Stranded by Selena Winters

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In the cold wilderness of Alaska, my host is as wicked as he is enticing.

I thought I had my golden ticket to love until I stumbled upon my boyfriend’s betrayal. A romantic Christmas vacation to Alaska, planned for two, is now a solo venture. Little did I know, I was stepping into the lair of a dark, dangerous man I knew nothing about.

Maddox, a tattooed giant of a man, a fugitive turned recluse, has been living in the shadows. But his obsession ignites when he sees a photo of me online after booking his cabin, the golden girl with a silver spoon. He’s dangerous and unstable, and yet I’m drawn to him. The rugged man in front of me is nothing like the polished lawyers and businessmen I’m used to. Maddox is raw and real.

In the isolated cabin, the icy Alaskan wilderness becomes our playground. Maddox, the man obsessed with masks, pulls me into his twisted game of obsession and desire. But as the temperature drops, our dangerous dance only heats up, pushing boundaries.

I thought the snow stranded me, but I’m exactly where Maddox wants me. In his world, under his rules. I’d come for solitude, but I’m in for a wild ride. No one can hear you scream when you’re miles from civilization. After all, there are no rules in the heart of the wilderness. The only law is survival. But can I survive Maddox?

How to Get Over Your Ex: Alaska Edition

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜
Spice/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Chemistry: 🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗
World building: 🌏🌍
Character development: 😋😀
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration

🎧 Audiobook Review: Stranded

Author: Selena Winters
Genre: Dark Romance
Narrator(s): Heather Johns and Gideon Frost.

📚 Character Background & Plot Dynamics

Ivy is supposed to be on her way to Alaska for a romantic getaway with her boyfriend Preston—complete with her father’s private jet and the kind of luxury trip her high‑society parents would approve of. But when Preston forgets to pick her up from yoga, Ivy grabs an Uber home… only to find him in bed with two women. With her relationship imploding in spectacular fashion, she kicks him out and decides to take the vacation anyway. Ivy may be a successful lawyer like her parents, but her heart has always belonged to fashion design, not the polished social circles she was raised to navigate. Her solo trip becomes the perfect chance to explore who she might be outside of everyone else’s expectations.

Maddox, meanwhile, lives deep in the quiet of the Alaskan wilderness. He rents out a cabin for extra income, and ever since Ivy booked it, he’s been fixated on her photo—drawn to her despite believing she’s exactly the kind of pampered princess he can’t stand. His resentment toward Preston borders on obsessive, and his fantasies often drift into violent territory. Maddox has a dark, volatile past, and the isolated fortress he built in the woods is as much a refuge from the world as it is a barrier protecting others from the parts of himself he fears he can’t control.

When Ivy arrives, their worlds collide in a way that’s messy, intense, and undeniably charged.

🌟 Highlights

• Both Ivy and Maddox share a bold, unapologetic approach to intimacy. Ivy is unexpectedly thrilled by Maddox’s masked voyeuristic tendencies, and their chemistry ignites quickly.
• The cheating ex showing up in Alaska is a satisfying twist. Watching Ivy confront Preston on her own terms adds a gratifying layer of empowerment.

⤵️ Low Points

• The initial encounter between Ivy and Maddox didn’t work for me. Ivy catching him masturbating outside in the cold, followed almost immediately by her choosing to do the same in front of the cabin window, felt abrupt and overly explicit for so early in the story.
• I picked up this audiobook expecting a darker, more psychologically layered romance. Instead, the story leans heavily on erotic scenes, leaving the plot and emotional development feeling thinner than I hoped.

🎙️ Narration

Told through dual points of view with dual narration, the audiobook features Heather Johns and Gideon Frost. Johns brings Ivy to life with expressive warmth and a youthful tone that fits the character perfectly. Frost’s deep, hushed delivery is well‑suited to Maddox’s brooding, dangerous energy. Together, they create a listening experience that enhances the tension and emotional beats of the story.

💬 Final Thoughts

This audiobook delivers heat, intensity, and a volatile pairing that will appeal to listeners who enjoy fast‑burn chemistry and boundary‑pushing encounters. While the premise has strong potential and the narrators elevate the material, the story leans more toward erotic spectacle than the deeper, moodier darkness I was hoping for. If you’re in the mood for a steamy Alaskan escape with a morally gray hero and a heroine reclaiming her independence, this may hit the spot—but those seeking a richer plot or more psychological depth may find themselves wanting more.

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