Promises and Pomegranates (Monsters & Muses, #1) by Sav R. Miller Review

This is a spoiler-free review! A list of trigger warnings can be found in the beginning of the book. You can read my review of Sweet Sin on my blog, here.

Imagine the absolute delight I experienced when I found out that this book was a cross between a loose Hades and Persephone retelling and a mafia romance -- giggling and kicking my feet before I even opened the book. Since I read Sweet Sin prior to getting into the book, I at least had a little background on Kallum and Elena's relationship dynamic and their characterization. The way you can tell that he is absolutely obsessed with Elena right from the beginning had me feeling all sorts of ways, and you could tell that he was not going to let it go until she was his.

The pacing moves pretty fast in the beginning of the book, where the author basically rushes through a ton of pretty big plot events that are happening in a short amount of time, so you can really feel the sense of urgency that Kallum and Elena are experiencing. They have this dynamic between them that just screams electricity while also very much giving into the enemies-to-lovers with a side of friends with benefits. Yes, he is fourteen years older than her and YES she did just turn eighteen.... technicalities, people, technicalities.

So WHAT if he basically kidnaps her?? I call it doing that girl a favor, because boy oh boy she would not have liked where her life ended up if things did not go according to his plan. And you can clearly tell that she secretly loves that it happened, because her home life was not giving The Brady Bunch happy family by any means. Not counting her sisters, my girl Elena needed to get away from her parents immediately. So shoutout to Kal for making that choice for her, we love a thoughtful gentleman.

I literally could not get over the way that Kal talks to Elena.. like oh?? my god?? The man has absolutely no filter and does not hold back for even a second. And the way that he talks about Elena to her mother? I nearly had a heart attack thinking every one of their conversations was going to end in bloodshed. He is totally possessive of her and does not let anyone manhandle or force her to doing anything... unless it's him. Elena is very confident in herself and definitely gives Kal a run for his money when it comes to being stubborn and hotheaded, but it makes their match so great. I would have loved to see more scenes of them being domestic or of Kal being protective over Elena, but the smutty scenes more than made up for it.

Elena's sisters had me cracking up, especially because they are younger than her yet seem so much more comfortable speaking in an "inappropriate" way in front of their parents, and definitely do not hold back when asking Elena about her relationships. Her parents on the other hand are a completely different story -- they agitated me so much throughout the entire book, and her mother is downright despicable when certain events are revealed. Elena's mother does this complete turn around as a character compared to how we originally view her in the beginning of the book, and I have to say I do not wish her the best.

The plot was pretty straight forward and there were not really any super crazy twists and turns, so it pretty much read as a forced relationship romance book with a darker undertone. I definitely would have loved some more action to happen, because there are some moments that do seem to drag on just a bit that made me wish the plot would just move forward. Some things were pretty underdeveloped and I found myself a little disappointed that the author did not dive into some more deeper stuff, especially because it is such a quick read that it felt like it was over way too soon. There was not nearly enough groveling at the end of the book -- the author pretty much drops a bomb on the main character (which was completely obvious) and then three chapters later the book is over.

If you're looking for a quick mafia romance read, this was a fun surface level read that filled the transition period as I decided on what I wanted to read next. I am not sure if I would continue reading the series, but I never say never and seem to always come back around in the end.

You can add Promises and Pomegranates on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

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.

You can add Sweet Sin on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!