Bratva's Secret Girl (Obsessed Bratva Bosses, #1) by Evie Rose Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I have been in a reading slump for far too long and despite me saying I would read more literary fiction this month, I once again find myself in the throws of mafia romances. I am such a sucker for an age gap romance, and when presented with one that includes some more-than-toxic tendencies, I simply cannot resist the temptation. However, the excitement was short-lived with this novella, and I found myself less-than entertained as I flew through Hayley and Maxim's story. While my expectations were not through the roof, I was hoping this novella would be more captivating, but instead it fell flat and while I was able to speed right through it, I was left unsatisfied.

The writing felt juvenile - sentences were not well-structured and the entire thing read like an early Wattpad publication. If you are looking for a novella with plot, abandon ship now - the author chose smut over plot lines in this novella, and even calling it smut is overstepping in my opinion. The "erotic" scenes were nothing short of the bare basics when it comes to what should be included in dark romance, and none of them read well enough to have my jaw on the floor. The scenes felt as though they were somehow supposed to push Hayley and Maxim's story forward, but instead made it feel like Hayley was this naive little girl when she is an adult.

Maxim's characterization, at first, seemed like everything that I wanted in a male lead - that was quickly shattered when any of the anticipation of him wanting Hayley was bypassed by the author in favor in going straight into the story with Maxim and Hayley having a more formal working relationship. I was hoping for some raw tension, and instead I was presented with Maxim, the rough and tough mafia man, counting cash in a money laundering front in order to spend time with Hayley. It would have read much better if he had honestly was stalking her to at least give some darker undertones to their relationship rather than basically make them friends from the beginning.

If you are looking for a quick little tale to make you move from one book to the next, this novella provides enough pages to get you back into the flow of things. If you are looking for something with a little more meat on its bones, you can pass on this story.

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Ruthless Arrangement (Gallo Famiglia Series, #1) by Brooke Summers Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised.

My past discretions from a Stuff Your Kindle day downloading haze have come back to bite me. I genuinely felt like I was being put through the wringer while reading this book - every single turn of the page ended up with Teagan being smacked around or abused, or someone literally not taking the time of day to understand that this girl is traumatized!! The author describes a number of abuses she endures in graphic detail, and considering she made it out alive is an achievement in itself. I wish it did not take until being two thirds into the book to really see how she was dealing with everything that she had to go through when she was living with the Dirty Demons. 

Elio as the male lead made me want to scream externally into the sky - there was not a single thing he did that made me want to root for him except for the fact that he had Teagan go to therapy. That is the only nice thing he ever did for her that actually warranted a good reaction out of me. The entirety of their relationship is based on the fact that her father wrong him and his family, and he seeks revenge by taking Teagan and forcing her to be his bride. The girl has never left the house in over eighteen years and somehow Elio thinks this is the perfect torture for her - she literally has only ever known torture and abuse, so this ends up being just another Tuesday for her, trapped with a mob family and revenge-obsessed Elio.

I did not love the glamorization of Elio and Teagan's relationship at all. It felt as though he was keeping her as a sex slave - which he basically was - and using her as a toy. Sure, his plan all along was to basically torture this girl for the rest of her days, so why would he treat her with any form of respect? Even his entire family was like dude what are you getting out of doing this to a girl who does not even know the extent of what her father did outside of what he allowed people to do to her? The brothers were much more enjoyable to read about when they appeared on page, and even the two friends Teagan had made before being "taken" by Elio were better entertainment than the man himself.

The most intriguing plot line of this entire book was when Teagan was being sought out by another mob family - it provided actual stakes to the game and showed the dangers that waited for her outside of Elio's home, even though Elio's home was basically a danger in its own right. Those scenes of Teagan being pulled between two rival families were the only times that I was actually locked into the book - I frankly did not care about her and Elio's relationship because I simply could not stand Elio at all. Even when he was "turning a corner" and realized what he was putting Teagan through was wrong, it still left a sour taste in my mouth. Maybe it is because the book is not marketed as taboo and instead just a dark mafia romance - if it was something they were both into from the start, then my opinion may have ended differently. The set up for the next book has me intrigued - I may find myself back into this series if the timing presents itself.

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God of Ruin (Legacy of Gods, #4) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of God of Malice, God of Pain, and God of Wrath on my blog, now! Reader discretion is advised.

This boy is crazy!!! I should not be surprised considering the line up of men Rina Kent has supplied us in this series, but good grief it actually makes me laugh when every single male lead in these books brags about their sociopathic or psychopathic diagnosis like it is a badge of honor. Landon is no exception to this Rina Kent-character trait, and he is just as twisted as the rest of them - maybe not as crazy as Killian, but he certainly earned his title. The things that came out of Landon's mouth would genuinely make Jesus weep, my jaw was on the floor. I literally felt like I was the one being degraded instead of Mia. Honestly I should have seen this behavior coming from a mile away considering how Landon acts in the previous books, but good grief the man has got a mouth on him. Which is ironic considering Mia literally cannot speak.

Mia has gone through something traumatic over a decade ago and since then has not been able to speak - using sign language to communicate with everyone, her friends and family learned how to sign to help her adjust. Landon becomes no exception to this rule and learns sign language to properly communicate with Mia, which only goes to show how dedicated he was - or obsessed - to inserting himself into her life. Considering the trauma Mia has gone through, I can only imagine how it impacted her - I do wish Kent spent more time exploring it instead of making it this huge reveal at the end of the book, but I guess it would have revealed too much to readers if spaced out throughout this installment.

Y'all I literally cannot believe what Landon and Mia are getting up to like my body literally had a visceral reaction to reading some of their moments together. I fear for this girl and the absolute ringer Landon puts her through at every chance he gets. All of Kent's male leads seem to love lurking around and snatching up the girls they are interested in to do whatever they want to do to them at a moment's notice. This is low-key kidnapping!! The way I would be putting out Amber Alerts every single chance I got if I was a character in this book would have the Citizen app go into overdrive. It is hilarious that this is such a common occurrence for everyone that no one bats an eye on why girls suddenly disappearing would be anything but concerning. Landon and Mia's communication seemed to be the best out of all the couples so far, so I was grateful there was no real miscommunication happening in this book.

Once again I am tormented by the parent perspectives but at least they are only ever a few chapters. Maybe one day I will actually go back and read all of those series and trilogies, but for now I am solely sticking to the Legacy of Gods series until I have finished them completely. I am sure their chapters are more entertaining for those who read the parent books, but I find they typically only add character development for the male leads and that the female leads tend to not get as explored as I would have liked. On that note, it also feels like all of Kent's leading men are little copies of each other, just with slightly different interests and the insanity dial adjusted. I wish they were more distinguishable and not blending together - they each have one or two characteristics that stand out, but for the most part I am just seeing these little psycho men run around terrorizing college campuses on the regular.

I actually enjoyed Nikolai's presence in this book more than I was enjoying Landon's presence at one point, and Landon is literally the lead here. Nikolai's characteristics and personality really shined through here in terms of highlighting how violent and impulsive he was, which I am sure was a set up considering he is one of the leads in the next installment. I am not going to lie, the only reason why I started this series was so that I could read God of Fury and not be confused on who the couples were or what happened in their books. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what Kent has in store for him in the next installment.

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God of Wrath (Legacy of Gods, #3) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of God of Malice and God of Pain on my blog, now! Reader discretion is advised.

Someone needs to lock me up. I kept telling myself that I would not go down this road again and yet I continue to place holds on Libby and wait for weeks to read this series. I genuinely did not know what to expect from this third installment, with the only information I had going into it being that Jeremy was absolutely bonkers. I did not think we would encounter someone crazier than Killian Carson, and yet Jeremy very much came close - the man truly is unhinged in the most jaw-dropping ways possible. I literally would like Jeremy's actions would finally reach their limit, and then the next chapter would have him doing the most unhinged things on the planet.

I am not even ashamed to say that this was definitely the best book so far - I was on the edge considering how much I did not enjoy God of Pain, but this honestly really turned the series around for me. Sure, the plot was still all over the place and this book was basically driven by smut, but that hit the spot for me in this moment and I was living for it. There was not a moment while reading this where my jaw was not literally on the floor. Cecily and Jeremy's relationship was unexpected on Cecily's part, and watching her literally drag this man around was hilarious, we love women in male-dominated fields!

Once again, I absolutely cannot stand the parent perspective chapters in these books - yes, they only last about two or three chapters, but they low-key interrupt the flow of the story for me. Maybe it is because I did not read the other million books Kent has written before the Legacy of Gods series, but it does not add anything to the pairings' stories when I have no clue who these people are. On that note, I do like all of the callbacks from the other books in this series as the book goes on - when I first started this series, I expected the books to move on in time-order. I was surprised to see a majority of events actually overlap throughout the books, and definitely recommend readings these in order to get the full effect.

The smut was off the wall in this book. I literally do not think I have the words to properly express the series of emotions and jaw-dropping moments I experienced while this story progressed. Jeremy Volkov is out of his mind. This book definitely rivals Haunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton and The Ritual by Shantel Tessier when it comes to the insanity of male leads and the extremes they are willing to go to get the girl. You literally cannot read this book in public. This was a 200% improvement compared to the second installment of this series, and considering Jeremy and Cecily actually had insane chemistry was definitely the driving force. I still think it is absolutely bonkers that these characters act this way but that is the beauty of fiction.

I truly think you have to make it past the first two books in this series to actually get to the good stuff (and deserve a medal at that point) and see some actual plot take place. Cecily was put through the ringer a number of times, both in flashbacks and in current day, not to mention the emotional turmoil Jeremy was suffering through during his perspective chapters. The only good thing that came from his father's chapter was Jeremy actually working through some of his issues instead of taking it out on everyone else or holding a grudge.

Maybe I was a touch harsh on my last review, but this book certainly made up for that - and honestly boosted my overall feelings regarding this series. I was worried that this book would not push me to keep going, but instead I placed my Libby holds for the rest of the series as I was still reading God of Wrath.

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Tease Me Once (Shame on You, #1) by Willow Winters Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews for other works by Willow Winters on my blog, now - Do You Want Me?, It's Our Secret, and A Single Glance.

I am no stranger to W. Winters, and with a number of their works available for free on iBooks and Kindle, it makes an easy choice to continue to dive into yet another series. Maybe one day I will actually finish one instead of only reading the first installment as a filler book - this book certainly makes a case for that hope. Declan and Braelynn share a history that is seemingly glossed over a number of times throughout this book - Braelynn mentions through her internal dialogue and to her close friend that she knows Declan from "before" but we never see how they were actually connected, unless I somehow managed to miss that. I would have loved some more explanation or even flashback chapters from Declan or Braelynn's perspective to understand how entangled they are and what the tension they share is from.

Braelynn is too easily convinced of, well, everything - she trusts easily, which I found odd, considering her past, and seemingly falls into a number of inopportune scenarios that would have been completely avoidable had she either paid attention or minded her business. I wanted her to use common sense so bad throughout this book that I was willing to donate some of my brain cells to the cause. She eventually smarted up at one point, but I still wish she was aware of what was going on around her - she needed to lock in and realize that she cannot trust everyone in her life, especially when it seems too good to be true.

Declan... good lord. The author should have given us some background on him - clearly we get the face value details of him and his brothers, but still no exploration into why he is the way he is or why he is into the things he is. I will say that he is an effective communicator and actually sits down with Braelynn explaining to her that she needs to be very clear with him about what she wants and what she does or does not like - he is not good at reading people and needs her confirmation before moving on with more delicate matters.

The spice was going wild in this book - definitely on the more extreme end of dark romance and juicy, I ate it up. Some of it was a little out of pocket considering Declan basically threw Braelynn into the relationship and only asked her if she was willing to do whatever he said - she basically nodded her head and then was in the middle of an intense BDSM relationship without even knowing what she signed up for. And I say "signed up for" in the lightest of terms given they did not even talk about anything before launching into this relationship. Declan is a wild man and Braelynn just does not know what to do, so she seems to go along with anything that anyone tells her to do.

Looking at the mafia plot - I will be honest, it felt like a little bit of a mess. Declan and his brothers are clearly involved in some super shady stuff, and readers are exposed to much more than Braelynn ever saw. However, it did not feel finished and Declan's involvement felt unpolished to me - it would have been interesting to see more of his leadership and what he has done to get to this position. I know there are more books to get through, but considering this is our introduction to the character, it would have been helpful information in case it influenced his character.

With an ending like that, I will be continuing on with this series in order to see what in the word Braelynn has gotten herself into. I can only imagine the tomfoolery that she allowed to happen right under her nose, and considering Declan is not a forgiving man, I know she has a world of punishment in her future. You can read this series in its three installments, or in its complete work, Only for Him.

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Relentless Pursuit (Boneless Redemption Duet, #2) by Isabella Alexander Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of Forbidden Obsession on my blog, now!

I told myself I needed to see how this duet ended despite my original feelings for the first installment. Penelope and Dominic's relationship was nothing short of interesting and complicated... and after the end of Forbidden Obsession, I could not even imagine their relationship ever working out in the long run. They have so many issues and even more secrets from one another, one can only see their relationship going downhill one month into anything serious. 

This final installment was filled with mediocre spicy scenes and juvenile writing that had me questioning the dialogue every other page. I had my qualms with the first book, and I truly thought that there would be some form of improvement to see this duet through -- unfortunately, that was not the case. Penelope is just as naive as she was in the first book, and Dominic is just as irrational and territorial as I remember. When they are not in bed together, they are keeping secrets from one another or trying to get the upper hand to satisfy their own agendas.

The "twists" in this book were incredibly predictable and the pacing is so rushed, it feels as though obstacles pop up on one page and then get immediately resolved within the next two pages. I wish the story improved as the book progressed, but the plot was essentially at a stalemate for me - I could see everything coming from a mile away, and since I was not particularly attached to Penelope and Dominic's relationship, I frankly did not care what happened to them. To echo my statement from my Forbidden Obsession review, I once again felt like I was being held hostage when I was reading this book.

With underdeveloped lead characters and a storyline that has taken more turns than necessary, Alexander's duet leaves the reader feeling jolted around as they attempt to make sense of every decision a character made. I wish I had more positive things to say about this book, but I was left incredibly underwhelmed and to be honest, grateful once it was finally over. It is a very quick read, so if you are looking for a duet that you can fly through, it may be up your alley.

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God of Pain (Legacy of Gods, #2) by Rina Kent Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of God of Malice on my blog, now!

My TikTok For You Page has been harassing me to continue on with this series, and I have finally succumbed to the constant onslaught of videos. I love a good dark college romance, but it actually cracks me up that these twenty-year-old boys think they are the scariest individuals to walk the planet... like you are glorified frat boys at best. It will never fail to make me laugh when the male lead of the book claims he terrorizes their university campus and it turns out that they are not even legal drinking age in the United States.

Annika is out here locked in the Heathens mansion during initiation, meanwhile everyone and their mother is out there either terrorizing freshmen or somehow finding their soulmate. That does not stop her from having some...fun...that night - when a masked man shows up in her room and causes a curiosity that she just cannot shake, she takes her interest into her own hands and sets up to basically annoying the man into hanging out with her. You could tell that the banter was there on her side, but Creighton, our leading man of few words, would turn that banter itno a punish faster than Annika could shut her mouth.

Annika and Creighton are yapper4silent core - she does not shut up and he barely says a word - a match made in heaven. "Little violet," however, is one of the worst nicknames I have ever come across, and the fact that Creighton uses it basically every other sentence started to drive me insane. It was interesting to see the backstory on why Creighton does not speak so much, and the fact that other characters were so impressed that he actually would have conversation with Annika showed how much he cared about her. I do wish that he did not use silencing Annika as a way to get what he wanted from her - a majority of the time, it felt as though he knew he could do whatever he wanted with her by threatening her every single time she spoke.

The plot of this book... I will not lie, did not have me in a chokehold, or even a tight grip, to be honest. I tore through this book mostly because the chapters are so short and you can fly right through it like it is nothing, but other than that, I was not on the edge of my seat waiting to see what highs and lows would hit Annika and Creighton -- they seemed to do a pretty good job at rustling each other's feathers on their own. It felt as though every character was out to destroy their relationship - with the exception of a few, there was at least one point for everyone that made them not want Annika and Creighton to be together - it got old, fast.

I personally did not enjoy Annika's characterization - she felt a little all over the place. She would either be so rigid during one chapter, and then do whatever someone told her to do the next. While she did have some vulnerable moments that took her out of these polar opposites, I just could not connect to her character. When it came to Creighton, I was more so amused with the way he viewed himself as this mighty, controlling man, when in reality it was mostly a protective front as he worked to seek revenge for past events. The spicier scenes were not anything special, and it honestly felt a little recycled after the first couple times.

While this series shows promise, I wish I was able to lock into the story more and improve the rating from God of Malice - after over 500 pages, I should have felt some sort of connection to Creighton and Annika. Instead, I am viewing it as a stepping stone in the series as I continue on and see what relationship Kent has in store for us next. If you are looking for a fast-paced mildly forbidden romance, God of Pain could be your next read.

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Forbidden Obsession (Boneless Redemption Duet, #1) by Isabella Alexander Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Guys... I have led myself astray once again after a download binge from a past Stuff Your Kindle Day. I do not even think I have the words to express how much this book was just simply... not a book. The idea of any type of plot was firmly thrown out of the window, and when you thought there was about to be at least a skeleton of structure in this book, it was abandoned in favor of some of the worst smut scenes I have laid my eyes on. The male and female leads were not likeable or enjoyable, and I spent the majority of the book begging for it to be over.

Penelope Cattaneo is a college student that has caught the eye of Dominic Lucas, an Italian professor with desire to dish out justice in place of continuing his family's torrid legacy and reign. The minute he laid his eyes on Penelope, she was the only thing he could focus on, and not for nothing, Penelope's life arguably became better and worse because of it. Penelope's traumatic past still has its claws in her, and with her current familial issues, the presence that Dominic brings into her life somehow becomes the only stable constant.

I literally felt like I was holding myself hostage while reading this book - I cannot bring myself to DNF a book, so I had to see it through, no matter how much interest I was losing in the story. The author attempts to make these intense plot devices seem shocking, but it is nothing to write home about, and I found myself more amused at the attempt than invested in these characters. I am not sure what else I could have expected from a book like this, but I was at least hoping for some more solid plot work, considering the mafia involvement.

The smut scenes were basically unbearable - the dialogue was ridiculous, and the descriptions felt as though they were pulled from Wattpad circa 2013, and not in the good way. Sure, some of the scenes have some actual meat to them, but for the most part, they fall flat or are utilized in an attempt to distract the reader from the lack of plot in the book. It is an incredibly short book, and yet it took me longer to finish it compared to a 400-page book. If you are looking for a quick, spicy read, Forbidden Obsession may be the filler you are looking for - I will probably read the final installment just to see how it ends.

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Stalked to the Altar (Caputo Crime Family, #1) by Selena Michaels Review

 

This is a spoiler-free review! Content warnings include graphic depictions of violence, sexual assault, childhood sexual assault, kidnapping, nonconsensual drug use, and murder.

The hate side of my love-hate relationship with my Stuff Your Kindle Day selection has come out in full force with this book. I truly do not even know where to begin - there was a lot of potential with the premise, and as a lover of dark and taboo romance, I was intrigued to see how this would play out in conjunction with the mafia aspect. Unfortunately, the plot is incredibly rushed and crammed into essentially less than two hundred pages that are full of assault. There was never a clear explanation until the very end of what the mafia component was in this book, and the book leaves you unsatisfied.

Eden is straight up being stalked by one of her professors, Silas, and yet she appears to be completed unfazed by his crazy self running around campus and watching her most intimate moments. Both Eden and Silas have the most insane personalities that constantly are doing 180 degree flips as if they are Olympic hopefuls. Every page felt like I was getting jostled around in an airplane - I could not tell if Eden hated Silas or loved him. It was obviously clear that he loved her, but the things he did to her were actually atrocious and well beyond what a dark romance typically includes. And this is coming from a fan of The Ritual by Shantel Tessier - I have seen it all and so much more.

We learn approximately three pieces of information about Eden and maybe two about Silas - their development is completely abandoned in favor of voyeuristic activities and a number of drugging and kidnappings over the course of what feels like twenty-four hours. She is basically ripped from the life that she knows - even though it does not seem like she is having a good time - and thrown into this random mafia situation that never truly gets explained by Silas. The author needed to dedicate more time to fleshing out her characters and provide supporting plot in order to make the story cohesive, instead it reads as a continuous thought that was thrown onto paper without an editor or revision.

It is rare that I do not have a positive to relay about a book, but there is not a single good thing that can come to mind. The "spicy" scenes all had this sinister aura surrounding them, and the multiple sexual assaults were not handled with care at all - the repercussions are abandoned and horrible actions are somehow rewarded. As an avid dark romance reader, I cannot get behind this book as falling into the genre.

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The Taker (Men of Malice, #1) by Mae Malone Review

This is a spoiler-free review! Please read trigger warnings - reader discretion is advised. A list of trigger warnings is available at the beginning of the novella.

After literally throwing himself in front of notorious mafia killer, Leo finds himself at Rocco's every beck and call. In order to continue to provide for his younger sisters, he is forced to take a job being Rocco's personal employee. I really enjoyed how we jumped right into the story - since this is a novella, I was hoping that there would not be too many chapters focusing on random things, and I was pleased to see that the author sends us right into the story with enough background information that sets the stage.

Leo goes through a number of conflicting feelings throughout this story, and the introduction of Rocco into his life as he takes care of his sisters has a number of effects on his safety and anxieties. We really take a deeper look into his psyche and how his mental health is affected by being thrust into life with a mafia man while trying to maintain a balance with normalcy surrounding his sisters. Essentially becoming Rocco's possession, Leo is exposed to so much more than he could have imagined - even with his father being involved in the past, Leo was never this close to the action.

Rocco becomes completely enamored with Leo when he does something drastic - and brave - without thinking. Once he set his sights on Leo, there was no way that Leo was going to escape him. With dual perspective chapters, it was a great way to see into Rocco's mind and his "psychotic" tendencies as he did everything in his power to have Leo all to himself. He basically sabotages everything in Leo's life in order to get him to do what he wants, and while that is a major red flag in real life, this is a dark mafia romance, and I would not expect anything else.

This novella is a piece of cake to read - if you are a quick reader like myself, this can easily be tackled in an hour or so. Once you pick it up, the pacing moves fast enough that you can finish it in one sitting, or take a quick break before continuing on. In all honestly, I would read this as a full-length book, since the characters are so intriguing, and I would love to see more of them in the future. From my understanding, this is the first in a series of interconnected standalone novellas, so I certainly will be waiting for the second installment.

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The Sweetest Oblivion (Made, #1) by Danielle Lori Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

Almost four years after I said I would read this book, I finally did it. Nico Russo is iconic in every sense of the word. He is absolutely psychotic in the best ways possible, and watching him invoke chaos because he was simply bored was a treat. This man is a COMEDIAN I literally was cackling at everything that came out of his mouth, and the pool scene, I died. He obviously has his flaws, but I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him go absolutely insane the more he interacted with Elena, and his perspective chapters were too funny.

Elena is riddled with following her family's expectations after a scandal, and when she is met with her younger sister's fiancé, let's just say that she is less than impressed, and yet more than intrigued when he begins to infiltrate her life at every turn. Her relationship with her sister is strong, yet they do have their secrets kept locked away for their own reasons. Adriana is unique in every sense of the word, and is the polar opposite of Elena, who is resigned and notorious for following her family's command. When an unexpected turn ends with Elena engaged to a man she soon thought to be her future brother-in-law, we are taken on quite the journey.

Nico's constant frustration with Elena as he attempts to figure her out as a person was a delight to read - you could literally feel his agitation that he could not pinpoint her and understand what happened to her in the past to cause such a scandal. I was literally kicking my feet at every single one of their interactions, and their tension was flying off the page. He was so possessive of Elena even when she was not his, and watching his jealously manifest as she spoke to other men he had beef with felt like the perfect set up for him and Elena.

I loved that this book actually included mafia plot lines instead of just referencing that the families were important mafia families - the action really tied the story together, and the danger definitely upped the ante when it came to Nico being protective of Elena. The little touches of him watching her and everyone noticing was the perfect addition to add to his character - even when they would only speak in quick passings, you could tell that he wanted her from the beginning.

The side characters provided a lot of opportunity for both Elena and Nico to have plot lines outside of their developing relationship, and I was glad to see that they were able to learn things on their own and through trial and error. The infatuation they have with each other went so much deeper than either of them expected, and I loved how they were able to communicate (most of the time) and garner an understanding, rather than constantly fight with one another. That being said, their banter was fantastic, and even with their miscommunications, they were a pretty solid couple throughout their development.

For fans of When it Raynes by Montana Fyre, this is the book for you. Filled with familial conflict, mafia drama, and unexpected relationships, The Sweetest Oblivion will have the reader dying for more of Elena and Nico at every turn of the page. I honestly wish this book was longer, I would have loved to see even more of their relationship and how they fit in with joining the Abelli and Russo families.

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Mafia Captive by Kitty Thomas Review

This is a spoiler-free review!

I am a sucker for a good mafia romance, and Mafia Captive's free download was calling my name as I searched through iBooks for my next read. It has been some time since I have come across a dark romance that really entertained me, and this book really got me back into the groove of things. I had so much fun reading this book -- the pacing was just right, and the inner conflicts of Faith and Leo shown through their dual perspectives makes readers get a great sense of their characters.

After Faith witnesses a horrible crime, she is gifted to Leo, a member of a powerful mafia family who maintains his doctoral duties while indulging in some debauchery when the sun goes down. This was a surprise age gap romance to me, with Faith only twenty-two and Leo in his early forties. Thomas does a great job at showing the restraint and maturity in Leo, while mirroring it with Faith's naivety and minimal knowledge of how casual crime is in this family.

At first I thought there was going to be some form of love triangle between Faith, Leo, and Leo's brother, Angelo, but that was quickly dismissed -- however, that did not mean that there would be an end to the conflict between the brothers and how they view Faith's role in their family. With Angelo only saving Faith to basically torment his brother, the dynamic between the three of them becomes complicated to say the least.

Faith is constantly on high alert, and I cannot blame the girl -- she really was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was thrown into the most insane circumstance in order to survive. Her development throughout the story seems slower to Leo's in comparison, but she is really the one that has to adapt to a new life, whereas Leo needed to adapt to having Faith in his life. I truly felt bad for Faith, she never seemed to have a moment of peace without someone threatening her, forcing her to put up a farce, or scaring her at every corner.

Leo genuinely does not know what to do with Faith once she is thrown at his feet by Angelo, but his perspective really allows readers to work through his inner struggles as he confronts his past and who he wants to be now that Faith is tied to him. You can tell that Leo wants to do good by Faith, but he certainly had his faults that makes readers second guess on how saintly he really is, especially when it comes to what he wants to do to Faith.

For a stand alone novel, Thomas really captures the full story in a sufficient amount of pages without drawing out the plot -- I never felt as though there was a dull moment while reading this book, and honestly I had to force myself to not finish it in one sitting. Leo and Faith's story is complex and at times heartbreaking for both characters, as they are both going through so many adjustments in order to save themselves.

I will definitely be reading more works of Kitty Thomas -- this was a great introduction to her work, and I cannot wait to see what her other books have in store. If you are looking for a dark romance to read after Mafia Captive, I highly recommend Debit Inheritance by Pepper Winters.

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Sweet Sin (Monsters & Muses, #0.5) by Sav R. Miller Review

This review contains spoilers for Sweet Sin.

Sweet Sin is a short prequel to Promises and Pomegranates -- it is recommended that you read it before diving into P&P, but ultimately it is up to the reader's choice if they want the background information provided.

Let me tell you, I did not know what to expect from this series, but Kallum ripping off a man's nails and killing him on page two certainly set the scene for the rest of the novella. Now he may have murdered people, and may watch Elena through security cameras in her home, but at least he has the decency to not watch her in the shower! A match made in heaven.

Elena is engaged to Mateo, an incredibly annoying and abusive son of another important mafia family. She clearly has absolutely no interest in him whatsoever, and Kal watches Mateo like a hawk anytime he steps near Elena, especially when he always sees the faint outlines of bruises that litter her body after she is with him. Kal is her family's security/hitman/fixer -- a man of many talents -- and nearly twice Elena's age, making him all the more tempting and very off limits.

To the absolute no surprise of anyone, Kal and Elena are drawn to each other every single time they argue and tempt one another in the most inappropriate places they can find. With a tormented past between them, it only heightens their obvious infatuation with one another, leading to Kal taking her virginity and basically claiming her on every surface he can find.

And Kal... the mouth that man has and the things he says had me speechless. They are feral for each other and that bathroom probably needs to be fumigated and coated in bleach after what they did to each other. So sweet too -- writing her poetry after carving his initial into her thigh -- this is the height of romance, if I do say so myself. Kal is completely unhinged and does not stop himself from doing what he wants to Elena, and that includes having someone right outside the door while he unravels her.

Even knowing that this is a prequel, I was still wishing that it was longer -- the development felt rushed and you are just thrown into the story and have to orient yourself into understanding who everyone is without a solid introduction that you would typically find in a full length novel. It is much shorter than the average novella, being less than one hundred pages where others are usually right under the two hundred page mark. I will definitely be reading Promises and Pomegranates, because boy oh boy I need to see more of Kal and his unhinged actions like my life depends on it.

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