The Prey by J.L. Beck

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Filthy rich. Monstrous. Vile.

He calls me prey. 

I call him a bully. 

Sebastian Arturo isn’t just cruel, he’s downright terrifying. 

With piercing green eyes, a body made for doing very bad things, and a charming demeanor, it’s no wonder everyone thinks the world of him… everyone except me. 

When I wake up with pieces of my memory missing he’s the only one who can give me answers. 

But he doesn’t give me answers, instead he tells me to stop asking questions, or else… 

I heed his warning and do my best to avoid him but since he’s my boss and I live in his house that’s kinda difficult. 

Then one night his hate for me reaches its breaking point… and the lines blur. 

Hate twists into lustful obsession. 

His cruel words become seductive praises. 

One touch sparks a raging inferno of desire, and I find myself burned to ash beneath his fingertips. 

Just when I think I’ll finally find happiness my memories return bringing with them a vicious truth. 

Turns out the man I’m falling for isn’t who I thought he was… and escape isn”t an option. 

He has me right where he wants, caught in a trap, just like prey.

The Prey

Trigger Warning: Everything.

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋🙂🤣🥰
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

🛡️ Audiobook Review: The Prey

Series: Oakmount Elite
Genre: Dark Bully Romance
Narrators: Renee Thorne & Ryan Stone

🦸🏻‍♂️ Hero Spotlight: Sebastian Arturo

Sebastian Arturo is the reluctant heir to a legacy soaked in blood and control. Raised under the iron fist of his grandfather and the cold indifference of his uncle, Sebastian was molded into a weapon—brutal, calculating, and emotionally fractured. Though he teeters on the edge of psychosis, he’s not the monster his grandfather was. When that monster crosses a line even Sebastian can’t stomach, he makes a desperate call to Dr. Brooks. The mission: save her. Elyse. The woman whose blood was spilled for the Arturo name. The woman whose fate is now tangled with his.

Sebastian knows he should have let her die. It would’ve been kinder. But kindness isn’t in his DNA. Instead, he pulls her into his world, a place where loyalty is currency and freedom is a myth. As truths unravel and family secrets surface, Sebastian finds himself protecting not just Elyse, but his sister Maybelle Jacobs—his last tether to something pure.

🦸🏼‍♀️ Heroine Spotlight: Elyse

Elyse hates Sebastian with every fiber of her being. He’s her savior and her captor, her employer and her tormentor. After surviving a brutal attack at the hands of her own father, she wakes up in Sebastian’s mansion—alive, but not free. Her debt binds her to him, and his rage is a constant companion. Doors slam. Tempers flare. And yet, she endures.

But things shift. Sebastian wants her to accompany him to a business event—not as a date, but as a shield to keep other women away. It’s a twisted arrangement, and Elyse knows it. Still, she plays along, because survival means adapting. What she doesn’t know is that the venue, Pound of Flesh, will dredge up memories and fears she’s tried to bury. And Sebastian? He’s counting on it.

📃 Plot Pulse

Sebastian’s vendetta against his aunt Tanya—who styles herself as his stepmother—is personal. She holds half the deed to the mansion, and he wants her gone. But Tanya’s presence is just one thread in a web of manipulation, trauma, and control. Sebastian has kept Elyse at arm’s length for months, but now he needs her close. Her memories of that night are dangerous, and fear is his chosen leash.

The outing to Pound of Flesh isn’t just business—it’s psychological warfare. Sebastian believes Elyse belongs to him, but he refuses to claim her. His restraint is its own kind of cruelty. Raised in a house where love was a weapon and pain was tradition, Sebastian is now the last Arturo standing—and the nightmare is his to live.

💘 What Hit Home

• Sebastian’s internal war is palpable. He wants Elyse, but punishes himself for it. His cruelty is a shield, a twisted form of protection that keeps her at a distance while tethering her to him.
• The emotional push-pull between them is raw, painful, and deeply compelling.

🧐 What Fell Flat

• The trigger warnings were extensive—and for good reason. Even as a seasoned dark romance reader, I paused before diving in. Some themes felt especially heavy.
• Sebastian’s lingering fear of Tanya, despite his brutal persona, felt inconsistent.
• A scene in a sex club involving coercion under the guise of gangster politics was deeply uncomfortable and felt gratuitous.

🎧 Narration Notes

Told in dual POV, the audiobook features Renee Thorne and Ryan Stone. Renee’s voice is soft, expressive, and age-appropriate for Elyse—she brings vulnerability and grit in equal measure. Ryan Stone’s gravelly tone suits Sebastian’s menace, though it skews older than expected. Still, he captures the character’s volatility and darkness with chilling precision.

📝 Final Takeaway

This is not a love story. It’s a descent into power, trauma, and twisted loyalty. Sebastian and Elyse are two broken souls bound by blood, debt, and circumstance. If you crave morally gray characters, emotional torment, and mafia dynamics that blur the line between protection and possession—this audiobook delivers. But tread carefully. The darkness here doesn’t ask for permission.

—
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub




View all my reviews