Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews Narrator: Nora Sofyan, Graphic Audio full cast
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #5
Published by Graphic Audio on 2/02/2024 (this edition; novel orig. pub. 12/05/2022)
Genres: Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Source: the library (Hoopla)
Purchase: Amazon | Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Chirp
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Also in this series: Sweep of the Blade
Also by this author: On the Edge, Sweep of the Blade
From the New York Times #1 bestselling author, Ilona Andrews, comes a fun and action-packed new adventure in the Innkeeper Chronicles! We invite you to relax, enjoy yourself, and above all, remember the one rule all visitors must obey: the humans must never know.
Life is busier than ever for Innkeepers Dina DeMille and Sean Evans. But it’s about to get even more chaotic when Sean's werewolf mentor is kidnapped. To find him, they must host an intergalactic spouse-search for one of the most powerful rulers in the Galaxy. Dina is never one to back down from a challenge. That is, if she can manage her temperamental Red Cleaver chef; the consequences of her favorite Galactic ex-tyrant's dark history; the tangled politics of an interstellar nation, and oh, yes, keep the wedding candidates from a dozen alien species from killing each other. Not to mention the Costco lady.
They say love is a battlefield; but Dina and Sean are determined to limit the casualties!
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
The Innkeepers meet The Bachelor
The latest Innkeeper novel was a blast; I could hardly stop listening! When Sean’s werewolf mentor, Wilmos, is kidnapped, Dina and Sean vow to rescue him. But finding him is not going to be easy. After a challenging encounter, they learn where Wilmos was taken… and that they will need a favor from the Dominion, a powerful galactic empire, to reach him. That favor? Gertrude Hunt Inn must host a spouse-search for the Sovereign of the Dominion.
Yes, you read that right: Gertrude Hunt will host a Bachelor contest, broadcast throughout the galaxy, complete with trials, dates, and eliminations. Since the point of the marriage is to graft new genetic material into the next Heir via biogenetic engineering, neither the sex nor the species of the winning contestant matters, only whether they have a genetic trait that will benefit the Heir. And of course, the spouse should come with some sort of political or trade benefit as well, and (hopefully) be someone the Sovereign can get along with. The sponsors of the 12 top contestants — the finalists who will compete at Gertrude Hunt — will get a “minor ask” granted in thanks for their participation, ensuring that plenty of species and political groups will be eager to compete.
Sounds like exactly the sort of thing George (the Arbitrator, first met in Sweep in Peace) would be involved in, right? Not this time. George has other commitments, so he sends his friend Gaston instead. Aided by Gaston and the ad-hal Tony Rodriguez, Dina and Sean prepare Gertrude Hunt to host a spouse-search of galactic importance.
Of course, hosting anything this big and complex is bound to get…complicated. Between Dominion politics, a delegation from a murderous species, an unknown assassin, and an infamous ex-tyrant who is showing far too much interest in the proceedings, Dina and Sean have their hands full. Maintaining the safety and comfort of their guests while simultaneously handling all the trials, dates, and formal dinners proves to be as challenging as anything Dina and Sean have ever done.
The similarities and sly references to The Bachelor were a lot of fun, even for someone who has never actually watched the show. And of course, this is Ilona Andrews, so there is plenty of humor to balance out the suspense and tension, as well as a number of twists, surprises, and reversals, many of which I didn’t see coming.
The spouse-search takes up the bulk of the novel; when it’s over, there is less than a quarter of the novel left to wrap up the Wilmos situation. That made the pacing of the book as a whole feel a bit off, as though the spouse-search should either have been shorter, or been the entire focus of the novel. I still gave the book 4.5 stars (rounding up to 5 for Goodreads), because the pacing and structure of the spouse-search plot by itself was just about perfect, and because Andrews excels at sweeping you into the current and carrying you along to wherever the story is headed.
Although it ends on a good note, the novel doesn’t answer several key questions from this and previous books, leaving plenty of room for a sequel. There’s no official date for a sequel yet, but I don’t think the authors are done with this series.
Audiobook review: I still have issues with Graphic Audio’s adaptations. On the plus side, the casting is usually very good, and it’s great fun to have all the different voices. They have also gotten better at balancing the voices, music, and sound effects so that the latter two rarely overwhelm the spoken words. They even had original music for this one! On the negative side, I know they are cutting some of the description, and I still find the moans and kissing sounds both irritating and risible.
NOTE: Forgive me if I have misspelled any of the species or individual names or terms. One drawback of listening to the audiobook is that, while you find out how things are pronounced, you have no idea how they are spelled. I did check the fan wiki, but it doesn’t cover everything.
Challenges: Audiobook Challenge 2025; COYER 2025: Out to Lunch; Library Love Challenge 2025; Ilona Andrews Edge & Innkeeper Series Read-Along
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- Audiobook Challenge 2025
- COYER 2025: Out to Lunch
- Ilona Andrews Edge & Innkeeper Series Read-along (2025)
- Library Love Challenge 2025
Anne - Books of My Heart
Excellent review! I think everything is spelled correctly but if you wonder for this series or anything Ilona Andrews I own everything in ebook, so you could shoot me a message. Thanks so much for reading with us and sharing your reviews.
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Read-along & #Giveaway: Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews @ilonaandrews.bsky.social @nyliterary.bsky.social @tantoraudio.bsky.social @AudibleStudios #Read-along #GIVEAWAY #LoveAudiobooks @ilonaandrews @nyliterary @TantorAudio
Katherine
I did the graphic audio for the first one and ended up DNFing it because the format didn’t work for me with a new to me series. I do want to try this series but I don’t think this style of audiobook works for me.