Heavy by M.L. Burns

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

𝓒𝓪𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪

Everyone has a past, but mine is a storm that never stops chasing me. When my life goes up in flames by my own doing, I’m left with an impossible choice: lose everything I’ve built or hide out in a remote cabin with a killer. My plan is to rebuild the vacation home where my family once spent summers, hoping it will distract me from the chaos.

But there’s one major complication: my roommate is way too hot. And who is this too-hot roommate? My damn step-uncle.

He’s a convicted murderer with a history as dark as my own, and maybe this cabin isn’t the only thing I’m desperate to repair.

𝓡𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓷

Fifteen years behind bars, and freedom tastes no sweeter than my old concrete cell. I figured I’d drink myself into an early grave or wind up back in prison. Then my little step-niece showed up, begging to stay at the place my brother let me live in.

She’s fixing up the cabin, but I can see it in her eyes that I’m also on the plans for repairs. But I don’t need fixing; I’m not broken, just forgotten.

She’s a beautiful fighter with secrets she’s not ready to share. But she’s in a cage with a lion that’s been starved too long, and now that I’m free, I’ve got an appetite that will only be satiated by her.

A Cabin, A Convict, and a Catastrophe

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💜💙
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: 😋🙂🤨🤣
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration

🎧 Audiobook Review: Heavy (Neighbors of Sapphire Valley, #1)

Author: M.L. Burns
Genre: Dark Romance / BDSM
Narrators: Andi Eloise and Sebastian York

🦸🏻‍♂️ The Heroine: Calista

Calista’s life goes up in flames — literally — when her downtown Denver townhome burns to the ground, taking every possession she owns with it. The tragedy isn’t a surprise to her; she’s been waiting for this moment since childhood, knowing that someone else’s carelessness set a chain reaction she could never escape. The guilt she carries is corrosive, and when her neighbor expresses concern, Calista can barely stand it. In her mind, the fire is her fault, her burden, her punishment. Her self‑contempt runs deep, and it colors every choice she makes.

🦸🏼‍♀️ The Hero: Ronan

Three days later, Ronan steps out of the penitentiary after serving fifteen years for murder — no parole, no second chances, no soft landing. Prison has been his home for half his life, and freedom feels more like exposure than relief. His older brother Amon arrives in a tuxedo and a limousine, trying to make amends for years of absence, but Ronan isn’t in a forgiving mood. Still, when Amon offers him a rundown cabin outside Denver, Ronan reluctantly accepts. Pride doesn’t keep you warm at night.

🔥 Plot Dynamics

Calista refuses to stay with her mother after the fire, so she asks to use the family cabin in Sapphire Valley — a place that belonged to her late father and still holds emotional weight. Her mother agrees, handing over a black card for repairs, and Calista heads out with a plan to restore the cabin over six months as a surprise for her stepfather, Amon.

What she doesn’t expect is to find Ronan — her stepfather’s estranged brother — already living there. Their worlds collide in a space neither of them is ready to share, and the tension between them is immediate, charged, and complicated by the secrets they both carry.

🌟 Strengths

• Heavy themes handled with care. The book comes with a long list of trigger warnings, and while many of the darkest moments occur off‑page or in flashbacks, they still pack emotional weight.
• Ronan’s trauma feels authentic. His aversion to touch, even from family, adds depth to his character and makes his emotional arc more compelling.
• Calista’s secrets unravel slowly. The mystery surrounding her past is revealed piece by piece, building suspense and keeping the reader engaged.
• A surprising reveal. The truth behind Calista’s guilt is unexpected — maybe a bit too convenient, but undeniably effective in delivering shock value.

💔 Limitations

• Ronan’s fatalism becomes repetitive. His certainty that he’s doomed to fail makes sense given his past, but it can weigh down the pacing.
• The Daddy kink element is a personal miss. If that dynamic isn’t your thing, it may feel uncomfortable or distracting.
• Excessive smut. The intimate scenes are long, frequent, and sometimes overshadow the plot. Readers wanting more story and less steam may find the balance off.

🎙 Narration

The story is delivered in dual POV with duet narration by Andi Eloise and Sebastian York.

• Andi Eloise has a soft, subdued tone that can come across as muted or low‑energy, which didn’t always match Calista’s emotional intensity.
• Sebastian York, on the other hand, is perfectly cast. His gravelly, grounded voice suits Ronan’s hardened edges and vulnerability. He excels at dirty talk and brings a natural, lived‑in quality to the role that elevates the entire listening experience.

💭 Final Thoughts & Assessment

This audiobook blends trauma, mystery, and dark romance into a story that’s emotionally gripping but not without its flaws. Calista and Ronan are both shaped by past wounds, and watching them navigate trust, guilt, and desire creates a compelling push‑pull dynamic. The slow reveal of Calista’s secret is one of the book’s strongest elements, even if the final twist stretches believability.

However, the pacing suffers under the weight of extended intimate scenes, and certain kink elements may alienate readers who prefer emotional depth over erotic intensity. Ronan’s bleak worldview also risks becoming repetitive, making it harder to root for his future.

Still, the atmosphere, the tension, and Sebastian York’s standout performance give the audiobook a strong emotional core. For listeners who enjoy dark, high‑heat romance with damaged characters and layered secrets, this story delivers. For those who prefer more plot‑driven narratives or avoid certain kinks, it may be a more uneven experience.

Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub



View all my reviews