Sweep of the Heart

Innkeeper Chronicles [Dramatized Adaptation] #5

by Ilona Andrews, Nora Sofyan (Narrator), R.J. Bayley (Narrator)

11h08

From the New York Times #1 bestselling author, Ilona Andrews, comes a fun and action-packed new adventure in the Innkeeper Chronicles! We invite you to relax, enjoy yourself, and above all, remember the one rule all visitors must obey: the humans must never know.

Life is busier than ever for Innkeeper, Dina DeMille and Sean Evans. But it’s about to get even more chaotic when Sean's werewolf mentor is kidnapped. To find him, they must host an intergalactic spouse-search for one of the most powerful rulers in the Galaxy. Dina is never one to back down from a challenge. That is, if she can manage her temperamental Red Cleaver chef; the consequences of her favorite Galactic ex-tyrant's dark history; the tangled politics of an interstellar nation, and oh, yes, keep the wedding candidates from a dozen alien species from killing each other. Not to mention the Costco lady.

They say love is a battlefield; but Dina and Sean are determined to limit the casualties!

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Performed by Nora Sofyan, Danny Gavigan, Zeke Alton, Wyn Delano, Karen Novack, Elena Anderson, Terence Aselford, Gail Shalan, RJ Bayley, Robb Moreira, Cody Roberts, Khaya Fraites, Crystal Lee, Marni Penning, Richard Rohan, Gabriel Michael, Tony Nam, Ryan Carlo Dalusung, Chris Davenport, Shravan Amin, Bradley Foster Smith, Tia Shearer, Torian Brackett, Samantha Cooper, Jon Vertullo, Nicole Perez, Michael John Casey, Holly Adams, Peter Holdway, Rob McFadyen, Debi Tinsley, Rose Elizabeth Supan, Mort Shelby, Charlie Albers, Elias Khalil, Alejandro Ruiz, Andrew James Spooner, Aure Nash, Scott McCormick, Nhea Durousseau, Eva Wilhelm, Henry W. Kramer, Morgan Dalla Betta, Helen Day, and Yasmin Tuazon.

Genres: Audiobook, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Magic, Romance

12 pages, Audible Audio

Published February 2, 2024

About the author

Ilona Andrews is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Oregon with their two children, three dogs and a cat. They have co-authored two series, the bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels and romantic urban fantasy of The Edge.

Reviews

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

I'm sad to come to the end of the available series. I love these characters and their compassion for others. It's always sad to come to the end of a Read-along too. This was my first read of the GA, but also my first read after the serial, where it was all together.

There was a lot of world building here with all the different planets and species represented in the spousal selection. It can be hard to keep track with audio but I had no difficulty. Some of the candidates were just stupid. I mean there wasn't a chance they would win. It was interesting to see the variance between what the candidate personally versus the group they were representing wanted.

I really appreciated Caldenia's history and story told here. I'm so glad she is with Dina and Sean where she can be appreciated and treated with respect and kindness. Yes, she has to continue to project horribleness to have her actions make sense.

We all agreed in the buddy read, we are ready for the next book! I would guess it might be the battle around Arland and Maud's wedding but it would be great to see some progression on the hunt for Dina's parents.

COYER buddy read with Berls() and Brandee(5)

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite series! Definitely my go-to comfort read. Love the full cast productions, but Sean’s narrator changed and it is noticeable. Almost a production issue where he sounds far away. He also doesn’t have nearly as many lines as previous books.

[Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

UGH, Sweep Of The Heart, has my heart 🖤

I love every single character in these books, I love the creatures, the Inns. So many heart wrenching moments in this one, it's safe to say I got my feelings HUUUUURT 💔 🫣

The Graphic Audio is top tier, so well done, hilarious, emotional, sarcastic, full of love and hope.

Please read/listen to this series!!!

[bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars 🫶🏽🙌🏽 My favorite book out of the entire series so far, the narrators/cast are lovely: Orro’s voice is just absolutely perfect. I reread this book whenever I’m in a book slump or just need a comforting read, I put this on in the background like comfort tv show.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest as much as I love this series I was beyond lost for half of this audiobook 😂
There are a lot of new characters, a ton going on, and for once I think reading it might have been a better option than Graphic Audio. Still love the series, I just think this one needed me to pay closer attention to fully enjoy it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time going through the graphic audiobook which apparently has some??? significant??? cuts? I need to read the end because it still makes zero sense to me. This book is SO GOOD until the end and it's unnecessary and baffling and I don't understand.

[NyxShadow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mais non !! Non non non non non, 🙂‍↔️ ça ne peut pas s’arrêter là 😱

[Therése · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟 to the dramatized adaptation.
4 🌟 to the book itself. Amazing ending as usual but the rest didn't grip me as much as the previous ones.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much and this book in particular is SO GOOD. Highly recommend the Graphic Audio editions.

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCUSE ME, kordan våga dei å ende der?! Ej meina omg epic men… bruh

[Ashley (Red-Haired Ash Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2/26/24 reread

Again the graphic audio was a wonderful way to experience this world. I really enjoyed the whole spousal search with all the sound effects and different narrators. I highly recommend this series in graphic audio format.
________________________________
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #5
Rating: 4 stars - It was really good

Dina DeMille and Sean Evans life gets very chaotic when Wilmos, Sean’s werewolf mentor, gets kidnapped. But to find him they have to first survive hosting an intergalactic spouse-search for one of the most powerful rulers in the Galaxy.

This was wonderful. From the very beginning, I didn’t want to put this book down, but I also didn’t want it to end. Dina and Sean are hosting a huge group of people, all of which live to kill their enemies. I don’t enjoy spouse searching shows, but Andrews made this whole situation exciting and intense. I think it helped that the aliens who are participating in this spouse-search were all very interesting and deadly. We also get to see the return of the vampires, the Otrokar, and the Merchant Clan.

We finally learn more about Caldenia and why she has to stay at Gertrude Hunt. It was great finally getting to learn about this lady who has been a constant present throughout this book. I was very surprised by what we learned about her. Dina also finally gets some information about her parents' inn and I really can’t wait to see how she deals with that information in the future.

“Sometimes you say things that make me wonder about you.” “No need to wonder. I’m a simple man. I love you and I will protect you. And the inn. Even if I have to murder Caldenia and everyone else to do it.”

My favorite part of this book was seeing Dina and Sean work together to host this event. They have always had a strong connection but in this we really see them work in harmony to create with Gertrude Hunt and protect their residents. I just loved seeing them work together and lean on each other during the hard times. I really want more stories of these two hosting aliens and dealing with difficult cases.

My only complaint was that I wasn’t a fan of the recaps at the beginning of each chapter. I can understand why that was handy when this was a serial and coming out every week but for a novel format, I think it was just useless. I skipped it after the first chapter.

You can also find my reviews at Red-Haired Ash Reads.

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m continuing my re-read for the 2025 read-along of the Innkeeper Chronicles via the Dramatized Adaptations by GraphicAudio.
=====
2024 Graphic Audio: I loved all the special effects. The story still drags. It starts off great then eh and back to great. Not a fan of the wife selection. That is where the story drags. Other then that the GA is a fun listen.

Sweep of the Heart is book five in the Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews.

Sweep of the Heart takes us back to Diana's Inn. We finally get to learn more about Caldayan, her past and her family. WOW it was so great to learn more about Caldayan. We also get a few answers as to what happened to Diana's parents inn, but there are so many more questions. I loved seeing Shan work so well with Diana. They are a power couple. And, last the artwork is superb.

This time we have a mate selection taking part in the Inn. I enjoyed the mate selection; though I'm not a fan of the Bachelorette or Bachelor TV shows, so this type of thing isn't my thing, but Andrews made this one exciting and interesting adding intrigue and great fantasy world building.

The one thing I'm not a fan of is the recap at the begging of each chapter. It’s ok on the blog for the weekly thing to refresh people’s minds, but for the finished published version it didn't work for me. I could have not read that part, but really when you have a book you read it all.

As always I love returning to the Innkeeper World. The end was by far the best and I can't wait for the next installment. The Andrews team created another spectator novel in the Innkeeper Chronicles.

Rated: 4 Stars

[Julianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. Devour the books (kindle and paperback!) and love, love, love listening to the graphic audio books. I know the story is abridged, but I love the various voices used, the sound effects and the music that all add to the experience. Now I want to read the physical book again, to fill in some of the blanks. Such fun listening! Thank you Ilona Andrews and graphic audio.

[Silver James · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 sort of relisten: I am totally on board with the full cast versions of these books. This one is no exception. Poor Dina and Sean. Talk about herding cats. And fish. And trees. And...well, you need to either read or listen to the book. I keep thinking that there's another book--or at least a short story that follows this book but no sign of it with a quick search. It's possible it's a freebie on the authors' website but I don't have time to fall down that rabbit hole. For now, I'll be content to wait. This was a good series to end the year on.

2023 original review of standard audio version: Well. That was fun. Seriously. I sorta wish I'd been invited for the margaritas and the brainstorming sessions that evolved into this tale. I mean that seriously. Take an intergalatic version of "The Bachelor," add in a dash of tongue-in-cheek, magic, crazy extraterrestials, a complete disregard for physics and you get this rollicking story. That's the main story. There are also branches off the on-going plot line in this series. There are some twists, a bit of a cliffhanger/sequel bait at the end that didn't make me gnash my teeth, and it is altogehter a very satisfying listen. I enjoyed the narrator, Nora Sofyan. She did a great job and didn't mess up the characterizations that the original narrator, Rene Raudman, establihed. I'll be looking forward to the next addition to this series. (PS - I'm really glad I made myself read/listen to the first book. It took three tries but once I was in the right headspace, I totally grooved on Gertrude Hunt, Dina, and Sean.)

I leave you with two words: Special Snowflake. 🤣🤣🤣

[Silver James · Rating 5 out of 5]

2026 relisten: Wow. It's been awhile since I binged on this series. Below is my original review, which ended up on the other, single-narration version. Anyway. It's a fun series and even though there was dark evil in this book, the humorous parts still delight me. And I would still enjoy being a fly on the wall...

Well. That was fun. Seriously. I sorta wish I'd been invited for the margaritas and the brainstorming sessions the evolved into this tale. I mean that seriously. Take an intergalatic version of "The Bachelor," add in a dash of tongue-in-cheek, magic, crazy extraterrestials, a complete disregard for physics and you get this rollicking story. That's the main story. There are also branches off the on-going plot line in this series. There are some twists, a bit of a cliffhanger/sequel bait at the end that didn't make me gnash my teeth, and it is altogehter a very satisfying listen. I enjoyed the narrator, Nora Sofyan and the full cast did a great job. I'll be looking forward to the next addition to this series. (PS - I'm really glad I made myself read/listen to the first book. It took three tries but once I was in the right headspace, I totally grooved on Gertrude Hunt, Dina, and Sean.)

I leave you with two words: Special Snowflake. 🤣🤣🤣

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these GraphicAudio dramatized versions!
While the plot of the book was a bit convoluted (I still loved it), the dramatized version was edited pretty well to streamline it. I love these characters and I’m always thrilled to get a new way to experience their adventures.

Sean's friend and erstwhile grandfather, Wilmos has been kidnapped and in order to get him back Sean and Dina have to host a Bachelor style spouse selection competition at their magical inn. There are multiple new and interesting species, plenty of intrigue and action, and lots of cool magical special effects. I also loved getting some additional back story on some of the characters and seeing Dina and Sean's relationship. The romance in the story was resolved in previous books so this story includes a glimpse into their settled and loving relationship. That was an aspect I really enjoyed. There were a lot of characters to keep track of - pictures of all the contestants on Ilona Andrews website were very helpful- and the set-up was a bit silly (which could be either a positive or a negative). Overall, this was an insanely fun installment in the series!

[Scott Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story but it didn’t grab my attention. The only part that did was the very ending. I like books where it creates a world and adds new things to it so you are learning and wondering what will happen next, and I felt like this book didn’t add extra or enough extra to keep me entertained. Some aspects were great and the ending was brilliant as it was a new concept introduced and the reader doesn’t know what will happen.

The story was essentially a dating contest for the next wife of some emperor and it was these different dates with different people and of different species as well. So the idea was really cool but dating shows aren’t really my thing, so it didn’t keep me entertained.

I still liked listening to it but just the idea behind it wasn’t what I like.

Rated it 3 stars as I like the innkeeper chronicles and the characters and would like to read/listen to more in future if more are released but as a standalone book: maybe 2/2.5 stars.

[Tuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sean's werewolf mentor, Wilmos, was kidnapped. In order to get access to the portal to the planet where he was taken to, Dina and Sean had to hold spouse selection (a.k.a. the Bachelor).

The majority of the book was on the spousal selection, although it did start with them finding out that yes, Wilmos was in trouble and missing and end with them going to whatever that planet was to rescue him. The last part felt almost like an afterthought, they barely spent any time on it.

There are too many species and too many characters. I am pretty sure that some of the candidates belonged to a different species and worked for a third species, but who knows. Listening to the graphic audio, I didn't even try to figure out who was who anymore.

I think this is one of the more tedious books of this series. Trying to squeeze in too many things and it feels unfocused. However, the reading/acting made it bearable.

[Arlene Mullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much. I was excited to see that this one is much longer than all the other books. Unlike book 4, we start off back in the inn. Dina and Sean are enjoying each other and the ever expanding Inn. Then Sean's mentor goes miss and Dina will do anything to keep him from experiencing what she does with her parents.
I enjoyed watching all the characters in the inn growing. Caldea's family background was such an interesting one. It has been 5 books so I loved hearing more about her and the why.
I enjoyed all the story and learning more about the universe and the species, but i want so much to find out all her parent/family history. I cant wait for the next story in this series.

[Sandirae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amusing chapter in the Innkeeper Chronicles. The story returns back to Dina and her boyfriend Sean back at the Gertrude Hunt Inn. To save Sean's friend and mentor, Dina and her motely crew must host the inter-galactic spouse-contest for one of the galaxy's prominent rulers. From finding assassins, preventing mischief and mayhem, while upholding her duties as an innkeeper (such as keeping everyone alive and mostly in one piece).

I love this series. I hope another book comes soon! And I would love to have more interactions with our favorite vampire Marshall Arland and Dina's sister Maude.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Sean's werewolf mentor goes missing, and to get the resources needed to mount a rescue Sean and Dina must host an intergalactic version of "The Bachelor."

The book was a ton of fun for a lot of reasons. The various alien species/cultures and the way they interact was most of them. The pacing was excellent, and the emotional notes were on point. The ending was a rollercoaster that cannot be described without spoilers. Suffice it to say that some questions from the ongoing series are answered, but even more are raised. I'm really looking forward to the next one.

I love the Graphic Audio so very much.

[marie book trailer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweep of the Heart (Dramatized Adaptation) is a fast paced, entertaining installment in the Innkeeper Chronicles, blending humor, romance, and high stakes intergalactic politics. Dina DeMille remains a sharp, compelling lead, balancing chaos, diplomacy, and personal loyalty with wit and determination. The dramatized adaptation elevates the story with a full cast, immersive sound design, and cinematic music, making the already vivid world feel even more alive. It’s a joyful, action packed experience that highlights why the series continues to resonate so strongly with fans.

[Lagobond · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry to give up on this book (more than half-way through), but I started listening to the audio book four months ago and it's time to admit defeat. I have enjoyed this series so much, but this last volume has too much going on for me to keep up with. Too many characters and storylines I ultimately don't care about. I've been confused for most of the book, and unenthusiastic about finishing it, so I won't. (I want to believe I might read the actual book someday, but it's not likely.)

[Wendy (bardsblond) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked the Innkeeper Chronicles. It has to be one of the most unique premises for a fantasy series that I’ve ever read. The whole idea of innkeepers as these magical B&B guardians is just so interesting. Really enjoyed the romance as well. I liked this last book in the series, though it was not my favorite, and cannot wait to read Ilona Andrews entire backlog because they are clearly one of the best urban fantasy authors out there.

[Toubob · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This version is so much better than the original. The odd recaps that each chapter started on are gone. I hated them. Sometimes they recapped what happened in the previous last couple of paragraphs. So you read the paragraphs and the next paragraph is the recap over what you just read. The recaps also sounded like sound bites as if the book was a reality show.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like the whole series of “the Bachelor” plopped in the middle of the book. It may have showcased several species and their political machinations, but it was often boring and completely irrelevant to the major plot lines of the book, not to mention the series as a whole. I really feel it took away from the opportunity to better explain the corruption and its links to Dina’s parents.

[steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, up from 2.5 for the regular audiobook - the power of GraphicAudio for me. 🤭 Cutting 5 hours of the story really helped my enjoyment of this, haha. I cannot wait for more Innkeeper stories 🥹

[Dina ElMaamoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s original and not original at the same time.. some eye-rolling moments for sure, a lot of influence by reality dating shows mixed with talent shows.. it was still enjoyable.. the cool bit imo came at the very end and not enough of it. I would have liked to see more focus on the main story.

[MELISSA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just listened with Graphic Audio. Outstanding presentation with every page and every utterance of words and use of other sounds and music. No summary here. As an on going series, best to start with book one "Clean Sweep" to follow the whooooole story. Excellent writing. Stunning work with GraphicAudio.

Second listen: So much fun.

[Vikki The Fee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible (dramatized adaptation) - I have an addiction to this series. I love Dina & Sean and all the situations they come up against. They are a lovely team. Please, please, please, please, please, please Ms Andrews don’t let this be the last in the series! 🙏🏻😇🙏🏻😇🙏🏻