Virtuous

Giovanni Book 3

By: Laura Lascarso

Narrated by: Daniel Carter

The heart is not commanded.

Giovanni is not sleeping, and he refuses to eat. It's as if he's trying to follow his beloved master to the grave. Silvio is similarly lost as to how to care for his broken-hearted boy, and always there is the haunting sense that his brother is watching, reminding him in subtle ways that he is not adequately providing for his precious schiavo.

But Silvio is determined to be strong, to be the dominant one Giovanni needs and the man he desires in this season of grieving. Together they will forge a new path with virtues unique to their budding dynamic. But even with the discipline, rules, and structure Silvio provides, there is something more Giovanni craves…

Pain.

When Giovanni goes to dangerous lengths to reach his master, all of Silvio’s hard work threatens to unravel. Silvio must figure out a way to soothe his boy, or else Giovanni will succeed in his risky endeavor and be lost to him forever.

Virtuous, the third installment of the Giovanni trilogy, is an introspective MM romance about grief and healing. Trigger warnings for addiction, self-harm, and mentions of past sexual trauma. This audiobook is meant for entertainment purposes only, not as a guide to safe, sane, and consensual BDSM practices.

©2022 Laura Lascarso (P)2023 Laura Lascarso

Loved It!

I really enjoyed this book. This is the first book I've listened to by this author. This story had such wonderful characters! I really loved both Silvio and Giovanni. This story was a beautiful and emotional journey of love and grief as they come to terms with Valentin's death- who was Silvio's brother and Gio's master- and heal and love.

I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Daniel Carter. He did a fantastic job with his narration and the different voices. He spoke clearly and smoothly and I found his voice very soothing and compelling. This is the first I've listened of him and must find more of his work!

Overall a very enjoyable audiobook!

Overall: 5 stars
Performance: 5 stars
Story: 5 stars

Different ways to grieve

This book is so true to the fact that everyone grieves differently and even the same person grieves differently at different times after a death. Both Giovanni and Silvio are left reeling by Valentin's death and this is the story of how they find their way into a new and different relationship that allows them to still love Valentin and honor his memory while moving on and building a new life. Nothing is easy here, the emotions are raw and right on the surface but it was a story I couldn't put down. Reading it is a different experience from listening to the audiobook with a brilliant performance by Daniel Carter. Hearing these two is both more heartbreaking but in the end more hopeful as well.

Learning and loving through loss

After reading the blurb I decided to give this author a try. I think going into this book I lucked but not reading the first two books in the trilogy. Not knowing the relationships and learning from the MCs made me enjoy the story. Giovanni is a sub that needs everything from Silvio. Silvio needs to learn how to work to understand what Giovanni needs and the confidence to give it to him. The intersections are tender, smoldering, and so much more. it's honestly difficult to describe.
This audio is fantastic. Each character is given a distinct voice. His voice is lovely and I will be looking for more books narrated by him.
The only issue I had with the story is some of the intimate scenes. Make sure to read all the trigger warnings.
Over all the audio was solid.

Beautiful Conclusion to Giovanni Trilogy

I liked this final book in the trilogy. This story, like previous books, takes reader on an emotional journey of survival, discovery, passion and love, but also grief and loss. I like Silvio a lot, he is probably my favorite character in this story, a pillar of support, he brings a spark of light and joy in the dark dark world Gio lives in. Narrator did a great job with character voices and telling this story, his talented work made this captivating tale a beautiful listening experience.

Giovanni comes alive

Best of the series. While struggling with the loss of his master,Giovanni struggles to find his footing. But with love and support of Silvio, their love blossoms as Giovanni blossoms.