This book wrecked me at 2 AM while I was stress-eating leftover enchiladas because a client hated my logo drafts. Frida was judging me from the kitchen counter, Diego was asleep on my feet, and Wraith was falling for a woman he literally has to kill to survive. Perfect company for my spiral, honestly.
Larissa Ione went and wrote a demon romance where the central conflict is this man will die if he doesn't seduce her, but seducing her will kill her. And somewhere around hour six, I stopped caring about the paranormal mechanics and started ugly-crying because Wraith—this death-wish-having, centuries-old Seminus demon—discovers he actually wants to live. But only because of her. Only because Serena made him feel like existing was worth something.
My heart. MY HEART.
Renee Raudman: Whiskey Voice, Disney Princess Problem
Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the room. Renee Raudman's voice is like whiskey and smoke—gravelly, raspy, absolutely perfect for a dark paranormal romance dripping with demons and death wishes. When she hits the emotional beats? I was gone. Choked up. Clutching my phone like it personally betrayed me.
But.
Her female characters—particularly Serena—sometimes veer into this Disney princess territory that pulled me right out of the moment. There's this overly dramatic lilt that made me think of Ariel discovering a fork, and Serena is supposed to be a badass archaeologist treasure hunter, not a wide-eyed ingenue. One minute I'm swooning over Wraith's tortured growl, the next I'm wincing because Serena sounds like she's about to burst into song about wanting more from life.
I pushed through because the story had its hooks in me, but I won't lie—there were moments I had to pause and take a breath. Some listeners apparently couldn't make it past thirty minutes, and I get it. I really do. But if you can ride out the inconsistency, there's gold here.
A Love Story Built on Impossible Math
Serena's been a virgin since age seven—not by choice exactly, but because her immortality charm requires it. She's lived this wild, adventurous life as a treasure hunter, but she's never let anyone close enough to threaten what keeps her alive. And then Wraith shows up, poisoned and desperate, knowing he needs to take her charm (and her life) to survive.
The setup is manipulative as hell. Wraith is literally seducing her under false pretenses, planning to let her die so he can live. Ione doesn't shy away from how messed up that is. She makes you sit in the discomfort of it. Makes you watch Wraith realize he's become the monster he always believed himself to be—and then makes you watch him try to become something else.
Abuela would have gasped at this one. She loved a good telenovela redemption arc, and Wraith's transformation from nihilistic demon to someone who would rather die than hurt Serena? That's peak drama. Peak romance. Dream Thieves pulled off that same magic—making me care more about the characters' emotional survival than the actual supernatural chaos surrounding them. The kind of stakes that make you forget you're listening to a book about supernatural creatures and start feeling like you're watching two real people figure out if love is worth dying for.
Who Should Listen (And Who Should Sample First)
This is not a casual listen. The narration requires your full attention—partly because of Raudman's style, partly because Ione's world is dense with demon politics and supernatural lore. Not your "fold laundry and half-listen" audiobook.
If you love dark paranormal romance with real emotional stakes, morally complicated heroes, and slow-burn chemistry that makes you hold your breath? This is your book. If you're sensitive to narration quirks or need consistent vocal characterization to stay immersed? Try a sample first. The sexual content is explicit (Serena's virginity is literally a plot point, so you know where this is going), and there's violence, language, and some genuinely dark moments.
Closing the File on This One
Thirteen hours is a commitment, and Passion Unleashed demands every one of them. The narration is polarizing—Raudman's whiskey-smoke voice is perfect for the darkness but stumbles on the feminine energy. The romance, though? Devastating in the best way. Wraith's arc from wanting to die to wanting to live for someone else hit me somewhere deep.
I cried at least twice. Maybe three times. The spreadsheet will confirm.
This book felt like falling in love with someone you know will hurt you—and doing it anyway because some things are worth the pain. Messy, complicated, emotionally devastating in the best possible way. Abuela would have loved this one.
