Barn Burner

Sinners on the Ice, Book 2

By: Anastasija White

Narrated by: Marie Hawkins, TJ Clark

Something fake shouldn't feel this good.

EVANGELINA JONES, the fiercely independent daughter of an NFL legend, is determined to carve her own path running a dessert shop. When her stalkerish ex-boyfriend reappears and threatens to destroy everything she has built, she's forced to turn to her new neighbor for help.

DRAKE BENSON is the NHL's golden boy, with a perfect reputation on and off the ice. To an outsider, it might seem that he's got everything one could dream of, but he needs to fill his days during the offseason. When Evangelina knocks on his door with an unexpected request—to pretend to be her boyfriend—it offers a welcome break from his solitude.

The rules of their arrangement are simple: play the part, but don't fall in love. As Drake becomes Evangelina's protector, their pretend romance stirs emotions neither of them anticipated, blurring the lines between fake and real.

Caught between his blossoming feelings for his neighbor and a rule he's in danger of breaking, Drake risks having his heart shattered because Evangelina doesn't date athletes. Will he be able to convince her to give him a chance, or will he lose everything he never knew he wanted?

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Anastasija White (P)2024 Tantor

THE MALE VOICE

So if any of you have listened to the first sinners on ice: sin bin. Then you’ll soon understand what got me off about this book. Since I have never heard Evangelina’s voice before it was perfectly fine i wasn’t expecting to much except for her to sound a bit like Ava since thats how Ava described her, saying she sounded like her in some way.

But go onto chapter three and instantly there it is. Im not trying to be rude but I had high hope for this which is why I chose to choose barn burner instead of the second book of zodiac academy to spend my credit on. I had high expectations, that drake would stay the same which he did and the really important thing they would get A DEEP VOICE ACTOR FOR HIM. Now im not saying the voice actors voice for him is squeaky but it certainly isn’t DEEP as a matter a fact it’s not one centimeter close to deep and it kind of upsets me but I guess it’s whatever.

Also the plot very obvious but I still enjoyed it.

Needs different male narrator

This had been in my TBR for a long time so I bit the bullet and downloaded it from Audible. I enjoyed the story until I couldn’t because the male narrator gave me the ick and that’s all I could focus on. His voice is too effeminate for a hockey player. It was hard to distinguish when he was speaking as himself or portraying a female character. I hate not finishing books, but I just couldn’t listen to him anymore because it was distracting from the story. The female narrator was awesome, so average of 2.5 stars for performance. Also, I’d did see the other review that mentioned this and thought I could tough it out, but they were right. Wish I would’ve read it instead of listened.

the book really wheels you in and it was super interesting how they met

I loved the fact that the book was a little different from others and humanize them. like their fear of mundane things that's something that was nice to read in the book

This is an Audio I’d Rather Read than Listen to

The breathy voice of the male part drove me a little nuts. The story is good, but his voice made him sound overly dramatic and took me out of the story.

Predictable Bakes & Fake Dates

3 ⭐️ 2.5 🌶️

If you’re hunting for a story that won’t have you tossing and turning, congratulations—you’ve struck gold. This “fake dating turns defiantly real” romp isn’t groundbreaking or twist‑heavy, but that’s exactly its charm: you’ll spot every turn from a mile away, yet you’ll wrap yourself in its cozy predictability like a favorite blanket.

Drake is the NHL’s golden boy who’s sweet enough to make you swoon and cheeky enough to make you blush, and Angie, the no‑nonsense bakery owner with a soft spot (and a thoroughly creepy ex). They’re hilariously inept at pretending to date, yet shockingly talented at falling head over heels. No jaw‑dropping surprises—just all the warm fuzzies, steamy sparks, and happily‑ever‑after feels.