Hear Me by Lynn Crandall | Urban Fantasy Romance Review & Giveaway

“They fight for light in a city slipping into darkness, but the battle will demand more than powers—it will demand trust, sacrifice, and love.”

👋 Welcome to the Tour!

I’m excited to join the Goddess Fish Promotions Review Tour for Hear Me by Lynn Crandall, book two in the Dark Sides trilogy. This urban fantasy romance introduces Ainsley Durham, an Aeon whose visions are growing darker, and Keegan Barnes, a bounty hunter with a gift for hearing what others cannot. Together, they must confront rising shadows that threaten their city—and discover whether love and light are powerful enough to hold back the darkness.

🔻 Keep scrolling to enter the giveaway! 🔻

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📝 Book Details

Hear Me
By Lynn Crandall
Series: Dark Sides #2
Published by Independently on May 15, 2025
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Formats: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 292

Atlantis Aeon Ainsley Durham loves running her antique shop, Fancy This, in Old Town Auralia, but takes seriously her mission to work with her fellow Aeons to fight Darkness in her home town. But she’s changing. Her precognition is showing her darker and darker visions of what’s to come. When growing darkness forces her to reevaluate her place in the Aeons and her work, she’s not sure she belongs in either space any longer. Her terrible past urges her to withdraw, not only from her mission but from letting true love in.

Bounty hunter turned bonds company owner Keegan Barnes is also an Aeon. He hears things others don’t, and sometimes he wishes he could shut down his clairaudience ability. After all, he doesn’t see how he can help the cause with such a low-key ability. But when he picks up discussions among members of Dark Sides, will he discover just how much he’s been underestimating himself? He’s hiding secrets that keep him from healing his scars and getting close to anyone, most of all Ainsley.

Keegan and Ainsley know the efforts the Aeons have been putting in to raise the level of light energy in the city have been helping. But will it be enough to influence others to make choices for good or will Dark Sides take the city? Can they team up to save the city and find true love? Find out in this thrilling book two in the Dark Sides trilogy.

Source: Goddess Fish Promotions

 

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📜 Excerpt from Hear Me

“Get inside,” Keegan hollered to Jane and Ainsley.

“Wait, wait,” Jane yelled, pointing to one of the cars.

Men in both vehicles hung out of the passenger windows, guns raised, one aimed on the women, the other on him.

He hurtled in front of Ainsley and Jane just in time to allow them to escape inside. Instantly, he dropped to the ground, burning pain sizzling in his shoulder and blood dripping onto the ground.

Swiftly, he jumped up and retreated in to the house, slamming the door closed and locking the deadbolt.

But he knew those measures wouldn’t stop the people outside who were determined to take them down.

Ainsley stopped moving. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s nothing. We need to get moving.”

“Did you see who they are? I saw Mathias. He was pointing a gun at us.” Jane’s voice quivered. “He’s one of them. I don’t understand.”

“We don’t have time to talk about it right now.” Ainsley looked from Jane to Keegan.

Keegan tried to calm Jane, whose emotions churned just under hysteria. “I don’t know how those people found us, but we’ll find out. Right now we have to hide.”

Jane made an effort to follow his orders. “Now can we get in to the basement?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. That would be the first place they’d look. You all go upstairs,” Ainsley ordered. “Dad, Mom, Jane, Benjamin, go!”

“What about you.” Her mother’s lower lip trembled and tears wetted her eyes.

“Don’t worry about me. Keegan and I will handle this.”

Keegan nodded. “We can’t waste any more time talking. Up with you all.” With that, he ran to the kitchen and lowered the kitchen shades. He grabbed knives, a rolling pin, and the one gun he’d seen in a kitchen drawer earlier.

He sensed Ainsley in another room, gathering potential weapons, he supposed. He nearly ran into her as she flew into the dining room at the same time, reaching for a heavy glass vase, the same one he was after. He put down his supplies and grasped her shoulders.

“We can do this.” He knew it in his heart. No other outcome was inside him, other than protecting the family, to protect Ainsley.

Her eyes pierced his, and his heart went out to her. She had so much at stake. But so did he. “I’m not about to lose you just when—”

She put two fingers to his lips. “I know. Same for me.”

Steady pounding at the back door resounded through the house. He grabbed the gun. “You send a message to the Aeons to let them know Dark Aspects are here, so be wary.”

“I will.”

She closed her eyes briefly, and he felt her focusing on her message, sending it out as fast as she could.

Keegan dashed to the kitchen window and snuck a peek through the blinds.

His heart pumping hard, he saw Diane out back and Barry Russell standing beside her.

“Harder,” Diane chanted to the men at the back door. “Get inside there. Hit harder.”

“This door must be reinforced,” Russell shouted. “Or they’d have already knocked it in.”

Keegan dropped the blinds, readying to shoot if the door gave way. He glanced around the room, wishing he had more time, to prepare, to protect the others. Nothing stood out to him as an effective weapon to stop the intrusion.

He nodded to himself, knowing what he had to do. He didn’t hesitate.

He laid the gun on the counter and strode across the kitchen. He stood for one nano-second in front of the door. The beating against it rattled the windows and drowned out all other sounds.

He saw Ainsley out of the corner of his eye, at the same moment Jane ran up to her.

“I’m going to help,” she said, and grabbed the rolling pin. “I’m not afraid any more.”

Ainsley heard her but just barely. Her feet moved numbly toward Keegan, but he was already pulling the door open. So swiftly, he was out and being wrestled to the ground.

Over the din, she heard him holler, “Close it and lock it!”

Then he was down and she felt his energy diminish. Her heart crashed to the bottom of her gut. “No!” she yelled.

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🛒 Where to Find Hear Me

🛒 KINDLE  |  PAPERBACK

If the above links don’t direct you to your country’s Amazon page, please feel free to contact me—I’m happy to provide the correct link.

Using my Amazon affiliate links doesn’t change the price you pay. Amazon shares a small commission with me, which helps keep this blog running—thank you!

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Do you prefer to shop locally?
🛍️ You can also purchase Hear Me from your favorite indie bookstore online.

Bookshop.org is an excellent option that supports indie authors—and book bloggers like me—while avoiding the big-box route.

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Also available at:
📘 Barnes & Noble

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📌 Click the Pinterest Save button to pin it to your TBR board!

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✨ My Thoughts on Hear Me

“Ainsley and Keegan’s connection—built on gifts of seeing and hearing what others cannot—makes this urban fantasy as heartfelt as it is thrilling.”

Hear Me is an urban fantasy that strikes a balance between the personal and the perilous. Lynn Crandall layers romance, suspense, and the ever-present battle between light and shadow into a story where the stakes are high, yet deeply human. Ultimately, it’s about the choices that shape us—and the hope that redemption can be found in a single courageous moment.

At the heart of the story are Ainsley and Keegan, two Aeons whose gifts set them apart: she sees what others cannot, while he hears what others try to hide. These abilities don’t come without cost, but they draw the pair into a connection that is as tender as it is fierce. Their growing relationship becomes both a shield and a vulnerability as the Dark Sides close in, forcing them to decide just how much they’re willing to risk for each other—and for their city.

I especially appreciated how the narrative balanced romantic chemistry with high-stakes action. The danger is ever-present, yet it never overshadows the personal struggles of the characters. Crandall gives us moments of quiet emotional honesty alongside bursts of adrenaline-fueled conflict, creating a rhythm that kept me engaged.

Overall, Hear Me delivers a compelling blend of supernatural suspense and heartfelt romance. It’s a story that lingers, reminding readers that even in the darkest moments, love and courage can change everything.

⭐ My Rating: 4/5 stars — a solid entry in the Dark Sides trilogy for fans of urban fantasy with a strong romantic core.

I received a copy of the book as part of this tour. This review reflects my honest, unbiased opinion.

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🌟 Final Thoughts

Hear Me is a fast-moving urban fantasy that blends supernatural danger with heartfelt romance. Ainsley and Keegan’s journey shows how fragile—and how powerful—love can be when tested against darkness. With its mix of intimacy, suspense, and hope, this book is a solid 4-star read that will appeal to fans of fantasy romance looking for both action and heart.

✨ Thank You to Lynn Crandall for sharing her story, and to Mariann & Judy at Goddess Fish Promotions for the opportunity to participate in this tour.

📚 Want to experience it for yourself? Grab your copy of Hear Me today and don’t forget to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $25 Amazon/BN gift card!

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👩‍💻 About the Author – Lynn Crandall

After cutting her writing teeth as a feature writer for commercial and trade magazines, a reporter for newspapers and radio, and an executive editor for a communications company, award-winning author Lynn Crandall turned her passion for storytelling into writing contemporary and paranormal romance, women’s fiction, and romantic suspense.

In her books, she takes readers on emotional journeys with relatable characters who refuse to back down—facing challenges and tribulations with heart and soul. She believes every love has a story, and hers is with one handsome husband and a large, beautiful circle of family, including her cat, Winter.

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📚 Connect with Lynn Crandall

🌐 Website | 📸 Instagram | 📘 Facebook | 📌 Pinterest | 🎵 TikTok: @lynnkelynnwriter | 📰 Substack | 📖 Amazon | 📚 Goodreads | 🛍️ Barnes & Noble | 📘 Draft2Digital

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🎁 Enter the Giveaway!

Enter below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card courtesy of the author.

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 Look for me here ⬇️

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