Start A War

Written by Elle Thorpe

Narrated by Michelle Price and Gregory Salinas

“Do you want some Goldfish crackers, Bliss?”

Those were the last words my brother said to me before he was shot execution style. A childhood code only he and I knew, and one that had a single, clear meaning behind it.

Run.

I’m not going anywhere. Not when his murderer is still out there.

To catch a killer, I put aside my life of money and luxury and take over the running of Psychos, a dive bar in the seedy underbelly of Saint View.

But Psychos delivers more than I ever could have bargained for and three men I never saw coming.

Nash, my brother’s best friend. Older and more experienced, he still remembers me as the neglected child he once saved.

War, heir to a biker gang throne and searching for the man who left his mother in a coma. Bonded over a common goal, he introduces me to a world of after-hours clubs, danger, and violence.

And Vincent, the quiet new guy nobody seems to see except me. He’s sweet and quirky, but there’s a darkness in him just waiting to be unleashed.

With every lie we uncover, every secret we expose, the danger mounts.

Until there’s only one thing we know for sure.

The killer is still out there.

And we’re his next targets.

Start a War is an adult, #whychoose romance, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This book contains romantic suspense / dark themes that may trigger some readers. It is the first book in an ongoing trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elle Thorpe Pty Ltd
• Release date: Sep 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781922760166

Reviews for Start A War

[Stacey Kennard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh. My. God. I could not put this down. Sooo good I can’t even.

Let me start by giving you Trigger Warnings: child abuse/neglect, rape, cheating, verbal and physical abuse.

That being said, it is still so worth reading. Do not let that deter you unless it is a trigger for you. I don’t usually like reading things that are too dark but this was such an incredibly complex story… and it’s only part 1 of 3. I am literally going to go ready the 2nd book now. And the narration? PERFECT. Both of them but Gregory Salinas is seriously one of my top 3 favorite narrators.

If you are on the fence, just read it. You won’t regret it.

[Barbora Balejová · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why haven't I checked the release date, and the fact it's not finnished? Fucking kill me, I can't wait for next book!!!
Btw this book broke my heart like 15 minutes in, but it's so good.

[Wonderlin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

SO FREAKIN AWESOME! I had to force myself to go to bed. I wanted to keep listening until the whole series was done. The characters and the story is captivating. I absolutely love the first book. On to the second.

[Tiffani Gonzales · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars!!! I loved both of the narrators and this book was AMAZING! So suspenseful and spicy. Be mindful of your triggers as there is an abusive rapist in here.

[Adrielle Wilmot · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved the book! So intense..ready for more! On to the next book!

[Ravens9308 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So I listened to the first two trilogies in this series and loved them (I loved prison over high) and took a break so I wasn't overloaded with too much saint view haha and I have to say....psychos might dethrone prison and I wasn't expecting that. I went in blind besides knowing Vincent from SVP would be showing up in this series, now knowing how I would like him as a part of a harem because of his....predilections. Boy was I 10000% wrong and devoured book 1 so quickly, I had to listen to the ending while sitting and watching football with my mom because I NEEDED to know how it ended haha.

In terms of these characters, I didnt realize how much I would fall for Bliss. From the very beginning this author grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. I was so sad about her brother, I would have loved to know him more but I totally get it for the storyline haha. I love all 3 of the guys and I don't really have a favorite which is crazy for me. I loved War and his unapologetic attraction for Bliss and going for what he wanted. And boy....those steamy scenes were fabulous! I loved Nash and can't wait for him to really cave, helpfully in book 2. The chemistry with him and Bliss was intense. I had to keep reminding myself he was a lot older but boy, I cannot wait for them to get together. I wonder if he is a Daddy or something with his indications of his kink/Bliss can't handle him. I am so excited to find out. And Vincent....oh Vincent. I didnt realize in SVP that he had split personality, but that makes 100% sense. I loved seeing someone call him a murder puppy and that fits him to a tee. I loved how innocent he was compared to the others. I loved how protective he was and how he needs guidance because of his social inexperience and lack of living life because of Scythe. I am suuuuper intrigued how things will go in book 2 after the ending of this one. And Caleb needs to be beaten to a pulp or tortured for what he put Bliss through. So unacceptable. I wanted to strangle him through my phone while I was listening.

Narration was fabulous. I loved this was duet, it made it even more impactful. I love these narrators, they are some of my favorites. I will say the male narrator in some other audiobooks had gone over the top with his maniacal laugh so sometimes he did it here too so that would be my only critique. I loved the super emotional moments, I was so immersed in the story I forgot the chore I was supposed to be doing haha. I loved this audio so much. I am totally gonna need this series in physical form based on how much I loved book 1 ❤️

[Han Lu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My new Roman Empire, The man that you are Vincent!!!

[Jamie Koepplinger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Exciting start to a wild series! Cannot wait to see what comes next

[Shannon Taylor · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ok, not gonna hedge around here. I've been reading this author's books for a while now. I've also been following the Saint View line since the beginning. I was SO ready for this trilogy! After falling in love with Vincent/Scythe in the SVP trilogy, it seemed like Saint View Psychos took ages to drop. My man HAD to get his story!

So, let's just open this book up with some trauma, shall we? Good grief!! Bliss and Axel, half-siblings with a drug addict sex worker mother. Axel, older than Bliss by 14 years, accompanied by his BFF Nash, got Bliss out of their mother's house and handed her off to Bliss' dad when she was 5. They enacted a code phrase for when Bliss needed to hide.

Fast forward MANY years. Bliss is 21? (sorry, my memory is garbage for ages) and she gets a random phone call from Axel.

"Do you want some Goldfish crackers, Bliss?"

I ABSOLUTELY LOST MY MIND! I sobbed and sobbed. I couldn't even read anymore for like a half hour. I knew what was coming and I just couldn't.

Unfortunately, Bliss is now Bethany-Melissa (WTF kinda name is that?) ANYWHO. She's extremely naïve and has been living the sheltered life in Providence. Now, she must navigate the darker side of Saint View in order to find out who murdered her brother.

The characters she meets along the way are so jarringly opposite of her that it's comical. Rebel is the first one. That was a good laugh. Bliss became Disney and I loved every second of it. Disney really did fit the nickname department if you gave it a second thought.

Anyway, not going to give away a whole lot of details, but it is absolutely worth the dive.

I gave the audiobook a listen too! Gregory Salinas and Michelle Price did an awesome job, as they have with the other Saint View books. I really like their pairing.

Always check the TW/CW:
?violence ?non-con/dubcon
?criminal activity ?homophobia
?mental illness ?body shaming
?child abuse ?physical abuse
?OW/cheating

Anywho! Time to wrap this up with the goodies:
Read: 4????
Spice: 5?????
CLIFFHANGER

[Miss Curiosity · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THIS IS THAT VINCENT?! ? I was wondering what happened to him and chose this one by chance, lol. He's so odd, but yay!

Edit: Something I've noticed is that Elle uses "sniggered" a lot in their books. It's awkward and they do use "snickered" at some points, but the other is used far more often. Personally, it's triggering sometimes, especially after it's used so many times.