A review by a_reader_obsessed
The Charlatan’s Conquest by Vivien Dean

3.0

3.5 Stars

I know I sound like I’m on auto repeat, but this was consistent DSP Beyond fare encompassing a pretty good ghostly premise.

Cruz, being the great guy that he is, grudgingly agrees to help his bff Etienne debunk a supposed haunted house again since Etienne is a little worse for wear after recently being hurt. He wouldn’t normally be up for these ghostly confirmations, but seeing as how Etienne already ruled it out twice before, this would be easy money for Cruz as the customer’s simply requesting one last check. What Cruz doesn’t expect is to confront a hostile son ready to call him out on his nonexistent abilities.

Brody doesn’t want to see his father swindled, especially since there’s no such thing as ghosts, right? Unfortunately, his father is super stubborn and insistent that the house is haunted and is willing to pay an exorbitant amount, but Brody is determined to show that ghosts aren’t real and that Cruz is an imposter. However, what Brody doesn’t realize is that he’s closer to the ghosts than he ever suspected, and they’re definitely not the friendly kind. He also doesn’t expect to feel such a strong attraction and connection to the handsome kind stranger, but Brody can’t seem to help himself.

As Cruz and Brody get to know each other and try to figure out their paranormal situation, they of course develop feelings. Cruz is super sweet and easily the nicest guy on the planet. Brody has a big chip on his shoulder but with good reason, and he easily and understandably falls under Cruz’s affable charm.

Overall, this had a good mix of sexy and paranormal suspense. Regarding the audio, the character Brody, was quite incongruent with the rest of the wonderful narration by Simon Ferrar - I enjoyed everything about his performance except when it came to this MC’s voice. Regardless, this was a very good start to a new series, and I definitely look forward to Etienne’s story!