Great characters - great voices

I am a huge fan of Melanie Moreland and always find her books so absorbing and easy to fall into. Equally, I have loved every audiobook of hers as you get a different dimension and perspective of the worlds and characters she builds. This book is the first in a new series, The Men of Hidden Justice. It’s a bit darker than the other stories of Ms Moreland that I have read but still with the romance and likeable characters that you would expect. This book stands alone and comes complete with its very own HEA.

We start off with Evie being on the run from her life and while the situation and her circumstances are dire, you realise from the first that she’s got a spark about her. She’s powerless but never weak and I liked and rooted for her from the first. I loved her honesty, the way she could bring a strong man to his knees just by being herself and I especially enjoyed her growth and her finding her voice and her power.

Evie is voiced by Maxine Mitchell who is definitely one of my preferred female narrators. She does very well in portraying Evie - giving her voice that scared edge to begin with and growing stronger alongside the character. I’m always impressed that Ms Mitchell doesn’t just read her lines, she acts them out. It really immerses you in the story and makes you like and believe what the character is going through.

Matteo was a difficult character to understand at first - which is good as it mirrored Evie’s own issues with him. He’s stark, cold and somewhat ruthless. He’s also demanding and a bit stuck in his ways. But he’s also a tiny bit obsessed with Evie and with keeping her safe which I adore in a book boyfriend. They way you can also see him changing throughout the story as he comes to terms with the fact his focus in life is no longer his work - it just made me happy. As did the fact that he couldn’t keep his hands to himself and kept changing up his routine so he could spend more time with her. Sigh.

Even better, Matteo is voiced by the delicious John Lane. Sigh. Such a deep and shiver-inducing voice - he was absolutely perfect for the stern and oft-times grumpy Matteo. I could go on and on about what a good narrator Mr Lane is but suffice to say that he was perfection.

There is a sort of insta-love - or at least insta-lust - in the relationship between Matteo and Evie. Well, on Matteo’s part at least. I could definitely feel their connection and while the declarations are early - they felt real. The compatibility of our couple also worked well when it came to the sex scenes which were delicious plus feelings. It was all the sexy, sultry butterflies you want in a romance but with that added bonus of real emotion. Happy times for me!

As I said, this isn’t a mafia book but it does have the same sort of darker vibes you often get with that trope. But while it’s not overly scary, violent or suspenseful, and it didn’t frighten a wimp like me, it did touch on - or at least mention - some vile things around human trafficking.

I read this story in ebook and got thoroughly invested in the story and the characters. Listening to the audiobook just made me love the characters more and made me more invested in both the love story of Matteo and Evie, as well as the secondary storyline. It was a joy to listen to and this is a series that I know I’m going to revisit again and again the future. 5 stars from me.

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Dark romance yet sweet and powerful

Oh wow. I genuinely did not want to stop listening to this audiobook. It was captivating and simply amazing.

Matteo and Evie meet under not so pleasant circumstances and what follows I genuinely did not expect. This is a dark romance, yet it is also probably the most tender and loving book I have ever listened to.
I loved Matteo, his devotion to Evie was just swoon-worthy! I fell for him so hard! His actions were the opposite of what I expected and I loved it. I couldn't predict it and the storyline really kept me on my toes. As for Evie, I loved how sweet she is and at times how she could look past Matteo's "job" and be there for him, caring for him!

I loved every minute of this audiobook and I can't wait to listen to the next book within this series.

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Fantastic Story and Maxine steals the show here!

Holy Moly, Maxine! Where have you been hiding? This is my first title by her and let’s just say I was so freakin’ impressed. She made me FEEL. Which, let’s be honest is all you can ask of a narrator. I FELT Maxine, so thank you. OK enough gushing for now back to the book.

This was also my first book by Melanie AND Melanie brought it! She paints a clear picture of what is going on but gives you all the inner turmoil and the emotional rollercoaster too. Loved it!

John gave us the commanding leader of the Hidden Justice Team. Matteo is a no nonsense guy who Evie stumbles on by accident. He forces her to marry him but her feelings for him grow of their own free will. She falls hard and fast and so does he. He goes into full on protector mode and nearly loses his mind when she’s in danger. BUT of course, this is romance and they get their HEA but not before blood is shed and bodies are dropped.

I love romantic suspense stories and this one was spot on. Great plot, great characters, great pacing, just GREAT, GREAT, GREAT!!!!

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Evie and Matteo !

The Boss by Melanie Moreland – This was my first Melanie Moreland book, and it will not be the last. I was hooked at the first chapter.
John Lane and Maxine Mitchell were perfect for this story.
Evie – running from an abusive relationship find herself in a little more trouble than she bargained for. Being a fighter, a survivor with the need for a better life she makes the deal of a lifetime.
Matteo – WOW. He was perfect mafia boss book boyfriend material. He saw Evie, he protected her, and he loved her fiercely.
Is it enough to make Evie put down her guard and learn to trust again?
I Loved this story so much. I cannot wait for the second book for the series!

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2 people found this helpful

Love this romantic suspense!

So many things to love about this first book in the Men of Hidden Justice series. Just say mafia romance, and I am in. Then the cover is one to swoon over. Then the story! When Evie gets caught witnessing a crime Matteo committed, she was sure her life was over. What she got though was a protective husband she couldn't help but love! But why would Matteo take this leap with a complete stranger? What is it about this woman that he saw? And will he be able to keep her safe now that he has her? This is the kind of suspense I love! Matteo is such the alpha; I could feel his bubble over Evie and her feelings about it. And she is quite the woman! She has no problem standing up for herself, the strong, independent woman she is! The suspense builds right along with the romance and it's wonderful! If you enjoy a good romantic suspense, this is the perfect weekend listen!

Maxine Mitchell and John Lane are well paired for his story. I love Mitchell's voice. She hones the personality of Evie and gives her all the nuances to create her character. I adore her male voice too! John Lane is a raspy, alpha and the perfect fit for Matteo. He brings out all his strength and love and can add that vulnerability layer without losing the attitude. Loved these two together!

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Great loved it !!! 🤗

Best I have listen to in along time Maxine and John narrated well together would love to hear them again ! And all thanks to u Melanie in writing such a brilliant book ! Just the right amount of heat 💥 and love 💝 to make this book such a hit and believable 😉

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A captivating romantic thriller

Please check CWs/TWs before reading! This is a dark-romance from Melanie Moreland that follows the story of Evie and Matteo, their paths cross one night when she tries to escape from her abusive partner only to end up in another predicament when she witnesses Matteo committing a crime. In order to protect each other he decides that they should marry one another. Although this ultimatum seems rushed Evie decides to trust Matteo and from there we learn more about who Matteo is, what he does and why, which leads to a stronger bond being formed between the two main characters. This is not necessarily a mafia story but does focus on a secret organisation that works for the greater good, hence the series name being Men of Hidden Justice. Again please check CWs/TWs as some topics discussed are quite sensitive. This is a good story to pick up if you want to read from the perspective of actual good guys who do morally questionable things. I am most definitely in favour of the work that Matteo and his crew do! Other tropes in this book are Insta-Love/Marriage of Convenience.

Before going into this book I expected Matteo’s character to come across as more of a bitter/cold person but was really interested to see how gentle and loving he was towards Evie from the start (of their marriage), their romantic bond is formed quickly but works well considering Evie’s troubled past and Matteo’s protectiveness that comes naturally due his own past. He himself has experienced loss and heartache which makes him the way he is in private with Evie, whilst he comes across as a strong leader he too has his moments of weakness as a result of his job. Evie is the perfect companion for him as she allows him to open up about his feelings and worries. Before she came into his life Matteo’s only focus was leading his crew to destroying illegal underground organisations, he then realises that he wants to fulfil a proper life together one away from the cause that he has spent many years working towards.

I really wish this story had been a little longer so more could’ve been explored. Overall I liked the narration from both narrators and I felt like they really brought the characters to life for me.

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1 person found this helpful

The Boss

John Lane and Maxine Mitchell are Melanie's go to narrators, every book is the best yet, I think 'nothing can surpass this one' but then the next audiobook is released and I'm blown away again.

This is a new genre for Melanie Moreland. I love her writing so I wasn't going to pass up a chance to read one of her books. It's a darker book than her others but Melanie herself described it as 'Canadian grey', I'd like to change that slightly to 'Canadian grey' with a hint of charcoal just before the most Melanie esque epilogue.

Evelyn Harper escaped one devil only to fall into the hands of another, she believes. She ran for her life only to find herself in more danger until the danger becomes her saviour. “Evelyn Gail Harper is dead. Evie Campari is the only name you have now.”

Matteo Campari is a man who does good under thee most awful circumstances. He is an avenger, a modern day Robin Hood. "To the world, you’re simply my wife, Evie. To me, you are my world."

This is the first book in the Men of Hidden Justice series from Melanie. If your not a fan of romantic suspense or Mafia esque genres don't worry. I'm not particularly a fan either, but don't fear Melanie's unique style is running all over this story. The chemistry between Evie & Matteo is hawt. Their story has a very unorthodox beginning which leads to a beautiful love story.

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Fantastic

Loved it. Recommend it highly. Beautiful story, excellent narration. It's worth more than 5 credits. Thank you Melanie. Thank you narrators. This was an epic success. Regards, Reelina

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Evie and Matteo!

Evie was barely able to escape the situation she found herself in with her life and now all she wanted was a place to hide while she determines her next move. When she sees something she shouldn’t have she is prepared that her life would be the cost but she never imagined that it would include marriage to the perpetrator.

In order to fulfill the responsibilities, he is tasked with Matteo has to lock down his feelings but Evie’s strength and willingness to help others has him wanting to keep her safe and marriage is the only way for that to happen.

The relationship between Evie and Matteo was everything you could want and more as they try to merge their very different lives. His need to protect her provides some conflict but, when necessary, she shows how strong she truly is. The performance of the narrators brought out both the resilience and emotions of Evie as well as the strength of Matteo.

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