Audiobook Review: Scars (The Killers, #5) by Brynne Asher. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Scars by Brynne Asher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Being a spy isn’t for the faint at heart—especially for the brute American and the beautiful, cunning Brit…

Who am I? I’m Cole Carson and I’m the best at what I do.
Four years ago, the CIA forced me to babysit the young MI6 princess, Isabella Donnelly. Beneath my paygrade and skillset, but I like to think I taught her everything she knows—because I’m just thatgood.
Turns out, there’s a first time for everything because I was wrong about her. She pissed me off and challenged me in ways no one had before. I not only ate my words, I choked those suckers down with a bottle of whiskey when someone ripped her away from me.
Now she’s back and no one can know she’s here. And by no one, I mean all of the western world.
I’m determined to clear her name and make her mine.
It’s a tall order so it’s a damn good thing I’m me.

A dare…

Okay, fine. It wasn’t a dare. More like a wager, laid at my feet by none other than Cole Carson. It’s all semantics at this point—I’m stuck between the threat of prison and my arsehole American, whom I just can’t shake.
Trust me, I’ve tried.
I have no one to blame but my stupid, stupid heart.
I’m no princess and certainly don’t need a prince charming. I can kick arse all on my own—it’s what I came here to do. Taking a bullet was not on my agenda … neither was waking up in the hospital with Cole glaring at me.
But I’m here and I’m nothing if not determined.
But that dare…
I can’t focus on that until I clear my name. If Cole wants to tag along, so be it.
I am a Donnelly. We don’t give up nor do we bow down … to anyone.
Scars

Spy Games & Second Chances

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚💜
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: ☺️🙁😍🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

🧍🏻‍♀️ The Heroine: Isabella “Bella” Donnelly
A former MI6 operative turned mercenary-for-hire, Bella is razor-sharp, resourceful, and emotionally guarded. Though she’s got contacts from Paris to Pakistan and a flawless record in the field, her personal life is far messier. Framed for financial crimes she didn’t commit, she’s spent the last year off the grid and off MI6’s payroll. Enter Cole Carson—her longtime rival, sometimes lover, and persistent distraction.

🧍🏽 The Hero: Cole Carson
Once a top-tier CIA spook, now a single father navigating desk duty and office politics, Cole still burns for Bella. When she’s wounded helping Crew Vega’s mercenary team, Cole orchestrates an alias—Isabella Carson—to keep her off the radar. He’s loved her since she was 23, and despite agency drama brewing, he’s hell-bent on giving her a second shot at life… and love.

📖 Plot Snapshot
Cole offers Bella a new identity and a new beginning—but she isn’t ready to hang up her tactical boots. Living in Pakistan and moonlighting as Crew Vega’s intel conduit, Bella remains a fugitive with U.K. charges looming. Now on U.S. soil under a false name, she agrees to Cole’s bold ultimatum: give him 30 days to clear her name, and she’ll marry him. She’s skeptical. He’s stubborn. Sparks (and bullets) fly.

👍 What Shines

• 👨‍👧 Cole’s supporting cast adds texture: his crusty father Red and headstrong daughter Abbott inject humor and heart. Abbott, desperate for parental stability, brings a poignant note to the chaos.
• 💥 Bella is the kind of heroine who doesn’t need saving—fierce, capable, and refreshingly unapologetic. Her scenes crackle with energy.

👎 What Falters

• 💤 The plot thread about Cole wanting his family to accept Bella drags early on. It feels repetitive and doesn’t always mesh with the spy-thriller pacing.
• 🤐 Bella’s reluctance to explain her presence in the U.S.—despite needing Cole’s help—undermines their chemistry and makes some scenes feel one-sided.

🎙️ Narration Vibes
Told in dual POV, this audiobook shines thanks to Kit Swann and Jason Clarke. Clarke’s voice? Gravelly, intense, and perfect for brooding operatives. Swann handles Bella with finesse, her British (or maybe snobby American?) accent lending edge to Bella’s composed exterior. Together, they keep the story engaging—even when the plot slows.

💬 Quotes

“Cole Carson, the man who will surely be the death of me. When he’s not giving me orgasms, that is.”

“Somehow he keeps coming out smelling like roses instead of the outhouse he plays in.”

“Even if I wasn’t living this nightmare. I’m not ready to give up my work. Cole and I are complicated and became something I never planned. He’s lived his exciting career, and I still want to live mine.”

“We’re going to be one big, happy, f*ckin family, if it kills me.”