Narrated by Veida Dehmlow
Most of the romances I’ve read that are historical and set in England, have to do with either nobility or royalty. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, I rather like reading about the high society that existed long ago. Zoe Archer’s Sweet Revenge, the first book in her Nemesis Unlimited series, was exactly the opposite, and I must admit to finding the change a refreshing one. It was good to see the other side of London, the side that isn’t full of fancy dresses, marriage proposals, and climbing the social ladder. Instead, Archer allows us to see the lives of the common people, many of whom live just a step away from death’s door.
Jack Dalton has been in prison for the past five years for the attempted murder of the nobleman who killed his sister. The book opens with Jack’s escape. He believes his sister’s killer is staying at a nearby inn and he intends to find him there and kill him. Needless to say, he’s more than a little surprised to be greeted by three well-dressed strangers who have a different plan in mind.
Eva Warrick grew up the daughter of a missionary couple. All her life, she’s heard how important it is to do good works. Eva isn’t cut out to be a missionary though. She’s a bold, passionate woman who wants to help those who have been wronged by London’s nobility. Joining Nemesis Unlimited has allowed her to do exactly that.
Eva and Jack have very different ideas when it comes to revenge. Jack wants to kill Lord Rockley while Eva wants to take things slowly. She would rather see him ruined than dead. She and her partners engineered Jack’s escape from prison so he could assist them. He resents Eva, feeling that she has caused him to trade one kind of prison for another, but he can’t deny the attraction he feels for her.
Narrator Veida Dehmlow was new to me and I found myself immediately captivated by her voice and style of reading. She speaks with a very cultured accent, but is able to change that when necessary. She distinctly voices each character, changing her pitch, pacing, and accent to make each of them stand out.
Jack is an angry man who grew up the son of a whore. He wanted better for his sister, but was unable to make that happen. He blames himself for her death, almost as much as he blames the man who actually killed her. Ms. Dehmlow allows us to hear Jack’s anger as well as his contempt for a society that cares nothing for its lower classes.
Eva has always guarded her personal life very closely. The listener isn’t given many clues as to why this is. We just know that she’s an intensely private person, one who doesn’t trust easily. She’s self-reliant and spunky, unafraid to get her hands dirty in order to bring justice to those who need it. Dehmlow gives her the sound of an educated woman. Rarely does her vulnerability creep in but, when it does, Dehmlow softens her tone considerably, allowing us to see into Eva’s heart.
Sweet Revenge is not a tender romance. When Jack and Eva finally give into their attraction to one another, it’s heated and wild. Both have had quite a bit of experience in the bedroom, and neither like it to be slow and gentle. Archer writes very steamy sex scenes, and I must admit to being slightly disconcerted to hear words like cock and pussy coming out of the mouth of Ms. Demhlow. It seemed incongruous, given her accent. Still, it didn’t distract me for long. The passion Jack and Eva share is real, and it was very easy to slip back into the story.
Nemesis Unlimited has several other operatives. We meet some of them in Sweet Revenge, and hear about others. I’m eager to continue this series, both for the romance and the very unique kind of revenge these very talented people serve up to those who would otherwise remain unscathed.
Shannon
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Narration: B+
Content: A-
Steam Factor: For your burning ears only
Violence: Escalated fighting
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Tantor
Sweet Revenge was provided to AudioGals for review by Tantor Audio.
