Savage Beginnings: A Dark Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance

Written by J. L. Beck and C Hallman

Narrated by Alastair Haynesbridge and Samantha Summers

It started with a single look... my obsession, my desire, and need to possess the sweet, and incredibly naive Elena Romero. Dark raven hair, and piercing green eyes. She would make a beautiful bride.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media
• Release date: Jan 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781666546682

J. L. Beck

J.L. Beck is a USA Today bestselling author who's written over one-hundred romance novels. One half of the epic writing duo Beck and Hallman, she enjoys sitting with a cup of coffee and a book in hand.

Reviews for Savage Beginnings

[PIXIE Beauty Studio Osijek · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This female narrator is unbearable! Sometimes I wonder if authors ever listen a word of it and whether they have the right to speak when choosing the narrator.

[Emma Young · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Couldn't finish the first chapter because of the female narrator. She seems to stall constantly when speaking and it really got on my nerves.

[Stacy Warner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beck & Hallman books always keep you in the edge, be it your chair or needing more batteries, never a dull moment! Very much enjoyed listening to this audiobook BUT I definitely didn’t Casares for the female narrator this 4 star rating. The voice was robotic seeming as though every word was its own sentence, paragraph.

[PAnnDouglas · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story line was interesting and kept me listening. But the female narrator was HORRIBLE! She really ruined it parts of the story for me.

[Cindy Mayibongwe Moyo · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The female narrator sounds robotic and made it hard to get through. I only lasted two chapters

[Denise Rodriguez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love love love this audiobook… will recommend to anyone

[Oana Busuioc · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Full of toxicity, cringe dialog, very lame characters. Didn't finished.

[Merry Cain · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review

I appreciate the authors writing and some people may enjoy this story. I found it to be okay, but I really struggled with the MFC.

It’s definitely apparent that the MFC has been “conditioned” by her father. This poor thing had had no life and at all and I think that’s why she acts the way she does. She just wants someone to care about her and show her affection. It’s apparent that at least as a teen and adult that she has lacked both.

Her ignorance, lack of action, and actions she does take left me frustrated most of this story. The MMC was as I would expect a mafia boss to be, and I really liked him. I’m glad I didn’t DNF because I found the ending to be satisfying.

I’m curious about Marcus, but unsure on the second book at this point.

[Tabbatha Browe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

So the story was good but I really didn’t like the h, she was so skittish. I wanted her to be stronger and have some fight in her. The female narrator bugged me on this book. She had weird pauses and sounded robotic and whiny at the same time. It was such a weird combination. I’ve listened to her in other books and loved her so I guess it was just the character. I would listen to it for the story.

[Rachel, Reading Shamelessly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’m on the fence about this one. The opening has potential where the father is basically selling his only daughter to pay off some debts to his sworn enemy… The female protagonist, Elena, seems pretty meek right off the bat. She tries to run, but obviously is unsuccessful. Julian haas grand plans of breaking his enemy’s daughter as revenge, but you know those plans never work out…

I normally love these authors, so I was kind of disappointed with this book. It seemed a bit dragged out, a bit cut and pasted together at times, and lacked that extra ooomph I usually get from these writers. It’s not a terrible book, there are a couple interesting plot twists, but overall I’m sadly not aesthetic about it. I will continue the series cause I’m loyal, and want to see where it goes with the side characters that have been introduced.

[Rosa Lopez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Omg this book is amazing I couldn't stop listening to it.

[Sophia Velasquez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved, loved loved this book.. ❤ I couldn't stop listening

[Ashley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love the story, I've read it previously but had never heard the audio. I love the voice of the male narrator but it took me a bit to get used to the female narrator as her voice sounds almost like SIRI... Somewhat robotic in the beginning, but after a while it does get better.

[Tenika Eardley · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was not a fan of the writing or the female narrator. But for some reason I finished it.

[Becca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book I did not want to stop listening to it...hints why I was up past 2am and then as soon as I woke up I finished it with a little less than 3 hours left ❣️??❤️????? I didn't want it to end... I'd give this a 5 star if the epilogue would have went further into the future that's the only reason it's a 4 out of 5 ⭐'s. That being said I saw Amazon had a novela Called Savage Christmas which continues their story wish the author's would have just tacked it to the original that would have definitely been a five-star book for me.

[KC · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t finish Chapter 1 ..what’s with the robot-like narration of the FMC?? ?

[Anoushka Treur · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story was good, 4.5 stars however, I strongly recommend reading it not listening to it. There's only so much I could stomach listening to that woman ruin the narration, her voice sounds digitized and it threw me off the story line.

[Pam Denmark · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just loved this book! It had just the right bleed of drama, excitement, humor, and sexy hotness!!!! Held my interest from start to finish. The narrators were excellent!