I likely would have enjoyed it a little more had I realized it was book 2 in a series. If I didn't have to play catch-up during the first couple of chapters, I may have given it 4 stars.


This book has romance and action while being suspenseful and dark, so if you're looking for something to feed your multiple interests, you will likely enjoy it. The chapters are quite long. However, the narrators are quite good. It was easy enough to imagine Oliver as a teen/ young adult, but I struggled to see Mina as a teen. Be aware that this does end on a cliffhanger.

I wish I had known that "Love and Other Cages" was the second installment in the "Love and Other Sins" series before diving into the audiobook. Thankfully, I was able to pick up the main threads of the story fairly quickly : Mina, the daughter of a Russian mobster, crossed paths with Oliver, a foster child determined to build a stable life for himself. They fell in love, but, of course, trouble followed.

In this installment, a dangerous Russian organization targets Mina and her mother, leaving her mother fighting for her life in a hospital bed. Desperate to save her, Mina agrees to infiltrate the organization. To protect Oliver, she tries to keep him at a distance, but he refuses to stay on the sidelines and will stop at nothing to save her.

This book wasn't for me. The writing was okay, the pacing just right, and It was entertaining. but I feel like I'm above the target age (both Mina and Oliver are around 17/19 yo). And generally speaking, books that are too action oriented don't interest me that much. I didn't hate it (far from it) but let's just say that I won't be reading the third book of the series.

🎧 Audiobook : 4.75/5 Emilia Ares' performance was incredible. Truly one of the best audiobook narrations I've ever listened to. The rating isn't a perfect 5 because the man's voice wasn’t that convincing.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I did not finish this title. Unfortunately I did not realize it was a sequel and when it started I felt a little lost and wanted some more background. I also should I have checked trigger warnings because once I got about 10% in I decided it was not for me. I had no issue with the story or audio it just wasn't the story for me right now. Thank you for the opportunity to listen.

I didn't realize this book was a sequel but in like the best way possible if that makes sense? I think the author did a really good job of explaining the past and Mina/Oliver's trauma from the previous story so I wasn't confused by what the characters were discussing. Everything was explained in the context of the story which was perfect! What I hadn't expected was the whole Black Widow aspect of the novel. I'd thought everything would take place closer to home and that Mina and Oliver would be wrapped up in Mafia stuff in Los Angeles. So when Mina was abducted and taken elsewhere I was very surprised. I can't decide if I enjoyed these parts of the story or not yet. They were certainly interesting to listen to but this book could've used SEVERAL trigger warnings at the beginning of it. Overall I think I'm intrigued enough to read whatever comes next in the series.

Thank you SERA Press for my ALC of Love and Other Cages by Emilia Ares. This one should come with all the trigger warnings because wow, it was a lot. Mina and Oliver have finally declared their feelings for each other, right before Mina and her mom are victims of a violent, targeted home invasion. Her mom is in a coma, and then the men come back and kidnap Mina. She’s trafficked and held hostage by a Russian crime syndicate, tortured because of something her father had done. She survives weeks of torture and is then coerced into joining a secret espionage arm of the syndicate. Meanwhile back in LA, Oliver is desperately searching for her, teaming up with anyone he thinks might be able to help him rescue her, but he has precious little to go on.

I almost stopped listening a handful of times but I was *just* interested enough to keep going. Didn’t realize initially it was book two in a series, so was missing some important context in the beginning. Felt like it was super slow but also a lot was happening really quickly? And the ending was a cliffhanger, so for all that effort, there’s still more story to come, which feels exhausting at this point.

I might just not be the intended audience…the main characters are seniors in high school, and I’m over 20 years removed from that stage in life. Also, it felt very unrealistic that an 18 yo could withstand so much torture.

The cover isn gorgeous and is the reason I picked it up in the first place, and the narrators— Will Collyer and Emilia Ares—deliver amazing performances. I think their delivery is the only reason I finished the book, They brought the characters to life.

I absolutely loved the cover. That’s why I requested it. But the audiobook was so good, I didn’t want to stop listening. Thank you for the chance to listen and review.

This is the second book in a series, and I didn't realize that until I was a couple of chapters into the book.
While it is readable as a standalone, I feel that I probably would have better connected to the characters and their stories if I had read the previous book - also, there were plotlines/situations mentioned in passing that obviously happened in the first book.

I went into this book thinking that it was a sorta dramatic YA love story, but I got something very different from what I was expecting. The main couple spent most of the book apart, going through their own trials. Olivier thought about and worried about Mina constantly, while Mina was mostly focused on her mom, and getting through the horrible situation she found herself in. The timelines of the book were also not super clear - I think it happened over the course of 2 months, but it wasn't quite clear enough to me.

Emilia's writing and narration of this book were book wonderful. Her writing is emotive and beautifully descriptive without being too flowery (though sometimes it does veer into being a touch overly detailed which can distract from the scene); and her narration was emotional, hit the perfect narrative beats, and overall added a lot to the story.

I will say that this book is quite a bit darker than I expected, and the content warnings did not cover all the elements that could be potentially triggering to some.

I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this audio book. It had mafia, spice (closed door), thriller with dark elements, and young epic love story. I admit the cliffhanger got me, but I want to read more from this author. The characters and story line were so well done. I couldn't stop listening. The dual narration made it so much better. I highly recommend this book to other for reading.

Thank you Net Galley ARC, Sera Press, and Emilia Ares

Love and Other Cages sounded like a very interesting YA novel to me when I read the short description. Underground global crime/mafia mixed in with a bit of romance, sounds like an exciting read; even though I not normally drawn to thrillers, I thought I would give this book a try. This story started out strong from the very beginning; I was drawn in pretty quickly by the action, searching for answers just as Oliver and Mina were. But also pretty quickly from the initial break-in scene onwards, I kept thinking, "this is a YA novel??". The two main characters are meant to be high school aged, but definitely are beyond those high school years in this story. There is a lot of violence within this book, including torture, murder, and (attempted) rape. As an adult, this is not the type of descriptive thrill I seek in a novel. There were also some slightly explicit sections, which I wouldn't think is YA material. I listended to the audio version of this novel and found the dual POV manageable and easy to follow. The narrators did an excellent job in telling the story of Mina and Oliver, as well as other voices of the many secondary characters. Overall, it was an interesting storyline concept, well read by the narrators, and certainly a thriller until the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book.

🌟 4
🌶️ 0.5
🎧 4.5

Holy shhh! This book had me hooked!

* Russian mafia
* Young love
* Epic sweeping love story
* Closed-door spice
* Thriller
* Dark themes
* Ends on a cliff hanger
* Dual narration

Loved it! It is out of my usual genres, a lot more on the thriller and action side of things but the romance subplot was sweeping! So many moments where I was so worried, frustrated, scared for the characters! Absolutely had me running my hardest on the elliptical audiobook of this in my ear!

🎧 ARC of the audiobook was excellent! The narration, accents and all the voices the narrators put on (Dual Narration) was so good!

X

I'm dnf'ing this for two reasons:
1. Too slow and yet it felt like stuff was missing so it still felt too fast somehow
2. Please oh please don't ever make a deep-voiced man try to make a feminine voice, never ever again. The cringe that took over made it almost impossible for me to listen to the book.
It did have potential but I just couldn't listen to it, sorry.

I liked the narration of this book. I was confused when the book first started out but fell in love with it after a few chapters. I did not realize that it was a two part series which I think would have helped with my confusion in the beginning.

It definitely kept me wanting to read more, and the ending was such a cliff hanger. I have to know what happens!!

I give this book 5 stars! Definitely recommend!

This was different than I normally listen to. It has a thrill vibe to it mixed with the love story. The narrators did a fantastic job bringing this story to life and giving the characters that real feel. This was an entertaining listen I kept me enthralled throughout the book.

3.7 stars - Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC copy of the audiobook of Love and Other Cages. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about the story of this one - the genre was listed as romance, thriller and young adult. I don't mind a good young adult book but if this is what the "kids" are reading, I'm a little nervous because there was torture, violence and possible rape (speaking as a Mom of 2 littles).

I was pleasantly surprised at how engaging the story was - there was quite a bit of romance and build up with the relationship between Oliver and Mina. And a very quick transition into the "thrilling" part. I just finished watching the TV show "Lioness" and it definitely had elements of that type of story line - you just weren't sure who was on what side or who were the "bad guys". The writing was very captivating and enjoyable and it was easy to follow the point of views with the names on the chapters (a pet peeve of mine when this isn't done).

My biggest reason for not rating it a full 4 stars, is the ending. There was SO much build up in the entire story, so many details and I just felt like it wrapped up in like 10 minutes with what felt like a VERY coincidental meeting.

This is book two in the Love and Other Sins series. I did not read the first book, but I plan to go back to read it. I was able to jump right in and not feel lost in the story. I'm not sure when book 3 will be released, but this one ends on a cliffhanger.

WOW! This book started off with a bang, and did not let up until the end. The character development was done very well. I felt as though I knew these characters and I found myself rooting for them. There was a little lull in the middle where I felt the pacing could've been better, but I was still engrossed in the plot and what was happening. This story was very well written, and dealt with some tough topics. There are some very dark components, so please read trigger warnings.

This was a very enjoyable read, and I am anxiously awaiting the 3rd book in the series.

The narrator duo of Will Collyer and Emilia Ares (the author) knocked this audiobook out of the park!! They made the story. The way they effortlessly switched from character to character and flawlessly executed every accent was admirable.

Thank you NetGalley and SERA Press for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Love and Other Cages by Emilia Ares

Emilia Ares' "Love and Other Cages" is a captivating and emotionally charged novel that explores themes of love, loss, and redemption. The story unfolds through dual perspectives, offering intimate insights into the lives of Mina and Oliver after Mina is captured by a Russian organization.

What Worked:

Dual POVs: The alternating narratives effectively deepen the reader's understanding of both characters. We witness their internal struggles, fears, and desires, creating a sense of intimacy and empathy.

Descriptive Language: Ares' prose is evocative and vivid, painting a rich tapestry of imagery that immerses the reader in the story's world. Particularly while we witness the horrors Mina endures following her capture.

Character Development: The author crafts compelling characters who are both flawed and endearing. Mina and Oliver are complex individuals burdened by their pasts, and their journeys of doing whatever is necessary for the ones they love, even if it puts their own lives in danger.

Audiobook Performance:

The audiobook is expertly narrated by Will Collier and Emilia Ares. Both narrators deliver strong performances, capturing the essence of their respective characters with nuanced voices and emotional depth. Emilie Ares' portrayal of Mina is particularly compelling, effectively conveying her strength, vulnerability, and the emotional toll of her past. Will Collier's rendition of Oliver is equally impressive, showcasing his brooding intensity and underlying sensitivity.

Area for Improvement:

Pacing: While the majority of the novel maintains a steady pace, the conclusion feels slightly rushed. The reunion between Mina and Oliver, though emotionally satisfying, could have benefited from further exploration of how Mina ended up in the same place as Oliver. It felt a little rushed to just say she was feeling a hazy and losing time and then carry on with the present situation at hand. I feel an additional chapter in Mina's POV would have been beneficial following the mission with Starling.


Despite these minor shortcomings, "Love and Other Cages" is an enjoyable and fast-paced read. Ares' skillful storytelling, combined with the exceptional narration, creates an immersive and emotionally resonant experience.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars rounded up to 4 stars

This was a really engaging read. Mina, a high school senior, gets abducted as a means to coerce her dad into cooperating with a Russian mafia organization. Her boyfriend, Oliver, will stop at nothing to find her. Each of them is willing to do what it takes to stay alive and keep their loved ones safe. I enjoyed this book a lot.

The audiobook narration was lovely and I really wanted to enjoy this book but had a couple of issues with it.

First off, the fact that this was marketed as a YA story. The MCs didn’t sound at all like teenagers, but more like adults in their 30s. I struggled a lot with the presence of some of the more explicit sexual content as in some instances the book is marketed as YA, whereas on NetGalley it is labelled as a new adult romance. This brings a lot of confusion in for prospective readers.

I also struggled with the pacing of the book and felt everything was quite slow.

Finally, although this is marketed as a standalone, I think it should’ve been marketed as a duology to give readers a better understanding of the characters, what they look like, their background, etc.

So this book was A RIDE!

Gonna preface this by saying I didn’t read book 1, tbh didn’t know it existed until like 40% in but I read the synopsis and was able to figure out what would have most likely happened there and I don’t think you really need it to read this one.

This book started off with a bang but then became somewhat monotonous towards the middle. It started back picking up pace at the last 10% but all that was in the book needed to be there and you’ll see that towards the end of the book.

The book ended in a cliffhanger which makes me believe there’s most likely going to be a book 3, I can only hope it’s gonna be released sooner than the gap between book 1 and book 2.

It was a good read, and I’ll definitely read book 3 when it comes out!

Thanks NetGalley, SERA Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks and Emilia Ares for giving me an advanced listener’s copy of this book!

I’ll start by saying I started this book first and got halfway through thinking things were moving really fast. I realized then this was book 2, so I paused and read book 1 prior to finishing this one. I think it’s imperative you understand the buildup of the story from book 1 prior to reading. That being said, this book had me in suspense from the beginning. I became invested in the characters. I was rooting for them by the end. The narration is impeccable. I was worried when I saw the author was the narrator for Mina, but she’s brilliant. I’m looking forward to the next installment, and really hoping Mina and Oliver get their HEA!