Sold to the Sheikh (Club Volare #1): 3 Stars

Author: Chloe Cox
Length: 5 hrs 12 mins
I borrowed the audiobook for Sold to the Sheikh via Kindle Unlimited. It was on the shorter side so I figured it wouldn't be a waste of too much time if I didn't care for it. It’s the first in the Club Volare series, and starts off pretty routinely for what I’ve read in this genre. An innocent(ish) female-in this case Stella Spencer, who gets a job at Club Volare after going through a divorce-meets a wealthy Dom who decides to introduce her to the world of BDSM. In this book, that Dom is Sheikh Bashir, and he decides to fork over $50,000 to spend the weekend with Stella, choosing her over any other willing BDSM participant because of something he sees in her eyes when they first meet, etc etc.

Continuing with the formula, the female MC is at first uncomfortable and embarrassed about everything, before the Dom slowly brings down her walls and converts her to a BDSM lover. And they all live happily ever after.

I knew what I was getting into with this book. I wasn’t expecting mind-blowing excitement or surprises, and my expectations were pretty much met. I admit however that Stella began to grow on me about an hour or so into the book. She was ditched by her husband and still carries the pain of his rejection, as well as memories of a painful childhood. She’s a sweet character and I liked her.

Sheikh Bashir is a pretty typically written Dom. He promises Stella that he’ll have her begging by the end of the weekend. He pushes her boundaries and forces her to do things she’d never do under normal circumstances. He does his research on Stella and makes a few grand gestures based on what he learns. He isn’t cruel or Alpha-like. He comes across more determined and protective. He also has a personal history that keeps him from giving his heart to anyone.

You can pretty much guess how the book ends but it was a decent read. The Audible narrator did a great job, it’s not easy to find a good erotica narrator and she’s definitely one of the better ones. The writer gave sufficient backstories to both characters and I liked the two of them together. I think the worst I can say about the book is that it’s just not overly memorable.

The blurb for the third book Disciplined by the Dom sounds pretty interesting so I think I might continue with the series if I need to bust out of a reading/listening slump.