S. J. Varengo

If you're looking for an action-packed thriller with plenty of humor and romance thrown in, The Beauty of Bucharest by S.J. Varengo may be right up your alley. The plot centered around a cute couple with an endearing dynamic. It was interesting to see how both partners coped with the changes in their lives. Their development was as entertaining as their banter. My favorite part of The Beauty of Bucharest was the intense, emotional climax. It delivered a balancing weight that contrasted well with the buoyant humor and romance, which did, at times, get just a little corny.

S.J. Varengo's writing style was, for the most part, wonderfully crisp. I loved the setting and appreciated the amount of research the author put into The Beauty of Bucharest. The technical information on weapons and anatomy he provided here and there was interesting. There were a couple of times when it slowed the story some, but I felt such information combined with the brief, intriguing descriptions to create a fitting ambiance. The plot was well-crafted, but the characters particularly stood out to me. The protagonists were easy to like, and the antagonists were downright chilling.

Narrator Austenne Grey delivered an immersive performance. I loved her portrayal of each character. Her expertise with various accents especially shined, providing an exceptionally absorbing experience that I wouldn't have had by just reading the book. Though there were a few areas outside of the dialogue that sounded a bit awkward, Austenne Grey was easy to understand, she kept a great pace throughout the reading, and the audio quality was perfect. I would definitely be open to checking out the next book in the Cleanup Crew Thriller series, especially if Austenne Grey returns as narrator.

(Disclaimer: I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Northern Lake Audio. All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased.)

Trigger Warning: This is an adult work that contains profanity and themes of human trafficking, homicide, and violence.… (meer)