Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Deepest Well by Juliette Cross Narrator: Allie Rose
Series: Dominion #0.5
Published by Tantor Audio on November 1, 2022
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Length: 10 hours, 23 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
The same night Lady Katherine Blakely discovers just what a monster her husband is, she meets a charming stranger, a gentleman from top to toe, not a wolf in gallant evening dress as so many of them are. But even he is not all that he seems.
Lord George Draconis Thornton has returned from abroad as Earl of Melbourne. As the commander of the Dominus Daemonum, demon hunters set on earth to purge the world of creatures corrupting mankind, his mission is to expel the demon prince, Damas, back to the underworld before he corrupts his last remaining descendant. But a golden-haired beauty derails his plans. Determined to save her from an abusive marriage, he loses his way. And the price for his failure will be the greatest loss he has felt in all the centuries he has lived on earth.
Well, I was not expecting this book to be so engaging. At first The Deepest Well seemed like it is going to be a historical romance that just happened to have a little paranormal in it with some specialized characters on the side of good, made by an Angel fighting the demons on earth. But it turned into a story that spans ages and shows how far into a well of despair our heroine fell after being captured and taken to a hell realm. This is listed as 0.5 of the Dominion series, a spin off of The Vessel , which I haven’t read but will probably need to add to my tbr list.
Katherine Blakely was the toast of the ton and married a man who was one thing before they got married and then showed his true colors afterward. Stuck in a loveless and abusive marriage, she has been resigned to her fate, that was until she spent one dance in the arms of another man who she showed all her pain and felt safe with him.
Lord George Draconis Thornton knew Katherine was special the first moment he saw her. He has been in the service of an angel for that last fifteen hundred years and in that time no woman has ever called to him. He has enemies and they have noticed his interest in this woman, which can not be good for her. He must protect her, not only from the enemy she knows in her own home but those Katherine has no idea even exist. Because a demon has just picked up on Katherine and will use her anyway he can to hurt George.
Well let’s just say this takes us for a ride to be sure. Demons are tricky creatures and Katherine ends up in a hell realm with Damas, who will use all his tricks to corrupt her and bring pain to George’s life. He is a demon and has all the time in the world to shift her to his will. This was intense as the reader longs for Katherine to stay strong and true to George, but she is with Damas for so many years, with only him as company and the Stockholm syndrome really starts to shine through. George spends decades looking for the woman he loves, knowing what he might find when he finally gets to her. How can you save someone who feels like she has sold her soul and is corrupted to the core. The short answer is time but George’s love for Katherine will have to endure centuries if he is to get to be with the only woman he has loved.
This was an intense and fantastic ride. I will say that part of the book seemed rushed toward the end but I believe that is because if you had read the other series, the reader had already read some of the events between these two characters in their later years. Still we get to a great place at the end and it made be both want to read the original trilogy and more books in this series.
“Humans were made for love and beauty; their vulnerability was what made them feel on the deepest level and what could also crush their will to live.”
Narration:
Allie Rose was fun to listen to and she really brought through the torment and torture that Katherine was feeling later in the book when in hell and her slow slide into being Dumas’s servant so to speak. She did well with the sensual nature of the book and all of the character voices bringing them to life. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Juliette Cross
Juliette lives in lush, moss-laden Louisiana where she lives with her husband, four kids, and black lab, Kona.
Multi-published author of paranormal and urban fantasy romance, she loves reading and writing brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes.
From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
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Yes, I loved this series and the spin offs. Also the Red Lily quartet. Not so keen on her current books though
I’ve also read the Red Lily Quarter those were fun. I also am really liking The Stay a Spell series. I will definitely get to the Vessel series one of these days as well.
I love this series, in fact I love all of Juliette Cross’s books! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a spectacular week!
I’m having a good time. I devoured this book in a day I was so hooked.
Oh! Wow, this sounds good. I like the historical element.
Me too. Really a fun kind of read. It was such a shift from historical London to a hell realm.
Wow…a love that will have to endure centuries! That’s true love.
one of my favorite tropes for sure.
I haven’t read this author but I do want to. This sounds exactly like something that I would like.
I think so too Carole. This should be right up your ally
Oof poor Catherine!
Right! It was rough.
I’ve only read this author’s book that was in the SmartyPants Romance series, but I did enjoy it. I also met her at Book Bonanza this past summer and listened to her talk on a panel and now I want to read more of her books!