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Finding Beauty in the Darkness

A Dark Romance

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Finding Beauty in the Darkness

By: Nikki Ash
Narrated by: Cecily Foster, Christian Leatherman
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About this listen

Author's note: Finding Beauty in the Darkness was previously published as Bordello by Nikki Ash. This story contains dark themes and situations that may be sensitive to some listeners.

Aria

Giovanni is my savior... But he wants me for himself.

I’ve grown used to men wanting me and taking what’s not theirs to take.

But he’s different.

He wants to keep me, make me part of his dark world, and I would gladly follow him into the darkness.

But his life is trapped in a cage, and his family holds the keys. If forced to choose, we could lose it all.

The danger doesn’t scare me half as much as the thought of living without him.

Giovanni

I didn’t choose this life. It chose me.

Born into a powerful mob family, darkness and danger are all I’ve ever known.

But when I stumble upon Aria being held captive in the basement of a senator's house, everything I've embraced and accepted about my life gets thrown out the window.

I’m drawn to her strength, to her lightness, to her beauty in my dark world.

But she deserves better than trading one cage for another.

Now I’m torn between protecting Aria... And keeping her for myself.

©2021 Nikki Ash (P)2025 Pink Flamingo Productions Romantic Suspense

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Listener received this title free

This was a fantastic mafia romance story. Aria has been severely abused and turned into a drug addict by her stepfather. (lots of triggers in this story- the major ones are SA and miscarriage of a baby. Please check triggers if sensitive to triggers of abuse) Geo is basically a Mob "Prince"- he is the eldest and in line to take over his father's empire. He saves Aria from her stepfather and "kidnaps" her initially for payment her stepfather owes him, but in reality- he fell in love at first sight- he just didn't know what to call it because he is not a man to love a woman. Though morally grey, Geo has a moral code that he follows. This is actually a slow burn romance that forms, which I truly enjoyed reading. He is older than her by at least a decade, so he provides the stability she needs to heal while she gives him the light and laughter he is missing from his life. I truly enjoyed this one. The narrators were great and well suited for their roles.

Loved this one!

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Listener received this title free

Nikki Ash does it again. She writes gold every time, and I look forward to her books because I know I am in for a treat! This dark romance is spectacular. My favorite kind of listen, she puts in just the right amounts of romance to suspense. Giovanni is the future mafia boss, but right now he is running the escort business. When one of his girls gets roughed up, he pays the offender a visit. What he sees there, he can't forget. Aria has been a prisoner in her stepfather's house since the death of ther mother. Abused in every way, she sees no way out until Gio rescues her. Little did she know, it was from one prison to the next. What happens next? Nikki Ash steps out of her normal contemporary romance zone and creates a world that is a dark and dangerous, pulling me in and wondering if Gio was going to be the one to truly save Aria. Aria is a tough woman, enduring so much torture, she deserves a chance to be happy. Hearing this build and the twists the story takes is so satisfying, it's one not to be missed.

Cecily Foster and Christian Leatherman team up to bring this story to life. Foster is fantastic as Aria. Each layer of her is peeled away as she heals from the past. Leatherman is protective in one scene and deadly in the next. Loved their voices, complimenting each other and keeping me captivated.

WOW! This is fantastic!

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Listener received this title free

I really enjoy this author's books so I was excited to give Finding Beauty in the Darkness a listen. Despite the very dark themes from the get go, I was intrigued and curious where the story would lead. I liked Giovanni's protectiveness and I liked Aria's fight and struggle to be independent and move past everything that happened to her. They had insane chemistry and the book was filled with a lot of spicy scenes.

Having said all that, the part of the book involving the woman scorned was pretty predictible though it didn't take away from the book per se. What I did struggle with was what happened closer to the end of the book that I just didn't really think needed to happen. I don't think it benefited the story at all and I feel like this book could have been executed differently and still had a great outcome. It became less realistic and more over the top.

The audiobook in terms of narration was fantastic. Cecily Foster and Christian Leatherman did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life and bringing all the emotion, especially given the intense and difficult subject matter. While, this wasn't one of my favorites of the author, it was overall still enjoyable and I look forward to what she will bring us next. PinkFlamingoProductions TheFlockVIPReviewTeam

Pretty Dark but Very Spicy Mafia Romance

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Listener received this title free

This was such an intense story. It was filled with brutally, darkness, grief & sadness. But Aria is such an incredibly strong & determined woman. She has survived through horrible situations and hasn’t let that change who she is at her core. She is a kind and loving young woman.
I loved the empowerment this story shows.
There was so much passion, chemistry, brutality, love & hope.
Watching their emotions grow and progress from two very different, opposite people was amazing, gripping and intense.

Intense

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Listener received this title free

Nikki Ash blew me away with this dark and twisted mafia romance, a story like no other and one that captivates your attention and tugs at your heartstrings the entire time. Giovanni was born into the mafia and is running one of the family’s businesses, a bordello, and after taking it over, he made it even more successful, making it a high-end private club. He is protective of his workers and when one of his girls gets roughed up by a client, a senator, who owes him money, he sets him straight and then pays him a visit, and something or rather someone caught his attention there. Unable to do anything about it then, he did not forget her. Aria’s life took a turn for the worse after her mother died, held captive in a basement and forced to do unspeakable acts. Then she saw him, begged to be saved, but he left her there, and her speaking out cost her another beating. Then he comes back and saves her, brings her back to his home and nurses her back to health. Giovanni does not do romance or relationships, but there is something about Aria that penetrates the walls around his heart. He knows she is too good for his world, a world that would only bring more danger in her life, and that it does. It was great to watch these two interact and get to know each other as he keeps her safe. There is never a dull moment in this cleverly plotted story, a story with non-stop drama, angst, twists, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. There are some intense scenes that may take some out of their comfort zone, so it may be best to check with the author if you have any triggers. “Finding Beauty in Darkness” is a very fitting title for this story and Nikki Ash does just that. Thanks for another amazing story and wild ride.

🎧📚🎧  Cecily Foster and Christian Leatherman did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life, giving each a voice that was fitting and was believable in every role. I loved how they took each role and made it their own, while grasping every aspect of their character’s personality and demeanor to deliver a perfect portrayal of each. Leatherman nailed it as Giovanni, playing the perfect alpha boss, also showing his softer side, which he hid well from others. Foster was just as fabulous as Aria, brought out her fierceness and strength, also nailing her fear and torment. Both were fantastic performing the roles of the side/secondary characters too. Their pacing and tone were right for the story, and they captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These two made a great team, with voices and talent that complemented each other and a riveting performance that keeps you glued to the story. They are entertaining storytellers and a pleasure to listen to.

Fantastic Story & Narration🎧 Riveting & Intense!

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Listener received this title free

I enjoyed this book it had a emotional storyline with sweet moments in between it was done very well I loved the characters definitely recommend this book, the narrators did a good job

Good

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Listener received this title free

This is a dark romance. I love Nikki Ash so much! Some people may need to check trigger warnings before reading. Go is the eldest son and has been raised to take over as the leader in the family business. He is a mafia boss. He also runs a members only high end gentleman’s club. He also is a Loan Shark. Ari is the step daughter of and senator that is in debt with Gio. Ari has been living in Hell for the past nine months. She has been her stepfather’s prisoner. Gio goes to find the senator at his house but instead finds Ari in the basement. Gio sore he was never going to marry, until he met Ari. I loved this book.

Cecily Foster and Christian Leatherman did a fantastic job narrating this book.

Finding Beauty in the Darkness

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