Conditioned

By: Amanda Russo

Narrated by: Raven Wildewood, Michael Gallagher

How long does it take for captivity to feel like home?

Tory knew Carl was odd—the meticulous clothes, the creepy smile, the strange coffee orders—but she never imagined how dangerous he truly was until she woke up trapped in an exact replica of The Daily Grind—her own workplace, methodically recreated by the man she always thought of as harmless, if a little strange. Her job hasn't changed: serve Carl coffee, day after horrifying day, following his rigid routine. But this time, any mistake could cost her her life.

As days pass, she sees other abductees in Carl’s carefully crafted world who've already lost the fight, conditioned to accept their captivity without question. Tory isn’t going to be like the others, though. She can’t let Carl break her—but if she can't escape soon, she risks losing herself to his chilling vision of the perfect life.

With each passing moment, escape seems less likely, and compliance seems easier. But giving in means losing herself forever…

Discover why listeners can’t stop talking about Amanda Russo’s chilling psychological thriller—an addictive and unforgettable ride into the dark depths of human psychology.

©2025 Amanda Russo (P)2025 Blue Nose Publishing, Amanda Russo

Conditioned

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️

Author: Amanda Russo

*CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS*

Conditioned is a standalone psychological thriller. This is not my usual genre, but I loved it. Amanda Russo is a new author to me. This book had me on the edge of my seat. Tory has been working at a coffee shop part time. She is getting ready to finish up her bachelor program. She is about to move in with her longtime boyfriend; everything is working out. Tory has a creepy customer that has been coming to her coffee shop for several months. Carl orders the same coffee drink every day for a month. On the 20th of every month Carl orders a different drink for the next month. Tory and her coworkers call him “Creepy Carl”. One night she finds flower petals next to her car. A few days later she gets abducted from her coffee shop. She wakes up in an exact replica of her coffee shop. She finds out that “Carl” has taken her and now wants her to be his barista forever. He has taken other victims. They each call him by a different name. Tory is going to do everything to escape. I really loved that we got POVs from Tory, Carl, and Blaine (Tory’s boyfriend).

Raven Wildewood and Michael Gallagher did a phenomenal job narrating this book in duet style narration.

Loved It!

I downloaded the book because I am a big fan of Michael Gallagher. The story and narration were both FANTASTIC!!! I highly recommend!

It’s a little slow paced for me but totally worth it

🌟🌟🌟.5
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

Conditioned by Amanda Russo, narrated in duet by Michael Gallagher and Raven Wildewood, is a suspenseful psychological thriller that leans more on tension than speed.

The pacing was a little slow for my personal taste, but the ending absolutely hit me in my feelings and made the journey worth it. While I did feel like part of the twist was somewhat predictable, the MMC’s persona and backstory were not, and that added a deeper, more emotional layer than I was expecting.

The narration really elevated this book for me. Michael Gallagher and Raven Wildewood did a fantastic job bringing the characters’ emotions and psychological depth to life, which helped keep me engaged even during the slower moments.

This is also a shorter listen, which I loved. Overall, if you enjoy psychological thrillers and character-driven suspense, I definitely think this one is worth checking out.

Great book!!

Wow this book, it’s not my usual go to but I love to switch it up every now and then. It was captivating and the narrators did a great job bringing out all the feelings. If you like psychological thrillers then you should certainly give this one a listen.

WOW! This caught me by surprise in the best way!

Story - ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Narration - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Conditioned is a chilling psychological thriller by Amanda Russo, a new-to-me author, that I binged from start to finish. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this story had me on the edge of my seat chapter after chapter. Tory is planning to attend college and build a future with her boyfriend, Blaine in a few short months. However, a kidnapping has her waking up to the ultimate nightmare being held by a psychopath. As she navigates her way to survival, she must endure mental/physical abuse and focus on the goal of escaping before she becomes "conditioned" to her surroundings. As much as I loved her character, the real star for me was her boyfriend, Blaine. That guy just never gave up...and good thing, too. I loved everything about this story and am looking forward to more from the author.

The duet narration was freaking awesome! Michael Gallagher is one of my top male romance narrators. He gave us the perfect Blaine, but it was disturbing to hear him voice the psychopath Carl with such precision, I will definitely need to scrub that and replace it quickly with some spicy goodness! Raven Wildewood is a new-ish narrator for me and her performance as Tory was riveting. These two brought their A-game to this listen and I'm all here for it! 5/5 captivating stars!! 🌟