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Tattered Curtain #3
Dreadful
A dark, modern, romantic retelling of Sweeney Todd with a Medusa twist and a happy ever after.
Their revenge is sweet...their love is unhinged.
Fifteen years ago, a girl sacrificed her life for mine. I've wanted only justice ever since.
Then Talia entered the stage.
I'm the barber's son. The Don's nephew.
A prince without the throne and only revenge to fuel me.
She's the bakers' granddaughter. Sweet Tallie.
Their dolce. My vipera.
My desires have always stopped at vengeance. She's made me want more. But my vendetta will destroy everything in my path, and I won't risk bringing her into my world.
I never suspected she'd snake her way in on her own.
I craved a bite of her sugar and spice, but my little vipera is fangs and venom.
Now all I want is to be bitten.
DREADFUL is a dark, revenge mafia retelling of Sweeney Todd, Hamlet, and Medusa, set in modern-day Boston and a complete STANDALONE in the Tattered Curtain Series. Guaranteed HEA. This story DOES have triggers so please check the author's website for TW.
Their revenge is sweet...their love is unhinged.
Fifteen years ago, a girl sacrificed her life for mine. I've wanted only justice ever since.
Then Talia entered the stage.
I'm the barber's son. The Don's nephew.
A prince without the throne and only revenge to fuel me.
She's the bakers' granddaughter. Sweet Tallie.
Their dolce. My vipera.
My desires have always stopped at vengeance. She's made me want more. But my vendetta will destroy everything in my path, and I won't risk bringing her into my world.
I never suspected she'd snake her way in on her own.
I craved a bite of her sugar and spice, but my little vipera is fangs and venom.
Now all I want is to be bitten.
DREADFUL is a dark, revenge mafia retelling of Sweeney Todd, Hamlet, and Medusa, set in modern-day Boston and a complete STANDALONE in the Tattered Curtain Series. Guaranteed HEA. This story DOES have triggers so please check the author's website for TW.
402 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2023
1101 people are currently reading
20170 people want to read
About the author
Greer Rivers
14 books2,676 followersGreer Rivers lives by the mountains with her real-life book husband and their three furbabies. Obsessed with history and folklore, she’s also a sucker for reality TV and proudly owns her titles as a messy eater, shirt ruiner, and steadfast non-sharer of food and wine. She adores romance, especially the dark and twisty kind, and her main goal as an author is to create a safe place for readers to feel too much.
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January 29, 2024
"I refuse to be the only one to suffer from what happened to me."
They took everything away from her. Chiara Bianci is no more.
She dies all those years ago.
But now Tallia is out for revenge for the girl she once was.
Everyone who had a hand in what she went through will feel her wrath.
Even the boy who abandoned her… or so she thought.
So when Sever shows up in her family's bakery one day…
She knows her plans are falling into place.
But you can't plan for everything.
"All my enemies were made long ago by a heartbroken boy and the dead girl who saved him."
The barber's son. The nephew of the Don of Boston.
Revenge runs through his veins.
Revenge for what they did to him. Revenge for what they did to the girl that still haunts his dreams.
The girl that died that day.
His vendetta runs deeper than anything else.
And he will not let anything get in his way.
Even the Baker's granddaughter, Tallia, his vipera.
Even if she has made him want more, he cannot bring her into this.
But what happens when she finds a way in all on her own?
"I will get revenge for the girl. Everyone will pay."
I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
"A crown isn't what I'm after. Justice is all I've wanted."
Sever wants revenge for the girl that died to save him. Tallia wants revenge for herself and for everyone who tried to ruin her. What happens when their worlds collide? And what happens when secrets start to come out from the shadows?
"If I'm not careful, Sev could unravel my entire world."
Ok. As an avid musical theatre fan (for those who were unaware then SURPRISE) this book was everything. If you have not read the "Tattered Curtains" series this is definitely a sign!!
"My war began when the girl died."
"I should've been the one that dies that night. She's not just worth my life. She's worth everything."
First we have Sever. He is giving Kaz from "Six of Crows" and I was eating it up piece by piece. It was everything!! The mafia vibes, the protectiveness, the thirst for revenge (when you read the book you'll see the pun I made there), and he is literally unhinged. Thank you morally grey gods (AKA Greer Rivers in this case for blessing us with him!!
"But once I heard her voice and its tremor, I couldn’t help but barge in. Seeing that bastardo's hand in her hair was enough to make me murderous."
And then we have Tallia. The Baker's granddaughter. She is BADASS people. She has a list of people who wronged her and believe me you do not want to be on the wrong side of that list. She wants to "paint the town red" and she will do anything and everything to do it.
"When the world isn't watching. I'm the heroine in my story and the villain in everyone else's."
The playlist this time also includes the author's playlist (which was so good!!!) but here are the songs that I added:
(Link: https://spotify.link/B9FRY9V3FDb)
🎶 "Hello" - Evanescence
🎶 "Run Boy Run" - Woodkid
🎶 "Funhouse" - P!nk
🎶 "the grudge" - Olivia Rodrigo
🎶 "Playground" - Bea Miller
🎶 "Sabotage" - Chiara Foschiani
🎶 "Paint The Town Red" - Doja Cat
🎶 "Devil" - LOWBORN
🎶 "Nightmares" - Ellise
🎶 "Hayloft II" - Mother Mother
🎶 "Haunted House" - Neoni
🎶 "Still Alive" - Demi Lovato
🎶 "Start a War" - Klergy, Valerie Broussard
🎶 "Masquerade" - Lindsey Sterling
🎶 "Blood // Water" - grandson
🎶 "Savages" - Marina
🎶 "praying" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Sirens" - MOTHICA, Sophie Powers
🎶 "Teeth" - Lady Gaga
🎶 "DARKSIDE (Besomorph Remix)" - Neoni, Besomorph
🎶 "Sleepless" - Dutch Melrose
🎶 "Know No" - CHINCHILLA
🎶 "I Can't Decide" - Scissor Sisters
🎶 "Crazy" - Natalie Jane
🎶 "nameless" - Stevie Howie
🎶 "what it means to be a girl" - EMELINE
🎶 "Sick Thoughts" - Lewis Blissett
🎶 "Survivor" - Besomage, Meric Again, RIELL
🎶 "ever fallen?" - Kate Peytavin
🎶 "cinderella's dead" - EMELINE
🎶 "Messed Up" - Once Monsters, Chloe Adams
🎶 "Collide" - Justine Skye, Tyga
🎶 "Holding Out For a Hero" - Nothing But Thieves
🎶 "Eat Your Young" - Hozier
🎶 "Do or Die" - Natalie Jane
🎶 "Fire Meet Gasoline" - Sia
🎶 "vicious" - Tate McRae
🎶 "salvation" - Christabelle Marbun
🎶 "I am not a woman, I'm a god" - Halsey
🎶 "As They Bloom" - Unlike Pluto
🎶 "Love It When You Hate Me" - Avril Lavigne, blackbear
🎶 "Chains" - Nick Jonas
🎶 "eyes don't lie sped up" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Paint it Black - Epic Trailer" - Hidden Citizens, Ranya
And trust me when I say Sev knows. HE KNOWSSS PEOPLE!!!
"I think you're afraid of what will happen when you give into this. You know that once you do, you'll crave my firm hand as much as I already crave your soft touch."
"I want you, vipera. All of you. Give into me, Tallia"
🌷 Tropes 🌷
💈Dark Sweeney Todd, Medusa, and Hamlet Retelling
💈Revenge
💈Mafia Romance
💈Killer MCs
💈Unhinged MCs
They took everything away from her. Chiara Bianci is no more.
She dies all those years ago.
But now Tallia is out for revenge for the girl she once was.
Everyone who had a hand in what she went through will feel her wrath.
Even the boy who abandoned her… or so she thought.
So when Sever shows up in her family's bakery one day…
She knows her plans are falling into place.
But you can't plan for everything.
"All my enemies were made long ago by a heartbroken boy and the dead girl who saved him."
The barber's son. The nephew of the Don of Boston.
Revenge runs through his veins.
Revenge for what they did to him. Revenge for what they did to the girl that still haunts his dreams.
The girl that died that day.
His vendetta runs deeper than anything else.
And he will not let anything get in his way.
Even the Baker's granddaughter, Tallia, his vipera.
Even if she has made him want more, he cannot bring her into this.
But what happens when she finds a way in all on her own?
"I will get revenge for the girl. Everyone will pay."
I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.
"A crown isn't what I'm after. Justice is all I've wanted."
Sever wants revenge for the girl that died to save him. Tallia wants revenge for herself and for everyone who tried to ruin her. What happens when their worlds collide? And what happens when secrets start to come out from the shadows?
"If I'm not careful, Sev could unravel my entire world."
Ok. As an avid musical theatre fan (for those who were unaware then SURPRISE) this book was everything. If you have not read the "Tattered Curtains" series this is definitely a sign!!
"My war began when the girl died."
"I should've been the one that dies that night. She's not just worth my life. She's worth everything."
First we have Sever. He is giving Kaz from "Six of Crows" and I was eating it up piece by piece. It was everything!! The mafia vibes, the protectiveness, the thirst for revenge (when you read the book you'll see the pun I made there), and he is literally unhinged. Thank you morally grey gods (AKA Greer Rivers in this case for blessing us with him!!
"But once I heard her voice and its tremor, I couldn’t help but barge in. Seeing that bastardo's hand in her hair was enough to make me murderous."
And then we have Tallia. The Baker's granddaughter. She is BADASS people. She has a list of people who wronged her and believe me you do not want to be on the wrong side of that list. She wants to "paint the town red" and she will do anything and everything to do it.
"When the world isn't watching. I'm the heroine in my story and the villain in everyone else's."
The playlist this time also includes the author's playlist (which was so good!!!) but here are the songs that I added:
(Link: https://spotify.link/B9FRY9V3FDb)
🎶 "Hello" - Evanescence
🎶 "Run Boy Run" - Woodkid
🎶 "Funhouse" - P!nk
🎶 "the grudge" - Olivia Rodrigo
🎶 "Playground" - Bea Miller
🎶 "Sabotage" - Chiara Foschiani
🎶 "Paint The Town Red" - Doja Cat
🎶 "Devil" - LOWBORN
🎶 "Nightmares" - Ellise
🎶 "Hayloft II" - Mother Mother
🎶 "Haunted House" - Neoni
🎶 "Still Alive" - Demi Lovato
🎶 "Start a War" - Klergy, Valerie Broussard
🎶 "Masquerade" - Lindsey Sterling
🎶 "Blood // Water" - grandson
🎶 "Savages" - Marina
🎶 "praying" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Sirens" - MOTHICA, Sophie Powers
🎶 "Teeth" - Lady Gaga
🎶 "DARKSIDE (Besomorph Remix)" - Neoni, Besomorph
🎶 "Sleepless" - Dutch Melrose
🎶 "Know No" - CHINCHILLA
🎶 "I Can't Decide" - Scissor Sisters
🎶 "Crazy" - Natalie Jane
🎶 "nameless" - Stevie Howie
🎶 "what it means to be a girl" - EMELINE
🎶 "Sick Thoughts" - Lewis Blissett
🎶 "Survivor" - Besomage, Meric Again, RIELL
🎶 "ever fallen?" - Kate Peytavin
🎶 "cinderella's dead" - EMELINE
🎶 "Messed Up" - Once Monsters, Chloe Adams
🎶 "Collide" - Justine Skye, Tyga
🎶 "Holding Out For a Hero" - Nothing But Thieves
🎶 "Eat Your Young" - Hozier
🎶 "Do or Die" - Natalie Jane
🎶 "Fire Meet Gasoline" - Sia
🎶 "vicious" - Tate McRae
🎶 "salvation" - Christabelle Marbun
🎶 "I am not a woman, I'm a god" - Halsey
🎶 "As They Bloom" - Unlike Pluto
🎶 "Love It When You Hate Me" - Avril Lavigne, blackbear
🎶 "Chains" - Nick Jonas
🎶 "eyes don't lie sped up" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Paint it Black - Epic Trailer" - Hidden Citizens, Ranya
And trust me when I say Sev knows. HE KNOWSSS PEOPLE!!!
"I think you're afraid of what will happen when you give into this. You know that once you do, you'll crave my firm hand as much as I already crave your soft touch."
"I want you, vipera. All of you. Give into me, Tallia"
🌷 Tropes 🌷
💈Dark Sweeney Todd, Medusa, and Hamlet Retelling
💈Revenge
💈Mafia Romance
💈Killer MCs
💈Unhinged MCs
October 17, 2023
Another fantastic book from the Tattered Curtain series!!!! Greer's newest tale is a mash up of Medus and Sweeney Todd in the dark world of mafia. With a dark romance that is full of sick secrets and those who hoped to keep them that way. I got pulled in not only by a amazingly written book but the FMC!!!! Talia's story will rip out your fucking heart and leave you a mess!!! What she endured as a
little girl will have you enraged and leave you wanting you kill all those sick bastards for what they did to her! She has a list of all those who made her life a living nightmare. Some will live but more will die and especially the depraved monster who drugged and raped her repeatedly. But her first kill will be the gardener who got his rocks off watching a seven year being raped and also took away her one chance of escaping. Some might say she takes it to the extreme but once you find the part they all played you won't feel anything for them at all.Between sexual abuse and adult gaslighting it basically drove her mad. Talia is smart and strong and survived a nightmare that no one such endure and the only thing that has kept her half way sane is her need for revenge and her list. All those who wronged her will pay and one by one she's marking them off her list. Until Severion Luciano comes into her life she can't help but be pulled to him even after he left her behind all those years ago.He doesn't know who she is but she's been watching him for a long time waiting for the right opportunity to get close.
Sever is instantly attracted to Talia when he meets her at the bakery where she works with her grandparents and the more this beautiful woman spits at him with fire in her eyes he wants to be burned! No ones ever made him feel this way. Talia is a mystery that he wants to solve.But he's just stepped into the den of a very dangerous viper and the only thing that might save him is a little girls memory of the boy who was a prisoner too and tried but failed to save her. The chemistry between Sever and Talia was amazing and the sex dark and totally raw! Both carry scars mentally and physically from that night long ago but together they will slay the demons of their past and the guilty will pay in blood. This book left me emotionally charged and drained at the same time. I love how Greer intertwined Sweeney Todd and Medus!! I have personally loved Medus and thought that such a strong woman deserved much better and Greer gave that to Talia. This whole Tattered Curtain series has been amazing! But Dreadful is her crowning glory! 5 stars is not enough! I wish I could give it10 stars and that still wouldn't give it what it truly deserves. I hope Greer writes more books from this series! The mash ups she could come up with are endless! This book is for all the Medus's out their who refused to be quiet and who lived their truth no matter who was uncomfortable! May they all find peace in truth and get their happy ending! Thank you Greer Rivers for writing a beautiful and moving story that speaks to not just Talia but all woman. Your storytelling is phenomenal and your characters unique and flawed and not easily forgotten. Until next time Luv's💕💋
“Madonna mia, save me from selfish men with short memories. What happened is I didn’t die. I survived with the memories of everyone who wronged me, their voices, their faces, their scent, my emotions, everything playing in my head nonstop. The only thing that has saved me is silencing them with justice.”
As a child I knew there is an evil in gaslighting that can be worse than the act itself. It makes you question your trauma. The body and soul remember, and yet your mind questions it, all because someone else’s words weaved into your memories and tore them apart. The priest said that I would go to hell for spreading lies. But in that house, I felt like I was already there, and the wrongs that happened to me there were made worse by the fact that every time I was forced to confess, I was called a liar.
His ruddy complexion has paled with fear, but otherwise time hasn’t changed him much on the outside. That realization only angers me further. Abusers shouldn’t get to stay the same while survivors are forced to change forever.
little girl will have you enraged and leave you wanting you kill all those sick bastards for what they did to her! She has a list of all those who made her life a living nightmare. Some will live but more will die and especially the depraved monster who drugged and raped her repeatedly. But her first kill will be the gardener who got his rocks off watching a seven year being raped and also took away her one chance of escaping. Some might say she takes it to the extreme but once you find the part they all played you won't feel anything for them at all.Between sexual abuse and adult gaslighting it basically drove her mad. Talia is smart and strong and survived a nightmare that no one such endure and the only thing that has kept her half way sane is her need for revenge and her list. All those who wronged her will pay and one by one she's marking them off her list. Until Severion Luciano comes into her life she can't help but be pulled to him even after he left her behind all those years ago.He doesn't know who she is but she's been watching him for a long time waiting for the right opportunity to get close.
Sever is instantly attracted to Talia when he meets her at the bakery where she works with her grandparents and the more this beautiful woman spits at him with fire in her eyes he wants to be burned! No ones ever made him feel this way. Talia is a mystery that he wants to solve.But he's just stepped into the den of a very dangerous viper and the only thing that might save him is a little girls memory of the boy who was a prisoner too and tried but failed to save her. The chemistry between Sever and Talia was amazing and the sex dark and totally raw! Both carry scars mentally and physically from that night long ago but together they will slay the demons of their past and the guilty will pay in blood. This book left me emotionally charged and drained at the same time. I love how Greer intertwined Sweeney Todd and Medus!! I have personally loved Medus and thought that such a strong woman deserved much better and Greer gave that to Talia. This whole Tattered Curtain series has been amazing! But Dreadful is her crowning glory! 5 stars is not enough! I wish I could give it10 stars and that still wouldn't give it what it truly deserves. I hope Greer writes more books from this series! The mash ups she could come up with are endless! This book is for all the Medus's out their who refused to be quiet and who lived their truth no matter who was uncomfortable! May they all find peace in truth and get their happy ending! Thank you Greer Rivers for writing a beautiful and moving story that speaks to not just Talia but all woman. Your storytelling is phenomenal and your characters unique and flawed and not easily forgotten. Until next time Luv's💕💋
“Madonna mia, save me from selfish men with short memories. What happened is I didn’t die. I survived with the memories of everyone who wronged me, their voices, their faces, their scent, my emotions, everything playing in my head nonstop. The only thing that has saved me is silencing them with justice.”
As a child I knew there is an evil in gaslighting that can be worse than the act itself. It makes you question your trauma. The body and soul remember, and yet your mind questions it, all because someone else’s words weaved into your memories and tore them apart. The priest said that I would go to hell for spreading lies. But in that house, I felt like I was already there, and the wrongs that happened to me there were made worse by the fact that every time I was forced to confess, I was called a liar.
His ruddy complexion has paled with fear, but otherwise time hasn’t changed him much on the outside. That realization only angers me further. Abusers shouldn’t get to stay the same while survivors are forced to change forever.
October 24, 2023
“My little muse is my addiction, and her voice is my drug. If there is a cure to my madness, I don’t want it. I’d rather welcome blissful oblivion.”
This story is a Sweeney Todd and Medusa Dark mafia retelling. This was the first book I have read from Greer Rivers. This book had me right at the beginning and didn’t let up. I will be reading more of her book!
This story is a Sweeney Todd and Medusa Dark mafia retelling. This was the first book I have read from Greer Rivers. This book had me right at the beginning and didn’t let up. I will be reading more of her book!
December 8, 2023
“If kneeling for her is weakness, then I’ll gladly hand over all my strength to help her heal. The woman I love deserves nothing less.”
🐍 Dreadful by Greer Rivers
—dark romance
—Sweeney Todd & Medusa retelling
—survivor
—anti-heroes
—mafia
Greer just knows how to capture her reader and she fully entrapped me with Dreadful. Especially with that dedication (which had me crying right off the bat), then she had me crying again during the book, and it was all worth the tears. This Sweeney Todd/Medusa/Hamlet retelling was a perfect read for my dark romance heart with its unique spice, plot, and characters who both deserved the revenge they seek.
If you need a dark romance to add to your TBR, Dreadful is a must. It can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY recommend reading the first book in the series Phantom, it’s one of my favorite books of all time. Ily Greer & I love everything you write, I’m a sucker for Talia and Sever until the end of time now.
✨check TW & enjoy✨
🐍 Dreadful by Greer Rivers
—dark romance
—Sweeney Todd & Medusa retelling
—survivor
—anti-heroes
—mafia
Greer just knows how to capture her reader and she fully entrapped me with Dreadful. Especially with that dedication (which had me crying right off the bat), then she had me crying again during the book, and it was all worth the tears. This Sweeney Todd/Medusa/Hamlet retelling was a perfect read for my dark romance heart with its unique spice, plot, and characters who both deserved the revenge they seek.
If you need a dark romance to add to your TBR, Dreadful is a must. It can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY recommend reading the first book in the series Phantom, it’s one of my favorite books of all time. Ily Greer & I love everything you write, I’m a sucker for Talia and Sever until the end of time now.
✨check TW & enjoy✨
October 31, 2024
3.75⭐️
The plot was incredibly intriguing, but then again, I’m a sucker for a good revenge storyline. I love a strong fmc, and Talia delivered exactly what I was hoping for. She absolutely deserved that happy ending, especially after everything she endured at such a young age.
I also don’t think death is necessary in books unless it’s the villains—this book only reinforced that belief for me, and if you’ve read it, you know exactly who I’m talking about.
The plot was incredibly intriguing, but then again, I’m a sucker for a good revenge storyline. I love a strong fmc, and Talia delivered exactly what I was hoping for. She absolutely deserved that happy ending, especially after everything she endured at such a young age.
I also don’t think death is necessary in books unless it’s the villains—this book only reinforced that belief for me, and if you’ve read it, you know exactly who I’m talking about.
October 14, 2023
(4.5★)
“𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞.”
The mafia Don's nephew Severino Luciano and costume designer Talia Amoretti are the main characters of Greer Rivers' dark Sweeney Todd retelling, Dreadful.
You would be able to tell that this book had me fucked if you looked at my updates while I was reading this. In typical Greer style, she wrote this book knowing that it would entertain you while simultaneously messing with your head.
Talia and Sev deserve the world since they are two souls who have endured a lot yet were still able to reconnect with one another and find comfort in one another. They were a powerful and hot couple, nevertheless. Anyways, what could be better than a good looking couple? (SPOILERS) I mean, a couple that kills together.
Talia Amoretti is just THAT girl. (SPOILERS) She went through a lot when she was younger, but as she grew older, she changed into a girl out for vengeance who began killing anybody who had harmed her.
In all, this novel was twisted and angsty, but Talia and Sev got their well deserved happily ever after.
*Thank you to the author, Greer Rivers, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*
“𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐲. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞.”
The mafia Don's nephew Severino Luciano and costume designer Talia Amoretti are the main characters of Greer Rivers' dark Sweeney Todd retelling, Dreadful.
You would be able to tell that this book had me fucked if you looked at my updates while I was reading this. In typical Greer style, she wrote this book knowing that it would entertain you while simultaneously messing with your head.
Talia and Sev deserve the world since they are two souls who have endured a lot yet were still able to reconnect with one another and find comfort in one another. They were a powerful and hot couple, nevertheless. Anyways, what could be better than a good looking couple? (SPOILERS) I mean, a couple that kills together.
Talia Amoretti is just THAT girl. (SPOILERS) She went through a lot when she was younger, but as she grew older, she changed into a girl out for vengeance who began killing anybody who had harmed her.
In all, this novel was twisted and angsty, but Talia and Sev got their well deserved happily ever after.
*Thank you to the author, Greer Rivers, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*
October 19, 2023
As a fan of dark romantic suspense, I highly recommend Dreadful by Greer Rivers. From the captivating cover to the moody playlist, seductive plot, and tenacious characters, this book is a must-read! I am obsessed with this series, but Greer Rivers has truly outdone herself with this latest installment.
The story revolves around Talia "Tallie" Amoretti and Severino "Sev" Luciano.
Sev and Tallie were just 10 and 7 years old when they were held captive together for several weeks. Despite the abuse they endured, they found solace in each other's company and became close friends. Eventually, they hatched a plan to escape, but things went awry, and Sev was the only one who managed to make it out alive. Or so it seemed...
Tallie secretly survived and was given a new identity, unbeknownst to all. As an adult, 15 years later, she seeks revenge on those who once hurt her. And the last person on her list is the young boy she believed left her behind years ago.
"There's beauty in finally becoming the person you're meant to be... even if that person is a killer." - Talia
Brace yourself for a spellbinding tale of resilience and love that triumphs over even the darkest circumstances. Featuring a cast of provocative characters on a whirlwind ride of mayhem, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat until its spectacular conclusion. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey of hope and heartache!
👥 Dual POV - Talia Amoretti and Severino Luciano
📚 A complete standalone novel within the Tattered Curtain series
💋 Safe - no cheating or sharing. No true ow/om drama.
⚠️ Please visit the author's website to find all the delicious Tropes and TWs: https://www.authorgreerrivers.com/dar...
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story revolves around Talia "Tallie" Amoretti and Severino "Sev" Luciano.
Sev and Tallie were just 10 and 7 years old when they were held captive together for several weeks. Despite the abuse they endured, they found solace in each other's company and became close friends. Eventually, they hatched a plan to escape, but things went awry, and Sev was the only one who managed to make it out alive. Or so it seemed...
Tallie secretly survived and was given a new identity, unbeknownst to all. As an adult, 15 years later, she seeks revenge on those who once hurt her. And the last person on her list is the young boy she believed left her behind years ago.
"There's beauty in finally becoming the person you're meant to be... even if that person is a killer." - Talia
Brace yourself for a spellbinding tale of resilience and love that triumphs over even the darkest circumstances. Featuring a cast of provocative characters on a whirlwind ride of mayhem, this story will keep you on the edge of your seat until its spectacular conclusion. Don't miss out on this unforgettable journey of hope and heartache!
👥 Dual POV - Talia Amoretti and Severino Luciano
📚 A complete standalone novel within the Tattered Curtain series
💋 Safe - no cheating or sharing. No true ow/om drama.
⚠️ Please visit the author's website to find all the delicious Tropes and TWs: https://www.authorgreerrivers.com/dar...
I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 25, 2023
4.5 stars
If the Mindf*ck series by S.T. Abby was like a dark romance TV miniseries, this was a movie on the same channel. The way the story was structured and how it all unfolded was RIVETING — I devoured this book in one sitting. My notes basically look something like: “Wow, what a prologue. Wow, what a first chapter. Intense.”
The blurb describes this book as a mafia revenge romance retelling of Sweeney Todd, Hamlet and Medusa, and that’s all I needed to know going into it. (But it is dark. There is a whole list of trigger warnings on the author’s website.)
There were some choices in the third act that didn’t work for me personally. But third act issues aside, this was a book that I could not put down.
What a ride.
If the Mindf*ck series by S.T. Abby was like a dark romance TV miniseries, this was a movie on the same channel. The way the story was structured and how it all unfolded was RIVETING — I devoured this book in one sitting. My notes basically look something like: “Wow, what a prologue. Wow, what a first chapter. Intense.”
The blurb describes this book as a mafia revenge romance retelling of Sweeney Todd, Hamlet and Medusa, and that’s all I needed to know going into it. (But it is dark. There is a whole list of trigger warnings on the author’s website.)
There were some choices in the third act that didn’t work for me personally. But third act issues aside, this was a book that I could not put down.
What a ride.
October 27, 2023
"To everyone with a Medusa tattoo, I believe you."
I've tried to write this review about 5 times now and I don't even know where to start. I would read this again in a heartbeat.. and I will. It has a lot of heavy material (so check triggers) but it's written so raw and beautifully. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to kill.. just wow. This had me going through every single emotion. If you're looking for a book with a badass heroin and a morally grey hero ready to kill for her.. READ THIS.
I've tried to write this review about 5 times now and I don't even know where to start. I would read this again in a heartbeat.. and I will. It has a lot of heavy material (so check triggers) but it's written so raw and beautifully. I laughed, I cried, I wanted to kill.. just wow. This had me going through every single emotion. If you're looking for a book with a badass heroin and a morally grey hero ready to kill for her.. READ THIS.
December 7, 2023
First of all this made me ugly cry so automatic 5 stars for that alone.
October 26, 2023
She was not messing around when she said this was a DARK romance, so please check trigger warnings.
𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓁𝒾ℯ 𝒾𝓈 𝒶 𝓋𝒾𝓅ℯ𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝓉ℴ 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓀ℯ, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻--𝓀, 𝒹ℴ ℐ 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉ℴ 𝒷ℯ 𝒷𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃.
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book and was not disappointed.
Tallie and Severs had one horrific childhood; the things done to them broke my heart. Fast forward years later, they meet again, and now they have one thing in common: REVENGE.
ℐ𝒻 𝓀𝓃ℯℯ𝓁𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝒾𝓈 𝓌ℯ𝒶𝓀𝓃ℯ𝓈𝓈, 𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓃 ℐ'𝓁𝓁 ℊ𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℴ𝓋ℯ𝓇 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇ℯ𝓃ℊ𝓉𝒽 𝓉ℴ 𝒽ℯ𝓁𝓅 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝒽ℯ𝒶𝓁.
Greer is an excellent, talented writer, and this book is proof.
𝒴ℴ𝓊'𝓁𝓁 𝒸𝓇𝒶𝓋ℯ 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓂 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓈 ℐ 𝒶𝓁𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒸𝓇𝒶𝓋ℯ 𝓎ℴ𝓊𝓇 𝓈ℴ𝒻𝓉 𝓉ℴ𝓊𝒸𝒽.
I am excited to read more from Mrs. Rivers.
𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓁𝒾ℯ 𝒾𝓈 𝒶 𝓋𝒾𝓅ℯ𝓇 𝓌𝒶𝒾𝓉𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝓉ℴ 𝓈𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓀ℯ, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻--𝓀, 𝒹ℴ ℐ 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉ℴ 𝒷ℯ 𝒷𝒾𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓃.
I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book and was not disappointed.
Tallie and Severs had one horrific childhood; the things done to them broke my heart. Fast forward years later, they meet again, and now they have one thing in common: REVENGE.
ℐ𝒻 𝓀𝓃ℯℯ𝓁𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒻ℴ𝓇 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝒾𝓈 𝓌ℯ𝒶𝓀𝓃ℯ𝓈𝓈, 𝓉𝒽ℯ𝓃 ℐ'𝓁𝓁 ℊ𝓁𝒶𝒹𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 ℴ𝓋ℯ𝓇 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝓉𝓇ℯ𝓃ℊ𝓉𝒽 𝓉ℴ 𝒽ℯ𝓁𝓅 𝒽ℯ𝓇 𝒽ℯ𝒶𝓁.
Greer is an excellent, talented writer, and this book is proof.
𝒴ℴ𝓊'𝓁𝓁 𝒸𝓇𝒶𝓋ℯ 𝓂𝓎 𝒻𝒾𝓇𝓂 𝒽𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒶𝓈 ℐ 𝒶𝓁𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹𝓎 𝒸𝓇𝒶𝓋ℯ 𝓎ℴ𝓊𝓇 𝓈ℴ𝒻𝓉 𝓉ℴ𝓊𝒸𝒽.
I am excited to read more from Mrs. Rivers.
February 9, 2024
the perfect Sweeney Todd + Medusa retelling with spice & m@fia romance aspects 😈 4/5 stars - review below 👇
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚... 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠!𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧.”
🐍🌷|| 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆
⚠︎ check TWs | 18+ content ⚠︎
📖 Dreadful (Tattered Curtain Series: Book Three)
Star Rating: 4/5 ★★★★
Spice Rating: 3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Spice Frequency: 2.5/5 🔥🔥🔥
POV: Dual/1st
Couple: Talia Amoretti x Severino Luciano
• st@lker romance
• revenge & betrayal
• m@fia romance
• he falls first
• “who did this to you?”
• dark romance
• touch her and 💀
• s@fe words / afterc@re / 0rg@sm denial
• imp@ct play / hand necklaces / light br33ding
• Sweeney Todd / Medusa retelling
Oh my gosh. I can’t even explain to you guys how much I have loved reading the Tattered Curtains series by Greer Rivers. Dreadful, just like the first two installments in the series, was fantastic. The dedication spoke to me immediately. It read: “To everyone with a Medusa tattoo. I believe you.”
I mean, that dedication alone made me emotional. Then reading the book itself? It broke me then put me back together. It definitely has Mindfck Series vibes, with a vigilante female main character who has been wronged and is haunting and eliminating those who have done her wrong. Tallie is stubborn, feisty and intelligent. She has survived through so much and watching her get her revenge was *chef kiss*. Then, our MMC Sev swept me off my feet. I mean he is SEXY yall. An Italian SNACK who has the most intense touch her and 💀 vibes. He literally cvts the fingers 0ff & then un@lives a man who he found out had been har@ssing Tallie. The first interaction between Talia & Sev made my heart EXPLODE, THE TENSION WAS SO THICK AND I WANTED THEM TO GET TOGETHER RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
But, watching their story unfold, reading the twists and turns and seeing the puzzle pieces come together was so rewarding. The plot of this book kept me intrigued and the love story had me in a ch0k3hold. I’m a huge fan of these books, and I’m so glad to have read them. 🥹 I just know these babies will live rent free in my brain forever. Shoutout to Greer Rivers for writing such UNIQUE retellings of musicals & plays. The structure of her books being Acts and Scenes instead of Parts and Chapters is so cool and really brings everything together.
I’m fully obsessed, if you can’t tell. 😂 Okay, time to be in a slump because what the heck do I read after this amazingness? 🫠
Side note: I did download and read the bonus epilogue and it was the conclusion I def needed. So if you’ve read this and felt like the ending wasn’t enough, I’d suggest downloading the bonus epilogue.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚... 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙠!𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧.”
🐍🌷|| 𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆
⚠︎ check TWs | 18+ content ⚠︎
📖 Dreadful (Tattered Curtain Series: Book Three)
Star Rating: 4/5 ★★★★
Spice Rating: 3.5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Spice Frequency: 2.5/5 🔥🔥🔥
POV: Dual/1st
Couple: Talia Amoretti x Severino Luciano
• st@lker romance
• revenge & betrayal
• m@fia romance
• he falls first
• “who did this to you?”
• dark romance
• touch her and 💀
• s@fe words / afterc@re / 0rg@sm denial
• imp@ct play / hand necklaces / light br33ding
• Sweeney Todd / Medusa retelling
Oh my gosh. I can’t even explain to you guys how much I have loved reading the Tattered Curtains series by Greer Rivers. Dreadful, just like the first two installments in the series, was fantastic. The dedication spoke to me immediately. It read: “To everyone with a Medusa tattoo. I believe you.”
I mean, that dedication alone made me emotional. Then reading the book itself? It broke me then put me back together. It definitely has Mindfck Series vibes, with a vigilante female main character who has been wronged and is haunting and eliminating those who have done her wrong. Tallie is stubborn, feisty and intelligent. She has survived through so much and watching her get her revenge was *chef kiss*. Then, our MMC Sev swept me off my feet. I mean he is SEXY yall. An Italian SNACK who has the most intense touch her and 💀 vibes. He literally cvts the fingers 0ff & then un@lives a man who he found out had been har@ssing Tallie. The first interaction between Talia & Sev made my heart EXPLODE, THE TENSION WAS SO THICK AND I WANTED THEM TO GET TOGETHER RIGHT THEN AND THERE.
But, watching their story unfold, reading the twists and turns and seeing the puzzle pieces come together was so rewarding. The plot of this book kept me intrigued and the love story had me in a ch0k3hold. I’m a huge fan of these books, and I’m so glad to have read them. 🥹 I just know these babies will live rent free in my brain forever. Shoutout to Greer Rivers for writing such UNIQUE retellings of musicals & plays. The structure of her books being Acts and Scenes instead of Parts and Chapters is so cool and really brings everything together.
I’m fully obsessed, if you can’t tell. 😂 Okay, time to be in a slump because what the heck do I read after this amazingness? 🫠
Side note: I did download and read the bonus epilogue and it was the conclusion I def needed. So if you’ve read this and felt like the ending wasn’t enough, I’d suggest downloading the bonus epilogue.
October 17, 2023
The Tattered Curtains universe is back, Ms Rivers brings us a new tale from this dark addictive world, this time a Medusa retelling with Sweeney Todd’s vibes will steal your breath and take you on an unforgettable journey.
Two formidable main characters both forged in pain and out for revenge. Talia is an amazing woman her childhood was stolen by unscrupulous people, her happiness replaced by pain and injustice. As a grown woman she’s out for blood, it’s time those depraved men meet their deserved end, the way to their grave will be painful with a taste of justice.
Sever was just a child when he was caught in a game of powers, his family used him as a pawn instead of nurturing him, long lasting sufferance his only companion. The only saving grace a girl who was taken away from him way too soon. Now a man, Sever is going to atone for not saving that child by delivering justice.
Told in dual POV this is a story about survivors, the fast paced narrative will accompany you on an heartfelt journey. Talia is a kick ass heroine who will have you cheer for her, Sever a morally grey hero to die for. Well done Greer for giving us another awesome tale.
Two formidable main characters both forged in pain and out for revenge. Talia is an amazing woman her childhood was stolen by unscrupulous people, her happiness replaced by pain and injustice. As a grown woman she’s out for blood, it’s time those depraved men meet their deserved end, the way to their grave will be painful with a taste of justice.
Sever was just a child when he was caught in a game of powers, his family used him as a pawn instead of nurturing him, long lasting sufferance his only companion. The only saving grace a girl who was taken away from him way too soon. Now a man, Sever is going to atone for not saving that child by delivering justice.
Told in dual POV this is a story about survivors, the fast paced narrative will accompany you on an heartfelt journey. Talia is a kick ass heroine who will have you cheer for her, Sever a morally grey hero to die for. Well done Greer for giving us another awesome tale.
November 3, 2023
If you’re looking for a book that has good world building, well developed characters, plot twists that make sense… keep looking. I got sucked into this book by TikTok and I had *such* high hopes, but I was rolling my eyes within the first 3 chapters.
The premise of this story I think sounds so great. The female killer getting her revenge because of the abuse she suffered (not a spoiler, it’s in like chap 1) is the kind of female empowerment I want in my life! Immediately I was thrown off when Tallie had this instant connection to Sev. Maybe the insta love is just not my trope, but it just seemed SO out of place in this book. I love angst, tension and sexual tension, but this was more than that. It nearly immediately passed right over the tension threshold.
This only got *weirder* when you find out like 75% of the way through that she knew Sev was “the boy” and she’d been stalking him. So you’re telling me, the boy she’s had on her hit list for however many years just speaks to her one time and she’s a goner? Maybe this could be believable in another storyline, but again, this just feels so out of place. She’s a ruthless killer basically, but Sev catches her from falling once in the bakery and she just forgets all the heartache, anger, and resentment of the last decade? Make. It. Make. Sense.
The other part of this story that just had me downright flabbergasted was when Sev found out Tallie had “betrayed” him and that she was the one killing these people. He has her in the meat locker and BDSM tied up and this man says he’s just going to fuck the truth out of her? Sounds horrifying until you recognize they are both fully, 100% consenting to this. She’s not distressed at all. She *wants* him to keep her tied up like that. And that’s all fantastic and I’m sooo happy they each found someone to share their kinks with, but how is fully consensual sex with a safe motion and safe word considered torture? How is this in any way, shape or form going to make her confess her secrets?
“No, Sev, please stop I don’t want an orgasm. If you stop pleasuring me I’ll tell you” said no bitch ever.
My overall point, is that if you want to read a mediocre book with smut, sure. This is your pick. If you’re looking for a book with any substance, I’d keep looking.
The premise of this story I think sounds so great. The female killer getting her revenge because of the abuse she suffered (not a spoiler, it’s in like chap 1) is the kind of female empowerment I want in my life! Immediately I was thrown off when Tallie had this instant connection to Sev. Maybe the insta love is just not my trope, but it just seemed SO out of place in this book. I love angst, tension and sexual tension, but this was more than that. It nearly immediately passed right over the tension threshold.
This only got *weirder* when you find out like 75% of the way through that she knew Sev was “the boy” and she’d been stalking him. So you’re telling me, the boy she’s had on her hit list for however many years just speaks to her one time and she’s a goner? Maybe this could be believable in another storyline, but again, this just feels so out of place. She’s a ruthless killer basically, but Sev catches her from falling once in the bakery and she just forgets all the heartache, anger, and resentment of the last decade? Make. It. Make. Sense.
The other part of this story that just had me downright flabbergasted was when Sev found out Tallie had “betrayed” him and that she was the one killing these people. He has her in the meat locker and BDSM tied up and this man says he’s just going to fuck the truth out of her? Sounds horrifying until you recognize they are both fully, 100% consenting to this. She’s not distressed at all. She *wants* him to keep her tied up like that. And that’s all fantastic and I’m sooo happy they each found someone to share their kinks with, but how is fully consensual sex with a safe motion and safe word considered torture? How is this in any way, shape or form going to make her confess her secrets?
“No, Sev, please stop I don’t want an orgasm. If you stop pleasuring me I’ll tell you” said no bitch ever.
My overall point, is that if you want to read a mediocre book with smut, sure. This is your pick. If you’re looking for a book with any substance, I’d keep looking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2023
dnf at 56%
you know how sometimes you pick up a book and in the first 10-20% smth feels off but you’re like “hmm let’s see anyway” and then when you hit the 40% mark it just gets so cringey and straight up bad you’re like “well i’ve already read this much might as well finish” but then it gets genuinely awful and you finally let yourself dnf? that’s what happened here
i genuinely tried, but this was exhausting to read. i’ve never rolled my eyes this much while reading a book. zero chemistry, zero tension, annoying internal monologues, 9/10 characters genuinely seem stupid
to top it off — i’d never thought someone could make the “who did this to you” trope feel this awful lmao
i probably could hate finish it but didn’t want to xx
you know how sometimes you pick up a book and in the first 10-20% smth feels off but you’re like “hmm let’s see anyway” and then when you hit the 40% mark it just gets so cringey and straight up bad you’re like “well i’ve already read this much might as well finish” but then it gets genuinely awful and you finally let yourself dnf? that’s what happened here
i genuinely tried, but this was exhausting to read. i’ve never rolled my eyes this much while reading a book. zero chemistry, zero tension, annoying internal monologues, 9/10 characters genuinely seem stupid
to top it off — i’d never thought someone could make the “who did this to you” trope feel this awful lmao
i probably could hate finish it but didn’t want to xx
April 4, 2025
“If kneeling for her is weakness, then I'll gladly hand over all my strength to help her heal. The woman I love deserves nothing less.”
bye. i’m sobbing uncontrollably ✋🏼😭 this has been on my tbr for YEARS !! and i finally got the chance to read it. starting off april with this one was the perfect call. april is sa awareness month. this book is a reminder to survivors to own your past and heal. you are so beautiful. you are so cherished. you are heard. you are seen. just like talia in this book, give a big fuck you to all those who have hurt you 🫀
this is a dark mafia romance, revenge plot, tortured souls, sexual assault, captives, dark pasts, trauma, secrets, corruption, soulmates, grief, violence, torture, drugging, poison, loss of loved one, stalking, mindfuck, hidden identity, duo pov, and standalone in series 🖤
there is a special place in my heart for the girl talia used to be and for the woman she became. she was kidnapped after a planned car accident that took her mother and father’s life. she was then locked up in the dungeon at such a young age. the things that little girl went through will always leave me speechless. there were many times where i had to put the book down and just sob. i just wanted to hold that little girl and tell her that she will get through this. the song she kept singing gave me the chills but also gave me an emotion i couldn’t possibly feel for a fictional character. but when she met the boy in the cell next to hers, i was just crossing my fingers and hoping the two of them would make it out okay.
for the past 15 years sev is out looking to deliver justice for the girl he spent he days and nights with in that prison. his whole life people have used him for their own benefits. first finding out the wicked ways his uncle / stepdad rose to power in the family. and the betrayal of his mother for marrying her husband’s brother before his body was even cold. sev sought out revenge and everything he did was for that little girl. as secrets began to unravel, he forms an unimagined alliance to continue his plans.
i don’t think i’ll be able to get over this story for a while and i don’t want to. i absolutely loved the chemistry between sev and talia. they are so precious and deserve the whole world for everything they went through. all the lies and secrets they kept only pushed them to reach their goals. that ending had me sobbing like a little bitch omg 😭💜 i love them forever
🌶️🌶️
bye. i’m sobbing uncontrollably ✋🏼😭 this has been on my tbr for YEARS !! and i finally got the chance to read it. starting off april with this one was the perfect call. april is sa awareness month. this book is a reminder to survivors to own your past and heal. you are so beautiful. you are so cherished. you are heard. you are seen. just like talia in this book, give a big fuck you to all those who have hurt you 🫀
this is a dark mafia romance, revenge plot, tortured souls, sexual assault, captives, dark pasts, trauma, secrets, corruption, soulmates, grief, violence, torture, drugging, poison, loss of loved one, stalking, mindfuck, hidden identity, duo pov, and standalone in series 🖤
there is a special place in my heart for the girl talia used to be and for the woman she became. she was kidnapped after a planned car accident that took her mother and father’s life. she was then locked up in the dungeon at such a young age. the things that little girl went through will always leave me speechless. there were many times where i had to put the book down and just sob. i just wanted to hold that little girl and tell her that she will get through this. the song she kept singing gave me the chills but also gave me an emotion i couldn’t possibly feel for a fictional character. but when she met the boy in the cell next to hers, i was just crossing my fingers and hoping the two of them would make it out okay.
for the past 15 years sev is out looking to deliver justice for the girl he spent he days and nights with in that prison. his whole life people have used him for their own benefits. first finding out the wicked ways his uncle / stepdad rose to power in the family. and the betrayal of his mother for marrying her husband’s brother before his body was even cold. sev sought out revenge and everything he did was for that little girl. as secrets began to unravel, he forms an unimagined alliance to continue his plans.
i don’t think i’ll be able to get over this story for a while and i don’t want to. i absolutely loved the chemistry between sev and talia. they are so precious and deserve the whole world for everything they went through. all the lies and secrets they kept only pushed them to reach their goals. that ending had me sobbing like a little bitch omg 😭💜 i love them forever
🌶️🌶️
January 21, 2025
not sure how i feel about the fact that sever simply declared that he will help tallie w her killings but hey maybe i just dont know symbolisms😊😊😊 the good news is that tallie isnt some spineless fool and i appreciate her for that
October 14, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
““I’m claiming you, Talia. You’re mine now. Your burden is my burden—” he punctuates each point with long plunges. “Your dreams are my dreams. Your goals are my goals. Your family is my family. Your heart is mine. My heart is yours.””
omg this was AMAZING. the plot is again, so good. greer writes magic i swear! the spice is sublime. severino is sexy af, idk how im supposed to choose between him and kian. i also adored how badass our fmc tallie is, she’s taking back her power and going after those who wronged her in the past. best fmc in the whole series so far. overall im so obsessed with all of these books, greer hasn’t disappointed me yet!
🔪tropes🔪
💈found family
💈 kidnapping
💈 murder
💈 spiceeeee
💈 revenge
💈 he falls first
💈 “who did this to you?”
💈 sweeney todd retelling
🔪 triggers🔪
🩸child kidnapping (past)
🩸 child neglect (medical care) (past)
🩸 rape/sa (past)
(a more detailed list can be found on the authors website)
i was given this arc by the author in exchange for an honest review, thank you greer! 🖤
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
““I’m claiming you, Talia. You’re mine now. Your burden is my burden—” he punctuates each point with long plunges. “Your dreams are my dreams. Your goals are my goals. Your family is my family. Your heart is mine. My heart is yours.””
omg this was AMAZING. the plot is again, so good. greer writes magic i swear! the spice is sublime. severino is sexy af, idk how im supposed to choose between him and kian. i also adored how badass our fmc tallie is, she’s taking back her power and going after those who wronged her in the past. best fmc in the whole series so far. overall im so obsessed with all of these books, greer hasn’t disappointed me yet!
🔪tropes🔪
💈found family
💈 kidnapping
💈 murder
💈 spiceeeee
💈 revenge
💈 he falls first
💈 “who did this to you?”
💈 sweeney todd retelling
🔪 triggers🔪
🩸child kidnapping (past)
🩸 child neglect (medical care) (past)
🩸 rape/sa (past)
(a more detailed list can be found on the authors website)
i was given this arc by the author in exchange for an honest review, thank you greer! 🖤
October 20, 2023
Book 3 in the Tattered Curtain series was utterly enthralling. It is a Sweeney Todd with Medusa vibes retelling which is a complete first for me. It was dark, vengeful and beautifully exhilarating. This book was non stop from page 1. Our mains Talia Amoretti & Severino Luciano are both deviously twisted individuals. Both on a path of revenge that intersects with the other crashing them together whether they want to or not. This is a total he falls first with a twist on enemies to lovers leading us to our HEA. Talia is one tough cookie, her life was irrevocably changed when she was a young girl and not only did she grow up into a successful woman but damn she's a bad ass. Severino (Sev) is also successful, smart and oh so devious. They both have a desperate need to exact their revenge on mafia boss Claudio, Sev's Uncle/Stepfather and Talia's Godfather, the cause of all of their problems. I'm not gonna lie when I say they're both a bit "unhinged" but it makes for a great story. Let's not forget Sev's obsession with his "Dolcezza" it is sexy and twisted....I love it.
This story has a lot of twists and turns and there were a few times I panicked and thought how the hell are they gonna get out of this......
Ms. Rivers writing style is smooth and easy to follow, she grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until you're gasping for breath. I'm so pumped I was able to read this book before the masses, its a privilege I don't take lightly. Thank you. Keep em coming Lady!
This story has a lot of twists and turns and there were a few times I panicked and thought how the hell are they gonna get out of this......
Ms. Rivers writing style is smooth and easy to follow, she grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go until you're gasping for breath. I'm so pumped I was able to read this book before the masses, its a privilege I don't take lightly. Thank you. Keep em coming Lady!
October 15, 2023
“I wasn’t born this vengeful, I was made, and I don’t regret how I’ve dealt with it. Few might understand my actions, but justice is subjective. Depending on who you ask, what I’ve done is either righteous or evil. Good thing I’m not taking a poll."
Pls read TWs before diving on this one.
Dreadful is a dark reimagining of Sweeney Todd with a mix of Medusa that is absolutely perfect for spooky season and even more perfect for those who are looking for something dark and spicy. It is set in a modern world with mafia, and heartbreaking plot that I know you guys will enjoy. Its also a very powerful book for those who were a victim of SA.
I cant tell you guys enough how amazing this book is. How satisfying it is to read everytime Talia exacts her vengeance to those who have abvsed her. From the authors dedication to the very last page, this book has captured all of my attention, heart and soul. This is my first ever book by Greer and Im happy to say that I was not disappointed at all. Greer has a way with her words, every line in this book were written incredibly!
Dreadful has amazing and unique characters. Talia is a very relatable character and I love & feel for her since chapter 1, her pain and sufferings were so raw that even I as the reader can feel it pouring out from the pages. I have also found a new book boyfriend with Sev. I love and adore this man.
Overall it was such an amazing and enjoyable read.
Pls read TWs before diving on this one.
Dreadful is a dark reimagining of Sweeney Todd with a mix of Medusa that is absolutely perfect for spooky season and even more perfect for those who are looking for something dark and spicy. It is set in a modern world with mafia, and heartbreaking plot that I know you guys will enjoy. Its also a very powerful book for those who were a victim of SA.
I cant tell you guys enough how amazing this book is. How satisfying it is to read everytime Talia exacts her vengeance to those who have abvsed her. From the authors dedication to the very last page, this book has captured all of my attention, heart and soul. This is my first ever book by Greer and Im happy to say that I was not disappointed at all. Greer has a way with her words, every line in this book were written incredibly!
Dreadful has amazing and unique characters. Talia is a very relatable character and I love & feel for her since chapter 1, her pain and sufferings were so raw that even I as the reader can feel it pouring out from the pages. I have also found a new book boyfriend with Sev. I love and adore this man.
Overall it was such an amazing and enjoyable read.
October 15, 2023
4.5⭐️
This was my first ARC , I’m super thankful to Greer Rivers !!
I’ve read all of the Tattered Curtain series and I love them all !!
Dreadful was absolutely amazing! I’m in love with Sever and Talia ! A couple that does revenge together … 👀 I think that might just be the best combo ever! 😂 The things they both went through when they were younger and then they come together to recuperate and actually understand each other! Definitely check Trigger Warnings !
I will not get over Tony (IYKYK) 😭. I cried in some parts!
“𝙸𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚝, 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎’𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝.”
^^^ Just know … this! , this hit deep for me 😭! Overall this book is beautifully done!
Thank you again to Greer Rivers & team for the ARC! ♥️
This was my first ARC , I’m super thankful to Greer Rivers !!
I’ve read all of the Tattered Curtain series and I love them all !!
Dreadful was absolutely amazing! I’m in love with Sever and Talia ! A couple that does revenge together … 👀 I think that might just be the best combo ever! 😂 The things they both went through when they were younger and then they come together to recuperate and actually understand each other! Definitely check Trigger Warnings !
I will not get over Tony (IYKYK) 😭. I cried in some parts!
“𝙸𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚝, 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎’𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖 𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝.”
^^^ Just know … this! , this hit deep for me 😭! Overall this book is beautifully done!
Thank you again to Greer Rivers & team for the ARC! ♥️
October 23, 2023
Beta Read
4.75
I had the wonderful opportunity to beta read this. For the third installment in a series, I found myself very sucked in and enjoying every moment. The hardest part of a beta read, is only being able to read in chunks at a time.
The prologue sucks you in with the very first page. Our two leading characters are connected by trauma from their childhoods, trauma that leads them both on separate revenge missions in their adult years. This story is inspired by elements from Medusa and Sweeney Todd with our fmc being quite a bad-ass executing revenge on all those who wronged her as a child.
Set in Boston with the Italian mafia, this story is absolutely perfect for spooky season
4.75
I had the wonderful opportunity to beta read this. For the third installment in a series, I found myself very sucked in and enjoying every moment. The hardest part of a beta read, is only being able to read in chunks at a time.
The prologue sucks you in with the very first page. Our two leading characters are connected by trauma from their childhoods, trauma that leads them both on separate revenge missions in their adult years. This story is inspired by elements from Medusa and Sweeney Todd with our fmc being quite a bad-ass executing revenge on all those who wronged her as a child.
Set in Boston with the Italian mafia, this story is absolutely perfect for spooky season
October 10, 2023
Greer Rivers has done it again.
Another retelling that pays such a homage to the original, it feels nostalgic. Every time I read one this woman’s books, I fall deeper in love.
A Sweeney Todd x Hamlet x Medusa mafia retelling is not something I would have ever thought I’d see written let alone so perfectly.
Every book in this series has been a 5 star read.
Thank you to Greer and Valentine PR for allowing me an ARC for this masterpiece.
I implore everyone of you who read this review to read this book when it comes out on the 19th this month.
To add in a quote that I truly felt just resonated in my soul from this book, it would be this one.
“Few might understand my actions, but justice is subjective. Depending on who you ask, what I’ve done is either righteous or evil.”
Another retelling that pays such a homage to the original, it feels nostalgic. Every time I read one this woman’s books, I fall deeper in love.
A Sweeney Todd x Hamlet x Medusa mafia retelling is not something I would have ever thought I’d see written let alone so perfectly.
Every book in this series has been a 5 star read.
Thank you to Greer and Valentine PR for allowing me an ARC for this masterpiece.
I implore everyone of you who read this review to read this book when it comes out on the 19th this month.
To add in a quote that I truly felt just resonated in my soul from this book, it would be this one.
“Few might understand my actions, but justice is subjective. Depending on who you ask, what I’ve done is either righteous or evil.”
August 29, 2024
2⭐️
As a child, she was kidnapped, raped, and left for dead. As an adult, she is out for vengeance against those who hurt her and those who failed to save her.
As a boy, he was kidnapped and forced to listen to the little girl in the room next to him being hurt. He thought she had died. As a man, he has sworn to destroy those who facilitated her death.
My Thoughts
The opening chapter of this book is DARK. I don't think I was mentally prepared for just how dark. Check your triggers. The chapter is the attempted rape and murder of a child. It doesn't go into detail, but you know it is happening. You also know this isn't the first time.
The book graphics are gorgeous. I couldn't get enough of them. Every chapters first page was black overlayed with a grey picture and white words. Whoever they used as a male photo model looked like a young Chris Pratt. By the end, I was seeing his face as Sev ( the MMC POV)
The romance was underwhelming and predictable. He walks into a bakery, steadying her from falling, and surprise, she is practically drooling at his hotness! The instant attraction diminishes the build-up and angst I've come to expect from a dark romance. It was sort of a turn-off.
It's smutty. I'll give the book that. The problem is the sex scenes feel like they are written by a man who doesn't quite understand how a woman's body works. This would be bearable if it HAD been written by a man. It's written by a woman FOR women. She should know better or have at least read more spice before trying to write it. It made me uncomfortable to read. The author has a weird obsession with nipples.
You can tell the author is self-published and unpolished. It's a dark mafia romance, wrapped up in a Sweeny Todd/Hamlet/Medusa rewrite. I had such high hopes for it, but it feels like a "booktok made me buy it" regret.
The "Sweeny Todd" rewrite part is basically he's a barber who murders with a razor, and she's a baker. The "Medusa" rewrite is basically a scorned woman's vengeance. The "Hamlet" is he's after his uncle for the murder of his father. This isn't so much a rewrite as a play on themes. Easy to spot in the first few chapters.
It's not well written and way too long. It feels more like fanfiction or wattpad. The characters are fleshed out and likable, but their speech...... no one talks like that. It's the way a teen in middle school would write a story. The whole thing is disjointed. I had to constantly reread sentences to make them make sense.
The Tale had just enough plot to keep me reading, but it felt more like I hate read it just to find out what happened.
The ending was lackluster and anticlimactic. I wish I had saved my time and money on this one.
As a child, she was kidnapped, raped, and left for dead. As an adult, she is out for vengeance against those who hurt her and those who failed to save her.
As a boy, he was kidnapped and forced to listen to the little girl in the room next to him being hurt. He thought she had died. As a man, he has sworn to destroy those who facilitated her death.
My Thoughts
The opening chapter of this book is DARK. I don't think I was mentally prepared for just how dark. Check your triggers. The chapter is the attempted rape and murder of a child. It doesn't go into detail, but you know it is happening. You also know this isn't the first time.
The book graphics are gorgeous. I couldn't get enough of them. Every chapters first page was black overlayed with a grey picture and white words. Whoever they used as a male photo model looked like a young Chris Pratt. By the end, I was seeing his face as Sev ( the MMC POV)
The romance was underwhelming and predictable. He walks into a bakery, steadying her from falling, and surprise, she is practically drooling at his hotness! The instant attraction diminishes the build-up and angst I've come to expect from a dark romance. It was sort of a turn-off.
It's smutty. I'll give the book that. The problem is the sex scenes feel like they are written by a man who doesn't quite understand how a woman's body works. This would be bearable if it HAD been written by a man. It's written by a woman FOR women. She should know better or have at least read more spice before trying to write it. It made me uncomfortable to read. The author has a weird obsession with nipples.
You can tell the author is self-published and unpolished. It's a dark mafia romance, wrapped up in a Sweeny Todd/Hamlet/Medusa rewrite. I had such high hopes for it, but it feels like a "booktok made me buy it" regret.
The "Sweeny Todd" rewrite part is basically he's a barber who murders with a razor, and she's a baker. The "Medusa" rewrite is basically a scorned woman's vengeance. The "Hamlet" is he's after his uncle for the murder of his father. This isn't so much a rewrite as a play on themes. Easy to spot in the first few chapters.
It's not well written and way too long. It feels more like fanfiction or wattpad. The characters are fleshed out and likable, but their speech...... no one talks like that. It's the way a teen in middle school would write a story. The whole thing is disjointed. I had to constantly reread sentences to make them make sense.
The Tale had just enough plot to keep me reading, but it felt more like I hate read it just to find out what happened.
The ending was lackluster and anticlimactic. I wish I had saved my time and money on this one.
September 16, 2025
Freaking fantastic! I love this book ! 🥰🥰 The MMC and FMC are amazing!🔥🔥🔥🔥 The spice! 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 🌶 💥🔥💥🥵 If you love Sweeny Todd, you must read this! Read this anyway! So good!
October 10, 2023
“then use me. punish me. take whatever you need from me to feel whole again.”
my most anticipated read of the year is now my favorite read of the year. i had such high expectations for this book, and i can honestly and confidently say every single one of them was not only met but surpassed. the impact this story had on me, the emotions it evoked right from the very start. there wasn't a page in this book where i didn't feel. i had to pace myself to allow myself to fully emerge in the depths of this story. to allow myself to feel and be vulnerable as the story demanded. it's impossible to be indifferent to any and everything that happened between the pages of this book. ever since "phantom" that i knew this author was special; the way greer rivers portrays and handles darkness, mental illness, and disability is humanizing. she does it with such raw honesty and thoughtfulness, and this was just another beautifully haunting example. i guessed this book before it was even announced, as soon as i learned about the series, before the first book was even out. and i waited. just like these two characters waited for each other, unknowingly. and i found something that spoke to my soul, to my heart, just like the bond between them. as much as i love sweeney todd, it was my favorite movie growing up, the little nods to medusa and her story made this book for me. there are no words to explain how seen and understood this story made me feel. the comfort. the rightfulness. only "gothikana" has ever reached me this profoundly.
* i was sent an arc by the author and valentine pr in exchange for a honest review
my most anticipated read of the year is now my favorite read of the year. i had such high expectations for this book, and i can honestly and confidently say every single one of them was not only met but surpassed. the impact this story had on me, the emotions it evoked right from the very start. there wasn't a page in this book where i didn't feel. i had to pace myself to allow myself to fully emerge in the depths of this story. to allow myself to feel and be vulnerable as the story demanded. it's impossible to be indifferent to any and everything that happened between the pages of this book. ever since "phantom" that i knew this author was special; the way greer rivers portrays and handles darkness, mental illness, and disability is humanizing. she does it with such raw honesty and thoughtfulness, and this was just another beautifully haunting example. i guessed this book before it was even announced, as soon as i learned about the series, before the first book was even out. and i waited. just like these two characters waited for each other, unknowingly. and i found something that spoke to my soul, to my heart, just like the bond between them. as much as i love sweeney todd, it was my favorite movie growing up, the little nods to medusa and her story made this book for me. there are no words to explain how seen and understood this story made me feel. the comfort. the rightfulness. only "gothikana" has ever reached me this profoundly.
* i was sent an arc by the author and valentine pr in exchange for a honest review
October 15, 2023
Thank you to the author for a eARC of this book. I was so excited when I was asked if I wanted an early copy to review... yes, yes I do.
Rating: 4.5
CW- there are quite a few since this is a dark romance so please check those for this book
Tropes: Revenge, hidden identity, mafia, enemies to lovers, morally grey MMC/FMC
This has components of Sweeney Todd, Hamlet, and Medusa woven throughout the story.
I have enjoyed the first two books in this series so much, and this one did not disappoint. Greer does such a good job of adding in easter eggs from the musicals and giving us little twists. Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite musicals... actually all three books are my top three musicals... so I really enjoy those aspects of the story. Mafia romances are one of my favorite romance books because I love me a morally grey MC- bonus points if both of the main characters are like that.
Talia wants revenge on the Family that has wronged her, and Sever wants revenge on his Family that has wronged him.
The book starts out in a flash back that hurt my soul and made me want to take revenge on some book characters... but I won't spoil it for you. We then flash forward to present day where Talia works as a costume designer and at her grandparents bakery. Sever is a guard dog for his uncle who is the local boss.
One day Sever wants to make his cousin happy so he goes to the local bakery that makes pistachio cannoli's and he sees her, Talia. He is immediately obsessed and starts using the CCTV in the North End to keep track of her.
Thoughts:
I loved every minute of this book. The back and forth between Talia and Sever... like will she kill him, will she not was entertaining for me. I enjoyed all the easter eggs from Sweeney Todd- it is one of my favorite's.
The scene with Percy and Sever... while very dark was perfect for the situation that had occurred. So many people get away with doing whatever they want, and morally grey, slightly unhinged MMC's get to enact the revenge I am sure so many people wish they could.
Talia's grandparents were so sweet and cute. I loved how much they cared for her and their relationship with each other was one of the sweetest things in the book.
Sever wanting to protect Talia but also respecting that she was strong enough to defend herself was something that added a lot to this mafia romance. There are times that the FMCs are like damsels in distress and that is not always something I enjoy. I liked that Talia was a badass and strong in her own right- Sever was there to help if needed but she didn't need a man to do all her dirty work.
I absolutely despised Sever's mom. The way she is done is fantastic but oh my goodness do I hate her.
I am excited to see what this author does next and which story she will make dark next.
Rating: 4.5
CW- there are quite a few since this is a dark romance so please check those for this book
Tropes: Revenge, hidden identity, mafia, enemies to lovers, morally grey MMC/FMC
This has components of Sweeney Todd, Hamlet, and Medusa woven throughout the story.
I have enjoyed the first two books in this series so much, and this one did not disappoint. Greer does such a good job of adding in easter eggs from the musicals and giving us little twists. Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite musicals... actually all three books are my top three musicals... so I really enjoy those aspects of the story. Mafia romances are one of my favorite romance books because I love me a morally grey MC- bonus points if both of the main characters are like that.
Talia wants revenge on the Family that has wronged her, and Sever wants revenge on his Family that has wronged him.
The book starts out in a flash back that hurt my soul and made me want to take revenge on some book characters... but I won't spoil it for you. We then flash forward to present day where Talia works as a costume designer and at her grandparents bakery. Sever is a guard dog for his uncle who is the local boss.
One day Sever wants to make his cousin happy so he goes to the local bakery that makes pistachio cannoli's and he sees her, Talia. He is immediately obsessed and starts using the CCTV in the North End to keep track of her.
Thoughts:
I loved every minute of this book. The back and forth between Talia and Sever... like will she kill him, will she not was entertaining for me. I enjoyed all the easter eggs from Sweeney Todd- it is one of my favorite's.
The scene with Percy and Sever... while very dark was perfect for the situation that had occurred. So many people get away with doing whatever they want, and morally grey, slightly unhinged MMC's get to enact the revenge I am sure so many people wish they could.
Talia's grandparents were so sweet and cute. I loved how much they cared for her and their relationship with each other was one of the sweetest things in the book.
Sever wanting to protect Talia but also respecting that she was strong enough to defend herself was something that added a lot to this mafia romance. There are times that the FMCs are like damsels in distress and that is not always something I enjoy. I liked that Talia was a badass and strong in her own right- Sever was there to help if needed but she didn't need a man to do all her dirty work.
I absolutely despised Sever's mom. The way she is done is fantastic but oh my goodness do I hate her.
I am excited to see what this author does next and which story she will make dark next.
October 26, 2023
This was very much Mindf*ck series meets Sweeney Todd and I was here for it. I loved this book. Sever was amazing and Talia stole the show. I loved their connection and the plot twist regarding who he was and what she knew. I was absolutely heartbroken for Tallie and what she had been through, but she was so strong. I love how even when Sever thought she betrayed him he still couldn’t do anything but care for her and I loved even more how he was 100% all in once he realized who she was. Getting on his knees for her??????? YES. Taking her pain? YES. Helping her get revenge? Ultimate dark book boyfriend right there. You felt the angst and tension between them up until they both completely fall and it was so well deserved for both of them. It was a definite slow burn but I loved the smut when we got it, literally one of their first scenes together was like a level 10 so I was okay with it not being SUPER spicy. Talia healing was more important.
I DO wish we had gotten to see more of the skills Talia learned though. She boasts about all the training she had done to prepare herself yet we not once see her potential, her kills are all kind of sloppy and unhinged. There really wasn’t any rhyme or reason, nor were there any difficulties with them for her. I know she was incredibly strong which is the only reason why I would’ve liked to see that a bit more.
I also wouldn’t have complained about an even further epilogue but did love that they settled down together in Italy with her Nonni. Overall this book was a great read, you have sad moments, angry moments, sweet moments, for a dark romance it’s a nice mix of everything, just check your trigger warnings because it WAS dark and dealt with triggers I usually avoid so be aware!
I DO wish we had gotten to see more of the skills Talia learned though. She boasts about all the training she had done to prepare herself yet we not once see her potential, her kills are all kind of sloppy and unhinged. There really wasn’t any rhyme or reason, nor were there any difficulties with them for her. I know she was incredibly strong which is the only reason why I would’ve liked to see that a bit more.
I also wouldn’t have complained about an even further epilogue but did love that they settled down together in Italy with her Nonni. Overall this book was a great read, you have sad moments, angry moments, sweet moments, for a dark romance it’s a nice mix of everything, just check your trigger warnings because it WAS dark and dealt with triggers I usually avoid so be aware!
October 12, 2023
ARC REVIEW
Greer does it again! She honestly can do no wrong!
I will eat up anything she writes and she proved it again!
This book had me on the edge of my seat, had me anticipating the next line. And let me tell you, it did not dissapoint.
Did this book shatter my heart into 500 pieces? Yes, but we take it. Honestly Greer was right the heartbreak and pain does add to the story but still the amount of tears I spilled, I could fill an ocean.
My heart broke for the young girl, the boy, the nonni, the godmother, for so many people did my heart break.
Talia and Sev own my heart! They were so cuteee! could they take your life, just like that, if they want to? Yes. But omg I loved them! the cutest!
The fact that she wanted revenge for all the people that wronged her! Like yes hon you go and do that!
AND OMG him wanting to get revenge in her name because he thought she was gone?! UGH YES
When he finally figured out who he was?! AND WHAT HE DID NEXT?! I swear I almost cried!
The fact that, that they both left them scarred, both physically and mentally does something to my heart! They found each other again and realized that together they could do anything.
The satisfaction I felt every time Talia was able to get revenge. Yes she will paint the town red and I am proud of her for doing so!
OMG at the end when she not only took the life of the man who hurt her but ruined everything he ever built! So proud!
Sever is right, Medusa would be proud of her, I know I am!
Sev is honestly the biggest softie not gonna lie. my man just wanted love and I'm glad he got it.
Little disappointed Kian didn't make a big entrance but glad he got mentioned though! I was like oh this is where he's gonna pull up and stand by Sev and help him haha but nope.
It's always stories like these that get me the most because even though they're fictional so many of the things that happened in this book aren't. And it hurts that no matter if it's in the real world of a fictional one, women suffer. Usually at the hands of people we're supposed to trust, people who are supposed to protect us. People who pretend to be these good people in front of others but are monsters behind closed doors. And I am not going to lie, that hurts, it's terrifying to know that people we trust can do such horrible things.
So every time a book talks about these sort of things it hurts because of how real and accurate it is!
So this is for every woman out there that has ever been through any sort of situation that made her uncomfortable or worse, you are not alone. It has no use comparing how bad your traumas were, just know there are people out there for you, people who DO wish you happiness. And it hurts to know the world won't change soon but as long as we have each other everything will be better.
This made me emotional ngl.
I will never stop raving about Greer and her books, they are too good!!
Loved this book so much!
Greer does it again! She honestly can do no wrong!
I will eat up anything she writes and she proved it again!
This book had me on the edge of my seat, had me anticipating the next line. And let me tell you, it did not dissapoint.
Did this book shatter my heart into 500 pieces? Yes, but we take it. Honestly Greer was right the heartbreak and pain does add to the story but still the amount of tears I spilled, I could fill an ocean.
My heart broke for the young girl, the boy, the nonni, the godmother, for so many people did my heart break.
Talia and Sev own my heart! They were so cuteee! could they take your life, just like that, if they want to? Yes. But omg I loved them! the cutest!
The fact that she wanted revenge for all the people that wronged her! Like yes hon you go and do that!
AND OMG him wanting to get revenge in her name because he thought she was gone?! UGH YES
When he finally figured out who he was?! AND WHAT HE DID NEXT?! I swear I almost cried!
The fact that, that they both left them scarred, both physically and mentally does something to my heart! They found each other again and realized that together they could do anything.
The satisfaction I felt every time Talia was able to get revenge. Yes she will paint the town red and I am proud of her for doing so!
OMG at the end when she not only took the life of the man who hurt her but ruined everything he ever built! So proud!
Sever is right, Medusa would be proud of her, I know I am!
Sev is honestly the biggest softie not gonna lie. my man just wanted love and I'm glad he got it.
Little disappointed Kian didn't make a big entrance but glad he got mentioned though! I was like oh this is where he's gonna pull up and stand by Sev and help him haha but nope.
It's always stories like these that get me the most because even though they're fictional so many of the things that happened in this book aren't. And it hurts that no matter if it's in the real world of a fictional one, women suffer. Usually at the hands of people we're supposed to trust, people who are supposed to protect us. People who pretend to be these good people in front of others but are monsters behind closed doors. And I am not going to lie, that hurts, it's terrifying to know that people we trust can do such horrible things.
So every time a book talks about these sort of things it hurts because of how real and accurate it is!
So this is for every woman out there that has ever been through any sort of situation that made her uncomfortable or worse, you are not alone. It has no use comparing how bad your traumas were, just know there are people out there for you, people who DO wish you happiness. And it hurts to know the world won't change soon but as long as we have each other everything will be better.
This made me emotional ngl.
I will never stop raving about Greer and her books, they are too good!!
Loved this book so much!
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