to front and it’s perfect. (Let me just add although it’s horrible what happens you all know my feelings on certain subjects and that doesn’t happen here, you’re safe) That’s when you see a different side to Nico and let me tell you, he is swoon-worthy. I really didn’t anticipate the suspense aspect of this book, it threw me for a loop and it was great, I love that we didn’t know, I mean, I guessed who it was, the clues were there, but the reasoning, that’s what I wanted to know and I liked how it was more a backdrop to the story and not the main focus, it was very clever.
Nico is such complex character, I honestly didn’t know whether to love him or curse him, I found myself doing both and often. He was a grumpy arse that needed to learn some manners, but then he was a sweetheart that I couldn’t help but swoon over. He has secrets that he’s kept hidden and they’re eating away at him, even though he doesn’t realise it. It’s not until Phe becomes a part of his life that he starts to cope. He’s built such a wall around his heart that he tends to overreact and underthink things…nobody can be perfect! His jealousy is quite endearing as is his ability to apologise when he knows he’s in the wrong.
Phoenix, I just adored her. I could relate to her on so many levels. She was strong, sweet, smart and vulnerable. She didn’t take any crap. Her interactions with both Nico’s nana and father was sweet and really showed what a kind-hearted person she is and why it was so easy for Nico to fall for her. And for his family to adopt her as their own. She puts up with a lot from Nico but she understands he has those walls built high, she’s not afraid to scale them and wear him down. Her character experiences a lot in this book and not all of it is good, but she comes out stronger because of it. She’s a rock star and I love her!
The supporting characters were a welcome addition; Gio, Josh, and Derrick each was very different but brought so much to the story and the dynamics of Nico and Phe’s relationship. I loved them and the interactions, I’d love to read/ listen to more about them. Nana, nana was a freaking star and her health issues were handled beautifully, it’s a horrid disease and it was handled sensitively. Which was lovely to see.
The chemistry between Nico and Phe is crazy. You just know they’re meant to be together and want to bang their heads together at times. Some of the sex scenes fade to black, which I liked, it saved the full-blown sex scenes for when they were necessary and I really liked that about this book. It didn’t use sex as a filler to make the book longer or to shock when it was called for, the sex was there… and let me tell you, it was hot and written incredibly well. You won’t want to be in a public place, especially if Wen is in your ears.
Right at the bottom of the page, you’ll find a spoiler. I’ve put it there so you can avoid it if you choose. It’s titled and after the next image. You’ve been warned.
This duet narration* performed by Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross is brilliant. Kai and Wen’s voices complement each other incredibly well. They both have a wonderful way of conveying emotion when they perform and they do not disappoint with this book. They were Phe and Nico for me, I know when I read the book I’m going to hear their voices in my head.
For me, Kai had a couple of standout moments which were the scene in Phe’s apartment (read/ listen and you’ll know why) and when she was taken, just the vulnerability but strength she conveyed in the performance was masterful.
For Wen, I think the standout moment was in the warehouse and hospital, the anguish Josh felt, (read/ listen and you’ll know what I mean) the way that was portrayed really came across well and I may have shed a few tears. Oh, and can we just take a second to appreciate the utter hotness of Kai and Wen in the sex scenes, please!
*If you’re new to audiobooks and don’t know what a duet narration is, it is an interactive narration which means the female narrator performs all the female parts, and the male narrator performs all the male parts.
Connect with Nicole Garcia:
Connect with Kai Kennicott and Wen Ross:
**SPOILER ALERT**
Read at your own risk.
I can’t be the only person sat here banging my hands on the desk and demanding ‘We want Josh and Derrick’s story!’
Comments