Two Halves, One Brian

Book Stats

• Book 1 of the Queens Command series
• Publication Date: 12/16/25
• Format: audiobook
• Audiobook Length: 11 hours & 29 minutes
• Narrators: James Cassidy & Janine Granda
• Narrator POV: Told in 1st person & alternates between the main characters – Kade & Violet
• Also on Kindle Unlimited 🖤

Book Rating

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Summary & Review

To be totally honest, I was nervous starting this book because it has some seriously mixed reviews. So many negative ones talking about characters lacking chemistry, things being rushed, the MMC being bland, etc. Ultimately, I was intrigued by the premise and James Cassidy was one of the narrators, so I went for it. And WOW. Those negative reviewers were so wrong! I mean, they’re entitled to their own opinions, but they’re wrong. 😅

Right off the bat, Janine Granda had me excited to start the story. I don’t know what it is about her voice, but I love it. Every time she spoke, I was entranced and she did a phenomenal job of bringing Violet to life. And of course, James Cassidy rocked his role with his usual talent, giving us a wonderful MMC, Kade.

As delightful as these narrators were, though, they wouldn’t have been able to bring to life such wonderful characters if they hadn’t been written so well. I mean, the plot was great, the tension and chemistry were a blast, and there were moments that stole my breath away. I felt grief for a loss (I won’t spoil it) and heartbreak at times. It was such a fun story to dive into and I’m glad I got to experience it. Thank you, Lexie Axelson, and I look forward to exploring your other works!

I will say there were two things I didn’t really care for, but they’re such small things that they didn’t affect how I felt toward the story as a whole. However, as an honest reviewer, I want to include them. So:

1. I didn’t care for the ex-boyfriend’s reaction when he learned that Violet was with his dad. I felt that it was underwhelming, but maybe I was just hoping for a big blow out fight. I don’t know.
2. I thought it was odd that despite how Kade and Violet were interacting and getting along, when the other woman (whose name I can’t even remember) told Kade that Violet was using him, he just believed her. Cut things off with Violet and got angry. Like, maybe talk to her?

But again, those are small things and the story itself was wonderful.

Also, book 2 in the series, Written in the Sand, is already in the works and according to Amazon, it’s set to be released on Kindle Unlimited on 09/24/26. So that’s exciting! 🖤