***AUDIO REVIEW ~ GABRI*** THE SUBMISSION SERIES Sequence One by CD Reiss

Jonathan Drazen is a known womanizer and a gorgeous piece of man I'm not letting into my heart. Ever. Yeah, he's rich, beautiful, charming as hell, and he has a wit as sharp as a double-edged razor... but he's made it perfectly clear that this is a short-term f--k. Three nights, tops, then we part like sexually satisfied grown-ups. I believe him when he says he can't love me. I'm not trying to fall in love, either. We get in. Get it on. Get the hell out. Done. Right? Right.

Sequence One of the Submission Series comprises the first three books in the series, Beg – Tease – Submit.

Monica and Jonathan are among my best favourite literary friends ever. Monica is sassy, talented and totally dedicated to her art, but she can also be a wonderful friend, a tireless worker, a young woman facing an unchartered territory and coming out of it unscathed as a true “woman of grace”.

When she meets Jonathan Drazen, billionaire hotel owner, the show is on. From the very beginning, their mutual attraction is palpable and what starts as a casual fling, soon develops into a mutual life-altering experience. Try as she might to prevent the inevitable, the pull towards Jonathan is stronger and, despite her resolve to not fall in love with Mr. Redhead and Dangerous, Monica's feelings for him grow in a way she doesn't expect. Which will bring her to question the nature of their relationship and her role in it.

What can I say about Mr. Jonathan Drazen? I loved his straightforwardness in addressing his 'peculiar' tastes, and even more his playfulness about them. Sexy as hell, he can take you to heaven with just one word. A “devil incarnate” for society at large, he can be the god who rule your world. When he calls Monica his “Goddess”, you can totally understand why she has fallen for him.  Far from being 'perfect', though, Jonathan soon realizes Monica makes him whole. From which there is no turning back.

As soon as I was told the audio version of  The Submission Series: Sequence One was available at Audible, I downloaded it. I have only three words for it: Best. Audiobook. Ever!!!!

Narrator Jo Raylan has done a fantastic job; the deep, sultry tones in her voice really bring Jonathan and Monica to life and make just the perfect soundtrack to their story too. Music plays an important role in these books, both literally and metaphorically, and Jo Raylan has succeeded in giving each and every character their right voice, skillfully merging them to the effect of a captivating choir. More often than I'll ever admit to, I forgot about it being just one female narrator and let myself be carried away by Jonathan's voice.

Did I mention Jo Raylan can sing too?

Chapeau.

The Submission Series: Sequence One is an audiobook lovers' dream come true; it is an intense emotional experience; it is a goldmine of memorable lines; it is also a collection of much thought-provoking books I'll never thank CD Reiss and Jo Raylan enough for.

Warning: This Audiobook can be addictive. Do yourself a favour and download it right now. You can thank me later.

                                      

 6 stamps...and counting

CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn't pick up, she's at the well, hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master's degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It's about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.

Critics have dubbed the books "poetic," "literary," and "hauntingly atmospheric," which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she's some sort of braggart who's too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.